Supporter love:
"Having witnessed first hand the discrepancies in language, acceptance and understanding of these issues through conversations with students around the UK, it's essential that we do more. This is a very important initiative. " – Adam Cunis, Crowdfunder supporter
"It is so vital for young people to have the knowledge and support they may not receive at home." – Tracey Ruck, Crowdfunder supporter
RELATIONSHIPS AND INTIMACY MY WAY:
AN AUTISTIC PERSPECTIVE
We're proud to have worked with the Ambitious Youth Network to create the below resource, exploring relationships and consent through the eyes of autistic young people.
Check it out by clicking on the front cover below.
Sex and relationships education is in dire need across the UK. The Higher Education Policy Institute found only 6% of students leave school feeling “confident” navigating the reality of sex and relationships. Ofsted found sexual abuse is “normalised” in schools and 90% of girls are sent unwanted sexual images “always” or “sometimes”.
While a lack of quality and inviting sex education is a problem for everyone, it is particularly harmful for autistic young people. According to a study by Laura Gilmour at the University of York, “autistic adolescents know less about sex than their peers and have less access to sex education”. Yet there is a gap between what these young people need and what schools provide.
This blog aims to tackle this knowledge gap. Eight incredible youth advisors (Susannah, Lotte, Matt, R*, Iveta, Frankie, Harvey, Hannah) from Ambitious about Autism have teamed up with Sex Ed Matters to produce a guide to navigating the reality of relationships and consent for their community.
The blogs and recordings were co-produced over four workshops. Youth advisors conducted research, formed the content, format, design, and accessibility of this resource to make sure more autistic young people can access sex and relationship education.
Throughout, they reflect on their experiences, offer advice and guidance to maintain thoughtful, healthy relationships. This includes how being neurodivergent impacts relationships, what challenges they’ve faced and how to communicate your boundaries with confidence. Everyone deserves to experience positive, loving relationships and we hope this can help you see what that might look like for you.
Click here to find out more about Ambitious About Autism's brilliant work.
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