Autistic individuals should also receive equal access to healthcare and support in their choices in their personal lives, to enjoy fulfilling lives and good mental health.
Highlights:
Autistic individuals are more likely to identify with a diverse range of sexual orientations when compared to non-autistic individuals, reveals a new research from the University of Cambridge.//
The findings have important implications for the healthcare and support of autistic individuals. The results are published in the journal Autism Research. - Autistic adults and adolescents are 8 times more likely to identify themselves as asexual and ‘other’ sexuality
- Autistic males are 3.5 times more likely to identify themselves as bisexual than non-autistic males
- Autistic females are 3 times more likely to identify themselves as homosexual than autistic females
Adaptation Skills and Emotions of Autistic Children Vary at Home and School
Autistic children control their thoughts and emotions in school and can worsen. Therefore, there is a need for more intervention supports.
Autistic children control their thoughts and emotions in school and can worsen. Therefore, there is a need for more intervention supports.
‘Autistic individuals should also receive equal access to healthcare and support in their choices in their personal lives, to enjoy fulfilling lives and good mental health.’
For many years it was wrongly assumed that autistic individuals are uninterested in sexual or romantic relationships; but this is not the case. In recent years, small studies have suggested that autistic individuals are more likely to experience a wider diversity of sexual orientations and are less likely to have sexually transmitted infections (STIs). However, the existing evidence has been limited in size and scope.
In the largest study to date on these topics, the team at the Autism Research Centre used an anonymous, self-report survey to study the sexual activity, sexual orientation, and sexual health of autistic adults.
Transgender Individuals More Likely to be Autistic: Study
Transgender and gender-diverse individuals are much more likely to be autistic when compared to individuals who identify themselves with the sex assigned at birth.
Transgender and gender-diverse individuals are much more likely to be autistic when compared to individuals who identify themselves with the sex assigned at birth.
The results showed that the majority of autistic adults (70% of autistic males and 76% of autistic females) engage in sexual activity—although they do so to a lesser degree than their non-autistic peers (89% of both non-autistic males and females report engaging in sexual activity).
New Way To Improve Academic Performance In Autistic Children
Attention training is an intervention that focuses on autistic children individually to improve identifying and reading isolated words, their ability to copy a number of words and maths solving skills.
Attention training is an intervention that focuses on autistic children individually to improve identifying and reading isolated words, their ability to copy a number of words and maths solving skills.
In addition, the study found that autistic adults and adolescents are approximately eight times more likely to identify as asexual and ‘other’ sexuality than their non-autistic peers. And there were sex differences in sexual orientation: autistic males are 3.5 times more likely to identify as bisexual than non-autistic males, whereas autistic females are three times more likely to identify as homosexual than autistic females.
Facial Scans Give Genetic Clues To Autism
Researchers are using high-tech 3D facial scans to gain a better understanding of the genetic causes of autism.
Researchers are using high-tech 3D facial scans to gain a better understanding of the genetic causes of autism.
Elizabeth Weir, a PhD candidate at the Autism Research Centre in Cambridge, and the lead researcher of the study, said:
“Understanding the intersectional identities of autistic individuals who are asexual, bisexual, homosexual, or ‘other’ sexuality is key. It is particularly important that healthcare providers and educators use language that is affirming and accepting of all sexual orientations and gender identities when providing sexual education and sexual health screening checks to autistic and non-autistic people alike.”
Dr Carrie Allison, Director of Strategy at the Autism Research Centre and a member of the team, said: “We must ensure that autistic individuals are receiving equal access to healthcare and support in their choices in their personal lives, to enjoy fulfilling lives and good mental health.”
Professor Simon Baron-Cohen, Director of the Autism Research Centre and a member of the team, said: “This new study is an important example of applied health research with policy relevance for health and social care services.”
Source-Eurekalert
