HealthierU | We Need To Talk About Autism and Sex Ed

Public school sexual education is patchy enough to begin with, but what about students who aren’t in the mainstream classes? For people with intellectual disabilities, sexual education is lacking at best and nonexistent at worst. With a population so susceptible to misunderstanding societal boundaries and sexual violence, it is important to provide adequate sex ed. In this episode, host Adele Fegley asks, how do we do this? 

Featured Guests:

• Dr. Laurie Sperry is a professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at Yale University. A leading expert in preventing those with Autism from committing sexual crimes, she also works with people who have been incarcerated.
• Aidan Fegley, Adele’s older sibling, was diagnosed with Autism at a young age and has helped her understand how people with intellectual disabilities experience the world.
• Michele Fegley, Aidan and Adele’s mother, has worked tirelessly to ensure Aidan has a proper well-rounded education—including sex ed.

Student Highlight: Adele Fegley is a student in Emory University’s Center for the Study for Human Health. She has spent much of her university time researching sexual education for disabled folk and how to improve it.

Studies and sources mentioned in this episode:

• https://www.elevatustraining.com
• https://healthyrelationshipscurriculum.org
• https://teachingsexualhealth.ca
• https://www.amazon.com/Against-Law-Social-Boundaries-Straight/dp/1931282358
• https://drexel.edu/news/archive/2021/november/how-do-autistic-individuals-interact-with-criminal-justice-system    
• https://behavioruniversity.com/sperry-lectures/bcba-ceus-internet-safety
• https://siecus.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/SIECUS-2021-Youth-with-Disabilities-CTA-1.pdf
• https://www.aap.org/en/patient-care/adolescent-sexual-health/equitable-access-to-sexual-and-reproductive-health-care-for-all-youth/the-importance-of-access-to-comprehensive-sex-education/ 

HealthierU's theme music is by TimTaj.

About HealthierU

Produced and hosted by students at Emory University’s Center for the Study of Human Health,

About Emory University's Center for the Study of Human Health:

The Emory Center for the Study of Human Health was developed to expand health knowledge and translate this knowledge to all aspects of life – for the individual and populations as a whole. The Center assembles the extraordinary faculty, researchers and thought leaders from across disciplines, departments, schools and institutions to bring this knowledge to Emory University students and inspire them to become leaders for the next generation in meeting challenges facing human health.

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