When is sex education appropriate for teens with autism? What are the most important issues? Here's a quick introduction to the topic from Dr. Peter Gerhardt, President of the Organization for Autism Research and expert in issues of adolescents and adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders.
First, think ahead. I use what I refer to as the 5-year rule,and that is basically: What will he or she need to know 5 years from now, and how can I best teach that"
Second, in terms of sexuality education, think first in terms of safety. What skills can he or she be taught to best reduce the risk of sexual abuse (e.g., who can and who cannot help you with your menstrual care)? This is not an easy subject for many families to broach but not doing so is a pretty significant oversight with a pretty huge potential downside.
Third, always remember that all sexual behavior on some level is social behavior and all instruction should take that into consideration. Even masturbation has a social component which revolves around the issue of privacy.
