Asperger's, Autism-Spectrum and Intellectual Disabilities
Naked Brain Ink If you are limited to only one resource on sexuality and the autism-spectrum, this would be one to consider. Created by a young woman with a unique autism perspective, you'll find extensive articles on everything from "What Are the Greatest Myths of Autism and Sexuality" to "Sex Things an OB/GYN Needs to Know When Taking Care of a Patient with ASD."
Resources from Naked Brain Ink You'll be hard-pressed to find a better list of resources about autism and sexuality than the one at Naked Brain Ink.
Navigating Love and Autism from the New York Times Part of an excellent series titled "Autism, Grown Up--Love on the Spectrum."
Part 1. This section is mostly for parents, teachers and therapists.
Birth Control, Pelvic Exams, History Taking, etc. with Women Women Who Are Developmentally Disabled This series of videos from the University of Kentucky is designed to help healthcare providers work with female patients who have developmental disabilities.
Asperger's Syndrome and Sexuality-From Adolescence Through Adulthood a book by Isabelle Henault.
Autism - Asperger's and Sexuality: Puberty and Beyond (illustrated) a book by Jerry Newport and Mary Newport. (The Henault book is more up-to-date).
Sex, Sexuality And The Autism Spectrum a book by Wendy Lawson.
The Gray Center for Social Learning and Understanding This is the website for the Gray Center, which is a non-profit organization dedicated to individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and those who work alongside them to improve mutual understanding. While not specifically about sexuality, this site contains the kind of information that is often key to setting up a helpful and workable approach to sexuality given your particular situation.
ADD and Sex Amy Stapleford is one of the few sex educators today writing about ADD and sex. Scroll down this page on her blog to find information about everything from tips on focusing during sex to sexual side effects from common ADD medications.
More on ADD and Sex Lots of advice from the ADHD and Marriage website.
ADHD and Sex: No Shame, No Blame From a blog by nationally renowned author Gina Pera dedicated to exploring Adult AD/HD, especially its impact on relationships.
Is Sex important to someone with ADHD? This is filled with a lot of sweeping generalizations, but that seems to be true for a lot that's written about sex and ADHD.
Sexuality: Your Sons and Daughters with Intellectual Disabilities a book by Karin Melberg Schwier & Dave Hingburger
Teaching Children with Down Syndrome about Their Bodies, Boundaries, and Sexuality An excellent book by Terri Couwenhoven, who is highly regarded and respected by sex educators and therapists for her incredible knowledge and skill in working with people who are developmentally delayed or have autism-spectrum disorders.
Teaching Parents Teaching Kids This is the website of Sorah Stein, a certified sex educator and autism specialist who is also the parent of a child with autism. Sorah's website has helpful sections on puberty, privacy, hygiene, teaching about sex, resources for parents and more.
DisabilityScoop.com Disability Scoop is the first and only nationally focused online news organization serving the developmental disability community including autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, fragile X and intellectual disability, among others. Five days each week Disability Scoop sifts through the clutter to provide a central, reliable source of news, information and resources. Plus, Disability Scoop is the only place to find original content and series like “Scoop Essentials” that take an in-depth look at what lies beyond the day’s headlines.
The Social Stories Book By Carol Gray. An excellent resource to help promote social understanding in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD).
Hundreds of Books and Resources for People with Autism/Asperger's An amazing collection of books and resources available through The Gray Center.
Dating and Relationships for People with Learning and Developmental Disabilities by sexuality training specialist Mary Greenfield.
Questions about Masturbation and Sexual Fantasy Mary Greenfield does an excellent job of explaining some of the issues involved with masturbation and sexual fantasies for parents of teens and young adults who are socially and developmentally delayed.
The Journal of Sexuality and Disability
The Facts of Life... and More: Sexuality and Intimacy for People With Intellectual Disabilities A book by Leslie Walker-Hirsch, written for teachers, therapists, parents and support staff to help individuals with intellectual disabilities to make good sexual decisions.
Sex Ed for Children and Teens with Developmental Disabilities A whopping long .pdf from the Florida DD Council. Written by DiAnn Baxley and Anna Zendell.
Intellectual Disabilities-Practice Issues in Sexuality and Learning Disabilities A book by Ann Craft. Note: In the UK, where this book was written, they refer to intellectual disabilities as learning disabilities. (Thanks to Thomas Graves for this head's up.)
Sex Ed for Students with Special Needs A .pdf by Liz Sweeney that's full of the kind of psychobabble and education-speak phrasing that you might need if you are an instructor trying to write a sex-ed proposal for a school board or district office.
Neurochemical Basis for Autism: From Molecules to Minicolumns While the publishers of this fascinating book should be shot for making it $179 retail, this would be an excellent resource material for anyone who is genuinely interested in learning as much as possible about autism. No--it's not about sex per se, but very relevant just the same.
Freaks, Geeks and Asperger's Syndrome--A User Guide To Adolescence Written by a 13-year-old boy with Asperger's, this is not about sex per se, but offers a fascinating view of what it's like to have Asperger's and an Asperger's take on the world. Covers some of the challenges involved in dating and negotiating adolescent friendships and romance when you have Asperger's.
Part 2. Books for Adults with Aspergers and Their Partners and Spouses
Love, Sex and Long-Term Relationships: What People With Asperger Syndrome Really Really Want a book by Sarah Hendrickx. This book is helpful for people who don’t have Asperger’s but are in a relationship with someone who does.
Asperger Syndrome - A Love Story a book by Sarah Hendrickx and Keith Newton. This is written by a young man with Asperger’s and his wife who doesn’t have Asperger’s.
Alone Together: Making an Asperger Marriage Work a book by Katrin Bentley. It’s interesting how hot or cold the reader reviews are on this book by the wife of a husband with Asperger’s. Perhaps she is more straightforward about how critical and difficult he can be, and this makes it more difficult for people to understand why she has stayed with him. Or maybe other books present a greater range of Asperger-like behaviors, and it’s easier to generalize from them if your spouse’s behavior doesn’t mirror that of this author’s husband.
Asperger Syndrome and Long-Term Relationships a book by Ashley Stanford, another wife of an Aspie dude. One of the more upbeat books by women who marry men on the Autism spectrum, this book includes a number of solutions that other couples have found helpful.
22 Things a Woman With Asperger's Syndrome Wants Her Partner to Know The newest of the "22 Things" books by Rudy Simone.
22 Things a Woman Must Know: If She Loves a Man With Asperger's Syndrome Written by Rudy Simone, a woman who has Asperger's.
Sex and Dementia A fine article by Lara Riscol on a topic that is seldom written about.
Susan's Sex Support Site While not specifically about autism-spectrum disorders, Susan's excellent website has a bit of something for everyone.
Part 3. Controversial Books for Adults with Aspergers and Their Partners and Spouses
There is a deep controversy within the Autism-Spectrum Community about the books and theories of Maxine Aston. Some people feel there is a demonization of individuals with autism-spectrum issues and that it is done with a heavy hand and little regard for science, others praise her work.
The Other Half of Asperger Syndrome: A guide to an Intimate Relationship with a Partner who has Asperger Syndrome by Maxine Aston.
Aspergers in Love: Couple Relationships and Family Affairs a book by Maxine C. Aston.
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