Family Sexuality Communication for Adolescent Girls on the Autism Spectrum

• Published in: Journal of autism and developmental disorders Vol. 49; no. 6; pp. 2403 - 2416
• Main Authors: Holmes, Laura Graham, Strassberg, Donald S., Himle, Michael B.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01-06-2019; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adolescent Behavior - physiology; Adolescent Behavior - psychology; Adolescent girls; Adolescent sexuality; Adolescents; Adult; Asexuality; Autism; Autism Spectrum Disorder - diagnosis; Autism Spectrum Disorder - psychology; Autistic adolescents; Autistic children; Behavioral Science and Psychology; Child; Child and School Psychology; Cognitive ability; Communication; Daughters; Diagnosis; Ethnicity; Family (Sociological Unit); Family Relations - psychology; Family Relationship; Female; Girls; Health; Health aspects; Humans; Intellectual functioning; Intelligence; Interpersonal Communication; Male; Middle Aged; Minority & ethnic groups; Neurosciences; Online Surveys; OriginalPaper; Parent-Child Relations; Parents; Parents & parenting; Parents - psychology; Pediatrics; Pervasive Developmental Disorders; Psychological aspects; Psychology; Public Health; Race; Sexual Behavior - physiology; Sexual Behavior - psychology; Sexual health; Sexual messages; Sexuality; Sexuality - physiology; Sexuality - psychology; Social aspects; Teaching; Teenage girls; Teenagers; Transgender persons; Youth; Transition; Sexuality and sexual health; Puberty; Relationships; Gender; Females
• ISSN: 0162-3257; 1573-3432
• DOI: 10.1007/s10803-019-03904-6

Families are critical for supporting healthy sexuality and relationship development for youth with autism. The objective of this study was to describe family sexuality communication for adolescent girls with autism. Participants were 141 parents of autistic daughters who completed an online survey about sexuality development. Most parents relied on discussion alone rather than visual supports or skills-based teaching techniques. Intellectual functioning, child age, race/ethnicity, and whether youth expressed sexual interest in others affected family sexuality communication. We discuss how most parents covered important basics, but many did not cover more nuanced relationship or sexual health topics during family sexuality communication. Few used enhanced instructional techniques (e.g., visual supports, social stories), suggesting potential utilization barriers such as a lack of affordable and available resources. There is a need for research accounting for diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds, sexual orientations including asexuality/demisexuality, and for transgender and gender diverse youth.