title: Adolescent boys with an autism spectrum disorder and their experience of sexuality: An interpretative phenomenological analysis.
abstract: This qualitative study explored how adolescent boys with autism spectrum disorder experience their sexuality. Previous research has demonstrated that sexuality is a developmental task for boys with autism spectrum disorder, as it is for their peers. Case studies have suggested a relation between autism spectrum disorder and atypical sexual development; empirical studies on this subject, however, are scant and inconsistent. This study is based on interviews with eight boys, aged 16-20 years, with Asperger's disorder or autistic disorder. Interpretative phenomenological analysis of the data revealed three major themes relating to (a) how they experience sexual feelings, think about sexuality and think about themselves as sexual beings; (b) how they perceive messages relating to sexuality in their surroundings; and (c) how they experience finding and having a partner and partnered sex. We believe that attention to these themes is needed in assessment, education and further research.
authors.affiliation: GGzE Centre for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, The Netherlands jeroen.dewinter@antwerpen.be.|Tilburg University, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jeroen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dewinter
authors.affiliation: Ghent University, Belgium.
authors.forename: Hanna
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Van Parys
authors.affiliation: Leiden University Medical Center, The Netherlands.|VU Medical Centre, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vermeiren
authors.affiliation: GGzE Centre for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, The Netherlands.|Tilburg University, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Chijs
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: van Nieuwenhuizen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D041923:Adolescent Development; D000067877:Autism Spectrum Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D019529:Sexuality / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: adolescents; autism; interpretative phenomenological analysis; qualitative research; sexuality