Autism Advocacy Group Promotes Child Sex Changes, Condemns Protective Laws

An autism advocacy group has sparked controversy by partnering with a New York state agency to create a guide promoting gender changes for children. The 198-page document, titled “A Self-Advocate’s Guide to Gender-Affirming Health Care,” was published by the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) and the New York State Developmental Disabilities Planning Council.

The guide pushes the principles of gender ideology and denounces laws designed to protect children from irreversible medical procedures. It offers detailed instructions for children to change their sex through various medical interventions, including the use of puberty blockers.

“Some transgender and nonbinary children who have not yet gone through puberty do not want to go through puberty yet,” the guide states, accompanied by illustrations of medical procedures. “These children can take puberty blockers.”

The ASAN, a non-profit focused on advancing disability rights, is under fire for promoting irreversible sex changes, especially given the vulnerability of children with autism. Critics argue that autistic children are particularly susceptible to believing they are the wrong gender due to their tendency toward dichotomic thinking and atypical social functioning.

• Studies indicate that up to 40% of children experiencing sudden distress over their sex are on the autism spectrum.

• People with autism are significantly more likely to attempt sex changes compared to the general population.

The guide presents scenarios, such as an eleven-year-old child deciding to block puberty, and condemns laws that restrict minors from undergoing gender-affirming procedures. It asserts that these laws are "bad" and "not based on science," dismissing them as lies.

“One big barrier to care for transgender and nonbinary people is new laws about gender-affirming health care,” the document reads. “All these laws are bad. All these laws are wrong. These laws are not based on science. These laws are based on lies about how gender-affirming health care works.”

The guide also provides advice on finding supportive therapists, warning against those who might encourage patients to accept their biological sex. It frames such therapists as practicing conversion therapy, which it claims is not real therapy.

Dr. Stanley Goldfarb, former dean at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and Board Chair of Do No Harm, criticized the guide for spreading misinformation and failing to address the risks associated with puberty blockers, hormone therapies, and surgeries.

“The only word to describe this document is awful,” Goldfarb told The Daily Wire. “It is full of misinformation as well as a complete failure to outline any of the complications associated with such things as puberty blockers, hormone replacement therapies, or genital or breast surgeries. The people who put this together to confuse, and in fact, groom, vulnerable, autistic children should be ashamed of themselves.”

As the debate over gender-affirming care for minors continues, the clash between advocacy groups and protective legislation highlights the complexities and high stakes involved in safeguarding children’s health and well-being.

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