Improving psychosexual knowledge in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder: pilot of the tackling teenage training program.

Linda P. Dekker; E J.M. van der Vegt; Kirsten Visser; Nouchka Tick; Frieda Boudesteijn; Frank C. Verhulst; Athanasios Maras; Kirstin Greaves-Lord

doi:10.1007/s10803-014-2301-9

Improving psychosexual knowledge in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder: pilot of the tackling teenage training program.

Linda P. Dekker^*, E J.M. van der Vegt, Kirsten Visser, Nouchka Tick, Frieda Boudesteijn, Frank C. Verhulst, Athanasios Maras, Kirstin Greaves-Lord

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

32 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Previous studies have shown that psychosexual functioning in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is hampered and emphasize the need for a specialized training program tailored to their needs. Therefore, an individual training program was developed; the Tackling Teenage Training (TTT) program. The current pilot study systematically evaluated whether psychosexual knowledge increased after taking part in the TTT program, using a pre- and post-training design in 30 adolescents with ASD (77 % male, mean age = 14.80 years, mean intelligence = 96.96). Psychosexual knowledge increased significantly (pre-training total score: M = 25.74, SD = 6.20; post-training total score: M = 33.52 (SD = 2.78); F(1,29) = 65.20, p < .001). The TTT program may be useful to improve psychosexual knowledge and functioning in adolescents with ASD, yet these findings are preliminary, and a more elaborate controlled trial is needed.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1532-1540
Number of pages	9
Journal	Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
Volume	45
Issue number	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-014-2301-9
Publication status	Published - 16 Nov 2014

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This project was financially supported by the Sophia Children’s Hospital Fund (Grant Number 617, titled Tackling Teenage: a multicenter study on psychosexual development and intimacy in adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder). The professionalization of the Tackling Teenage Training was financially supported by the Anthonia Wilhelimina Fund which is a part of the Psychological Health fund (i.e. Fonds Psychische Gezondheid). We are grateful to all adolescents, their parents and the trainers who participated in this research and to everyone who worked on this project and made it possible.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2014, Springer Science+Business Media New York.

Access to Document

10.1007/s10803-014-2301-9

http://hdl.handle.net/1765/91098

Cite this

@article{a3267da30bb14616829ce504835621da,

title = "Improving psychosexual knowledge in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder: pilot of the tackling teenage training program.",

abstract = "Previous studies have shown that psychosexual functioning in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is hampered and emphasize the need for a specialized training program tailored to their needs. Therefore, an individual training program was developed; the Tackling Teenage Training (TTT) program. The current pilot study systematically evaluated whether psychosexual knowledge increased after taking part in the TTT program, using a pre- and post-training design in 30 adolescents with ASD (77 % male, mean age = 14.80 years, mean intelligence = 96.96). Psychosexual knowledge increased significantly (pre-training total score: M = 25.74, SD = 6.20; post-training total score: M = 33.52 (SD = 2.78); F(1,29) = 65.20, p < .001). The TTT program may be useful to improve psychosexual knowledge and functioning in adolescents with ASD, yet these findings are preliminary, and a more elaborate controlled trial is needed.",

author = "Dekker, {Linda P.} and {van der Vegt}, {E J.M.} and Kirsten Visser and Nouchka Tick and Frieda Boudesteijn and Verhulst, {Frank C.} and Athanasios Maras and Kirstin Greaves-Lord",

note = "Funding Information: This project was financially supported by the Sophia Children{\textquoteright}s Hospital Fund (Grant Number 617, titled Tackling Teenage: a multicenter study on psychosexual development and intimacy in adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder). The professionalization of the Tackling Teenage Training was financially supported by the Anthonia Wilhelimina Fund which is a part of the Psychological Health fund (i.e. Fonds Psychische Gezondheid). We are grateful to all adolescents, their parents and the trainers who participated in this research and to everyone who worked on this project and made it possible. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2014, Springer Science+Business Media New York.",

year = "2014",

month = nov,

day = "16",

doi = "10.1007/s10803-014-2301-9",

language = "English",

volume = "45",

pages = "1532--1540",

number = "6",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Improving psychosexual knowledge in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder: pilot of the tackling teenage training program.

AU - Dekker, Linda P.

AU - van der Vegt, E J.M.

AU - Visser, Kirsten

AU - Tick, Nouchka

AU - Boudesteijn, Frieda

AU - Verhulst, Frank C.

AU - Maras, Athanasios

AU - Greaves-Lord, Kirstin

N1 - Funding Information: This project was financially supported by the Sophia Children’s Hospital Fund (Grant Number 617, titled Tackling Teenage: a multicenter study on psychosexual development and intimacy in adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder). The professionalization of the Tackling Teenage Training was financially supported by the Anthonia Wilhelimina Fund which is a part of the Psychological Health fund (i.e. Fonds Psychische Gezondheid). We are grateful to all adolescents, their parents and the trainers who participated in this research and to everyone who worked on this project and made it possible. Publisher Copyright: © 2014, Springer Science+Business Media New York.

PY - 2014/11/16

Y1 - 2014/11/16

N2 - Previous studies have shown that psychosexual functioning in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is hampered and emphasize the need for a specialized training program tailored to their needs. Therefore, an individual training program was developed; the Tackling Teenage Training (TTT) program. The current pilot study systematically evaluated whether psychosexual knowledge increased after taking part in the TTT program, using a pre- and post-training design in 30 adolescents with ASD (77 % male, mean age = 14.80 years, mean intelligence = 96.96). Psychosexual knowledge increased significantly (pre-training total score: M = 25.74, SD = 6.20; post-training total score: M = 33.52 (SD = 2.78); F(1,29) = 65.20, p < .001). The TTT program may be useful to improve psychosexual knowledge and functioning in adolescents with ASD, yet these findings are preliminary, and a more elaborate controlled trial is needed.

AB - Previous studies have shown that psychosexual functioning in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is hampered and emphasize the need for a specialized training program tailored to their needs. Therefore, an individual training program was developed; the Tackling Teenage Training (TTT) program. The current pilot study systematically evaluated whether psychosexual knowledge increased after taking part in the TTT program, using a pre- and post-training design in 30 adolescents with ASD (77 % male, mean age = 14.80 years, mean intelligence = 96.96). Psychosexual knowledge increased significantly (pre-training total score: M = 25.74, SD = 6.20; post-training total score: M = 33.52 (SD = 2.78); F(1,29) = 65.20, p < .001). The TTT program may be useful to improve psychosexual knowledge and functioning in adolescents with ASD, yet these findings are preliminary, and a more elaborate controlled trial is needed.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84929952695&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1007/s10803-014-2301-9

DO - 10.1007/s10803-014-2301-9

M3 - Article

C2 - 25399394

SN - 0162-3257

VL - 45

SP - 1532

EP - 1540

JO - Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders

JF - Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders

IS - 6

ER -

Improving psychosexual knowledge in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder: pilot of the tackling teenage training program.

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Complementing or congruent? Desired characteristics in a friend and romantic partner in autistic versus typically developing male adolescents

Cite this