Intimacy & Relationships: Experience of Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disease that affects the ability to interact with others, repetitive behaviors, and some have difficulty functioning in a typical school, leisure, and/or work environment (NIMH, 2022). The prevalence of ASD is increasing; as of 2020, the CDC (2023) reports that one in 36 children have been identified with ASD. With 23% of occupational therapists working in setting for children and youth (AOTA, 2020), there is a need to provide practitioners with evidence to support care for this population over their lifespan. The purpose of this quantitative research study is to identify the constraints affecting adults with ASD development in maintaining a relationship with friends or romantic relationships with partners. The researcher hypothesized that individuals with ASD have barriers to developing and engaging in personal relationships due to their limited knowledge of the topic. The Sexual Behavior Scale-III (3rd ed) was modified into five constructs: Socializing and Friendships, Sexual Behavior, Romantic Relationships, Sex Education, and My Concerns. The 124 subjects met the inclusion criteria for this study and completed the online survey. Preliminary findings indicate that individuals with ASD have an interest in developing friendships and romantic relationships, but social communication factors and social skills impede their development of social, romantic, or intimate relationships. Additionally, respondents indicated that they educated themselves using resources such as the Internet on intimacy, friendships, and relationships. This is significant to practice because the population obtaining knowledge through online resources may not use a reliable source (Battinenti et al. 2020). We treat this population and have an opportunity to provide evidence-based education to support their pursuit of friendships and intimate relationships into changing their life through occupation. (Ellis, 2019).

References

Barnett J., Amanda K.; Identifying the Need for Student Education on the Scope of OT in Addressing Sexuality and Intimacy. American Journal of Occupational Therapy. July 2022, Vol. 76. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2022.76S1-PO89

Battineni, G., Baldoni, S., Chintalapudi, N., Sagaro, G. G., Pallotta, G., Nittari, G., & Amenta, F. (2020). Factors Affecting the Quality and Reliability of Online Health Information. Digital health, 6, 2055207620948996. https://doi.org/10.1177/2055207620948996

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2023). Data and statistics on Autism Spectrum Disorder. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/data.html

Hancock, G., Stokes, M. A., & Mesibov, G. (2019). Differences in Romantic Relationship Experiences for Individuals with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. Sexuality and Disability, 38, 231–245. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11195- 019-09573-8