Delaying puberty in boys with LFA

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Folks, I would point out that the OP expressly is asking about DELAYING puberty, she's not talking about castration. Delaying puberty, at least as it pertains to transgendered children, is a reversible intervention and is intended to be temporary.

The question the OP has is not about preventing the child from experiencing adult sexuality, but whether it might benefit him (within the context of a child who can't care for himself) to allow time for his social/emotional development to catch up to his physical development a bit.

What may help you understand is that for many of us, being "medicated" in any way without our consent to control our behavior is abhorrent.

Perhaps the people at Autism Speaks would be more supportive of your point of view.

HisMom, my friend, I have to say that in sum total this entire thread has been incredibly tame compared to others where I have seen similar topics were discussed in other places. I know it may not seem so when you are on the receiving end, but seriously I have seen some downright UGLY happen when talking about similar subjects.

I would like to propose a different framework of thought, which you can throw right out the window if you do not find it helpful.

This decision does bear significant moral/ethical weight, regardless of your final decision. Ignoring that is probably not wise. It may be helpful to try to refrain from taking people's objections as personal attacks, but instead allow them to provoke your thoughts instead of your defenses. I know that you recognize that a decision like this cannot be made lightly, which is why you are here asking questions. I think it is prudent to fully consider all perspectives when determining your course of action, including those that are contrary to your initial intent. In fact, if I were in your shoes, I would challenge myself to write a persuasive paper on the reasons NOT to delay puberty in boys with LFA. I have used this method more than once when I have faced a decision that may have moral/ethical implications. Sometimes it has influenced my decision, and other times it has made me even more comfortable in what I wanted to do because I knew the objections inside and out and was 100% confident that I was OK with my decision. That empowered me not to care what other people thought.

In fact, the one time that I didn't do this, I did something I wish I wouldn't have done. And it is permanent. I wish I would have vetted my thinking more in depth, because I would have made a different decision. I'm not saying that would happen to you, but trust me, it is not pleasant when it happens, because I know I only have my own...I don't know what to call it...lack of mental discipline? Mental laziness?...whatever it was that prevented me from exploring "the other side of the argument."

I also like to think of it as searching for evidence to disconfirm my hypothesis. Most people only try to find evidence to support what they already think and I think that is lazy at best and dangerous at worst.

The glorious and horrifying thing about being a parent is that ultimately, we get to decide. In the end, you are accountable for the decisions you make and it is really not anyone else's place to pass judgment (though we know they always will). That is why I think it is in your best interest, and your son's, to fully explore all sides of the picture before you make any decision. Only looking at perspectives that support your own will only give you a piece of the picture.

(disclaimer: I, personally, hold no opinion on this matter because I honestly cannot even put myself in your shoes. I don't know what I would do, and given the fact that I can't adequately imagine what it must be like, I would only be hazarding a guess, which may or may not accurately reflect what I would really do. The one thing that I have learned as being a parent is that many things I said I would do when I wasn't a parent, I don't; and many things I said I would never do, I do. Until you are faced with it, you can only guess what you would do.)

HisMom weren't you initially asking about a delay?

IMO, there is a big gulf between delay of puberty and chemical castration, even if the mechanism is the same. I can see that where things stand puberty is a frightening proposition - it's just that I think this is very far in the future and it is very likely that things will change when your son is an adult.

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Locked on OP's request.