Semi-Structured Interviews With Neurodivergent and Neurotypical Young Individuals Exploring the Experience of Romantic Relationships and Sexuality Education, 2021-2022

This study was conducted as a part of MS's PhD project investigating the experience of romantic relationships and sexuality education in neurodivergent and neurotypical young people from the perspectives of young people, educational professionals, and caregivers.

This study aimed to contribute to the existing limited knowledge on sexuality education and experiences of romantic relationships in neurodivergent young people (autistic, with ADHD, and with ASD co-occurring with ADHD [to the best of the researcher’s knowledge, no research has yet to explore the topic in the group with a dual diagnosis]). The outcomes of this study contribute to a greater understanding of what type of sexuality education young people (neurodivergent and neurotypical) receive in their schools/colleges and from their parents, as well as what suggestions they offer for the improvement of sexuality education (to make it more beneficial for young people).
This knowledge may help contribute to the design of adequate and inclusive sexuality and romantic relationship education for all young people including the neurodivergent groups, which would be in line with young people's voices on the topic. Appropriate sexuality education for young people may subsequently positively influence their skills in navigating romantic relationships. This may be especially beneficial for the neurodivergent groups of young people since as this research highlighted, they tend to experience greater challenges navigating the complicated world of romance and intimacy than their neurotypical peers. The outcome of this research may also help promote a greater general quality of life in the neurodivergent groups of young people.

The key findings of this study: Six themes were developed from the participants’ narratives: Societal ideology about sexuality; Substandard school-based sexuality education; The role of adults in sexuality education; Pornography, as a very powerful alternative means of sexuality education; Young people and romance - a complicated world to navigate; Experience of abuse in the young neurodivergent population is a serious matter.
The findings revealed that many young people (neurodivergent and neurotypical) received basic sex education in their schools/colleges and homes and encountered challenges navigating romantic relationships. Neurodivergent young people reported experiencing greater challenges related to their understanding of and building romantic relationships than their neurotypical peers.