Special educators stress continous guidance on sexual awareness for adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder Premium

Adolescents with autism need special guidance during puberty, emphasizing the importance of repeated training and parental support.

For adolescents going through puberty tackling the many changes including pimples, voice breaking or periods can already be difficult. For adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), parents point out that it’s a whole different ball game as awareness regarding the bodily changes can be missing.

On World Autism Awareness Day observed on April 2, teachers stress on the need to repeatedly train adolescents with ASD regarding puberty. “Children on the spectrum are just like any other person, they grow up and go through puberty. However, they do require to be taught about these changes. Repeated training by teachers and parents will help guide them through this as they require social awareness,” said Arokiamary, principal of Development Education Centre Anbalaya in Chennai.

When Reshma (name changed), 13-year-old with mild autism, first got her periods her mother was worried. “My child does not understand the changes, I still care for her the same way I care for a baby. I was very scared when I found that she had started her periods. I still do not leave her alone except at school,” said Kiruba K., her mother.

Kiruba’s experience is universal with many parents feeling helpless when their child goes through puberty. Unable to voice out the various changes, the parents look for clues that indicate the changes. Special educators point out that puberty is much harder on girls than boys.

Navamani K., mother of a 15-year mild autistic girl, keeps track of her daughter’s pimples and behavioural changes. “She would get hyper by jumping and start crying due to the period pain as she can’t understand the bodily function but with talking to her, and over a period of time, she has come to understand periods,” she said.

Vasuki S., Founder of the National Charitable Trust, a special education school in Salem adds that training the adolescents regarding touch is key to navigate puberty. “Children also have sensory issues, so we start training them about sanitary napkins even before their first periods. While for boys, we engage them in physical activity to keep them occupied,” she said.

Stressing the importance of counselling parents, Evelyn John, principal, Sankalp, The Learning Centre and Special Needs School in Chennai said that children need to be reinforced those practices at home too. “When children reach the adolescent stage parents are scared as they do not know about what support to extend. Children require to be trained with patience and taught about socially-correct practices,” she said