Genspect – Parental Survey

Dear Parents,

We consistently receive desperate messages from parents whose voices have been ignored during their child’s
gender clinic assessments. Despite being invited to participate in the diagnostic process, their crucial insights
are routinely dismissed in favor of immediate affirmation.

The current system is deeply troubling: while clinics may request parental input, a child’s self-declaration
typically overrides years of family knowledge and observation. These consultations have become little more
than administrative formalities – checkboxes for insurance paperwork rather than meaningful clinical investigation.

This practice fundamentally undermines sound healthcare. Parents and family members hold vital knowledge that brief clinical encounters cannot capture. A meta-analytical review of Dowell and Ogles (2010)1 and
a meta-analysis of Sun et al. (2019)2 demonstrated that involving parents in their children’s treatment provided
an added benefit to the overall effectiveness of the treatment. Parents understand their child’s patterns, their
struggles, their personality shifts. They’re often first to notice underlying issues that might be contributing to
their distress. Yet these essential insights are frequently set aside.

Gender-related distress emerges through many pathways, which means there are equally many routes toward
resolution. When clinics automatically prioritize a young person’s self-report, they miss opportunities to explore
more appropriate, less invasive approaches to alleviating distress.

To help families advocate for thorough, evidence-based care, we have developed two complementary tools:
1. The Family and Friends Survey – This assessment gathers observations from family members and
others who have known your child well over time. When multiple observers share similar perspectives, their
collective insight becomes harder to dismiss.
2. The Parental Survey – This detailed questionnaire helps identify underlying factors that warrant investigation before any irreversible interventions are considered.

We recommend completing this survey whether or not the family members currently support immediate transition. Together, these surveys provide a comprehensive picture that can help ensure your child receives the
careful, thorough assessment they deserve – one that explores all contributing factors rather than rushing
toward medicalization. When a number of surveys have been completed by family members, we recommend
that you print them out and physically hand them to your child’s clinician. We also recommend that you send
electronic copies of same and save them for future references. This ensures that the clinician cannot so easily
dismiss the family’s views – they are now on file, and they can be referred to in the future should they be required. We also recommend sending the completed survey to your primary care doctor and insurance
company to ensure that all parties involved are informed about the range of issues associated with medical
transition.

The survey also offers an added benefit as it offers an opportunity for the extended family to engage with this
issue in a more thoughtful manner and it invites them to stay or become a helpful presence in your vulnerable
child’s life. Worried parents tend to avoid the issue of gender however this is not always a helpful approach.
Ignoring the elephant in the room is a common response to mental health issues in the family, but it is not as
helpful as it initially seems to be. While the parent and the young person successfully avoid fights about trans
issues, the young person is typically nurturing a carefully created persona that can impede the child’s opportunity to recover.

Remember: questioning the current approach isn’t about rejection. It’s about ensuring young people receive appropriate care that first does no harm. Your knowledge of your child matters, and these tools will help
you advocate effectively for thoughtful, comprehensive assessment.

By working together and using these tools, you can ensure your voice is not only heard but put on file. Your
insights are invaluable, and advocating for thorough, evidence-based care is essential for your child’s path
forward.

Best wishes,
Stella O’Malley/Genspect 2025

See also: The Genspect Parents’ Survey: How It All Started