Overlapping Spectrums: Examining the Meaning-Making of Gender Diverse Autistic Adults Using a Participatory Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Approach
Date
2021-05-03
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Abstract
The overlap of gender diversity and autism has received scant research attention to date, especially in terms of the lived experiences of transgender autistic individuals themselves. Indeed, until very recently, the voices of individuals who experience diversity within the gender and autism spectrums have seldom been present in the research literature. Self-advocates within the autism and transgender community note that “rejecting the reality of trans autistic people’s gender identities can be dangerous, even life threatening” (ASAN, 2016b, p. 1). As such, there is a clear need to better understand individuals’ lived experiences and interpretations of gender diversity, autism, and related barriers. To this end, this research project used an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) approach (Smith, Flowers, & Larkin, 2009) to facilitate a more nuanced and in-depth understanding how transgender autistic individuals make meaning of gender, autism, and the related barriers and strengths they encounter. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with nine transgender autistic adults and transcripts were analyzed using an IPA framework. Results demonstrated rich emergent themes related to each participant’s individual experiences, which developed in the analyses into three wide-ranging superordinate themes: (1) Questioning, knowing; (2) Sharing myself, seeking support; and (3) Complexities and connections. Each of these themes integrated robustly with contemporary research and clinical practice in the field of gender diversity and neurodiversity, including acknowledging the overlap, reducing barriers in pathways to care, honouring the expertise of lived experience, building knowledge and capacity, understanding dating and relationships, re-examining what is assumed about gender differences, and shifting the narrative to a less deficit-based, more diversity-focused dialogue. This study generated new knowledge related to the meaning transgender autistic individuals make of their lived experiences. It sought to incorporate questions and findings that are practical, meaningful, and relevant for gender diverse neurodiverse individuals themselves, as well as for their cisgender allistic (non-autistic) allies. As such, this project has the potential to positively impact the health and wellbeing of gender diverse neurodiverse individuals and to amplify the trans autistic perspectives that have often been excluded in the research to date.
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Keywords
gender diversity, neurodiversity, transgender, autism, interpretative phenomenological analysis
Citation
Yule, A. E. (2021). Overlapping Spectrums: Examining the Meaning-Making of Gender Diverse Autistic Adults Using a Participatory Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Approach (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.