Adolescents with Autism Need Better Access to Sex Education

Romance and intimacy are parts of life, and have been scientifically proven to add to emotional security and good mental health. When someone desires a relationship but isn't able to attain one, a common effect is depression, loneliness, a lessened feeling of self-worth, and feelings of isolation from society in general.
Adolescence can be very exciting but very scary, especially when sex and sexuality become involved.
It's difficult to know any of the basics, from how to approach someone, to family planning, especially if it's never been explained to you.
Unfortunately, those with autism often never receive proper sexual education, resulting in hardships in these areas. A sad result of a lack of education is that people with autism report higher levels of sexual abuse and exploitation when compared to those who are neurotypical.
Now, researchers are specifically documenting the experiences of young teens with autism in relation to sex, especially with regard to how much access they have to information in school. The researchers propose that schools should be required to provide sex education to students with autism. In these classes, the standard course matter should be included, but additional information should be made available about how these young adults can best express themselves and understand what their partners may be implying when it comes to sex. This would help to improve the healthiness of sexual relationships for those with autism.
Common misconceptions
Many assume that people with autism prefer being alone, and would prefer not to interact with people. Although everyone is unique, in general, this isn't true. Everyone needs human interaction and people with autism generally love meeting new people and being around friends and loved ones.
This new study has asked 40 adults with autism about their sexual experiences and almost half of the respondents said they had not been in a relationship before. However, this is not because they did not want to, like some people assume. They expressed a strong desire to have an intimate relationship.
One of the problems is that the participants said they didn’t know how to meet someone and convey that they were interested. Some settings, like bars and clubs, where many meet potential mates, seemed overwhelming and anxiety-provoking to them. Many of the respondents stated that they did not enjoy small talk, and others enjoyed conversation but felt they were weak at it. Most of the respondents were averse to trying out dating apps, as meeting strangers off of the internet seemed dangerous.
With sex education, some of their fears and anxieties could be alleviated, leading to potential connections in the future. They could be taught how to approach others using role-play techniques, so they would get used particular types of social situations. This is a technique created by Augusto Boal, one that would allow students to try out different ways of talking or approaching people without having to feel embarrassed or ashamed if it doesn't go perfectly the first time.
Social cues
Role playing definitely has promise in helping those with autism become more confident in approaching people and engaging in conversation, but it can't quite teach them how to read intention, desire, or innuendos. This type of knowledge can practically only be learned with the help of peers, but sex ed classes could still help significantly.
In the study, researchers found that most people with autism actually would like to receive guidance on their social performance. One of the respondents in the study even said that schools should provide students with the "skills on how to find the right sort of partner." Advice networks, group meetings, and social networking would be necessary to help in this endeavor.
Peer interaction is crucial in developing an understanding of sexual information that falls through the cracks, such as slang. In the study, one of the respondents mentioned that when she heard dirty talk, she felt left behind. She didn't understand what they meant or what they were implying, so she didn't know how to get involved. Moderated discussions within a peer network would help in assisting those with complicated social norms like slang, within a safe space where these people could ask for clarification without fear of being ridiculed.
Understanding sexuality
In sex education, it is important for schools and teachers to be cognizant of the fact that not everyone with autism will fall into traditional sex roles. In the study of 40 adults, 20% reported that they were gay or bisexual, which is higher than the traditional average. It is also suspected that gender fluidity is more common in those with autism. Many report to be transsexual or non-binary.
Because people with autism often fall outside what some deem "normal" sexual tendencies, it is important that schools take responsibility when educating these students about the many alternatives to traditional forms of romantic relationships.
Awareness
During their study, the researchers realized that it is not uncommon for those with autism not to be entirely aware of the fact that they are sexual beings. Because they haven't fully grasped this awareness, it is not uncommon for them to give off sexual cues that others may be confused by. One such example showed itself during the study when two of the participants mentioned that they often follow strangers continually. To them, they did not ever consider it to be even mildly threatening, as they meant absolutely no harm. One explains, "I literally just saw him on the street. And then pretty much just stalked him." This awareness needs to also be discussed in class, as these behaviors that many might not understand are inappropriate will continue until there is a better understanding.
Without understanding one's own sexuality, many problems can occur, sometimes in ways that might not even be expected. For example, people with autism have triple the likelihood to be sexually exploited compared to their peers. Participants were asked when they felt they were susceptible or vulnerable to abuse, and they reported many occasions. One even stated that others had gotten her drunk and pressured her to engage in sexual activities with other girls, regardless of the fact that she did not identify as gay. However, she didn't realize at the time that that would be considered someone taking advantage of her.
Sexual educators need to specifically addresses these issues in order to enable those with autism to be better able to engage in healthy relationships, but most importantly to protect themselves in situations where there is a potential that they could be taken advantage of or harmed. The aforementioned research study has broken boundaries in showing why sexual education is extremely important for those with autism. If this movement can be supported and implemented in schools, well-being and happiness will likely be seen to increase among students.
Reference
https://spectrumnews.org/opinion/viewpoint/adolescents-autism-need-access-better-sex-education/