Gender identity diversity is an important aspect to consider when working with individuals with autism. Families of these individuals may feel confused when their child expresses a gender identity different from the one assigned at birth, and may have questions about the best way to support them. Some recommendations to encourage gender exploration during childhood and adolescence include:

• Respect the subjective experience of the person's sex-gender diversity.
• Allow free exploration of gender, in accordance with the person's developmental stage, creating safe spaces for this.
• Conceptualize gender diversity as a "spectrum" of possibilities and not as a binary issue (man or woman).
• To provide clear information about the differences between gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation; and to develop a positive attitude towards different options.
• Develop appropriate and adapted sex-affective-gender education programs for people with autism, taking into account their level of functioning.
• Use diagrams and visual support materials, if necessary, to facilitate the identification of needs and the understanding of therapeutic options and their implications.
• Respect the timing for gender exploration that each person needs, based on their characteristics and level of maturity.
• Promote respectful support for families of people with autism and learn to live with uncertainty throughout the process of identifying the person.