NHS to screen gender-confused young people for autism

The NHS plans to assess gender-confused children for autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), it has been revealed.

According to guidelines seen by The Daily Telegraph, the NHS Children and Young People’s Gender Service will assess eight areas of a child’s life, including developmental conditions and “family context”.

The guidance, which will be used at Tavistock’s replacement hubs across the UK, is expected to be published soon for public consultation before coming into force later this year.

‘Undiagnosed autism’

The specification explains that due to the “high prevalence of neurodiversity identified” in gender-confused young people, all referrals “should receive screening for neurodevelopmental conditions” such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

If the assessment is positive, a “multidisciplinary team” will determine if the symptoms are caused by the condition or gender dysphoria. The patient could be kept under review every six months while receiving support for ASD, or be discharged from the service.

In her review, Dr Hilary Cass linked the surge of teenage girls “struggling with gender identity, suicidal ideation and self-harm” with cases of “undiagnosed autism, which is often missed in adolescent girls”.

Mental health

The guidance admitted a previous “reluctance to explore or address” mental health conditions, but emphasised that a full examination with questions about “mood, anxiety, emotional regulation, beliefs around weight” and “self-harm” should now be an “integrated part” of the service.

On “family context”, the guidelines noted that there is “evidence of an increased frequency of family parental physical and/or mental ill health and other family stressors in this group”.

Under the plans, doctors will also assess children’s physical health, school relationships, and educational achievements.

School

A spokesman for Bayswater Support Group, which helps parents with gender-confused children, said: “The more careful and holistic assessment by the NHS is welcome, however, there is still scant recognition of the environmental factors influencing children’s understanding of gender issues.

“Schools continue to teach gender identity as fact and socially transition children without parental consent. Young social media influencers monetise content claiming the health benefits of controversial medical treatments. And authority figures, including politicians, cast doubt on the findings of the Cass Review”.

“Within this context, it is very difficult indeed for professionals to make accurate diagnoses or to determine the most effective support for a patient experiencing distress.”

Dr Louise Irvine, Co-Chairman of the Clinical Advisory Network on Sex and Gender, also warned that the guidance “leaves the door open for referral of children and young people under 18 for cross-sex hormones”.

Trans drugs

Last month, it emerged that no gender-confused children have been given new prescriptions for cross-sex hormones by Tavistock’s replacement services.

Camilla Kingdon, who will chair a new multi-disciplinary team of experts for decision making in cases of hormone prescriptions, said its role in the meantime is to ensure clinicians have been providing a “holistic assessment” of patients.

But under a puberty blocker trial by King’s College London, children will be given the banned drugs for two years and monitored with brain scans and tests. Funding of £10.7 million has been allocated to the trial, which is jointly run by the National Institute of Health Research.