The Autism Society Event and Education Recordings Archive

Sexuality education for learners with ASDs is critical. How do we help individuals with ASDs achieve healthy sexuality? Using case presentations and materials from our clinic program, this practical, skills-based session will focus on how to create an effective sexuality education plan for ASD learners: your son or daughter, client, or student. From assessment to instruction and evaluation of progress, this session will guide participants in developing a solid plan and teaching toolkit. In recent years the importance of sexuality education for individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) has become apparent. Youth with ASDs develop and mature physically in the same way as their typically developing peers. Additionally, youth with ASD are likely more vulnerable to sexual abuse and exploitation due to difficulties reading warning signs and “red flags”. Finally, by providing more education about sexuality and sexual behavior, one can decrease an individual’s likelihood to engage in dangerous and inappropriate sexual behavior. By failing to provide individuals with ASDs a comprehensive and appropriate sexuality education, we are failing to meet their learning needs and the opportunity to experience healthy development. However, little has been discussed as to how to develop an evidence based, developmentally appropriate, comprehensive sexuality curriculum for individuals with ASDs. Therefore, it is of increasing importance to create and disseminate empirically supported curricula for individuals with ASDs. Of particular relevance is the focus on two primary issues in the development of sexuality curricula for individuals with ASD: (1) what should be taught (core content), and (2) what is the best practice for teaching?  
Using information from the literature, case presentations from our healthy sexuality clinic, and material from our experiences running groups and developing sexuality education curricula, this session will guide participants through a practical “how to” for developing a sexuality education plan and specific teaching strategies for ASD learners.

What comprises a comprehensive sexuality curriculum? A comprehensive sexuality curriculum is built first and foremost upon foundational skills including emotional understanding, self-concept, and social skills. Sexuality education should always be embedded within the context of human relationships, not presented within a biological or behavioral vacuum.
Content areas which are considered in the literature to be core in the development of a sexuality education plan include: the body (parts, functions, body image, hygiene), privacy (places, behaviors, topics), boundaries/touch/personal space, expression of affection, and exploitation prevention. Additional topics may also include education and skill development related to dating, relationships, marriage, sexual responsibility and health, and having a family. An important aspect of a comprehensive sexuality curriculum is the inclusion of a plan to handle and prevent difficult sexual behaviors.

How do we create individualized plans for sexual learning? When deciding what to include in an individual’s plan for sexual learning it is considered best practice to assess individual needs, set specific goals, and set roles for the teaching team members. In addition, it is important to evaluate progress and reassess goals on a periodic basis. This session will highlight individual adaptations to curricular content dependent on an individual’s age, gender, cognitive developmental level, physical developmental level and presenting problems. These factors determine what information needs to be taught, in what detail and at what conceptual level it can be understood, and the order in which material needs to be presented. Participants will be guided through exercises to create a sexuality comprehensive education plan that covers all core content areas for a learner with ASD.

How do we teach about sexuality with learners with ASDs? As with any curriculum development for individuals on the spectrum, modifications to existing teaching strategies must be made. The session will discuss how to adapt effective instructional approaches for individuals with ASDs to the topic of sexuality. Examples of teaching strategies which will be reviewed include:

·         Concrete/multisensory teaching
·         Picture and social stories
·         Role-playing
·         Video modeling
·         Task analyses
·         Environmental / activity / schedule changes
·         Establishing routines
·         Incidental teaching
These techniques are relevant for individuals with a range of cognitive and language abilities and interests. Participants in this session will learn that teaching methods used to develop other life skills can be applied to teaching concepts related to sexuality. Additionally, the importance of working with individual’s strengths and interests to individualize teaching strategies will be highlighted. Individual differences must be taken into account when developing an educational plan as the teaching strategies chosen should reflect age, developmental level, language abilities, personality, and interest levels.
To highlight these techniques and strategies, and assist session participants in developing their own sexuality education plan, we will share case examples of applications from our healthy sexuality clinic including:

·         Individualized sexuality assessments
·         Parent-developed sexuality education plans
·         Consultation regarding problematic behavior
·         Findings from our parent-group and guys-group research program

Learning Objectives: