Personal touch

The need to touch a parent can be a common one for young children, who when held in a hug position may play with their parents t-shirt putting their hands on and inside the material. Inappropriate placement of hands down t-shirts needs to be reinforced if it is not linked with a non-verbal request for expressive language difficulties that is being molded into a more appropriate gesture / sign for breastfeeding.

Typical ‘sensory seeking’ behaviours can be of high frequency for some individuals and they may engage in self stimulatory behaviours in public environments without regard for who is around them e.g. masturbating in the classroom, or in the lounge room. Some families have needed to teach their sons how to masturbate properly which has helped them reduce the frequency of public and private need when the extent has impacted so significantly on the 24 hour period of all of the family members. Some individuals have sustained skin injuries and have required specialist consultation and urological surgical procedures to assist with the underlying difficulties.

References: 

  • Beddows N, Brooks R. Inappropriate sexual behaviour in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder: what education is recommended and why. Early Interv Psychiatry. 2016 Aug;10(4):282-9. doi: 10.1111/eip.12265. Epub 2015 Aug 12. PMID: 26265030.
  • Çelikkol Ç, Bilgiç A. Excessive Masturbation Successfully Treated with Fluoxetine in an Adolescent with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Coexisting Depression. J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol. 2018 Sep;28(7):491-492. doi: 10.1089/cap.2018.0023. Epub 2018 Apr 9. PMID: 29630394.
  • Cividini-Motta C, Moore K, Fish LM, Priehs JC, Ahearn WH. Reducing Public Masturbation in Individuals With ASD: An Assessment of Response Interruption Procedures. Behav Modif. 2020 May;44(3):429-448. doi: 10.1177/0145445518824277. Epub 2019 Jan 11. PMID: 30632381.
  • Lin LP, Lin PY, Hsu SW, Loh CH, Lin JD, Lai CI, Chien WC, Lin FG. Caregiver awareness of reproductive health issues for women with intellectual disabilities. BMC Public Health. 2011 Jan 28;11:59. doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-11-59. PMID: 21272374; PMCID: PMC3042389.
  • Lunsky Y, Frijters J, Griffiths DM, Watson SL, Williston S. Sexual knowledge and attitudes of men with intellectual disability who sexually offend. J Intellect Dev Disabil. 2007 Jun;32(2):74-81. doi: 10.1080/13668250701408004.
  • Turner D, Briken P, Schöttle D. Autism-spectrum disorders in adolescence and adulthood: focus on sexuality. Curr Opin Psychiatry. 2017 Nov;30(6):409-416. doi: 10.1097/YCO.0000000000000369. PMID: 28877047.

 

Examples of Australian Curriculum:

yr7 / 8 – Respectful relationships (at grade level written response)

yr7 / 8 – Respectful relationships (below satisfactory response)

yr 7 / 8 – Health and Physical Education (below satisfactory response)

Health, Wellbeing and Relationships (Stage 2) NSW Education and Standards Authority (NESA) – content includes puberty

Personal Development, Health and Physical Education (K-10 Syllabus) NSW Education Standards Authority (2018)

Life Skills Outcome Worksheet (Stage 5) NSW Board of Studies