Integrating the Topic of Sexuality for School-Aged Individuals with Autism

Description

Abstract

Many parents with children with Autism have difficulty seeing their children as sexual beings. They often don’t know how to provide the needed supports for their children to have a healthy sexual life. This presentation will address parental issues in regards to sexuality and autism including strategies on how to talk with your child about their changing bodies, when to have the “talk” and what to expect. Strategies for individuals needing varying supports across the spectrum will be discussed.

About the Speakers

Chaturi Edrisinha is a board-certified behavior analyst. She received her Ph.D. in autism and developmental disabilities and her M.Ed. in early childhood special education from The University of Texas at Austin. An overarching agenda in Dr. Edrisinha’s research is to develop instructional and support strategies in order to foster independence and inclusion for persons with autism spectrum disorders. She has been successful in obtaining multiple research grants totaling more than $100,000. She published more than 60 peer-reviewed articles, conference papers, and book chapters in many prestigious journals, including the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, Research in Developmental Disabilities, and the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disabilities and presented at numerous national and international conferences.