Sexuality and Severe Autism: A Practical Guide for Parents, Caregivers and Health Educators

by Kate E. Reynolds

Overview

Sexual health and sexuality can be difficult subjects for parents and caregivers to broach with autistic children, made more challenging when children are at the severe end of the autism spectrum. Some parents may even question the validity of teaching sexuality to those who are severely autistic.

This practical handbook guides you through the process of teaching about sex and sexuality, answering all of the most crucial questions, including: Why is it necessary to teach this subject to my severely autistic child? When is the right time to start talking about these issues? How detailed and explicit should I be? What methods are most appropriate? It addresses male and female issues separately and covers public and private sexual behaviours, sexual abuse, cross-gender teaching and liaising with school, in addition to the more obvious areas such as physical changes and menstruation.

This will be the ideal guide to teaching about sexual issues for any parent, caregiver or health educator caring for a person on the severe end of the autism spectrum.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781849053273
Publisher:	Jessica Kingsley Publishers
Publication date:	09/21/2013
Pages:	208
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Kate E. Reynolds, MSc (Dist) BSc. RGN. PGDipHEd. PGDipCouns., worked for the UK's National Health Service for 18 years, seven of which were in HIV/Aids and sexual health as a Clinical Nurse Specialist, Senior Counsellor and staff trainer. In 2005 Kate's son was diagnosed as having 'classic' autism with intellectual (learning) disabilities. Since then, Kate has written several books for JKP about sexuality education and autism/intellectual disabilities. She is a researcher and public speaker; in 2016 she spoke at an All Party Parliamentary Group meeting about sex education and disability and speaks extensively with parents and caregivers.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements. Preface. 1. The Context of Sexuality and Severe Autism. 2. A Framework for Teaching Sexuality. 3. Boys and Men. 4. Girls and Women. 5. Appropriate Behaviour. 6. Recognising and Reporting When Things Don't Seem Right. 7. Long Term Future. Appendices. References. Resources. Index.

Editorial Reviews

This book is an excellent guide for parents of children with more severe forms of autism struggling with how to talk about sexuality and keep their kids safe. Reynolds delivers an honest account of the issues sometimes faced by those with autism while providing practical strategies for tackling this somewhat taboo subject from the sensitivity and experience of a parent's perspective.

Dr. Elizabeth Laugeson

I find this book to be informative and inspiring; I really hope parents, carers and professionals alike learn from it, in turn impacting positively on this key area of people's lives.

Jo Hinchliffe

Sexuality and Severe Autism... is a relatively short and accessible book written by a health care professional who is also the mother of a son on the spectrum and so can bring genuine insight to the topic. This book includes many important topics (e.g. public and private behaviours and sexual abuse), contains lots of practical advice and tactics and is respectful in focus.

Davida Hartman for Autism Sex Education

This is not simply a book that can educate and inform. Reynolds makes the point that the book is also about 'protection' and that severely autistic children need to possess a broad sexual knowledge, from knowing the correct names for body parts (and understanding their function in sex), to how to recognise and report abuse.

Action for Aspergers

Provides a practical handbook to sex and sexuality, showing parents and educators how to impart the basics to even the most severely autistic child.

Midwest Book Review