Impacts of Dual-Masking Autism and Gender-Diversity on Wellbeing
What's the study about?
There are currently no studies that have specifically examined how masking (i.e. hiding) both autistic and gender-diverse traits impacts wellbeing. We are interested in exploring how gender-diverse folks on the autism spectrum believe masking these aspects of their identity has affected them, and we ask you to consider volunteering to participate. The study will include an individual 30–60-minute interview focused on your thoughts, perspectives, and experiences with masking both gender identity and autism and how masking has affected your wellbeing. There are minimal risks involved, and it won’t
cost you anything besides your time. Participants will receive compensation via $10 Visa gift card following their interview.
Who can participate?
Clinically-diagnosed autistic adults who identify as gender-diverse (e.g., transgender, nonbinary, gender-fluid, etc.) are invited to participate in this study.
What will participants be doing?
Participants can first expect to complete a brief screening survey. Following completion of the survey, each participant will schedule a ~30 minute individual interview with the student investigator. Interviews will be conducted on Google Meet and will consist of 10 open-ended questions about the participants’ experiences with dual-masking.
Why is this important?
This study aims to emphasize the firsthand accounts of those who mask both autism and gender-diversity. Masking autism alone is known to have a profound impact on individual wellbeing, however dual-masking both autistic and gender-related identities remains to be understudied. We are hoping to shed light on this topic through amplifying the voices of those at the intersection of autism and gender-diversity.