Gender Roles in Adults with Asperger’s Syndrome/High-Functioning Autism
The
researcher will present an original exploratory qualitative study
investigating the intersection of adults with Asperger’s
Syndrome/high-functioning autism and gender identity. The researcher
gathered qualitative data through the use of
interviews and related measures. Participants included four adults,
ranging from young adult to middle-aged, with three males and one
female. Further, the researcher administered the Autism Quotient
(Baron-Cohen, 2001), interviews in two individual sessions, demographic
survey, and a graphic measure designed by the researcher for the purpose
of assessing internal sense of conformity to gender roles along the
gender continuum. The researcher found that the participants expressed a
history of negative experiences relating to gender roles, especially
when they found they could not conform to those roles adequately. Also,
upon being made aware of this difficulty, they made committed efforts to
fit in with their peers, especially in adolescence. As they matured,
they abandoned these efforts and prioritized their natural inclinations
and values over pressure to conform to societal gender roles. Based on
study findings, the researcher concluded that people with Asperger’s
Syndrome/high-functioning autism may experience greater difficulty
navigating binary societal gender roles in comparison to their
neurotypical peers. Future directions will also be discussed, including
the need for a replication of the present study focused on transgender
adults with Asperger’s Syndrome/high-functioning autism.
PSY 490/499, Research Practicum & Capstone
Mary Ann Winter-Messiers
Banquet Room
10 – 11 AM
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