Treatment Paradigms for Prepubertal Children

Abstract

The treatment of transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) prepubertal children has expanded both in scope and in the number of families seeking services over the past decade. This chapter reviews the extant standards of care and clinical guidelines for these children, synthesizing the WPATH, American Psychological Association, and Australian Standards of Care, while illustrating the ascendant approach for supporting these children: the gender affirmative model. The model is contrasted to earlier developed models of care, the 'living in your own skin' model and the 'watchful waiting' model. To illustrate the clinical approach of the gender affirmative model in contrast to the other two models, a hypothetical case of a young gender-exploring child is presented, with an analysis of how each of the three models might approach the child and family seeking care. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)