The Development of Gender Identity in Boys with Autistic Spectrum Disorders and in Boys with Mental Retardation

Abstract

In accordance with the developmental theories, the formation of gender identity is subject to an interactive logic in which biology, social coexistence and culture are considered as an inseparable unit. When studying clinical conditions of multifactorial origin and with specific characteristics it has become essential consider the impact the formation of gender identity, mainly when maintains a direct relationship with the incidence of certain disorders. The purpose of this study was to verify if boys with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD) develop gender identity through the choices of toys and games. The empirical study was carried out on a sample of 99 boys aged four to six years and six months (M=5,24, DP=0,80), from cities in the States of São Paulo (66,7%) and Bahia (33,3%). The boys were divided into three groups, considering their clinical characteristics: Control Group -boys with normal development (n=33); Clinical Group -boys with Autistic Spectrum Disorders -ASD (n=33) and Clinical Group -boys with Mental Retardation -MR (n=33). The instruments used were the Autistic Trait Scale (ATS), the Columbia Mental Scale and the Gender Apperception Test -GAT. The results indicated differences related to the clinical characteristics of the boys who composed the groups (effect size η 2 =0,25).