What Nobody Tells You About Autism and Puberty
Puberty is hard enough without autism in the mix, and almost nobody talks about it honestly. Julianna and Kelley tackle the cringy, necessary conversations that come with an autistic teen's changing body, from hygiene and masturbation to consent, comorbidities, and the difficult question of permanent birth control. Grounded in their own family experience and the Refrigerator Moms research paper on the topic, this is the second in a three part series on autistic teens.
Key takeaways:
- Autistic teens show higher rates of gender dysphoria and reduced sexual awareness compared to peers
- The Circles of Intimacy tool, often introduced through ABA, gives kids a visual for who can see or touch their body
- Privacy and redirection, not shame, are the right response to masturbation
- Hygiene struggles are not a personal autonomy issue and need consistent, team wide messaging
- Puberty is a common trigger for new or shifting comorbidities like anxiety, depression, and OCD
- Permanent birth control is a real conversation for some families and deserves years of lead up, not a snap decision
- Sex ed adapted to a child's functional level belongs in the IEP
- Zones of regulation help teens name feelings that get more abstract during adolescence
- Pornography and unrealistic expectations need direct, ongoing discussion, not silence
Resources Mentioned in This Episode
HBO, The Pitt: Season 2, Episodes 10 and 11
A medical drama referenced for a storyline involving a character's sister and a UTI tied to sexual activity, used as an example of how autistic people's sexuality gets overlooked in fiction
HBO, The Pitt: Season 2, Episodes 10 and 11
A medical drama referenced for a storyline involving a character's sister and a UTI tied to sexual activity, used as an example of how autistic people's sexuality gets overlooked in fiction
Zones of Regulation: https://zonesofregulation.com/
A framework for naming and communicating emotions, described as useful for adolescents as feelings become more abstract
A framework for naming and communicating emotions, described as useful for adolescents as feelings become more abstract
Sex Ed Rescue: sexedrescue.com/puberty-for-autistic-kids
A hub of articles from sexual health nurse Cath Hakanson on autism and puberty, with guides for girls, boys, and periods. Offers explicit, concrete language and sensory-aware strategies for teaching body changes, hygiene, and privacy.
A hub of articles from sexual health nurse Cath Hakanson on autism and puberty, with guides for girls, boys, and periods. Offers explicit, concrete language and sensory-aware strategies for teaching body changes, hygiene, and privacy.
Planet Puberty: planetpuberty.org.au
A free resource from Family Planning Australia for parents and caregivers of children with intellectual disability and autism. Organized by topic (body changes, feelings, relationships, identity, safety), with teaching plans, printable resources, and workshops.
A free resource from Family Planning Australia for parents and caregivers of children with intellectual disability and autism. Organized by topic (body changes, feelings, relationships, identity, safety), with teaching plans, printable resources, and workshops.
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Refrigerator Moms is sponsored by Brain Performance Technologies, a specialty mental health clinic that offers neuromodulation treatments for mental health conditions including depression, PTSD, OCD, anxiety, ADHD and autism. Our treatments utilize TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation) protocols including rTMS, aTMS, and MeRT. All of our treatments are drug-free and noninvasive. Call for insurance options or learn more at https://brainperformancetechnologies.com
00:00 Why nobody talks about autism and puberty
00:36 What is the role of parents, doctors, therapists
07:23 Circles of Intimacy as an ABA tool
09:26 Nonspeaking kids and masturbation privacy
12:19 Autonomy and privacy versus safety
13:00 Hygiene, smells, and periods
15:16 How comorbidities shift during puberty
17:05 Consent and permanent birth control
23:24 What to do when puberty hits
27:57 What not to do, panic and shame
28:39 Where to find the paper and more episodes
00:36 What is the role of parents, doctors, therapists
07:23 Circles of Intimacy as an ABA tool
09:26 Nonspeaking kids and masturbation privacy
12:19 Autonomy and privacy versus safety
13:00 Hygiene, smells, and periods
15:16 How comorbidities shift during puberty
17:05 Consent and permanent birth control
23:24 What to do when puberty hits
27:57 What not to do, panic and shame
28:39 Where to find the paper and more episodes
Creators and Guests
