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A Model of Psychosexual Wellbeing for Autistic and Neurotypical Adults in the United States

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Abstract

The sexuality of autistic adults has historically been overlooked. A positive framework for understanding sexuality of autistic adults is critical for designing sexuality and relationship education programming to support best outcomes. This study used an online survey of US-based adults with and without autism to develop a model of psychosexual wellbeing. Three factors (Sexual Knowledge, Sexual Feelings and Attitudes, and Sexual Self-Concept) comprise this model. Comparisons of the different factors relative to diagnostic status were made using t-tests. Overall psychosexual well-being was lower for the autistic group compared to the neurotypical group. The sexual self-concept factor was significantly lower from autistic participants, as hypothesized. The correlation between sexual self-concept and sexual knowledge was significant for neurotypical participants but not significant for autistic participants. Differences by group highlight the need for tailored sexuality and relationship education programming for autistic individuals. Further, there is a need to study the developmental processes of identity and self-concept formation for autistic individuals, given how this concept is intertwined with sexual development and psychosexual wellbeing.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would also like to thank the Autism Community Advisory Board which provides feedback and suggestions on study design.

Funding

Funding for this study was provided by the Office of Vice Provost for Research at Tufts University and by the Graduate Student Research Competition.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Jessica Rocha

  2. Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Study & Human Development, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA

    Jessica Rocha, Sana Aladin & Eileen T. Crehan

  3. Department of Psychiatry, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA

    Eileen T. Crehan

Authors
  1. Jessica Rocha
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  2. Sana Aladin
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  3. Eileen T. Crehan
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Contributions

Dr. Crehan contributed to the study conception and design. Ms. Rocha contributed to the data collection and performed the analyses. Ms. Rocha wrote an initial draft of this paper and Ms. Aladin provided revisions. All authors commented on previous versions and have read and approved this final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Eileen T. Crehan.

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Rocha, J., Aladin, S. & Crehan, E.T. A Model of Psychosexual Wellbeing for Autistic and Neurotypical Adults in the United States. Sex Disabil 41, 3–16 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11195-022-09764-w

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