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Brief Report: Parent–Child Sexuality Communication and Autism Spectrum Disorders

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Abstract

While considerable research has focused on promoting independence and optimizing quality of life for adolescents and young adult with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), sexual development and sexuality education have been largely neglected. Experts recommend that parents be the primary source of sex education for adolescents with ASD, and that sex education be tailored to a child’s developmental level. Prior studies show that parents of youth with ASD are uncertain about how to best communicate about sex and which topics to discuss with their children. In the current study we administered an online survey to 190 parents of adolescents with ASD in order to better understand sexuality communication patterns between parents and adolescents with both low and high functioning ASD.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Utah, 380 South 1530 East BEHS 502, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA

    Laura G. Holmes & Michael B. Himle

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  1. Laura G. Holmes
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  2. Michael B. Himle
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Correspondence to Michael B. Himle.

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Holmes, L.G., Himle, M.B. Brief Report: Parent–Child Sexuality Communication and Autism Spectrum Disorders. J Autism Dev Disord 44, 2964–2970 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-014-2146-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-014-2146-2

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