Children often present this disorder through their words and actions. Expression of a strong desire to be a gender other than one that aligns with their sex at birth and a strong desire to have the physical features of the opposite sex are good initial indicators parents and clinicians may be able to identify. Children may also express a strong preference for clothes, toys, and games typically utilized by children of the opposite gender or may reject clothes, toys, and games typically associated with their own sex assigned at birth. Further, while children often naturally play between gendered roles, a child with Gender Dysphoria may show a strong preference for their preferred gender in make-believe play. It is important to note that while these may be potential indicators of a disorder, or more likely a future one, they can also be standard behaviors of children, who can be fairly unaware of the roles genders occupy in society, and may not progress to feelings of anxiety or depression.

As children grow into adolescence, they become more aware of their bodies and how they present to others. They also typically gain more control over that presentation through clothing choices and friend group selection. As such, teens with Gender Dysphoria may often choose to present in a typical gender style that differs from their sex assigned at birth. They may express a very strong desire to be, or at least be treated as, a different gender than assigned. Further, teenagers may express the desire to remove or enhance parts of themselves they see as not aligning with the gender they truly feel. All of these feelings can come with anxieties, fears, or depressive beliefs about themselves or the people they love (and how those people may or may not feel about them). It is also important to highlight that the stigma surrounding gender can make it extremely hard to talk about or seek help for, which is particularly dangerous for people with Gender Dysphoria as it is a disorder associated with higher rates of suicide.

Gender Dysphoria can occur at any age, but it often begins in adolescence or childhood. The signs for Gender Dysphoria in Adults are somewhat similar with Gender Dysphoria in Adolescents: they may often choose to present in a typical gender style that differs from their sex assigned at birth. They may express a very strong desire to be, or at least be treated as, a different gender than assigned. Further, adults may express the desire to remove or enhance parts of themselves they see as not aligning with the gender they truly feel.