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The Autistic Trans Guide to Life
'A must-read!' FINLAY GAMESThis essential survival guide gives autistic trans and/or non-binary adults all the tools and strategies they need to live as their very best self.Blending personal accounts with evidence-based insights and up-to-date information, and written from a perspective of empowerment and self-acceptance, the book promotes pride, strength and authenticity, covering topics including self-advocacy, mental health and camouflaging and masking as well as key moments in life such as coming out or transitioning socially and/or physically. Written by two leading autistic trans activists, this book honestly charts what life is like as an autistic trans person and is vital, life-affirming reading.
200 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 18, 2021
55 people are currently reading
623 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
November 13, 2022
I was disappointed to find that the book has much narrower view than its title claims. It's not so much an autistic trans guide to life than a beginners' guide to being trans when you're autistic. I was also surprised to see that the content is not in touch with the more modern advocacy and research on trans and autistic rights: there's some studies that are cited about autism that are now considered harmful or outdated, and their context is not provided, and I found the content about being trans a little bit too simplistic and old-fashioned compared to what is fought for today by trans activists. This book is quite biased towards the two author's personal experiences, which is perfectly fine, but the title felt misleading because the content is not as diverse and relatable for trans autistic folks as it suggests.
I'd only recommend it if you know you're autistic and need some basics about being trans.
I'd only recommend it if you know you're autistic and need some basics about being trans.
June 11, 2021
This is a good resource for autistic trans people who are questioning their gender or are early in their transition. Although most of the information are things I already know now, this book would have been an amazing resource for me a year or two ago, and I'm glad it exists for others.
October 22, 2023
This is a valuable book. I haven't found too many resources that speak to the specific intersection of autistic and trans experience, even though many autistic people are trans or gender non-conforming.
Some of the general information about what trans means, definitions of terminology, and transition resources, were less useful to me. These can be found many places, they become outdated quickly, and much of the information is geared towards an Australian audience as both of the authors live in Australia. Some of the information and tone of the book felt overly simplified, which was at odds with other aspects of the book where clinical/academic language is used and those concepts are not as fully explained as they could be (e.g. see final paragraph).
I also think that this book is a bit skewed towards information and perspectives from AFAB people as both of the authors are AFAB - Wenn is a trans man and Yenn is a non-binary gender-fluid person. They draw on their personal experiences throughout the book, and relay anecdotally some experiences from transfeminine people they know, or quote them from other sources, but this felt a bit tokenistic. I think the book could have benefitted from including more different trans autistic voices. I did appreciate the inclusiveness and balance of the authors bringing binary and non-binary trans perspectives.
In terms of what I really liked about the book, this was the first place I read specifically about how differences in interception, neuroception, social communication differences, object permanence deficits, pathological demand avoidance, and camouflaging, affect the gender journeys of autistic people. How these connect could have been more fully explicated, but it was useful to see them named, even. These connections made a lot of sense to me and were validating in that these brain/cognition differences can mean it takes many of us longer to figure out our gender identities and/or transition. Even once we know who we are and want to transition, these changes can be quite hard for us.
Some of the general information about what trans means, definitions of terminology, and transition resources, were less useful to me. These can be found many places, they become outdated quickly, and much of the information is geared towards an Australian audience as both of the authors live in Australia. Some of the information and tone of the book felt overly simplified, which was at odds with other aspects of the book where clinical/academic language is used and those concepts are not as fully explained as they could be (e.g. see final paragraph).
I also think that this book is a bit skewed towards information and perspectives from AFAB people as both of the authors are AFAB - Wenn is a trans man and Yenn is a non-binary gender-fluid person. They draw on their personal experiences throughout the book, and relay anecdotally some experiences from transfeminine people they know, or quote them from other sources, but this felt a bit tokenistic. I think the book could have benefitted from including more different trans autistic voices. I did appreciate the inclusiveness and balance of the authors bringing binary and non-binary trans perspectives.
In terms of what I really liked about the book, this was the first place I read specifically about how differences in interception, neuroception, social communication differences, object permanence deficits, pathological demand avoidance, and camouflaging, affect the gender journeys of autistic people. How these connect could have been more fully explicated, but it was useful to see them named, even. These connections made a lot of sense to me and were validating in that these brain/cognition differences can mean it takes many of us longer to figure out our gender identities and/or transition. Even once we know who we are and want to transition, these changes can be quite hard for us.
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July 8, 2024This book is not branded appropriately. Calling it a “guide to life” is misleading.
As a trans autistic person, I learned nothing from it. (Or at least nothing about how to navigate life as a trans autistic person.)
In the book’s defense, I already knew a lot about being trans and autistic. However, I don’t think this book is the best place to get the information it provides.
The book tries to cover many topics, but it rarely goes into much of any depth.
It is not very well organized, and I disagree with some of the advice it contains.
The book also contains some questionable statements that are paired with citations that don’t back them up.
For example, on page 144, the authors say, “Biologically, due to inherent attributes on the XX chromosome, autistic [cis] females, and [cis] females in general, tend to be more social.” To back up this statement, the authors cite study (1), which doesn’t have anything to do with genetics or chromosomes at all.
The authors then claim that “[Cis] females are able to notice and use more acceptable social behaviors because certain behaviors appear to be more available to them than they are to those without the XX chromosome.” This time, the authors cite study (2), which does have to do with the X chromosome. However, this study really does not seem to provide enough evidence to justify the authors’ claim.
This book could be useful for people who know very little about being trans, who are able to learn by reading this kind of book, and who are not able to or strongly prefer not to use the internet.
(1): https://molecularautism.biomedcentral...
(2): https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
As a trans autistic person, I learned nothing from it. (Or at least nothing about how to navigate life as a trans autistic person.)
In the book’s defense, I already knew a lot about being trans and autistic. However, I don’t think this book is the best place to get the information it provides.
The book tries to cover many topics, but it rarely goes into much of any depth.
It is not very well organized, and I disagree with some of the advice it contains.
The book also contains some questionable statements that are paired with citations that don’t back them up.
For example, on page 144, the authors say, “Biologically, due to inherent attributes on the XX chromosome, autistic [cis] females, and [cis] females in general, tend to be more social.” To back up this statement, the authors cite study (1), which doesn’t have anything to do with genetics or chromosomes at all.
The authors then claim that “[Cis] females are able to notice and use more acceptable social behaviors because certain behaviors appear to be more available to them than they are to those without the XX chromosome.” This time, the authors cite study (2), which does have to do with the X chromosome. However, this study really does not seem to provide enough evidence to justify the authors’ claim.
This book could be useful for people who know very little about being trans, who are able to learn by reading this kind of book, and who are not able to or strongly prefer not to use the internet.
(1): https://molecularautism.biomedcentral...
(2): https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
March 26, 2022
I had some problems with the structure of the book, and the fact that it didn't feel too much like a guide with helpful information and tips for autistic trans people but more like an introduction to what it means to be trans and autistic, using both the authors' experiences as examples. It doesn't really go very deep in my opinion, and went on a couple unnecessary tangents.
April 15, 2023
It's very beginners friendly, and it has some good points. But the title felt very misleading as it isn't that deep/inclusive as I'd would hope it to be.
May 20, 2024
I'm disappointed in this book. Through my own gender and then autism journey, I've learned how closely intertwined my being queer and autistic is, and how reading books just on being autistic don't check all the boxes because they're written by cisgender people. I thought this book would be the answer, and for those who are just figuring out they're trans and are navigating the system of coming out, telling people, making the legal changes to name and gender, etc., this book would be useful.
There are brief aspects of what it's like to be autistic and trans included, particularly in regards to knowing what feels "off" pre-transition because you're autistic and have sensory issues and what feels "off" because you don't identify as the gender you were born as, as well as navigating people not believing you're trans because you're autistic. But as someone who transitioned 10 years ago and only recently figured out they were autistic, this book is sort of the opposite of what I was looking for. I was hoping for a book that more directly dealt with the autism side of things, and there is honestly very little in here that directly relates that overlap.
There are brief aspects of what it's like to be autistic and trans included, particularly in regards to knowing what feels "off" pre-transition because you're autistic and have sensory issues and what feels "off" because you don't identify as the gender you were born as, as well as navigating people not believing you're trans because you're autistic. But as someone who transitioned 10 years ago and only recently figured out they were autistic, this book is sort of the opposite of what I was looking for. I was hoping for a book that more directly dealt with the autism side of things, and there is honestly very little in here that directly relates that overlap.
July 23, 2024
i see the point of this for people who have never ever heard of the words trans or autistic… for ppl in the communities, i don’t really see it.
September 21, 2021
A great book for those who are both autistic and transgender/gender nonconforming. The book covers things like coming out to oneself and others, giving advice for work and school, promoting pride and strength for oneself and others like them, the experiences of older trans adults (something I think doesn't get discuss that much outside this book, but is greatly appreciated), and the interactions between autism and gender identity by interoception and adaptive morphing.
My favorite chapter has to be the one on adaptive morphing as it goes over things that autistic people usually go through and how that intersects with being transgender.
While this book is great for people who are both autistic and trans in general, I think the book's value would be greater for certain groups like:
1. Autistic people who are currently questioning their gender identity.
2. Autistic trans people who have come to terms to their gender identity but are in the pre-transitioning / early transitioning period.
3. Those trans people who may've been diagnosed with autism later in life and wanted to learn more about how it intersects with their gender identity.
Overall a good book and I highly recommend it.
My favorite chapter has to be the one on adaptive morphing as it goes over things that autistic people usually go through and how that intersects with being transgender.
While this book is great for people who are both autistic and trans in general, I think the book's value would be greater for certain groups like:
1. Autistic people who are currently questioning their gender identity.
2. Autistic trans people who have come to terms to their gender identity but are in the pre-transitioning / early transitioning period.
3. Those trans people who may've been diagnosed with autism later in life and wanted to learn more about how it intersects with their gender identity.
Overall a good book and I highly recommend it.
May 2, 2024
The book would more aptly be named “an Austin adult’s guide to being trans” or something like that. It is really tailored to autistic folks just beginning their journey as trans or gender diverse. As a trans person who just found out I’m autistic, I was not the target audience here.
That aside, the book was decent. Good information and an optimistic perspective. At times repetitive and occasionally one paragraph would be followed by another on an entirely different topic with little to no transition. That caught me off guard. Perhaps sometimes I was not taking the mental leap with the authors.
I do think this book does a good job of sharing the perspective and experience of older trans autistics - which is one that I haven’t heard often despite being in both the trans and autistic communities.
That aside, the book was decent. Good information and an optimistic perspective. At times repetitive and occasionally one paragraph would be followed by another on an entirely different topic with little to no transition. That caught me off guard. Perhaps sometimes I was not taking the mental leap with the authors.
I do think this book does a good job of sharing the perspective and experience of older trans autistics - which is one that I haven’t heard often despite being in both the trans and autistic communities.
February 8, 2022
Clear, simple, quick, perhaps more relevant to older trans men and women specifically, and not vague non-binary, vague neurodivergence. Appreciated the dysphoria tips.
Great to see on the library shelf!
Great to see on the library shelf!
June 16, 2025
This had some really good basic 101 info on being trans and autistic. I found a few places overly simplistic on complicated issues like coming out to your family saying it can be hard but “we do need to tell them” and not addressing the fact that this could be dangerous for some people, among other issues. The male and female autism/brains section could have been done with a tad more nuance as well. But overall there were a lot of good initial thoughts and questions for autistic people to ask themselves about being trans. I enjoyed the section on body dysphoria vs sensory dysphoria and object permanence as well.
September 26, 2022
Trigger warnings: This book mentions and has descriptions of anxiety, gender dysphoria, suicide, transphobia, depression, and trauma.
I was recommended this book by a friend.
The book does an excellent job at describing the autistic, trans, and gender-diverse experience. It gives out needed information about what it is like to be autistic and trans and does so speaking from the authors (and others) experiences, and also the process that you will encounter when you are trans and autistic, whether that is medical, social, or other. It is accessible for people who are just starting out on their journey of self-discovery, but also for people who are already somewhat knowledgable.
It can be depressing and difficult to read. Sometimes there are not a lot of positive things to say about some subjects, the book does well to describe the various ways in which people, organizations, and institutions can be bigoted and transphobic against you. It discusses the worries of coming out, potential situations that a person in the community may encounter, and the difficulties that they might face in life (such as finding a job or being themselves in an environment which is hostile). It includes sad reminders, such as how the life expectancy for autistic and trans people are lower, mostly because of suicide inside the communities.
Ultimately it is a very necessary book.
I was recommended this book by a friend.
The book does an excellent job at describing the autistic, trans, and gender-diverse experience. It gives out needed information about what it is like to be autistic and trans and does so speaking from the authors (and others) experiences, and also the process that you will encounter when you are trans and autistic, whether that is medical, social, or other. It is accessible for people who are just starting out on their journey of self-discovery, but also for people who are already somewhat knowledgable.
It can be depressing and difficult to read. Sometimes there are not a lot of positive things to say about some subjects, the book does well to describe the various ways in which people, organizations, and institutions can be bigoted and transphobic against you. It discusses the worries of coming out, potential situations that a person in the community may encounter, and the difficulties that they might face in life (such as finding a job or being themselves in an environment which is hostile). It includes sad reminders, such as how the life expectancy for autistic and trans people are lower, mostly because of suicide inside the communities.
Ultimately it is a very necessary book.
July 4, 2022
I thought this was great. As a budding therapist who has spent a lot of time reading/learning about neurodivergence more generally, ive become poignantly aware of how many resources are primarily from an allistic perspective. I think this is a problem and all too often i feel that autism and other neurodivergent conditions is misunderstood because we place a higher value on listening to academics than the community these conditions effect.
Gender diversity is also very common amongst the autistic community and i havent read much about this area but didnt want to make the mistake of once again turning to a resource written by an expert that had no lived experience. I’m very glad this book exists and think there need to be more like it and that people wanting to educate themselves should turn to these resources more rather than the materials written by academics and health professionals without lived experience.
Gender diversity is also very common amongst the autistic community and i havent read much about this area but didnt want to make the mistake of once again turning to a resource written by an expert that had no lived experience. I’m very glad this book exists and think there need to be more like it and that people wanting to educate themselves should turn to these resources more rather than the materials written by academics and health professionals without lived experience.
May 24, 2023
The Trans Autistic Guide to Life is a book written by autistic and transgender authors, for an audience of autistic and transgender people. The foreword, written by Dr. Emma Goodall, says “The premise of this book is a powerful idea: that people can be more content and engaged with life if they are true to themselves in safe environments. This idea gives hope to some of the most vulnerable people in our society – those who are both gender diverse and autistic. The intersectionality of belonging to two groups, both of whom are frequently misunderstood by wider society and often stigmatised, is recognized but not dwelled on.”
~
This book was co-written by two authors, Wenn Lawson and Yenn Purkiss. This book talks about the intersectionality of autism and gender diversity.
~
It also goes into a fair amount of depth on the mental health struggles of autistic people and trans people, and the rates of s*icide in those groups of people.
~
This book was co-written by two authors, Wenn Lawson and Yenn Purkiss. This book talks about the intersectionality of autism and gender diversity.
~
It also goes into a fair amount of depth on the mental health struggles of autistic people and trans people, and the rates of s*icide in those groups of people.
January 20, 2022
A wonderful book for those early in transition, or for those who are new to their autism diagnosis. I will be sure to reference this book for future clients as well as myself. The book does a great job of explaining main concepts of transition and of autism, in an easily understandable way.
November 5, 2023
This had a lot of promise, but the sections were ordered in a way that didn’t feel effective.
January 27, 2024
2.5. So wanted to love this, feel a bit bad about my rating! Explanation in due course 🏳️⚧️🧠
October 31, 2025
2.5 stars.
similarly to “the t in lgbt” and “trans teen survival guide”, this book was just a lot of stuff i already knew. some of the references were interesting, though. the information all felt very basic and it reads as though english is the second language of at least one of the authors, which makes writing an english book an enormously impressive undertaking, however, an extra bit of editing to account for any language difficulties wouldn’t go amiss.
my notes:
- “cis-female” is crazy
- saying it seems more men are autistic then saying “in conclusion, there are the same amount of autistic men and women”… it feels like i missed a step
- i don’t understand the benefit of literally being transphobic in your explanation of what transness is. “girls who wish they were boys, and boys who know they’re really meant to be girls” - obviously they aren’t the former then, are they? also, saying “frilly, girly girls” to describe presumably feminine girls is wild. literally calling them girly as an adjective, meaning “girl-like”, as in: “this is what a girl is meant to be, anything else is a deviation”. it’s so easy to just… not do this?? it reads like it’s written by cis people.
- “gender dysphoria individuals” should be “dysphoric”
- i disagree that gender is “biologically determined”, although i see how your agab could affect how your gender formed due to the experiences you encountered
- “one gender to the other” coming from a non-binary person is crazy
- exclusion of neopronouns, and, weirdly, no mention of “autigender” identity
- it feels weird to specify that pangender ppl often use they/them when this wasn’t noted for the other identities - it would’ve been better to say any gender can use any pronoun, and none are more likely than others
- “lotions and potions” yawwwwn… people acting like cosmetics we’re forced to use are actually witchcraft is so fucking boring
- calling a flat chest “boyish” is wild
- for many people, non-binary IS a fixed gender. the example used was about EXPRESSION that is not fixed. but even that is a stereotype.
- using male as both a gender and a sex descriptor leads to confusion when saying stuff like “being male gives you more muscle mass” - in terms of sex, yes, in terms of gender, no.
- “the chances [of losing sensation] were lower, if you chose phalloplasty” - editing issue - this directly contradicts the previous sentence
- “…there are more males transitioning to females than females to males. again, this might be because, as autistics…we are freer to be ourselves” where’s the correlation? it’s already been stated that men aren’t more commonly autistic
- autism IS a disability
- “when she asked her husband how he would feel if she were to become a man he replied, ‘I’d be okay as long as you kept your vagina!’” THIS IS HORRIFIC? HELLO???
- casually saying your transition traumatised your wife but the marriage still works is crazy
- we are disabled, we don’t have to justify that by being good at certain types of productivity, we are literally disabled
[this is emphasised later on but the original point feels like it contradicts this]
- “asperger syndrome” is not a thing
- nobody said masking was intentional deception? there’s an entire chapter about how it’s actually a survival tactic… yeah no shit lmao that’s literally just what it is???
- typo - “for all if this”, instead of “of”
- “being autistic is not an excuse for being bigoted” where’s the correlation?
similarly to “the t in lgbt” and “trans teen survival guide”, this book was just a lot of stuff i already knew. some of the references were interesting, though. the information all felt very basic and it reads as though english is the second language of at least one of the authors, which makes writing an english book an enormously impressive undertaking, however, an extra bit of editing to account for any language difficulties wouldn’t go amiss.
my notes:
- “cis-female” is crazy
- saying it seems more men are autistic then saying “in conclusion, there are the same amount of autistic men and women”… it feels like i missed a step
- i don’t understand the benefit of literally being transphobic in your explanation of what transness is. “girls who wish they were boys, and boys who know they’re really meant to be girls” - obviously they aren’t the former then, are they? also, saying “frilly, girly girls” to describe presumably feminine girls is wild. literally calling them girly as an adjective, meaning “girl-like”, as in: “this is what a girl is meant to be, anything else is a deviation”. it’s so easy to just… not do this?? it reads like it’s written by cis people.
- “gender dysphoria individuals” should be “dysphoric”
- i disagree that gender is “biologically determined”, although i see how your agab could affect how your gender formed due to the experiences you encountered
- “one gender to the other” coming from a non-binary person is crazy
- exclusion of neopronouns, and, weirdly, no mention of “autigender” identity
- it feels weird to specify that pangender ppl often use they/them when this wasn’t noted for the other identities - it would’ve been better to say any gender can use any pronoun, and none are more likely than others
- “lotions and potions” yawwwwn… people acting like cosmetics we’re forced to use are actually witchcraft is so fucking boring
- calling a flat chest “boyish” is wild
- for many people, non-binary IS a fixed gender. the example used was about EXPRESSION that is not fixed. but even that is a stereotype.
- using male as both a gender and a sex descriptor leads to confusion when saying stuff like “being male gives you more muscle mass” - in terms of sex, yes, in terms of gender, no.
- “the chances [of losing sensation] were lower, if you chose phalloplasty” - editing issue - this directly contradicts the previous sentence
- “…there are more males transitioning to females than females to males. again, this might be because, as autistics…we are freer to be ourselves” where’s the correlation? it’s already been stated that men aren’t more commonly autistic
- autism IS a disability
- “when she asked her husband how he would feel if she were to become a man he replied, ‘I’d be okay as long as you kept your vagina!’” THIS IS HORRIFIC? HELLO???
- casually saying your transition traumatised your wife but the marriage still works is crazy
- we are disabled, we don’t have to justify that by being good at certain types of productivity, we are literally disabled
[this is emphasised later on but the original point feels like it contradicts this]
- “asperger syndrome” is not a thing
- nobody said masking was intentional deception? there’s an entire chapter about how it’s actually a survival tactic… yeah no shit lmao that’s literally just what it is???
- typo - “for all if this”, instead of “of”
- “being autistic is not an excuse for being bigoted” where’s the correlation?
February 5, 2025
I am one who judge a book by it's cover and title. The title made it seem like it's a book for us by us but it's more like by us for them. It should have been called The Guide to being around Autistic Trans people. The information about how to live life while being trans is so basic, it's mostly about the early stages of self-discovery and navigating coming out and some personal testimonies about surgeries. The autism parts were way more interesting but again also kinda basic in the "Guide to Life" area. It's a good read though just not what I thought it was based on the title. (maybe the title is a metaphor for exterior gender presentation doesn't always match interior gender identity.... nah it's just misleading)
October 31, 2025
This is a mess. It's poorly written, edited, and structured. It's meandering and repetitive, words are used incorrectly, and the punctuation is all over the place. There is some useful information buried here and there, especially in the authors' personal perspectives, but in terms of being the promised "autistic trans guide to life"--this ain't it.
November 20, 2023
while broadly informative and affirming as an introductory text this lacks the depth and nuance I think a more in depth edit would have given. much of it relies on anecdotal experience, where background and history might have been more effective
August 25, 2024
Really good guide for those who mught have just found out they were trans and autistic and needed a guide. Was good to see how the trans and autistic experience interacted with each other. Probably not specifically made for me though.
April 3, 2022
A useful resource as a key worker for a young trans autistic person
August 21, 2022
Putting this on my classroom bookshelf!
May 19, 2024
My stepson came out recently and this is was very helpful. Recommended by a trans friend, who also enjoyed it.
It’s worth your time.
It’s worth your time.
June 10, 2025
how is it possible that i am new to all this and still i learned nothing from this book
April 2, 2024
很基础的入门简介，感觉青少年也可以读，但因为写得很详细所以还是学到了一些新知识
November 1, 2024
I related to so much in this book. Definitely a good reference to open your mind to view autism differently!
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