Markers of Autism and Gender Incongruence in Children (MAGIC) v1.0
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Markers of Autism and Gender Incongruence in Children (MAGIC): Cognition in Autistic and Non-autistic Gender-incongruent Children and Their Families
IRAS ID
312288
Contact name
Aimilia Kallitsounaki
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Kent
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
This project is a collaboration between the University of Kent and the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust. Our aim is to understand the intersection between gender incongruence (when birth-assigned sex does not align with experienced gender) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Research has shown that ASD is diagnosed in gender-incongruent children at almost 11 times the population rate. Yet, the nature and underpinnings of this co-occurrence have not been researched systematically. Hence, clinicians, educators, and parents are trying to support a vulnerable population of children with insufficient understanding of why gender incongruence co-occurs with ASD at such a striking rate.
This Economic and Social Research Council-funded project is timely and will address a major gap in current research. Over three years, our team aims to examine how gender incongruence may overlap with ASD in a study that involves 200, 7- to 14-year-old, children and young people and their parents who fall into one of the following four groups: (1) autistic cisgender children (i.e., children who have a diagnosis of ASD and whose gender identity corresponds to their birth-assigned sex); (2) non-autistic cisgender children; (3) non-autistic gender-incongruent children; and (4) autistic gender-incongruent children.
The study will be conducted remotely by the research team and will employ a wide range of indirect and direct measures of various aspects of gender identity, measures that tap ASD features, as well as potential markers of these aspects. We hope that the findings of our study will allow for enhanced assessments of autistic and non-autistic children referred to Gender Identity Development Services and aid the development of more personalised support. 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.
REC name
London - Hampstead Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/LO/0805
Date of REC Opinion
19 Jan 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion