For a long time, it has been assumed that autistic people do not want, and do not particularly have, romantic relationships. More recent research, combined with accounts from autistic people themselves, have shown that this is very much not the case. Instead, autistic people do want and have romantic and sexual relationships, but often find navigating these successfully more difficult than non-autistic people do – or navigate them differently.
This self-access class offers an overview of what is known about autistic adults’ experiences with relationships, including those which include sexual intimacy or romantic connection.
It discusses how autistic people make and maintain their relationships, sensory sensitivities and the impact these can have, positive experiences with sex, and also experiences of sexual abuse and the long-term effects this can have on how autistic people approach relationships. Starting with key theories around autistic communication, the training looks at different types of relationships autistic people have and move on to discussing common areas of challenge and some of the ways people have sought to manage these difficulties. Autistic people can also have real strengths in relationships, and these will be discussed throughout.
Key lessons from this training are:
- History of thinking about autistic relationships
- State of current knowledge about autistic relationships
- Suggested strategies for supporting autistic clients with successful relationships
About the Trainer
Dr Felicity Sedgewick has worked with autistic people for almost a decade in various contexts, from schools to research. She completed a PhD on the friendships and relationships of autistic girls and women in 2017, then worked at KCL looking at connections between autism and anorexia and developing autism-friendly treatment pathways.
She is now a Senior Lecturer in Psychology of Education at the University of Bristol. Her recent research has focussed on the mental health of autistic university students, and continuing to explore autistic experiences of relationships. Her research is co-produced and participatory in nature and aims to lead to insights which can have a positive impact on autistic people’s everyday lives. This has led to her co-authoring two books with autistic women: Autism and Masking and Understanding Autistic Relationships Across the Lifespan.
