OAR will be hosting a free webinar on the topic of sexuality on Monday, October 15, at 2:00 p.m. ET featuring Peter Gerhardt, Ed.D., OAR Scientific Council chairman and executive director of the EPIC School (Paramus, N.J.), and Amy Gravino, M.A., president of A.S.C.O.T. Consulting. They will provide an overview of the many challenges associated with sexuality and sexuality education for those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and offer recommendations as to the role individuals with autism, their families, and the professionals who support them need to play in this complex and important area of adult life.
It goes without saying that individuals with ASD are sexual beings. Unfortunately, the biological, physiological, and behavioral aspects of human sexuality in general remain significantly under-researched so it is not surprising that there is even less research when it comes to sexuality and individuals on the autism spectrum.
This knowledge gap, when added to the social, cultural, religious, and legal restrictions that often govern the display of sexual behavior, results in an area of intervention about which we have limited evidence-based information as to the:
Dr. Gerhardt serves on numerous professional advisory boards including the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies. He has more than 35 years of experience using applied behavior analysis principles in support of adolescents and adults with autism spectrum disorders in educational, employment, residential, and community settings.
Gravino is a certified autism specialist and offers consulting, mentoring, and college coaching services for individuals on the autism spectrum and their families. She currently serves on the boards of Specialisterne USA, Yes She Can, Inc., and the Golden Door International Film Festival of Jersey City. She is writing a memoir of her experiences as a woman on the spectrum with dating, relationships, and sexuality, titled “The Naughty Autie.”
Register to attend the webinar and participate in the Q&A session. If you have any questions or comments about this event or if you would like to request specific webinar topics for the future, please contact us at programs@researchautism.org or call 703-243-9762.
You can also view the first webinar in our series, Transition to Adulthood.
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