Healthy sexual expression and engagement in intimacy may be hampered by 

1)  social exclusion

2)  risk of sexual violence and coercion

3)  stigma surrounding their sexuality due to perceived deviation from normative social interactions and questions regarding capacity to give consent



Pepperdine University

People with autism and those with intellectual disability often experience stigma and barriers to forming intimate romantic relationships due to deficits in complex social skills, despite often having the same needs for intimacy and sexuality as typically-developing people.

Forming romantic relationsihps as an individual with ASD

Sala, G., Hooley, M., Attwood, T. et al. (2009) Autism and intellectual disability: A systematic review of sexuality and relationship education. Sex Disabilty 37. 353–382. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11195-019-09577-4

Autism and Intellectual Disability: A Systematic Review of Sexuality and Relationship Education

Factors that hamper healthy sexual expression and engagement among people with ASD

The literature highlights that many individuals with ASD experience some form of sexuality and desire intimate relationships, as do those with intellectual disabilities, and the recognition of need for adequate sexuality and relationship education (SRE) for these groups has grown.

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