Gender care in young children: What do we do, what do we know and what do they want?

In the Netherlands there is a long established set of institutions working with and for gender variant (GV) children and adolescents. They can be divided into: (1) Academic centers (Amsterdam, Leiden), (2) Mental Health... [ view full abstract ]

In the Netherlands there is a long established set of institutions working with and for gender variant (GV) children and adolescents. They can be divided into: (1) Academic centers (Amsterdam, Leiden), (2) Mental Health institutions (Transvisie Zorg/Lucertis, Lentis, private practitioners), and (3) Self-help & Advocacy groups (Patients organization Transvisie/Berdache, other initiatives).
Historically, the academic centers focused their care on diagnosing and psychologically evaluation the referred GV children, and from these evaluations and guided by the information from the literature on development in GV children, advices were provided how to deal with GV feelings and behaviors. The mental health institutions, self-help & advocacy groups focused on the further counselling of these children, their parents and their families in their development, where the counseling approach was primarily driven by the needs of these families and children.
Although gender care for children has been organized this way for many years in the Netherlands, the different practices and programs that are provided for children and families have never been evaluated through the needs of those children and families. Also the exchange between the Academic centers and the mental health institutions and practitioners has been limited so far. Especially concerning pre-pubertal children and their families.

The general aim of the presentation is to confront scientific knowledge with clinical experience against the experiences and needs from GV children and their families on how they are counseled during the childhood years. [ view full abstract ]

The general aim of the presentation is to confront scientific knowledge with clinical experience against the experiences and needs from GV children and their families on how they are counseled during the childhood years.

The focus of the presentation will be two folded: (1) Give insight into the general advices in counseling that are given in the academic centers, into the practices of specialized mental health professionals and into the... [ view full abstract ]

The focus of the presentation will be two folded:
(1) Give insight into the general advices in counseling that are given in the academic centers, into the practices of specialized mental health professionals and into the current search for the best cooperation and/or division of tasks between them;
(2) Give insight into the experiences and the needs from GV children and families gathered through a qualitative focus group study.

From November 2016 to March 2017 several focus groups will be organized. Central theme in the focus groups will be: ”What to cherish, what to discard and what to improve in gender care in prepubertal children”. The focus... [ view full abstract ]

From November 2016 to March 2017 several focus groups will be organized. Central theme in the focus groups will be: ”What to cherish, what to discard and what to improve in gender care in prepubertal children”.
The focus groups will consist of 6-9 participants, consisting of GV children, young adults and parents. The meetings will be held in different parts of the country. After each focus group meeting, minutes will be made. These minutes will be available for the next session, so the new group can benefit from the discussions and ideas of the previous group.
Beside the focus group in children and parents, another focus group will be held consisting of representatives of the academic centers and the mental health institutions.
In March 2017 all participants will be invited to a meeting where results and conclusions will be presented.

Central topics in the focus groups will be: What do children and families need in the period before puberty sets in? • What type of assessment is needed? When and by whom? Do we invite children with their parents or do we... [ view full abstract ]

Central topics in the focus groups will be:
What do children and families need in the period before puberty sets in?
• What type of assessment is needed? When and by whom? Do we invite children with their parents or do we invite families?
• Which psycho education programs are helpful? When should they be provided and by whom?
• What types of treatment should be available? (When) should treatment be offered by specialized caregivers?
• How do we best combine ‘gender knowledge’ with specific knowledge about frequently seen co-existing problems in children with gender dysphoria, such as autism spectrum disorder, lowered self-confidence and anxiety?

This presentation will provide valuable information to make the next step in gender care for GV children and their families. [ view full abstract ]

This presentation will provide valuable information to make the next step in gender care for GV children and their families.