Sexaffectivity in Autistic Spectrum Disorder: Observed Behaviors and Referred Needs in Adolescence

The WHO defines sexual health as a state of physical, emotional, mental and social well-being, related to sexuality, not only the absence of illness, dysfunction or disability. To acquire and maintain adequate sexual health, the sexual rights of all people must be respected, protected and fully exercised.

People with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) present difficulties in the development of social interaction skills, among other problems that directly affect their sexual health. The consolidated prejudices and social myths related to the sexual affectivity of people with ASD, and in general to people with intellectual diversity, have meant that they do not pay any attention to the sexual health of this group in the assessment of their needs.

Main objectives: to understand the experience lived by young people with ASD and their caregivers in relation to the affective needs during adolescence and to know the cognitive and behavioral expression of the affective dimension of adolescents with ASD.

Mixed simultaneous design: qualitative based on the phenomenological paradigm, in order to establish the perceived needs of young adults with ASD, their families and the professionals who attend them, with the realization of focus groups and in-depth interviews. The second quantitative part will be developed in adolescents (12-18 years) and their families, evaluating the habitual behaviors and difficulties of Interaction in the affective expression, by means of questionnaires and self-administered scales. It will be necessary to sign the Informed Consent by all the participants, with the specific acceptance of the project by the CEIC of the investigator's center.