The NHS has announced plans to screen all children who identify as transgender for autism, as part of new guidance stemming from Baroness Cass’s review into gender identity for young people.
The changes, which could be implemented later this year, involve a “holistic assessment” of every child referred to a gender clinic, including evaluations for neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism. The move comes after the Cass Review found that mental health conditions, including autism, were more prevalent in children who report experiencing gender dysphoria.
The new screening process will assess a range of factors, including the child’s mental health, family relationships, and sexual development. It will also include an evaluation of whether the child is experiencing same-sex attraction.
The guidelines are set to undergo public consultation before their official rollout later this year. After receiving approval from Cass in early 2025, the revised approach will be implemented at children’s gender clinics in London and Manchester.
An NHS spokesperson said: “In line with NHS England’s commitment to implement the recommendations from the Cass Review, we are currently conducting stakeholder testing on a revised service specification for the Children and Young People’s Gender Service. This draft specification outlines the new holistic assessment framework described in Cass’s report.”
The spokesperson also clarified that child patients must now be referred by either a paediatrician or a child and adolescent mental health worker to access NHS gender services.
This new initiative comes at a time when other significant legal developments surrounding transgender issues are making headlines, including the potential exclusion of trans women from female-only spaces such as bathrooms and sports. A Supreme Court ruling, which defines women in equality law based on biological sex, may impact the rights of trans women with a gender recognition certificate (GRC) in these spaces. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) chairwoman, Baroness Kishwer Falkner, described this ruling as “enormously consequential” and has vowed to ensure organizations comply with the updated policies.
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