Factors related to parent provision of sexuality education for youth with asperger's disorder and high functioning autism

This study examined the relationship between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) symptoms, parental romantic expectations, and parental provision of sexuality education in a sample of 120 parents of youth aged 12-18 years who were diagnosed with ASD by a healthcare professional. Regression analyses showed that overall ASD symptoms predicted parental romantic expectations, but did not predict parental provision of sexuality education. Secondary analyses using simple linear regression showed that specific ASD symptoms (i.e., social motivation and social cognition) predicted a small amount of variance in parental provision of sex education. Additionally, exploratory regression analyses identified other factors related to parent provision of sex education for youth with ASD. Parents who rated themselves as more effective regarding their ability to communicate with their children about sexuality and parents who rated themselves as more prepared to manage their child's sexual development covered a greater number of sexuality-related topics with their child. The results of the current study have implications for the development of interventions to promote effective sexuality communication and positive sexual health outcomes for youth with ASD.