Parents' Needs to Provide Sex Education for Their Children With Autism

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to investigate parents' needs for sex education for their children with autism. Parents (fathers, N = 44; mothers, N = 185) of children and youth with autism completed a questionnaire about the necessity of sex education, the age level at which sex education was needed, required contents for sex education, the necessity of learning opportunities for the parents, and its form. The results indicated that a large majority of the parents recognized the necessity of sex education for their children, and required sex education for their children starting in the higher grades of elementary school. Differences found in the contents of sex education that the parents felt was needed were related to the chronological age, intellectual level, and gender of their children. Moreover, a large majority of parents wanted to have learning opportunities for sex education offered to their children. The discussion dealt with parents' needs for sex education and challenges for the future. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)