The elements of a high quality of life include positive relationships, purposeful work, intimacy, and control. All are related to the ability to form and navigate different kinds of adult relationships. Transitioning to mature relationships and independent living is hard and stressful for everyone. It can be particularly challenging for individuals with ASD. This webinar will discuss issues and topics related to how to help individuals with ASD navigate puberty, sexuality, and getting along with other people in order to achieve a meaningful life experience.

1. Build
knowledge.
Gain
exper3se.
Share
best
prac3ces.
SPEDCHAT
WEBINAR
SERIES
Puberty,
Sexuality,
and
Rela<onships:
The
Road
to
Adulthood
for
Adolescents
with
ASD

2. SPEDCHAT
WEBINAR
SERIES
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3. SPEDCHAT
WEBINAR
SERIES
WES
DOTSON,
PH.D.,
BCBA
Burkhart
Center
for
Au<sm
Educa<on
and
Research
&
College
of
Educa<on
Texas
Tech
University
Dr.
Wes
Dotson
is
the
Interim
Co-­‐Director
and
the
Director
of
Out-­‐
Pa<ent
Services
for
the
Burkhart
Center
for
Au<sm
Educa<on
and
Research
and
an
Assistant
Professor
in
the
Special
Educa<on
Program
at
Texas
Tech
University.
He
earned
his
Master’s
in
Applied
Behavioral
Science
in
2007
and
his
Ph.D.
in
Behavioral
Psychology
in
2010
from
the
University
of
Kansas.
He
has
spent
over
15
years
in
special
educa<on,
working
with
individuals
with
au<sm
and
other
developmental
disabili<es
of
all
ages.
He
has
worked
as
a
high
school
special
educa<on
teacher,
a
behavioral
consultant,
and
an
in-­‐home
therapist
for
individuals
with
severe
disabili<es
before
moving
into
higher
educa<on.
His
primary
areas
of
research
are
social
skills,
rela<onship
development,
and
successful
life
outcomes
for
adolescents
and
young
adults
with
au<sm,
as
well
as
the
prepara<on
of
teachers
and
other
professionals
to
work
successfully
with
students
with
au<sm.

4. SPEDCHAT
WEBINAR
SERIES
GOALS
OF
TALK
• Describe
changes
associated
with
puberty
and
transi<oning
affect
individuals
with
ASD
• Discuss
common
challenges
faced
during
this
<me
• Provide
specific
<ps
and
ideas
to
help
overcome
those
challenges
• Provide
recommenda<ons
for
building
a
quality,
full
life
(including
rela<onships
and
reciprocity).

5. SPEDCHAT
WEBINAR
SERIES
OPENING
IDEAS
• Rela<onships
are
building
blocks
of
adult
independence
and
happiness
• Not
all
rela<onships
and
friendships
are
the
same
• Different
people
value
different
levels
and
types
of
rela<onship
• Rela<onships
are
building
blocks
of
adult
independence
and
happiness
• Not
all
rela<onships
and
friendships
are
the
same
• Different
people
value
different
levels
and
types
of
rela<onship

6. SPEDCHAT
WEBINAR
SERIES
CONTEXT
FOR
DISCUSSION
What
does
the
scien<fic
literature
say
about
puberty,
sexuality,
adolescents,
social
skills,
building
rela<onships,
and
posi<ve
life
outcomes?

7. SPEDCHAT
WEBINAR
SERIES
WHAT
THE
RESEARCH
TELLS
US
• Quality
of
life,
healthy
sexuality,
employment,
and
successful
independence
closely
<ed
to
development
of
rela<onships
• Few
children
and
adolescents
with
disabili<es
develop
friendships
with
same-­‐aged
peers
• Ability
to
develop
posi<ve
rela<onships
linked
with
level
of
social
skills

8. SPEDCHAT
WEBINAR
SERIES
PUBERTY
AND
DISABILITY
• Adolescents
with
disabili<es
experience
puberty
and
develop
sexual
urges
and
interest
exactly
like
their
peers
• Increased
interest
in
and
seeking
of
peer
friendships
• Majority
express
desire
for
in<mate
rela<onships
(da<ng,
marriage,
family)

9. SPEDCHAT
WEBINAR
SERIES
PUBERTY
Consequences
for
inappropriate
behavior
more
severe
as
individuals
move
into
adolescence
and
adulthood

10. SPEDCHAT
WEBINAR
SERIES
PUBERTY
• Increased
desire
for
friends
+
poor
social
skills
=
Increased
risk
for
bullying
and
exploita<on
• Desire
for
in<macy
+
Failure
to
dis<nguish
social/non-­‐verbal
cues
=
Increased
risk
of
nega<ve
social
and
legal
consequences

11. SPEDCHAT
WEBINAR
SERIES
SOCIAL
SKILLS
Developing
posi3ve
peer
rela3onships
in
adolescence
and
adulthood
requires
a
different
set
of
social
skills
• Manners
and
politeness
versus
having
an
uncomfortable
conversa<on
with
a
friend
• Iden<fica<on
and
ini<a<on
of
social
opportuni<es
• Conversa<on
with
platonic
friends
versus
conversa<on
with
poten<al
da<ng
partners
• Boundaries
and
appropriate
sexual
behavior

12. SPEDCHAT
WEBINAR
SERIES
THE
GOOD
NEWS!
A
number
of
interven3ons
used
to
develop
social,
rela3onship,
and
sexuality
skills,
including:
• Visual
supports
• Video
modeling
• Script
fading
• Peer
mediated
strategies
• Teaching
Interac<ons
• Social
stories
All
have
successfully
taught
these
skills

13. SPEDCHAT
WEBINAR
SERIES
EFFECTIVE
INTERVENTION
Interven3on
to
help
people
with
disabili3es
develop
rela3onships
should:
• Provide/iden<fy
opportuni<es
for
increased
par<cipa<on
in
community
ac<vi<es
• Teach/work
where
peer
rela<onships
are
most
likely
to
form
for
that
person
• Involve
the
person
directly
in
their
own
program
to
increase
likelihood
of
compa<bility
with
goals,
target
peers,
and
desired
outcome

14. SPEDCHAT
WEBINAR
SERIES
BUILDING
RELATIONSHIPS
It
is
important
to
teach
how
posi3ve
rela3onships
form:
• Rela<onships
built
on
reciprocity
• Goal
is
to
create
rela<onships
that
involve
regular,
voluntary
exchange
of
reinforcers
between
both
people

15. SPEDCHAT
WEBINAR
SERIES
TIPS
FOR
BUILDING
POSITIVE
RELATIONSHIPS
Developing
rela3onships
between
people
with
disabili3es
and
their
peers:
• Exposure
is
not
enough!
• Mo<va<on:
More
likely
to
build
rela<onships
with
preferred
people
• Engagement:
More
willing
to
par<cipate
when
learning
environment
fun/
preferred
• Relevance:
More
willing
to
engage
in
target
behaviors
which
they
see
as
func<onal
and
important

16. SPEDCHAT
WEBINAR
SERIES
SEXUALITY
Must
be
as
proac3ve
as
possible:
Individuals
with
ASD
and
other
disabili<es
more
likely
to
stalk,
pursue
longer,
ignore
partner’s
interests/needs,
stare,
inappropriately
touch,
masturbate
in
public,
be
vic<ms
of
sexual
assault,
etc.

17. SPEDCHAT
WEBINAR
SERIES
TIPS
FOR
NAVIGATING
THIS
MAZE
• Listen,
don’t
judge
• If
you
don’t
answer
their
ques<ons,
someone
else
will
• Assume
nothing
–be
explicit
–be
visual
• Monitor
as
much
as
you
can
and
take
advantage
of
the
controls
you
have
• Prac<ce
makes
perfect
–you
can’t
and
won’t
get
it
100%
right
every
<me
–
the
environment
you
create
is
the
most
important
thing

18. SPEDCHAT
WEBINAR
SERIES
BEST
INSTRUCTIONAL
PRACTICES
From
Urbano,
et
al.,
2013
• Individuals
of
ALL
levels
need
assistance
to
deal
with
sexual
urges
• Parent
involvement
and
par<cipa<on
is
cri<cal
• Must
be
taught
in
highly
structured
way
using
concrete
examples
• Must
be
a
behavioral
priority
given
stringent
expecta<ons
of
society
• Must
be
tailed
to
individual
&
family
values,
sexual
iden<ty,
environmental
context,
and
developmental
level

19. SPEDCHAT
WEBINAR
SERIES
BEST
INSTRUCTIONAL
PRACTICES
From
Gerhardt
&
colleagues
• Human
Growth,
Development,
Puberty
• Pregnancy,
childbirth,
birth
control
• Public
versus
private
behavior
• Good
touch
versus
bad
touch
• Proper
names
of
body
parts
• “Improper”
names
of
body
parts
• Personal
boundaries/personal
spaces
• Masturba<on
(“Private
Touching”)
• Avoidance
of
danger/Abuse
preven<on
• Social
skills
and
rela<onship
building
• Da<ng
skills
• Personal
responsibility
and
values

20. SPEDCHAT
WEBINAR
SERIES
Sources
and
Resources
From
Gerhardt
&
colleagues
• Human
Growth,
Development,
Puberty
• Pregnancy,
childbirth,
birth
control
• Public
versus
private
behavior
• Good
touch
versus
bad
touch
• Proper
names
of
body
parts
• “Improper”
names
of
body
parts
• Personal
boundaries/personal
spaces
• Masturba<on
(“Private
Touching”)
• Avoidance
of
danger/Abuse
preven<on
• Social
skills
and
rela<onship
building
• Da<ng
skills
• Personal
responsibility
and
values

21. SPEDCHAT
WEBINAR
SERIES
Sources
&
Resources
• Sexuality
&
Sexuality
Instruc<on
with
Learners
with
Au<sm
Spectrum
Disorders
and
Other
Developmental
Disabili<es©
Peter
F.
Gerhardt,
Ed.D.:
hlp://www.howard-­‐au<sm.org/docs/
Workshops/Gerhardt.pdf
• Adolescents
and
Adults
with
Au<sm
Spectrum
Disorders;
Fred
R.Volkmar,
Brian
Reichow,
James
C.
McPartland:
hlp://download.springer.com/sta<c/pdf/414/bok%253A978-­‐1-­‐4939-­‐0506-­‐5.pdf?
auth66=1403900747_d746684d5c41120f55a1361b8e719f89&ext=.pdf
• PUBERTY
AND
SEX
EDUCATION
RESOURCES
FOR
CHILDREN
WITH
DEVELOPMENTAL
DISABILITIES
By
Elizabeth
A.
Jackson:
hlp://humboldt-­‐dspace.calstate.edu/bitstream/handle/2148/1931/
Jackson_Elizabeth_Sp2014.pdf?sequence=1
• Holmes,
L.
G.,
Himle,
M.
B.,
Sewell,
K.
K.,
Carbone,
P.
S.,
Strassberg,
D.
S.,
&
Murphy,
N.
A.
(2014).
Addressing
Sexuality
in
Youth
with
Au<sm
Spectrum
Disorders:
Current
Pediatric
Prac<ces
and
Barriers.
Journal
of
Developmental
&
Behavioral
Pediatrics,
35(3),
172-­‐178.

22. To
learn
more
about
Accelify
and
find
out
about
future
webinars,
events,
and
news,
visit
www.accelify.com
or
follow
us
on
social
media.
Thank
you.
For
addi<onal
informa<on,
contact:
wesley.dotson@`u.edu
SPEDCHAT
WEBINAR
SERIES
Build
knowledge.
Gain
exper3se.
Share
best
prac3ces.