SkillTalk: Communication Training around Sexual Health Topics for Parents of Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder

ABSTRACT
SkillTalkCommunication Training around Sexual Health Topics for Parents of Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Adolescents with Autism Spectrum DisorderASDface a range of impairments in social interaction and
communication settingsincluding those involved with sexual communication and behaviorLike their
neurotypical peersadolescents with ASD need comprehensive sexual education to learn and practice healthy
sexual development and relationshipsand to prevent negative sexual outcomes such as unwanted pregnancySTIssexual abuseand inappropriate sexual behaviorsUnfortunatelymany adolescents with ASD are
engaging in sexual activities and behaviors with little or no sexual education until a crisis occursTargetedevidence based sexual education resources for ASD youth are limited and not routinely offered in schoolsWhile
experts recommend that all parents serve as the primary sex educators for their childrenparents of adolescents
with ASD face additionalcomplex challengesThese include uncertainties about how and when to communicate
about sexfears of inciting inappropriate behaviorand worries about their child s psychosexual functioningsuch
as limited awareness of public and personal boundariesIn additionparents are providing less sexual health
educationwith limited topicsand at a later age than is provided to neurotypical youthTo address these issues
and provide support to parentsthis Phase I SBIR project will develop and test a highly focused microskills video
library called SkillTalk ASDThe resource will build and support the skills that parents of ASD youth need to
offer sexual education to their childrenThis mobile friendly site will provide video modeling of critical parent
microskills for teaching sexual education to ASD youth in a way that is engaginginstructionally soundand
encourages repeat and continued useWhen completethe site will include approximatelyvideo clipsgrouped into skill clustersthat visually demonstrate a microskill insecondsIn additionthe resource
will includecompanion Making Connections youth videos offering visual modeling of social sexual
communication scenarios to help facilitate parent discussion and that ASD youth can watch multiple times for
re enforcementPhase I will test feasibility byconducting formative research to further understand the needs
of parents of ASD youthdeveloping the content for and producingmicro kills within two skill clusters andMaking Connection videosdeveloping the prototype web siteincluding establishing the technology
infrastructureandconducting a pilot evaluation to determine the possible impact of the resource on
communication skills and knowledge with a small number of parents of ASD youthIn phase IIthe project will
complete development of the remaining parent microskills videos and Making Connections youth videosconcluding with a large scale evaluation of SkillTalk ASD PUBLIC HEALTH NARRATIVE
Approximatelyinchildren are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum DisorderASDand adolescents with ASD
face a range of impairments in social interaction and communication settingsincluding those involved with
sexual communication and behaviorAdolescents with ASD need comprehensive sexual education to learn and
practice healthy sexual development and relationshipsand to prevent negative sexual outcomesUnfortunatelymany adolescents with ASD are engaging in sexual activities and behaviors with little or no sexual education
until a crisis occursTargeted sexual education resources for ASD youth are limited and not routinely offered in
schoolsleaving parents to provide comprehensive tailored sexual health information to their adolescentsThe
proposed SkillTalk ASD resource will build and support the skills that parents of ASD youth need to offer sexual
education to their children by providing video modeling of critical parent microskills for communicating about
sexual health to ASD youthand videos for youth with ASD offering visual modeling of social sexual
communication scenariosThe projectif successfulwill improve sexual health education for those with ASDultimately reducing negative sexual outcomes such as unintended pregnancySTIssexual abuseand
inappropriate sexual behaviors