Like everyone else, autistic people may want friendships, romantic relationships, love, intimacy, and families of their own. They also experience puberty, sexual feelings, and curiosity about relationships. However, many autistic teens receive an inadequate education on relationships and sex or are taught in ways that do not meet their learning needs. This can leave them with unanswered questions about dating, consent, boundaries, communication, and healthy relationships.
Just like anyone else, autistic people have many different feelings about love, relationships, and sex. Some autistic people are interested in dating and romantic relationships, while others are not. Some enjoy sexual relationships, and others do not. There is no one "right" way to experience sexuality.
Many people believe that autism was first introduced to the medical community in 1943. However, more recent discoveries indicate that autism may have been described in medical literature as early as 1925. Since then, research on autism has greatly expanded. Several key figures in the history of autism have contributed to our understanding of the condition today. These historical figures include Dr. Leo Kanner, Dr. Hans Asperger, and Dr. Grunya Sukhareva.
Mercer University School of Medicine is working to make autism diagnosis more accessible to families living in rural Georgia through their Early Autism Detection Program. Through this program, Mercer is using EarliPoint to help identify autism in young children in a timely manner and without requiring their families to drive long distances for testing.
Many autistic people engage in repetitive movements or behaviors known as stimming (short for self-stimulatory behavior). In the past, these behaviors were often viewed as problematic and were discouraged by caregivers, researchers, and healthcare providers. However, autistic self-advocates have helped reshape this perspective by emphasizing that stimming often serves important purposes, such as regulating emotions, managing sensory experiences, and expressing feelings.
