Autism-Open Access
Open Access

Sex was rude, now it’s real

European Autism Congress

March 14-15, 2019 | Zagreb, Croatia

Isabel Bullon

Salamanca University School of Education and Psychology, Spain

Scientific Tracks Abstracts: Autism Open Access

Abstract :

“Sex was rude, now it's real”: It's a book still in development of which its main objective is to help people with special needs to understand sexuality and relationships. The last research found from 2005 tells us that just 3% of people with special needs lived as part of a couple (Emerson 2005). The myth and common idea is that autistic people are sexless, they don't want contact with others and they don't feel sexual attraction. However, in my professional experience, I’ve seen autistic people feeling sexual desire and emotions that they struggle to understand, which makes them avoid the subject and therefore reduces the possibility of love. This observed need of understanding was the trigger of the creation of this book which is used in a 1:1 session working with the person around four main topics: Personal Space; Anatomy; Sexual Attraction & Relationships and; Emotions. The book creates a guideline in how to explain step by step how love and sex happen, whilst giving the facilitator the opportunity to adjust each activity, social story or comic to the person's needs. After three months of practicing, recording and reviewing the activity with an autistic person I have already observed positive changes in behaviours, understanding and anxiety levels related to sexuality. I hypothesize that by the end of the activity not only would his knowledge be increased but his confidence with his own body and emotions would positively change the quality of his life and soon, other autistic people's lives too.

Biography :

Isabel Bullon is a Social Worker and an Educational Psychologist who has completed a Master’s in new creative ways of teaching people depending on their specific needs. She is also training herself as an Art Therapist as a way to deal with many mental health issues through art and creativity. She works at The Autism Hub part of United Response, where she is putting in practice a Sexuality Workshop with autistic people by using her book “Sex was rude, now is real” specifically created to help people with special needs to understand sexuality and relationships.

E-mail: isabel_bb90@hotmail.com