-
ASN Winter 2017 Issue
"Autism and Sexuality" Articles in This...
-
Simons Foundation: Funder of Basic Science Research, Early Mover in Autism Science
In 2003, Simons Foundation co-founders Marilyn and Jim Simons set out to understand the state of autism science. Having recently awarded a grant or two to scientists working in autism genetics, they were eager to understand how the field as a whole was faring. They convened a small gathering of...
-
“The Lighter Side of the Spectrum – a Mom’s View” The Music Within His Body
There’s something on my mind lately; a knot I’ve been trying to untangle. I thought maybe we could talk about it. Stimming. You know, stimming? The way my 12-year old son Jack jumps and hops and grunts at least, oh, I don’t know, fifty times a day? Stimming is short for self-stimulation,...
-
Autism and Dating: Practical Tips for Parents
Navigating the dating scene is not easy for anyone, whether or not they have an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Dating is filled with many challenges to maneuver, resulting in awkward situations. These awkward situations happen to almost every young adult who dives into the dating scene. However,...
-
Not as Scary as it May Sound: Getting an Early Start to Sexuality Education for Young Children with ASD
After reading the title of this article, you may have taken pause – if so, you are not alone. The idea of providing sexuality education for very young children with ASD is likely to raise questions and may generate uncomfortable feelings; this can be a challenging topic. Despite the difficult...
-
21st Century Sexuality Teaching Resources for Youth with Autism
The twenty first century brought a long-awaited focus to sexuality and ASD. Although a paucity of data still exists regarding sexuality education and ASD (Loftin & Hartlage, 2015), most publications do provide recommendations for the who, what and when components of teaching about sexuality....
-
Supporting the Social-Sexual Development of People on the Autism Spectrum
Sexuality refers to the total expression of who you are as a human being. Our sexuality begins in the womb and ends at death (Freud, 1986). Everyone is a sexual being, babies, children, teens, adults and the elderly. Sexuality is therefore experienced throughout the developmental lifespan. So why...
-
Support and Social Groups: An Essential and Vital Need of the Autistic Community
During all of the years since I was first diagnosed on the autism spectrum, support groups have been a constant part of my life in a variety of ways. Having attended, facilitated, and served in organizations that sponsored such groups, I came to appreciate their importance to those on the spectrum...
-
Fragile X Drug Trial Gets $11.5 Million in NIH Funding – UC Davis Mind Institute to Research Promising Therapy for Language Learning
The UC Davis MIND Institute and Rush University Medical Center have been awarded $11.5 million from the National Institutes of Health to test a new therapy designed to improve language learning for children fragile X syndrome. Fragile X syndrome is a single-gene disorder and the most common...
-
In Genetic Diagnosis, a Path Forward – Discovering Their Son’s Genetic Diagnosis Helps One Family in Many Ways
By the time her son Curren was 3 months old, Nerissa Ramsey knew there was something different about him. He had low muscle tone and flapped his hands. Hand-flapping is a repetitive behavior commonly seen in autism. After consulting with a series of specialists, the Ramsey family was referred to...
