This blog is a plain version summary of a paper I wrote with support from Steven Kapp and Charlotte Morris. The full paper, titled Transgender and Gender Diverse
Autistic Adults’ Experiences of (Un)belonging can be accessed for free here.
Plainer summary:
This study explored how people who are both autistic and transgender/gender diverse experience belonging (feeling accepted) and unbelonging (feeling excluded). We interviewed 13 adults to look at their experiences of society/work (macro), services & communities (meso), and personal relationships (micro)
Main findings:
- Work & society: many struggled to get or keep jobs; workplaces often didn’t meet their needs. Some hid their identity, and many turned to self-employment.
- Healthcare & education: healthcare was often hard to access; people faced long delays, not being believed, high costs, and overwhelming hospital environments.
- Community: many found belonging in autistic communities, LGBTQIA+ spaces, and online groups, but some spaces, like nightclubs, were too overwhelming. Not everyone felt comfortable in groups.
- Relationships. Many preferred one-to-one friendships and time alone or with hobbies. Chosen family (friends as family) was very important. Some had difficult or unsupportive biological families
Key takeaway: Belonging is shaped by systems (jobs, healthcare), communities, and personal relationships. Many people created their own ways to belong, rather than fitting into existing systems
Plain summary
What this study is about
This study looks at the experiences of people who are:
- autistic, and
- transgender or gender diverse (TGD)
The researchers wanted to understand where these people feel they belong—and where they don’t in everyday life.
Why this matters
Both autistic people and transgender people often face:
- discrimination
- misunderstanding
- barriers in things like jobs and healthcare
If someone is both autistic and transgender, these challenges can overlap and become more complex.
What we did
- 13 autistic transgender/gender diverse adults (aged 20–50) took part
- They shared their life stories in interviews (spoken or written)
- Researchers looked for common themes in their experiences
They grouped experiences into three levels:
- Macro (big systems) – work, society
- Meso (organisations) – education, healthcare, communities
- Micro (personal) – relationships, family
Key findings
1. Work and wider society (macro level)
Many participants felt they did not belong at work.
Common problems:
- workplaces didn’t meet their sensory needs (noise, lighting, smells)
- lack of understanding about autism
- fear of discrimination if they disclosed their identity
- difficulty getting or keeping jobs
Some responses:
- leaving jobs frequently due to burnout
- choosing self-employment to have more control
- hiding parts of their identity
2. Education, healthcare, and community (meso level)
Education
- Some enjoyed studying and used it to build a better future
- But support needs were often unmet
Gender identity healthcare
Participants faced major barriers:
- being treated differently because they are autistic
- long delays or “gatekeeping” (having to prove themselves)
- high costs (especially in the US)
- overwhelming hospital environments (sensory overload)
Some avoided healthcare altogether because it felt too difficult.
Community spaces
- Many found belonging in autistic or queer communities, especially online
- They often felt more comfortable with other neurodivergent people
- Not all queer spaces worked (e.g. loud clubs caused sensory overload)
- Some still struggled socially, even in supportive groups
3. Relationships and personal life (micro level)
Social relationships
- Many found socialising difficult, especially in groups
- One-to-one interactions felt easier
- Some preferred being alone or focusing on hobbies
Despite this, close relationships (especially with other autistic people) were often very meaningful.
Chosen family
A very important theme was “chosen family”:
- close friends or partners who provide support and care
- sometimes more important than biological family
- Some biological families/families in which they were brought up were unsupportive
- Participants wanted relationships that better fit their identities
Some people also wanted:
- communal living (sharing homes with friends)
- non-traditional relationships or family structures
Overall message
Belonging for autistic transgender people is shaped by many interacting factors, including:
- society and systems (jobs, policies)
- organisations (schools, healthcare)
- personal relationships
What helps people feel they belong:
- supportive communities (especially autistic and queer spaces)
- chosen families
- environments that meet sensory and social needs
- being listened to and taken seriously
What creates “unbelonging”:
- discrimination and stigma
- inaccessible workplaces and healthcare
- sensory overload
- lack of understanding from others
Key takeaways
People in this group often create their own ways of belonging, such as:
- building chosen families
- finding community online
- shaping their own work environments
This shows that belonging isn’t just about “fitting in”—it’s also about changing environments or creating new ones that work better.
Explanations of key ideas
“Double empathy problem”
It’s not just autistic people struggling to understand others —
Non-autistic people also struggle to understand autistic people.
Communication problems go both ways, not just one.
“Gatekeeping”
This means proving yourself to get care. For autistic trans people, this can be worse because professionals may doubt their ability to make decisions.
“Belonging” vs “unbelonging”
Belonging: feeling accepted, understood, safe
Unbelonging: feeling excluded, judged, or out of place
“Chosen family”
People you choose to be your family, not the ones you were born into.
This can include friends, partners, and community members
Macro / Meso / Micro
Macro = big systems. Jobs, government, society
Meso = organisations & groups. Schools, healthcare, communities
Micro = personal life. Friends, partners, family
“Sensory overload”
When sights, sounds, smells, etc. become too intense and overwhelming.