Brave Space At Kerry’s Place

Kerry’s Place is committed to being a leader in valuing the diversity of those supported by the organization, our employees and our community. We’ve always strived to demonstrate respect by celebrating diversity, enabling inclusion, and advancing the dignity and uniqueness of all people. We aim to uphold the right to self-determination of everyone we support by empowering them and their families with the information needed to make informed decisions in their lives. This includes everyone we support and employ who lives at the intersection of ASD and the 2SLGBTQ+ spectrums.

Our mission at Kerry’s Place is to enhance the quality of life for all autistic people by being leaders in developing and delivering evidence-informed support, and building capacity by sharing our knowledge and expertise.

Resources For The 2SLGBTQ+ Community

As an organization, we have begun developing evidence-informed resources and services for those in our community who are navigating, or supporting a loved one who is navigating, their journey of discovering their identity within the spectrums of gender and sexuality. We are collaborating with subject matter experts to help ensure that the supports we develop are evidence-informed and in line with current best practices for the 2SLGBTQ+ community.

The resources we are introducing in the coming months will continue these efforts. They will further our aim of creating a brave space where anyone we support who is on this journey of self-discovery, and their loved ones, can feel supported and find resources.

Why Is This Important?

Autistic children and adolescents are 4 times more likely than non-autistic people to be gender diverse (Hisle-Gorman, et al., 2019).
Transgender and genderqueer adults are 3-6 times more likely to be diagnosed as autistic than cis-gender adults (Warrier et al., 2021).
2SLGBTQ+ autistic youth are at increased risk of facing discrimination and systemic barriers, especially when accessing healthcare, education, housing and employment. These resources are necessary to help families feel confident in advocating for youth and to give youth the tools they need when facing these barriers.
The support of family members and caregivers is crucial for the 2SLGBTQ+ community and their mental health. Rejection from families and caregivers can lead to negative outcomes for 2SLGBTQ+ youth in the form of elevated rates of suicide, poor mental health, and decreased overall health. Our aim is to help families better understand the journey their child is going through to help lessen the rejection.