Journal Article

Family Sexuality Communication for Adolescent Girls on the Autism Spectrum

Holmes, Laura Graham, Himle, Michael B., Strassberg, Donald S.

2019

Overview

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.

• Publisher: Springer US,Springer,Springer Nature B.V
• Subject: Adolescent / Adolescent Behavior - physiology / Adolescent Behavior - psychology / Adolescent development / Adolescent girls / Adolescent sexuality / Adolescents / Adult / Adults / Applied Behavior Analysis / Asexuality / Autism / Autism Spectrum Disorder - diagnosis / Autism Spectrum Disorder - psychology / Autism Spectrum Disorders / Autistic adolescents / Autistic children / Behavior Patterns / Behavioral Science and Psychology / Child / Child and School Psychology / Child Health / Cognitive ability / Communication / Communication (Thought Transfer) / Daughters / Diagnosis / Educational Methods / Educational Strategies / Ethnic Diversity / Ethnicity / Families & family life / Family (Sociological Unit) / Family Relations - psychology / Family Relationship / Female / Females / Girls / Health / Health aspects / Health Needs / Humans / Intellectual functioning / Intelligence / Intelligence Quotient / Interpersonal Communication / Male / Middle Aged / Minority & ethnic groups / Neurosciences / Online Surveys / OriginalPaper / Parent-Child Relations / Parents / Parents & parenting / Parents - psychology / Pediatrics / Peer Teaching / Pervasive Developmental Disorders / Psychological aspects / Psychological Patterns / Psychology / Public Health / Race / Self Advocacy / Sexual behavior / Sexual Behavior - physiology / Sexual Behavior - psychology / Sexual health / Sexual messages / Sexuality / Sexuality - physiology / Sexuality - psychology / Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Social aspects / Social Cognition / Task Analysis / Teaching / Teaching methods / Teenage girls / Teenagers / Transgender persons / Video Technology / Visual Aids / Youth