Autism-Asperger's & Sexuality: Puberty and Beyond

by Jerry Newport, Mary Newport, Teresa Bolick (Foreword)

Many people on the spectrum never get “the talk” from their parents, and therefore suffer from “information deficit.” This book goes a long way toward filling in the gaps in their knowledge. It takes a candid look at aspects of sex and relationships as they apply to people on the autism building self-confidence, dating, personal grooming, cleanliness, and explicit advice on how to initiate sex with a partner. Also avoiding pregnancy and STDs, dealing with rejection, how to build a loving relationship that includes sexual intimacy, and more. This is an everything-you-ever-wanted-to-know kind of book!

Genres: Autistic Spectrum Disorder

168 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2002

About the author

Gerald David "Jerry" Newport is an author and public speaker with Asperger syndrome whose life was the basis for the 2005 feature-length movie Mozart and the Whale. He is known for his frank advice and humor when giving presentations. A graduate of the University of Michigan with a B.A. in mathematics, he is also a savant with the ability to perform difficult mathematical calculations in his head. He has two elder brothers, John and James (Jim).

Reviews

[Brad · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting book to read and and not just something for parents and young people. The book is easy to read and explains many parts from puberty, sex and even dating. I can see many parts of myself within the book and tells people they do not need to rush into anything unlike their peers. It does talk about sexual health from protection from diseases and pregnancies which could lead to abortions or adoptions and even people's idea of celibacy, which seems to be normal. It does also talk about No means no and how everyone is different depending on the situations. I would recommend the book for others to read and parents / guardians to understand not to force their ideas onto the other person and go with the flow of understanding.

[Javier · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting book and some good practical tools. I really appreciate the fact that the authors can share their own lived experiences. Overall quite a simple read. The two stars I am giving it is because it is quite conservative in my opinion in some regards. Particularly in areas of celibacy and gender roles, I found it to be quite black and white. If you can overlook that, a pretty interesting and helpful read.

[Liza · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this to help develop a sexuality training for educators of students with autism and while there are some good points, the slut-shaming and homophobia are SO cringe I could barely get through it!!!

[Alexandria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informative, clear. I feel like this would be very helpful to those who actually have Autism.

[Daniël]

This book isn't a guide to sex and sexuality for people on the spectrum; it's really about the personal findings of the authors, which aren't universally applicable and which furthermore are quite limited.
Fails to mention homosexuality except as an afterthought.