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IMFAR 2017: ASD & Sexuality Panel
This much-needed session demonstrated trends and countered many myths about autistic people and sexuality, emphasized the need for more sex ed (including safety) for people of all abilities, and demonstrated that autistic people are more likely to be (or come out as) LBTQ+ than non-autistics.
- The first speaker was L. A. Pecora on Sexuality in ASD: The Female Profile
- Now autism and sexuality. Autistic women at higher risk of sexual victimisation and sexual abuse. #IMFAR2017
- @YesWeJon Yes, absolutely. And liable to end up in emotionally and or physically abusive relationships. #IMFAR2017
- Talk on sexuality in women with ASD at #IMFAR2017 - can't wait to hear about findings as this is covered in my PhD.
- #autistic women have increased risk of sexual abuse, according to this study (??) #IMFAR2017
I think #IMFAR2017 really missed an opportunity to title this session "Autism After Dark". pic.twitter.com/4xVCccZJHE- [image above: photo of IMFAR conference session sign reading, "Oral Session: ASD and Sexuality" with the session time and date.]
- Stokes: autistic females significantly more likely to report non-heterosexuality compared to non-autistic females #IMFAR2017
- Autistic woman two times more likely to be lesbians, three times more likely to be bi #IMFAR2017
- Dr. Pecora at #IMFAR2017: Autistic adolescent females are 5.5x more worried about puberty than peers.
- ASD women 5x more distressed by puberty than ASD men. Can think of a few possible reasons why that would be....#captainobvious #IMFAR2017
- Regardless of orientation, autistic women experience difficulties with sex education #IMFAR2017
- Dr. Pecora at #IMFAR2017: Autistic women are just as interested in see as peers.
- Review paper finds that ASD women more likely to exp sexual assault - same finding as my (to be published) research #IMFAR2017
- Autistic women have had 1.5 times as many unwanted sexual advances as neurotypical women #IMFAR2017
- 3.6 more likely to experience unwanted sexually advances #IMFAR2017
- Dr. Pecora at #IMFAR2017: Autistic females are 3.6x more likely to experience unwanted sexual advances than autistic males.
- Dr. Pecora at #IMFAR2017: Autistic women are 2.6x more likely to have had sex than autistic males.
- ASD women have sim sexual exp to NT women but different to ASD men.Also more likely to exp unwanted sexual advances than NT women #IMFAR2017
- Dr. Pecora at #IMFAR2017: Autistic women are more likely to accept unwanted sexual advances than peers.
- #Autistic women had more distress about puberty than non-autistic women, also more likely to consent to non-desired sex advances. #IMFAR2017
- Stokes: autistic women experience more distress about puberty onset, something @robyn_steward is writing about #imfar2017
- Females with ASD 1.5 x more likely to have consented to unwanted sexual advances. Implications for education and legal systems #IMFAR2017
- ASD women more likely to 'consent to unwanted sexual exp' but followed w/'doesn't mean worst case'!! Unwanted is bad regardless! #IMFAR2017
- Stokes: autistic women more likely to engage in unwanted sexual experiences Also Stokes: might not be bad as you think Me: 🤔wtf? #imfar2017
- We need to figure out how best to support #autistic women to gain the skills to fend off unwanted sexual attention. #IMFAR2017
- Dr. Pecora at #IMFAR2017: Diagnosis in autistic women tends to come at a crisis point in life more than autistic males (diagnosed earlier).
- Autistic females experience less informative sex ed despite similar interest in sex as TDs+having more unwanted advances. Not ok #IMFAR2017
- G. Hancock then discussed the Romantic Relationship Experience in Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Now: Hancock: Romantic relationship experiences among #autistic people. #IMFAR2017
- The stereotype of all #autistic people being asexual=BS. Autistic people are just as likely to want relationships as anyone else. #IMFAR2017
- @thinkingautism Tho it's important to remember that asexuals often do want relationships, if not sexual ones.
- @thinkingautism (cont'd) ...Lack of sexual attraction =/= lack of interest in relationships.
- Research does establish facts that yes, #autistic women do want relationships #IMFAR2017
- Hancock at #IMFAR2017: Autistic individuals express desire for establishing romantic relationships but have difficulty establishing them.
- There is no gold standard tool to measure #autistic sexual/social factors. #IMFAR2017
- Kathrine Hartman: many studies looking at autism and romantic relationships don't include comparison groups #IMFAR2017
- 499, 13-59 yo, 135 women & 96 men (autistic) w 160 Nt women and 66 NT men in this study #IMFAR2017
- We need comp groups for studies of relationships in #autism -I think when we do,we find far fewer diffs than theory assumes! #IMFAR2017
- Dr. Hancock at #IMFAR2017: Social interaction w/ other peers impacts establishment of romantic relationships for ASD & non-ASD.
- Peer engagement mediates worry abt forming rels&actual rels formed.Makes sense-'peers' (friends) def helped me get a date before! #IMFAR2017
- Autistic ppl report greater anxiety during initial romantic interactions #IMFAR2017
- Hancock at #IMFAR2017 wonders if anxiety w/ peers limits social learning opportunities. Reducing anxiety with peers may improve connections.
- Females have more difficult rel exps. Opp to prev talk which said women have it easier!Diff btwn counting dates&asking if good #IMFAR2017
- K. Hartmann talked about Sexuality in the Eyes of Parents and Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Dr. Hartmann at #IMFAR2017: "The topic of sexuality is always difficult to talk about". Paging: @fakedansavage
- .@fakedansavage Great to see inclusion of transgender autistic individuals in Dr. Hartmann's #IMFAR2017 research on autistic sexuality.
- High proportion of ASD young people have sexual intercourse-parent report assumes numbers lower though.Need sex ed no matter who! #IMFAR2017
- 63% of ASD young people reported being sexually victimised in some way-sex ed should cover awareness&management, not just biology #IMFAR2017
- Hartmann on sexuality & autism, rightly noting that it is good that parents don't know every detail of their child's sex life #IMFAR2017
- Hartmann: future research should explore experiences of autistic ppl AND their partners. #IMFAR2017
- The last speaker was J. DeWinter on Falling in Love and Living Together? Sexual Attraction and Relationship Status in Adolescents and Adults with ASD
- Glad that 'sex is not for the majority of autistic people' is dismissed as an outdated premise! #IMFAR2017
Dr. Dewinter at #IMFAR2017 states he still has conversations with doctors who still think autistic people aren't sexual or fall in love. pic.twitter.com/JWHIMwnHx3- [image above: Slide from Dr. DeWinter's IMFAR autism & sex talk: white background with a line art drawing of a young white boy pulling open his boxers-style underwear and looking down at his crotch, next to quoted text reading, "'...sex is not for the majority of autistic people...' -Torisky & Torisky, 1985"]
- Dr. Dewinter at #IMFAR2017: Sexual experiences of autistic people are more similar to peers than dissimilar.
- Little bit sad that this talk on sexual experience is all about boys as last 2 highlighted need to understand & support girls #IMFAR2017
- DeWinter: Autistic boys self-report normal range of sexual experience at mid-teens but lesser range at older ages #IMFAR2017
- Autistic teenagers have broadly similar sexual experiences as neurotypical peers #IMFAR2017
- Dr. Dewinter at #IMFAR2017: High prevalence of gender fluidity and transgender persons among autistic individuals.
- Dr. Dewinter at #IMFAR2017: Higher diversity of sexual orientation among autistic men & woman than general population.
- DeWinter: increased diversity of sexual attraction in autistic adults, especially females, including asexuality #IMFAR2017
- ASD population have higher diversity of sexual orientations than NT (inc. asexuality), particularly in ASD women. #IMFAR2017
- Study found high rate of autistic women whose sexual orientation was "other/none" #IMFAR2017
- Jeroen Dewinter: Higher diversity of sexual attraction in autism #IMFAR2017
- DeWinter: about half of autistic men and women in large survey were in a relationship. High levels of satisfaction. #IMFAR2017
- 4% of autistic women reported a gender identity other than a binary #IMFAR2017
- Around 50% of ASD sample were in romantic relationships and were satisfied with them. Nice to hear positives too! #IMFAR2017
- DeWinter: pay attention to sexual diversity and gender diversity in clinical practice #IMFAR2017
Dr. Dewinter at #IMFAR2017: Autistic Women: 6.1% gay, 22.4% bisexual. Non-Autistic women: 1.8% gay, 10.1% bisexual. pic.twitter.com/1etUvuDKkG- [image above: slide with bar chart graph showing that Autistic Women: 6.1% gay, 22.4% bisexual. Non-Autistic women: 1.8% gay, 10.1% bisexual.]
Dr. Dewinter at #IMFAR2017: Autistic men: 5% gay, 9% bisexual. Non-autistic men: 4% gay, 5% bisexual. pic.twitter.com/8tK46WDHSu- [image above: slide with bar chart graph showing that Autistic Men: 5% gay, 9% bisexual. Non-Autistic men: 4% gay, 5% bisexual.]
- Jeroen Dewinter: clinical implications are to pay attention to sexual diversity when offering support #IMFAR2017
- Large numbers of people in autism and sexuality session, even right at end of #IMFAR2017 a testament to interest in real world issues.
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