Seksualiteit bij normaalbegaafde adolescente jongens met autisme: factoren die bijdragen tot ontwikkeling van seksuele gezondheid - Promotieonderzoek

In this thesis an explanatory mixed method approach (Cresswell & Plano Clark, 2011) is used to gain more insight in sexual health and factors that influence sexual development in boys with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. We integrate the available knowledge and results in a theoretical framework based on the model on sexual interaction competence (Van Wesenbeeck, 1999) and the Integrated Theory of Sexual Offending (ITSO) (Ward & Beech, 2006). A comparison is made of the sexual health in a group of adolescents with high-functioning autism and of adolescents in the general Dutch population. Parent and caregiver-reports will be compared to the self-report data in order to check whether parents are aware of the sexual development of their children and to explore their worries. Qualitative data will be collected to explore how adolescents with ASD experience their sexual development and how the perceive expectations in their contexts.