Supporting your gender-expansive child

In my practice, I see a large number of students who identify as something other than male or female. Some are Transgender, or Gender-fluid, or the latest umbrella term, “Gender-Expansive.” Regardless of the definition, parents struggle with knowing how best to support them. Stanford University recently published a study on this very topic.

Tandy Aye, MD, associate professor of pediatrics at Stanford Medicine, and a pediatric endocrinologist at the Stanford Children’s Health Pediatric and Adolescent Gender Clinic, is the senior author of the study. Read the short interview with her through this link, to learn the most important things you can do to support your gender-expansive child.

This research adds to the growing body of evidence that adolescents’ perception of their parents’ support may be the key protective factor in the teens’ mental health. It’s that support that parents want to nurture.