More than 160,000 parents or people with autism were surveyed by the Autism Parenting Magazine, revealing “almost 6 per cent of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have some form of gender dysphoria”.

When asked “Is your child struggling with their gender identity?” 5.7 per cent of respondents answered “Yes”.

These respondents were then posed further questions. 50 per cent stated their child’s gender confusion started at age 10 or older, 33.3 per cent said signs appeared under five years old, and the remaining 16.7 per cent selected age five to 10 years.

While many autistic children are non-verbal, when asked about pronouns, the result was 17.6 per cent prefer the gender neutral pronoun “They”. 59.6 per cent stated they use “He” or “She.”

Incredibly, up to 20 per cent said they would consider using puberty blockers. At this stage only 4.5 per cent were actually being administered them.

34.8 pe cent said they knew other families with autistic children experiencing gender dysphoria.

“When our survey results are compared to DSM-5 data stating gender dysphoria is present in 0.005–0.014 per cent of biological males and 0.002–0.003 per cent of biological females globally, it seems gender is a significant topic in the autism community​​,” said Emily Ansell Elfer, Editor of Autism Parenting Magazine.

“The reasons for this are a matter for debate. Some experts believe people on the spectrum are naturally more nuanced, while others say it’s a result of gender fluidity gaining increasing coverage in the media.”

Binary spokeswoman, Kirralie Smith, said rigorous academic and scientific studies are required.

“Trans extremists have effectively cancelled research into this phenomenon,” she said.

“The number of children, especially children with autism or other underlying issues, are presenting as gender dysphoric.

“It is time for some well-funded, deeply-researched studies to be undertaken to ensure that children are not rushed into medical treatments that can exacerbate the issues, leaving them with irreversible side effects and in some cases, deep regret.”