By Rachael Thompson
Disclaimer:
The material in this blog is not to be used by any commercial or personal entity without expressed written consent of the blog author. The statements in this blog are not intended to provide individual strategies or interventions. The author does not in any way guarantee or warrant the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any message and will not be held responsible for the content of any message. Always consult your personal Occupational Therapist for specific sensory processing advice.
Social and Cultural 'norms'
It is widely accepted that social and cultural norms can influence the experience, expression, and identification with a gender type. Social and cultural expressions can manifest in the clothes that people choose to wear, the activities that they choose to take part in and to some extent still, the careers they pursue. But for individuals with sensory processing difficulties these choices can be influenced more by their sensory processing profiles than social influence or desire to fit within the traditional roles and social expectations of a specific gender.
Tactile Sensitivity and Clothing Choice
Many autistic individuals experience tactile sensitivity. For some individuals this impacts on the clothes they choose to wear which are likely to be selected for their texture, weight and fit which meet their sensory needs….. rather than for fashion or to fit in with the identity of a group of people or gender. Clothes that are more accepted in masculine culture tend to be heavier, softer and looser fitting and may be far more comfortable for individuals with tactile sensitivity.
For some autistic indviduals the sensation of make-up on their face is intolerable and some choose to have shorter hairstyles as the sensation of long hair and the sensory input of grooming hair is particularly difficult for them to tolerate. These presentations are prevalent in the male population in the UK.
Tactile sensitivity and affective touch
Another consideration relating to tactile sensitivity is that more prevalent in female social groups is the use of tactile gestures which serve the purpose of establishing and maintaining emotional bonds between female group members. This is less prevalent in predominantly male social groups. So for individuals with tactile sensitivity and difficulties with social touch…..again the male communication style may be seen as safer and some autistic individuals may find it easier to interact in social groups where there is a predominance of males.
It is also acknowledged that female social groups tend to be far more comfortable with and seek closer physical proximity than male social groups. Close proximity can be difficult for many autistic females as the anticipatory anxiety of unexpected or social touch increases with proximity to other people. This again would lead to some autistic females feeling much safer in the presence of males than females. In addition to tactile sensitivities the activities that we may be drawn to are likely to be more typical amongst males.
Activity and Leisure Occupation Choices
Our auditory and visual sensitivities and our need for proprioceptive input which is common amongst the autistic female population may mean we have preferences for activities that have lower sensory demands and are more action and movement based. For example outdoor activities and practical or sporting activities. Our sensory sensitivities mean that for many of us we would avoid or find overwhelming typically female activities such as shopping or going to cafes.
Communication styles
It is acknowledged that females tend to make more eye contact during social interactions. For some autistic individuals eye-contact can be really intense, uncomfortable and sometimes overwhelming.
It is also suggested that men generally communicate to transmit information and solve problems whereas women’s interaction tends to focus on the sharing of their feelings in order to connect on an emotional level with each other. For many autistic individuals we are far better at engaging in conversations that are focused and that we perceive as purposeful such as the sharing of information or the solving of problems.
Furthermore the challenges many autistic individuals face with social interaction and in particular the identification and expression of emotion due to interoceptive processing difficulties (see interoception blogs) may again draw autistic individuals towards predominantly male social groups rather than female social groups.
Physiological Attraction
Individuals with autism who also experience interoceptive processing differences may find that it is difficult to perceive and interpret the signals they get from their bodies- so may not be able to sense who they are physiologically attracted towards. Further creating uncertainty of their gender identity.
Summary
You can see from these examples why a autistic individuals preference might be more consistent with typical male presentations. For some individuals this will be based on sensory preferences rather than gender expression or social choices and this in turn may impact on our sense of identity as we could easily perceive that we identify more closely with male presentations however this may or may not be reflective of gender identity.
All of these considerations can result in confusion as to gender identity. Individuals may find that non-binary identification fits their experience whilst others will identify as females, transgender or other gender types. Some individuals report that actually they feel freer to explore their true gender as they are less influenced by social and cultural expectations.
If you are supporting individuals with autism that are experiencing difficulties with gender identity. I think it is always important to look more closely at how we experience the world and how this can influence our presentations and behaviours without making assumptions based on more generic views of gender and gender expression.
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