The Importance of Sex Education for Autistic Adolescents
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Authors
McMurtrie, Nicole
Issue Date
2023-05
Type
Capstone
Language
en
Keywords
autism , adolescents , sex education , asexual , autism spectrum disorder (ASD) , consent , neurodiverse , neurotypical , sexuality
Alternative Title
Abstract
Adolescence could arguably be one of the toughest times one has in their life. It is the period before one becomes an adult. Adolescents are going through puberty, creating strong friendships, seeing where they fit in in the world, and testing out romantic relationships. They are taking in knowledge from people around them and media. Sex education is one of the most important things one can learn as an adolescent. Sex education provides the knowledge and skills one needs to make informed decisions about sex and relationships. While it can be an overwhelming period for a neurotypical adolescent, imagine what it might be like for an autistic adolescent. Autistic adolescents do not all learn and take in information the same ways that their neurotypical peers do. Sex education may need to look different for these individuals. This capstone will discuss these issues and highlight the importance of having a diverse range of teaching tools when it comes to educating autistic adolescents on sex.