Teachers’ perspectives of the sexuality of children with autism spectrum disorders

Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) experience sexuality issues, but there are very few studies looking at sexuality and autism. The present study aims to examine teachers’ perceptions of sexual behaviors of 56 children with low functioning autism (LFA) and 20 children with high functioning autism (HFA) or Asperger Syndrome (AS). Teachers perceived children with LFA as exhibiting less socially acceptable behaviors, as possessing lessened awareness of privacy related rules, and as having more limited knowledge of typical sexual responses and behaviors in comparison to children with HFA or AS. However, teachers expressed more concerns for children with HFA or AS. These findings should be taken into consideration when designing intervention programs targeting sexuality of individuals with ASD.