Seksualitet og højtfungerende personer med autisme
Formål
Studiet sigter mod at undersøge den seksuelle profil hos voksne med Aspergers syndrom med henblik på at besvare spørgsmålet: Har voksne personer med Aspergers syndrom en anderledes seksuel profil end den, som man finder i den almindelige voksenpopulation?
Projektdeltagere
Dr. Isabelle Hénault, Canada
Dr. Tony Attwood, Australien
Chefpsykolog Lennart Pedersen
Dr. Peter Vermeulen, Belgien,
Engelsk titel: The Sexual Profile of Adults with Asperger's Syndrome: The Need for Support and Intervention, Revised
Description and Purpose
Very little is known about the sexuality of individuals with AS. A study conducted in collaboration with Dr. Tony Attwood began in 2001 in order to explore the sexual profile of individuals with AS. The study is still underway in order to add to the number of participants and obtain a more complete picture of adults' sexuality. Participants in the study completed the Derogatis Sexual Function Inventory (DSFI, Derogatis & Melisaratos, 1978), a measure that collects a maximum amount of information on sexuality. The questionnaire measures 11 aspects of sexuality on which general population norms have been established. Examples of subscales include desire, behaviour, fantasy, satisfaction, and sexual values. The DSFI provides a comprehensive assessment of behaviour, attitudes, sexual preference, and the fantasy life of individuals. Given the intrusive nature of the questionnaire it was mailed to participants and completion was anonymous.
Exploring the sexual universe of individuals with Asperger's Syndrome cannot be accomplished without encountering a number of difficulties. Among these, their lack of socio-sexual skills which serves to increase the taboos that they hold and which also contributes to the biased view that others have of them. The purpose of the present study was to address the following research question: "Do individuals diagnosed with AS present a sexual profile distinct from the general population"?
Kommentar
Projektet har været ledet af Dr. Isabelle Hénault, M.A., Ph.D., University of Québec at Montréal, Canada og har i Center for Autismes regi været varetaget af tidligere centerleder og psykolog Demetrious Haracopos indtil dennes død. Chefpsykolog Lennart Pedersen er ansvarlig for projektet efter Demetrious Haracopos.
Opdatering pr. januar 2013:
Projektet blev i løbet af 2012 endnu engang udvidet med en ny samarbejdspartner fra Canada. Det har gjort, at datamaterialet i projektet er blevet væsentligt udvidet. Dr. Isabelle Hénault, som er hovedforfatter på projektet er ved at udarbejde første udkast til artikel og hun vil præsentere projektet på International Society for Autism Researchs konference (IMFAR) i maj måned i San Sebastian, Spanien. Vi forventer således, at den endelige artikel vil blive færdig i løbet af 2013.