Abstract
Group home caregivers of 20 institutionalized, male adolescents and young adults with Autistic Disorder (AD) and Borderline/Mild Mental Retardation (MR) and of 19 institutionalized, male adolescents and young adults with Borderline/Mild MR, without AD were interviewed with the Interview Sexuality Autism-Revised (ISA-R). Overall the individuals with AD were not significantly less sexually active than the individuals with MR. Masturbation was common in both groups. Individuals with MR had significantly more experience with relationships. No difference was found in the presence of inappropriate behavior. No difference was found in sexual orientation. Some deviant sexual behaviors (stereotyped sexual interests; sensory fascinations with a sexual connotation; paraphilia) were present in the group with AD, but not in the group with MR. A difference seemed to exist in the nature of sexual problems in the individuals with AD and MR, problems in individuals with AD being more related to an obsessive quality of the sexual behavior.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Haracopos, D., Pedersen, L.: Sexuality and autism, a nationwide survey in Denmark, Preliminary Report. http://www.autismuk.com/index9sub.htm (1992)
Hellemans, H., Colson, K., Verbraeken, C., Vermeiren, R., Deboutte, D.: Sexual behavior in high-functioning male adolescents and young adults with autism spectrum disorder. J. Autism Dev. Disord. 37, 260–269 (2007)
Hénault, I., Attwood, T.: Het seksualiteitsprofiel van volwassenen met het Asperger syndroom. De noodzaak voor begrip, ondersteuning en educatie (The sexual profile of adults with Asperger’s syndrome. The need for understanding, support and education). Wetenschappelijk Tijdschrift Autisme 2, 54–58 (2003)
Konstantareas, M., Lunsky, Y.: Sociosexual knowledge, experience, attitudes and interests of individuals with autistic disorder and developmental delay. J. Autism Dev. Disord. 27, 397–413 (1997)
Ousley, O.Y., Mesibov, G.B.: Sexual attitudes and knowledge of high-functioning adolescents and adults with autism. J. Autism Dev. Disord. 21, 471–481 (1991)
Ruble, L., Dalrymple, N.: Social/sexual awareness of persons with autism: a parental perspective. Arch. Sex. Behav. 22, 229–240 (1993)
Stokes, M.A., Kaur, A.: High-functioning autism and sexuality: a parental perspective. Autism 9, 266–289 (2005)
van Bourgondien, M., Reichle, N., Palmer, A.: Sexual behavior in adults with autism. J. Autism Dev. Disord. 27, 113–125 (1997)
van Son-Schoones, N., van Bilsen, P.: Sexuality and autism. A pilot-study of parents, health care workers and autistic persons. Int. J. Adolesc. Med. Health 8, 87–101 (1995)
Bowler, C., Collacott, R.A.: Cross-dressing in men with learning disabilities. Br. J. Psychiatry 162, 556–558 (1993)
Kobayashi, R.: Psychosexual development of autistic children in adolescence. Jpn. J. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry 32(3), 1–14 (1991)
Kobayashi, R.: Psychosexual development of autistic children during adolescence. In: Shimizu, M. (ed.) Recent Progress in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, pp. 12–20. Springer, Tokyo (1996)
Realmuto, G.M., Ruble, L.A.: Sexual behaviors in autism: problems of definition and management. J. Autism Dev. Disord. 29, 121–127 (1999)
Williams, P.G., Allard, A., Sears, L.: Case study: cross-gender preoccupations in two male children with autism. J. Autism Dev. Disord. 26, 635–642 (1996)
Kraemer, B., Delsignore, A., Gundelfinger, R., Schnyder, U., Hepp, U.: Comorbidity of Asperger syndrome and gender identity disorder. Eur. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry 14, 292–296 (2005)
Landén, M., Rasmussen, P.: Gender identity disorder in a girl with autism—a case report. Eur. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry 6, 170–173 (1997)
Mukkades, N.M.: Gender identity problems in autistic children. Child Care Health Dev. 28, 529–532 (2002)
Perera, H., Gadambanathan, T., Weerasiri, S.: Gender identity disorder presenting in a girl with Asperger’s disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder. Ceylon Med. J. 48, 57–58 (2003)
Association, American.Psychiatric.: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edn. APA, Washington (1994)
Bagley, C., Tremblay, P.: On the prevalence of homosexuality and bisexuality, in a random community survey of 750 men aged 18 to 27. J. Homosex. 36, 1–18 (1998)
Seidman, S.N., Reider, R.O.: A review of sexual behavior in the United States. Am. J. Psychiatry 151, 330–341 (1994)
Frenken, J.: Strafbare seksualiteit en seksueel deviant gedrag: definities en prevalenties (Punishable sexuality and sexual deviancy: definitions and prevalence). Tijdschrift Klinische Psychologie 32, 6–12 (2002)
Maletzky, B.M.: The paraphilias: research and treatment. In: Nathan, P.E., Gorman, J.M. (eds.) A Guide to Treatments That Work, pp. 525–557. Oxford University Press, Oxford (1998)
Acknowledgments
We thank the participants and their parents who gave their consent to this study, and the caregivers for their commitment.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hellemans, H., Roeyers, H., Leplae, W. et al. Sexual Behavior in Male Adolescents and Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Borderline/Mild Mental Retardation. Sex Disabil 28, 93–104 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11195-009-9145-9
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11195-009-9145-9