Let’s talk about sex education for autistic children and teens, as we get a lot of questions about it in my free Facebook sex education group for parents, that parent group.

I have spent countless hours (if not days) tracking down resources, reading every single one and watching every video. I was actually surprised at how much content is o9ut there, finding it though is challenging! And I found amazing resources that were hidden away fgor no one to find.

So these are just some of the many resources that are out there. I am only sharing the resources that I think will help with supporting your autistic child.

, Autism is a spectrum, and what one autistic child needs is different to another

This page is a compliation of free and paid sex education resources that are created specifically for autistic children. And will be helpful for parents wanting to start sex education with their autistic child.

I have another resource list about sexuality and disability for parents as well. As well as ADHD and sexuality and FASD and sexuality. There will be some overlap with the resources,

If you know of a helpful resource that isn’t included on this page, please contact me so I can include it.

A disclosure here. I am neurodivergent, am the parent of neurodivergent children, and come from a multigenerational neurodivergent family. Do you remember the Where’s Wally? books, where you have to spot Wally in a busy scene? Well in my family, it is spot the neurotypical as so many of us are neurodivergent.

Children (0 to 8)

Tweens (9 to 13)

Puberty. The Puberty Plus Online Program from Bloom Wellbeing in Australia, is a self-paced, instantly accessible online program that is created by Occupational Therapists. It acknowledges that autistic children can find puberty challenging due to sensory issues, difficulty with change and transitions, or with social norms and constructs. You can purchase it as a handbook, the online course or as a handbook/course bundle. The content is medically accurate and it is almost like an online course version of the popular American Girl puberty books. So it is what I call ‘safe’ as it doesn’t talk about sex, masturbation, wet dreams, sperm, sexual feelings, crushes or sexual attraction. Plus it isn’t inclusive for transgender or non-binary children. Other than that, it is a good resource if you only want to talk about puberty, as sometimes including sex can be very overwhelming for children. You will need to buy it (between $70 – 264 AUD in Dec 2023).

Puberty videos (girls only). Managing Puberty, Social Challenges, and (Almost) Everything is a straightforward and factual video guide that prepares autistic girls for puberty. In short 3 to 10 minute videos it teaches what puberty is, what happens to boys, periods, hygiene, emotional changes, social relationships, dating, sex and sexuality, staying safe, and getting ready for adult life. It was recorded in 2014 which means it isn’t inclusive, for example it assumes your daughter will be attracted to boys, but it does talk about sexual decision making. I managed to find a free copy to stream through my public library, but it is also sold as a DVD at Amazon and on Amazon Prime. So do an internet search for this – Managing Puberty, Social Challenges, and (Almost) Everything – and see what you can find! And do watch it first yourself, before using it with your child.

Puberty videos (boys only). A Boy’s Puberty Guide is a straightforward and factual video guide that prepares autistic boys for puberty. In short 3 to 10 minute videos it teaches what puberty is, what happens to girls, hygiene, erections, wet dreams and ejaculation, emotional changes, social relationships, dating, sex and sexuality, staying safe, and getting ready for adult life. It was recorded in 2014 which means it isn’t inclusive, for example it assumes your son will be attracted to girls, but it does talk about sexual decision making. I managed to find a free copy to stream through my public library, but it is also sold as a DVD at Amazon and on Amazon Prime. So do an internet search for this – The Puberty Video for Boys with Asperger Syndrome and Autism Spectrum Disorder – and see what you can find! And do watch it first yourself, before using it with your child.

Teenagers (14+)

Puberty, Sex & Sexuality. From the Vanderbilt Kennedy Centre in the USA, this toolkit provides information about puberty, sex, and sexuality for autistic teens and adults. It’s inclusive and suitable for gender and sexually diverse teens. There is a 16 page PDF (for your teen) and a 12 page PDF (for the adult supporting the autistic teen). Just in case you need it, here’s the link to the page that links to all of these resources.

Parent resources

Puberty (girls only). From the Vanderbilt Kennedy Centre in the USA, and created for girls with neurodevelopmental disabilites (including autism). This free toolkit provides resources and tips to help parents talk to their daughter about puberty, including hygiene, appropriate public behaviors, hormones, mood swings and managing periods. There is a 20 page guide as well as a 29 page Appendix that contains social stories, activities and visuals. Just in case you need it, here’s the link to the page that links to all of these resources.

Puberty (boys only). From the Vanderbilt Kennedy Centre in the USA, and created for boys with neurodevelopmental disabilites (including autism). This free toolkit provides resources and tips to help parents talk to their daughter about puberty, including hygiene, appropriate public behaviors, hormones, mood swings and managing erections and wet dreams. There is a 16 page guide as well as a 25 page Appendix that contains social stories, activities and visuals. Just in case you need it, here’s the link to the page that links to all of these resources.

Puberty. From SPARK in the USA, a free one hour webinar on preparing autistic children for puberty. It includes helping kids to understand and prepare for changes that will happen to their body, hygiene , public and private behaviours, relationships and safety. This was recorded in August 2022.

Growing up & adolescence. From the Kennedy Krieger Institute in the USA, a blog post on what to expect and how to help autistic teens during adolescence. This is an older post from 2013, but I think it is an interesting read as they talk about exective functioning, social and schooling demands, puberty, personal hygiene and friendships.

Dating, sex and love. From Spectrum News in the USA, a blog post published in 2017 that does a deep dive into the challenges autistic young people face when navigating relationships and sex. It’s an interesting read and does give you insight into challenges your child may face with romantic relationships.

Puberty. From La Trobe University in Australia, a free guide to help parents to recognise and manage the emotional, physical and social issues their autistic teen may face during puberty. It provides you with facts and explains how to use and adapt the information to your teen’s specific needs. I can’t find a publication date on it, but after looking at the references, I am guessing it was published in 2012. You can download a copy of Puberty: A Guide for Teenagers with Autism Spectrum Disorder and their Parents as a 56 page PDF.

Sex education. From SPARK in the USA, a free one hour webinar on talking about the birds and bees with autistic children. It includes why sex ed is important, what we know about autism and sex, what to talk about, and strategies for talking. This was recorded in April 2018.

Sex education. From Sexual Health Victoria in Australia, an online course that will help parents to get started with sex education and their autistic child. Topics include relationships, sexual & gender diversity, pornography, consent and how to answer questions and respond to sexual behaviour. Sexuality and Autism (for parents and carers of young people) is self-paced and you will need to buy it ($97 AUD in Dec 2023).

Sex ed, puberty & more. From raisingchildren.net.au in Australia, a free trusted parenting resource that has a whole section dedicated to autism, including sexuality! It is all evidence based and non commercial as it is funded by the Australian Government. The easist way to find the relevant autism content is to go to the search page, set the filter for Autism and try these search terms: bodies, consent, puberty, periods, sexual development, sexuality, personal hygiene, harmful sexual behaviour, romantic relationships, emotional development, friends,

Pornography. From Porn is Not the Norm in Australia, an online course that is designed to support parentsof autistic young people to understand the interactions between autism, sexuality, technology and pornography, and how they can support autistic young people to navigate respectful, consenting and safe sexuality and relationships. The parent and carer presentation is immediately available and you will need to buy it ($100 AUD in Dec 2023). They also have some good information sheets and tip sheets to look at!

Problematic or harmful sexual behaviours. From raisingchildren.net.au in Australia, a webpage about problematic and harmful sexual behaviours in autistic children and teenagers. It is simple but informative and explains that most sexual behaviours are a typical and healthy part of development, but autistic kids might need help in understanding them. When behaviours are problematic, it is usually because of social, communication and sensory issues.

Problematic or harmful sexual behaviours. A blog post about when autistic people commit sexual crimes. I am sharing this as it highlights what can happen when children and teens miss out on sex education. I attended some training in 2023 with Dr. Laurie Guidry through the Safer Society Press, and she talked about an alarming pattern she was seeing in autistic teens with problematic or harmful sexual behaviours. Many of them were facing child sexual abuse charges b

ecause of social, communication or sensory issues

Blogposts and Sex education resources for autistic children and teens

Resources. SECCA (Sexuality Education Counselling and Consultancy Agency) in Australia have developed a range of unique resources to help people of all abilities learn and teach about relationships, sexuality, health and rights.

Resources. Family Planning NSW also has some fantastic free and paid resources in their online store.

Website. Sexual Health Victoria are also a website to look through. You could spend hours on this website, poking around through the resources. Something that sparked my attention is their workshops.

Sex education books for autistic children and teens

Sex education books for children with a disability & their parents. There are some quite good sex education books for children with a disability. You will find books to read with your child about puberty, body safety, sex, how babies are made and more.

Videos for autistic children and teens

Videos for youth. Amaze.org have a video about Disability and Sexuality. Plus they also recommend a few other videos at the bottom of the page.

Online workshops, training and webinars

Online workshops for children &/or parents. Sexual Health Victoria in Australia offer online workshops that you can attend with your child (ie workshops that will teach your child things but also involve you on the way). As well as workshops just for parents.

Online workshops for parents. SEX-ED for Advocates (by OAR or Organisation for Autism Research) offer free webinars for parents and carers, so add your name to their mailing list to be kept up to date.

Online tools and Apps for autistic children and teens

Online tool. Planet Puberty is an Australian resource that was developed to support autistic kids navigate a new world. It is a free digital resource suite by Family Planning NSW that aims to provide them with the latest information, strategies and resources for supporting their child through puberty. You’ll find blog posts, books, printables, flashcards, videos and websites.

App and/or online tool. The SECCA App is designed for use by professionals, carers, and parents to share with their clients, students, and family members. It’s a free resource that is filled with lesson plans, images, videos, games and more. (NB. The sign-up page says you must be Australian. Ignore it and sign up anyway, as that is only there because it is a requirement of their funding). For autistic children, it provides a platform for social stories and visual modelling, which are highly recommended tools for use with Autistic students. Social stories can be effectively used to reduce anxiety and communication stress in Autistic students. Students find the touchscreen intuitive and easy to learn, and the diversity of images provides students with an inclusive library with which to communicate.

Online tool. SEX-ED for Advocates (by OAR or Organisation for Autism Research) is a sexuality and sex education resource written specifically for people on the autism spectrum, age 15 and up. People on the autism spectrum sometimes don’t have the chance to learn about sexuality and sex in ways that work for them, so OAR created this guide as a starting point to change that. So there is content to read, videos to watch and podcasts to listen to.