Parental Awareness of Sexual Experience in Adolescent Boys with Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Resource Type
- Journal Articles
Reports - Research
- Authors
- Dewinter, J.; Vermeiren, R.; Vanwesenbeeck, I.
- Source
- Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. Feb 2016 46(2):713-719.
- Subject
- Sexuality
Parent Attitudes
Autism
Pervasive Developmental Disorders
Adolescents
Measurement Techniques
Sons
Parent Child Relationship
Sex Education
- Language
- English
- ISSN
- 0162-3257
Parent report and adolescent self-report data on lifetime sexual experience in adolescents with ASD were compared in 43 parent-adolescent dyads. Parents tended to underestimate the lifetime sexual experience of their sons, particularly solo sexual experiences such as masturbation and experience with orgasm. Parental underestimation and unawareness of adolescents' sexual experience may influence communication and education about sex and sexuality in families. These findings have implications for the interpretation of earlier research, based on parent and caregiver reports, on sexuality in adolescents with ASD.