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Description
The project responds to the need to disseminate reliable, scientific and prejudice-free knowledge about gender identity and sexual orientation of people on the autism spectrum. The project is important for at least two reasons. Firstly, the proportion of LGBT+ people among people on the autism spectrum is much higher than among the general population. Secondly, the combination of two minority identities results in greater minority stress, which causes deterioration in the mental health and social functioning of this group. The multiplied minority stress and social perception of both autism spectrum and transgenderism significantly increase the risk of depression, trauma and suicide. It is crucial to apply an intersectional perspective when working with a group that combines these two minority identities. The aim of the project is to provide knowledge about the functioning of LGBT+ adolescents on the autism spectrum to individuals and organisations working with them, and to provide support to LGBT+ teenagers on the autism spectrum. As part of the project, we are conducting 15 training programmes for people specialising in working with LGBT+ teenagers on the autism spectrum, providing 60 hours of psycho-sexological consultations and organising 2 self-help groups for LGBT+ teenagers on the autism spectrum. 300 people will be trained. 20 people will participate in self-help group meetings for LGBT+ teenagers on the autism spectrum. 60 LGBT+ persons on the autism spectrum will benefit from psycho-sexological consultations. We will organise project information events (kick-off meeting and closing conference) for approximately 200 people.
Summary of project results
The project concerned a group exposed to cross-discrimination - teenage LGBT+ people on the autism spectrum. It was needed for at least two reasons: 1. among people on the autism spectrum, LGBT+ people constitute a much larger percentage than in society in general, 2. the combination of two minority identities results in an increased level of minority stress, which contributes to the deterioration of the mental health and social functioning of this group . These are also strongly stereotyped and medicalized identities, which means that even among specialists working with them, LGBT+ people on the autism spectrum encounter prejudices that affect, among others: on access to diagnosis and the quality of psychological and psychiatric care. The project therefore responded to the need for reliable, scientific and unbiased knowledge
about the gender and sexual identity of people on the autism spectrum, which is missing from specialists working with them: psychologists, educators, psychiatrists and teachers.
The aim of the project was to provide knowledge about the specific functioning and needs of teenage LGBT+ people on the autism spectrum to specialists: psychologists, educators, speech therapists, teachers, as well as activists working in organizations for LGBT+ people and people on the autism spectrum. The project''s recipients also included teenage LGBT+ people on the autism spectrum, who were provided with psychological support in the form of psychological and sexological consultations and self-help groups.
As part of the project, we conducted 15 training sessions for 769 specialists on the specific functioning and needs of teenage LGBT+ people on the autism spectrum. These were online training courses, both open and dedicated to specific facilities that expressed willingness to train employees/checkers. In addition, 60 teenage LGBT+ people on the autism spectrum received a free psychological and sexological consultation, some of whom participated in the consultation with their parents. We organized two self-help groups for 20 teenage LGBT+ people on the autism spectrum: a group for non-binary people on the autism spectrum aged 16-19 and a group for LGBT+ youth on the autism spectrum aged 13-15. A total of 849 people took part in the project activities. In addition, two online information events were held: the project kick-off meeting and the project closing conference, attended by 208 people. We also recorded with the participation of volunteers and shared a spot promoting the project.
The number of people we engaged in activities more than doubled the planned number. The greatest success of the project is the huge popularity of training for specialists. Thanks to it, the number of practitioners with knowledge about the specific functioning and needs of teenage LGBT+ people on the autism spectrum has significantly increased. The topic of gender and sexual identity of people on the autism spectrum, especially in relation to young people, is less and less treated as niche. Feedback after training provided by specialists proves that the knowledge provided during our training is very necessary, practical, and at the same time difficult to access. Moreover, activities aimed at LGBT+ teenagers on the autism spectrum were the only available types of support in Poland dedicated to this group. The feedback obtained after psychological and sexological consultations shows that teenage LGBT+ people on the autism spectrum and their parents received real help and answers to difficult questions, as well as relief and acceptance.