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“Let’s Talk About Sex” with Neurodiverse Couples
On a monthly national conference call, a small group of clinicians who specialize in neurodiverse couples’ therapy meet for peer supervision, support and guidance. Clinicians spanning the country, from California to New York, discuss the current need for clinical expertise in providing...
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Summary of a Systematic Literature Review of Research on Sexuality, Sex Education and Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Individuals diagnosed with Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), currently estimated to occur in one in every 68 births (CDC, 2014), exhibit varying degrees of intellectual ability and social delay. Like other aspects of the diagnosis, typified and challenged by heterogeneity, sexuality is a variable...
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The Risky Road to Adult Sexuality: Know the Unanticipated Dangers
Growing up and developing socio-sexual skills and knowledge can be difficult for any adolescent or young adult, but when the individual has Asperger Syndrome (AS), it is not only challenging, but also potentially dangerous and life altering if missteps are made. The very characteristics of AS...
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Healthy Sexuality Education for Individuals with Autism
Sexuality is a central component of socialization for all people and can play a major role in an individual’s overall self-identify and quality of life. However, the discussion and promotion of this area of adaptive and social functioning in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is...
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Supporting Sexual Independence for Individuals on the Autism Spectrum
As an individual on the autism spectrum, I have struggled with and achieved many types of independence, such as going to college, living on my own, learning how to cook, and starting my own business. While I did receive varying degrees of assistance with each of these endeavors, sexual independence...
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Human Sexuality and Relationship Training for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders in Applied Settings
Development is inevitable. All children will change physically, emotionally, and intellectually. Preparation for these changes can assist in the transition from childhood to adulthood. The goals set in preparing individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) for these changes are no different than...
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A Spectrum of Love: When Romantic Love is Not Attained
Romantic love is a subject with which many in the autism community are preoccupied. They wonder if and how they will find love, and when they do, how they might navigate its occasionally tricky waters. Traditional, romantic relationships can often seem out of reach for a majority of people on the...
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Autism, Sexuality, and Education
Practitioners often construct their programs of research around their clinical practice. Indeed, this is the case with this inquiry. Several years ago, Albee and Piepenbring had the opportunity to work with K, a 19-year-old Caucasian male with a complicated, and well-documented neuropsychiatric...
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Not as Scary as it May Sound: Getting an Early Start to Sexuality Education for Young Children with ASD
After reading the title of this article, you may have taken pause – if so, you are not alone. The idea of providing sexuality education for very young children with ASD is likely to raise questions and may generate uncomfortable feelings; this can be a challenging topic. Despite the difficult...
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21st Century Sexuality Teaching Resources for Youth with Autism
The twenty first century brought a long-awaited focus to sexuality and ASD. Although a paucity of data still exists regarding sexuality education and ASD (Loftin & Hartlage, 2015), most publications do provide recommendations for the who, what and when components of teaching about sexuality....
