09-06-2017 | Brief Communication | Uitgave 9/2017 Open Access

Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Romantic Relationships in Adolescents and Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Tijdschrift:
- Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders > Uitgave 9/2017
Introduction
Methods
Participants
Men
|
Women
|
Total
|
||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ASD
|
Controls
|
ASD
|
Controls
|
ASD
|
Controls
|
|
n (%)
|
326 (48.3)
|
3927 (48.7)
|
349 (51.7)
|
4137 (51.3)
|
675
|
8064
|
Age in years
|
||||||
m (sd)
|
46.44 (14)
|
43.79 (15.9)
|
40.21 (12.4)
|
41.55 (15.9)
|
43.2 (13.5)
|
42.64 (15.9)
|
Range
|
15–80
|
15–70
|
16–75
|
15–70
|
15–80
|
15–70
|
Diagnosis: n (%)
|
||||||
Autistic disorder
|
29 (8.9)
|
n/a
|
37 (10.6)
|
n/a
|
66 (9.8)
|
n/a
|
Asperger’s syndrome
|
167 (51)
|
173 (49.6)
|
340 (50.4)
|
|||
PDD-NOS
|
75 (23)
|
83 (23.8)
|
158 (23.4)
|
|||
MCDD
|
0 (0)
|
2 (0.6)
|
2 (0.3)
|
|||
ASS
|
54 (16.6)
|
51 (14.6)
|
105 (15.6)
|
|||
HFA
|
0 (0)
|
3 (0.86)
|
3 (0.4)
|
|||
No diagnosis
|
1 (0.3)
|
0 (0)
|
1 (0.15)
|
|||
Age ASD diagnosis
|
||||||
m (sd)
|
37.12 (16.54)
|
n/a
|
32.92 (13.95)
|
n/a
|
34.96 (15.4)
|
n/a
|
Range
|
3.5–74
|
3.50–63.50
|
3.50–74
|
|||
AQ-28 score (cut-off 65)
|
||||||
m (sd)
|
82.66 (12.3)
|
n/a
|
83.69 (10.9)
|
n/a
|
83.19 (11.6)
|
n/a
|
Range
|
50–110
|
48–110
|
48–110
|
|||
Education
|
||||||
Primary
|
7 (2.1)
|
107 (2.6)
|
5 (1.4)
|
89 (2.2)
|
12 (1.8)
|
196 (2.4)
|
Vocational training
|
6 (1.8)
|
331 (8.2)
|
4 (1.1)
|
330 (8.2)
|
10 (1.5)
|
661 (8.2)
|
Special education
|
9 (2.8)
|
2 (0.05)
|
7 (2)
|
1 (0.02)
|
16 (2.4)
|
3 (0.04)
|
Lower secondary
|
50 (7.4)
|
557 (13.7)
|
24 (6.9)
|
708 (17.6)
|
50 (7.4)
|
1265 (15.7)
|
Higher secondary
|
78 (11.6)
|
463 (11.4)
|
44 (12.6)
|
515 (12.8)
|
78 (11.6)
|
978 (12.1)
|
Secondary vocational training
|
147 (21.8)
|
1216 (30)
|
80 (22.9)
|
1136 (28.3)
|
147 (21.8)
|
2352 (29.2)
|
Professional bachelor
|
199 (29.5)
|
1033 (25.5)
|
98 (28.1)
|
924 (23)
|
199 (29.5)
|
1957 (24.3)
|
University
|
124 (18.4)
|
332 (8.2)
|
63 (18.1)
|
291 (7.3)
|
124 (18.4)
|
623 (7.7)
|
Other
|
12 (4.7)
|
n/a
|
20 (5.7)
|
n/a
|
32 (4.7)
|
n/a
|
Unknown
|
7 (1)
|
11 (0.3)
|
4 (1.1)
|
18 (0.45)
|
7 (1)
|
29 (0.04)
|
Living situation
a
|
||||||
Living with parents
|
55
|
n/a
|
48
|
n/a
|
103
|
|
Living independent
|
118
|
109
|
227
|
|||
Living independent with professional support
|
37
|
50
|
87
|
|||
Living together with partner and/or kids
|
111
|
112
|
233
|
|||
Group home
|
12
|
27
|
39
|
|||
Other
|
8
|
6
|
14
|
|||
Children
|
||||||
Yes/no
|
140
|
128
|
301
|
|||
m (sd)
|
2.29 (1.1)
|
1.95 (0.9)
|
2.13 (1.02)
|
|||
Range
|
1–7
|
1–5
|
1–7
|
Controls
Measures
Procedure
Analysis
Results
Gender Identity
Assigned gender at birth
|
Male n (%)
|
Female n (%)
|
---|---|---|
Feels male
|
299 (91.7)
|
3 (0.9)
|
Partly male, partly female
|
10 (3.1)
|
31 (8.9)
|
Not male, nor female
|
2 (0.6)
|
26 (7.4)
|
don’t know (yet)
|
4 (1.2)
|
9 (2.6)
|
Different (e.g. human, no sex)
|
8 (2.5)
|
8 (2.3)
|
Feels female
|
3 (0.9)
|
272 (77.9)
|
Sexual Orientation
n (%)
|
Men
|
Women
|
||
---|---|---|---|---|
ASD (n = 316)
|
TD (n = 3927)
|
ASD (n = 343)
|
TD (n = 4137)
|
|
Feels attracted to
|
||||
Men only
|
16 (5.1)
|
150 (3.8)
|
194 (56.6)**
a
|
3601 (87)
|
Both men and women
|
27 (8.5)
|
184 (4.7)
|
77 (22.4)
|
418 (10.1)
|
Women only
|
258 (81.6)**
a
|
3549 (90.4)
|
21 (6.1)
|
53 (1.3)
|
None of these
|
15 (4.7)
|
44 (1.1)
|
51 (14.9)
|
65 (1.6)
|
In a relationship
|
158 (50)**
|
2916 (74.3)
|
162 (47.2)**
|
2923 (70.7)
|
With a man
|
8 (5.1)
|
113 (3.9)
|
151 (93.2)
|
2861 (97.9)
|
With a woman
|
150 (94.9)
|
2803 (96.1)
|
11 (6.8)*
|
62 (2.1)
|
Living together with partner
|
136 (86.1)
|
2450 (84)
|
130 (80.2)
|
2324 (79.5)
|
Partner
|
||||
Diagnosed with ASD
|
12
|
n/a
|
25
|
n/a
|
Suspicion of ASD
|
7
|
29
|