Some studies show there's a correlation between autism and gender dysphoria. Is there really a link between the two?
There are multiple meta-analysis articles suggesting a correlation between autism and gender dysphoria. Examples include https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-022-05517-y, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-019-04298-1, and https://doi.org/10.1089/lgbt.2018.0252. These reviews suggest a significant higher-than-normal co-occurrence of autism and gender dysphoria among individuals.

However, all of these reviews highlight that existing studies on the correlation of the two are heterogeneous: different studies target different demographics. Also, the fields of both autism and gender dysphoria keeps progressing with time, rendering comparison of studies across long period of time difficult. Whether there is a correlation between autism and gender dysphoria remains inconclusive, although existing, limited evidences leans towards its existence.
While some studies have found a correlation between autism and gender dysphoria, it is important to note that correlation does not necessarily imply causation. There are several theories as to why this correlation may exist, but no definitive conclusions have been reached.

One theory suggests that individuals with autism may be more likely to experience gender dysphoria due to their atypical social and cognitive processing, which could lead to difficulties in understanding and conforming to societal gender norms. Another theory posits that the increased prevalence of gender dysphoria in autistic individuals could be due to the higher rates of co-occurring mental health conditions, such as anxiety and depression, which could exacerbate feelings of gender incongruence.

It's also worth considering that the diagnostic process for both autism and gender dysphoria can be complex and may overlap in some ways, potentially leading to overdiagnosis in one area or another.

In summary, while there is some evidence of a correlation between autism and gender dysphoria, it is not yet clear why this relationship exists or whether one condition directly influences the other. More research is needed to understand the nature of this link and how best to support individuals who may be dealing with both autism and gender dysphoria.