Abstract
BACKGROUND: Autistic people are more likely to report gender dysphoric traits, and transgender and gender-expansive individuals frequently report higher scores on self-report measures of autistic traits. Despite the clear association between autism and gender diversity, there is a dearth of qualitative research exploring the lived experiences of autistic adults. METHODS: This study contributes to the evidence base by exploring the strengths and challenges of the intersectional experiences of autism and gender diversity in adulthood. Twelve transgender/gender-expansive autistic people participated in an online semi-structured interview or an open-ended survey, and reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. RESULTS: Three main themes were identified: (1) Navigating a gender journey, (2) The impact of social context on self, and (3) Provision of health care. CONCLUSION: The findings highlight the importance of acknowledging the unique experiences of being both an autistic and transgender/gender-expansive person to further understand the intersection between autism and gender diversity.