Markers of Autism and Gender Incongruence in Children (MAGIC): Cognition in Autistic and Non-autistic Gender-incongruent Children and Their Families

儿童自闭症和性别不一致的标志（MAGIC）：自闭症和非自闭症性别不一致儿童及其家庭的认知

• 批准号: ES/W000946/1
• 负责人: David Williams
• 金额: $ 68.5万
• 依托单位: University of Kent
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2022 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=ES%2FW000946%2F1
• 关键词: Markers; Autism; Gender; Incongruence; Children

This project is a collaboration between the University of Kent and the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust, which hosts Europe's largest gender identity development service (GIDS). Our aim is to understand gender incongruence (when birth-assigned sex does not align with experienced gender) and its striking link with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which is diagnosed in gender-incongruent children at almost 10 times the population rate. The nature and underpinnings of this co-occurrence have not yet been researched systematically. Hence, clinicians, educators, and parents are trying to support a marginalised and vulnerable population of children with insufficient understanding of gender incongruence, or why it co-occurs with ASD at such a striking rate.The importance of investigating this co-occurrence was highlighted by a recent judicial review (Bell v Tavistock, Dec 2020) and there is consensus that services need to be tailored and adapted for gender-incongruent autistic children and their families. Therefore, this project is timely, and will address a major gap in current research. The investigators are leading child psychologists and psychiatrists, with substantial experience of working with the proposed populations and researching gender identity. Over three years, the team proposes to examine how gender incongruence may overlap with ASD in a series of studies, involving 200, 7- to 14-year-old, children/young people and their families who fall into one of the following four groups:1) cisgender neurotypical children (i.e. children whose gender identity corresponds to their birth-assigned sex and who do not have ASD)2) cisgender children with ASD3) gender-incongruent neurotypical children4) gender-incongruent children with ASDThe series of studies will be conducted remotely by the research team and will use a wide range of implicit and explicit measures of various aspects of gender identity, as well as potential cognitive markers of these aspects, to understand whether:- ASD is associated with different cognitions in cisgender and gender-incongruent children- Gender incongruence is associated with different cognitions in autistic and non-autistic children- Gender identity develops differently in neurodivergent and neurotypical children across the dimensions of gender flexibility, gender typicality, gender expression, and gender dysphoria- Theory of mind, cognitive flexibility, and/or alexithymia relate to the development of atypical forms of gender identity- Expressions and strength of gender, as well as cognitive markers of gender incongruence, run in the families of autistic and non-autistic, cisgender and gender-incongruent childrenAnswering these questions will identify possible 'cognitive markers' of gender incongruence that have the potential to revolutionise our understanding and support of gender-incongruent children, and inform theories of gender development and ASD. Cognitive markers represent intermediate levels between genes and behaviour that can be tapped using psychological measures, and which overcome problems associated with identifying children only on the basis of (often highly diverse) behavioural presentations and self-reports. This research will undoubtedly allow for enhanced assessments of children referred to GIDS and aid the development of more personalised support. We will engage stakeholders throughout, including parents and young people, specialist NHS Gender Services for children, CAMHS, schools, and support services for autistic people (e.g., National Autistic Society, Autistica). We will also produce a website, will publish our findings open access, and will provide a free workshop for parents, teachers, and clinicians. The uniqueness of this study means that it will generate findings of international significance likely to have an impact on theory building, clinical and educational practice, and societal understanding in the UK and beyond.

该项目是肯特大学与塔维斯托克和波特曼NHS基金会信托基金会之间的合作，该基金会主办了欧洲最大的性别认同发展服务（GIDS）。我们的目的是了解性别不一致（当出生分配的性别与经验丰富的性别不符时）及其与自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）的惊人联系，这在性别 - 少女儿童中被诊断为人口率的10倍。这种共同发生的性质和基础尚未进行系统的研究。因此，临床医生，教育工作者和父母正试图支持一个没有足够理解性别不一致的儿童的边缘化和脆弱的人群，或者为什么它以如此惊人的速度与ASD共同占领ASD。性别 - 不一致的自闭症儿童及其家人。因此，该项目是及时的，将解决当前研究的主要差距。研究人员是领先的儿童心理学家和精神科医生，在与拟议人群和研究性别认同方面合作有丰富的经验。三年多以来，该团队提议研究性别不一致如何与ASD重叠一系列的研究，其中涉及200、7至14岁的儿童/年轻人及其家人，他们属于以下四组中的一个：1）scisgendender型神经型儿童（即，与他们的性别认同相对应的性别和与生物的性别相对应的儿童（即scis and and and and and scis and ass cisd as ciss and as as as as ciss and as as ciss）神经型儿童4）一系列研究将由研究团队进行远程进行，并将使用各种性别认同的各个方面以及这些方面的潜在认知标记以及这些方面的潜在认知标志的各个方面进行遥不可及的研究，以了解：-ASD是否与不同的认知与CISENDER-IS-CONDER-IS-IS-GENDER-IS-GENDER-IS-GENDER-GENDER-IS-INCONGER-IS-GENDER-IS-INCONGER相关自闭症和非自主儿童的认知 - 性别认同在神经和神经型儿童中的发展不同，跨性别灵活性，性别典型性，性别表达和性别烦躁不良的性别柔韧性，认知灵活性，以及​​/或雌雄同体的发展及其及其及其及其及格的形式的发展及其及其性格的发展均与性格的发展有关性别不一致，在自闭症和非自主，sisgender和性别 - 企业的儿童中遇到这些问题的家庭将确定性别不一致的“认知标志”，这些潜力有可能彻底改变我们对性别 - 不一致儿童的理解和支持，并告知性别发展和ASD的性别理论。认知标记代表了可以使用心理措施利用的基因和行为之间的中间水平，并且仅根据（通常多样化的）行为表现和自我报告来克服与儿童相关的问题。毫无疑问，这项研究将使对GID的儿童进行增强评估，并帮助发展更个性化的支持。我们将在整个过程中吸引利益相关者，包括父母和年轻人，针对儿童，CAMHS，学校和自闭症患者的支持服务（例如，国家自闭症社会，自闭症）。我们还将建立一个网站，将发布我们的发现开放访问，并为父母，老师和临床医生提供免费的研讨会。这项研究的独特性意味着，它将产生国际意义的发现，可能会对英国及其他地区的理论建设，临床和教育实践以及社会理解产生影响。