ERIC Number: EJ689326
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2005-Aug
Pages: 24
Abstractor: Author
Reference Count: 29
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1362-3613
High-Functioning Autism and Sexuality. A Parental Perspective
Stokes, Mark; Kaur, Archana
Autism: The International Journal of Research and Practice, v9 n3 p266-289 Aug 2005
Few studies have compared sexual behaviours among adolescents with high-functioning autism (HFA) and typical populations, and indicated whether specialized education is required. We hypothesized that adolescents with HFA would (1) display poorer social behaviours; (2) engage in fewer behaviours related to privacy and have poorer knowledge regarding privacy issues; (3) have less sex education; and (4) display more inappropriate sexual behaviours; and that (5) parental concerns would be greater for the HFA sample. Parents of typical adolescents (n = 50) and adolescents with HFA (n = 23) were surveyed with a Sexual Behaviour Scale (SBS) developed by the authors, with domains corresponding to the hypotheses. The HFA and typical groups were found to be significantly different on all five domains. However, following covariation with age and level of social behaviour, it was found that only parental concerns about their child distinguished between typical adolescents and those with HFA. Specialized sex education programmes with a social interaction emphasis should be considered for this group.
Descriptors: Interpersonal Relationship, Interaction, Adolescents, Sexuality, Sex Education, Privacy, Autism, Foreign Countries, Interpersonal Competence, Social Behavior
Sage Publications, 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243 (Toll Free); Fax: 800-583-2665 (Toll Free).
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers: N/A

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