Sexuality on the autism spectrum: A focus group study of gender identity, attraction, sensoriality and communication

Research on autistic people's sexuality has been for a long time biased by the fact that it mainly focused on heterosexual behavior and gathered data from external informants, limiting the chance to capture a range of behaviors and experiences that do not fit heteronormative assumptions, as well as more subjective perspectives on sexuality. This study follows a recent shift towards the use of self-report and qualitative research approaches and investigates subjective perceptions of sexuality in autistic adults through focus group discussions. Participants will be recruited online through a screening questionnaire, which includes socio-demographic questions and the RAADS R scale to control for autistic traits. Those meeting the inclusion criteria will be invited to take part in a focus group discussion on Zoom, which will be recorded and transcribed to allow for a qualitative analysis by three independent judges. The discussion topics include perceptions of gender identity, romantic and sexual attraction, the sensory component of sexual activity, and communication within sex. The main themes and perceptions emerging from the focus groups will then be compared to both normative data from the general population and to previous findings from research on sexuality with autistic people. Some major limitations of this study include its small sample size and selection bias, as respondents are likely to be more interested and more at ease than average discussing sexuality. Nonetheless these findings can point at relevant aspects of autistic people9s sexuality to be addressed both by future studies and by sexual education interventions.