Prevalence and Correlates of Dating Violence Victimization Among a U.S.-Based Sample of Autistic Youth.

Dating violence victimization is a pervasive public health problem that affects individuals of all age groups, but it holds particular significance during adolescence due to the potential long-term consequences on an individual's physical and psychological well-being, and potential influence on the health of adult relationships. Although there is now ample research on the topic of adolescent dating violence prevalence, risk factors, and consequences, to our knowledge, only four studies have assessed dating violence victimization among autistic youth. The current study was designed to investigate the prevalence of, and risk markers for, dating violence victimization among autistic youth.

Updates to the Autism Intervention Research Network on Physical Health (AIR-P) Research Agenda.

Introduction: Autistic individuals, now representing one in 36 individuals in the U.S., experience disproportionate physical health challenges relative to non-autistic individuals.

Short report: Recommendations for education, clinical practice, research, and policy on promoting well-being in autistic youth and adults through a positive focus on sexuality and gender diversity.

In this article, we propose recommendations on what we can do to promote that autistic people can enjoy their sexuality and gender identity, because that contributes to overall well-being.First, we briefly summarize the existing research on sexuality and gender diversity in autistic individuals.Next, we propose recommendations for how to promote sexual and gender diversity-related health and well-being.

Reasons for alcohol use and non-use by underage U.S. autistic youth: A qualitative study.

Hazardous alcohol use is when a person's drinking puts them at increased risk for negative events (e.g. health problems or car crashes).

Reproductive Health and Substance Use Education for Autistic Youth.

Background: We provide an update on reproductive health education (RHE) and substance use prevention education (SUPE) participation for autistic youth compared with other youth with and without individualized education plans (IEPs) and 504 plans. The 800 000 autistic youth served by the US special education system need education to make informed decisions about reproductive health and substance use.

Methods: Data were from the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2012, a survey designed to yield nationally representative estimates of the experiences of US youth.

Healthy Relationships on the Autism Spectrum (HEARTS): A feasibility test of an online class co-designed and co-taught with autistic people.

The Healthy Relationships on the Autism Spectrum class is unique because autistic people helped to develop it and co-taught it. It is an online, six-session class. The class was piloted in 2020-2021 with 55 autistic people who were ages 18-44 years old.

Sexual, physical, and emotional aggression, experienced by autistic vs. non-autistic U.S. college students.

ObjectiveTo compare rates of aggression victimization for autistic vs. non-autistic U.S.

Autistic Narratives of Sensory Features, Sexuality, and Relationships.

Background: Research about the experience of sexuality and intimacy for autistic people has largely excluded the potential influences of autistic sensory features, which are highly common. The aim of this study was to explore how autistic sensory features influence autistic people's experiences of sexuality and relationships, including the impact of low and high neurological threshold sensory patterns and regarding specific sensory modalities.

Methods: Utilizing a qualitative approach, we explored autistic people's perspectives about the influences of sensory features on their experiences of sexuality and relationships through existing publicly available narratives (5 books and 13 online forums containing messages from 72 unique usernames) and responses to an open-ended survey question ( = 49).

Using formative research to develop HEARTS: A curriculum-based healthy relationships promoting intervention for individuals on the autism spectrum.

All people can benefit from education about how to have healthy friendships and dating relationships. But specific interventions on relationship skills-like respecting boundaries, identifying warning signs of abuse, or talking about sexual preferences-are too rare, particularly for autistic individuals. The goal of this study was to collect formative data from autistic emerging adults to help create a new, six-session workshop for autistic young adults to support healthy peer relationships.

Social Capital and Autism in Young Adulthood: Applying Social Network Methods to Measure the Social Capital of Autistic Young Adults.

Social isolation is a core challenge associated with autism. Interpersonal relationships and the resources and support embedded in the social networks of autistic young adults could impact key adult outcomes, including quality of life, mental health, employment, and independence. However, little research systematically measures the networks of autistic young adults and network impact on key adult outcomes.

Sexual and Reproductive Health Service Utilization and Sexuality for Teens on the Autism Spectrum.

Objectives: Health care providers and educators play critical roles in supporting healthy sexuality development for youth with autism spectrum disorder. There is limited information about the sexual behavior of these youth, especially girls, and about their access to sexuality education or health care services.

Methods: This study addressed these gaps by surveying parents of youth with autism aged 12-18 years (N = 298, 52.

A Lifespan Approach to Patient-Reported Outcomes and Quality of Life for People on the Autism Spectrum.

Autistic self-advocates, family members, and community organizations have called for greater emphasis on enhancing quality of life (QoL) for people with autism. Doing this is critical to understand how QoL unfolds across the life course and to clarify whether gender affects QoL, health, and functioning for people with autism. The purpose of this study was to curate and test a lifespan QoL measurement tool using freely available and well-constructed National Institutes of Health Parent-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS).

Family Sexuality Communication: Parent Report for Autistic Young Adults Versus a Comparison Group.

Families are a critical context for healthy sexuality development. This study characterized family sexuality communication for autistic adults (age 18-30) without intellectual disability (n = 117) versus a neurotypical comparison group (n = 319). Parent-reported number of sexuality topics covered did not significantly differ by gender or autism/comparison group.

The Reliability and Validity of the Action Fluency Test in Healthy College Students.

Objective: This study examined the test-retest reliability and construct validity of the Action Fluency Test (AFT) as a measure of executive functioning.

Method: Using a correlational design, 128 healthy college students (M Age = 19.24, SD = 2.