Date Presented 04/03/2025
We surveyed LGBTQIA+ autistic kinky adults to find areas of need. Findings indicated a lack of disability-specific education and safety education. OTPs can use this information to create client-centered interventions.
Primary Author and Speaker: Hannah Tate
Additional Authors and Speakers: Jess Marie Cecília Bauza De Garcia
PURPOSE: Little research exists to explain the experiences of autistic intimacy and BDSM experiences (Pearson & Hodgetts 2024). Autistic LGBTQIA + folks are less likely to receive any accessible and inclusive sexual education, especially kink education (SIECUS, 2021). The aim of our exploratory study was to understand the experiences and needs of the autistic LGBTQIA+ kink community. We used this information to understand areas in which OTPs can offer support.
DESIGN: This exploratory study collected data via an approved survey consisting of 51 multiple-choice and open-response questions about kink and neurodivergence. 39 LGBTQIA + autistic, kinky adults residing in the United States were recruited via social media.
METHOD: Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics via SPSS. To respect the integrity of participants’ responses, coders participated in reflexivity exercises prior to coding. Open responses underwent thematic, content, and interpretative phenomenological analysis.
RESULTS: This study found that, despite considerable interest, there is a lack of accessible, disability-specific kink education. Further, with many participants identifying high-risk kink activities as their means of participation, there is a need for resources that empower kink practitioners with the knowledge to minimize harm.
CONCLUSION: OT has a responsibility to address client-identified occupations. OTs have a role in kink safety and education, thus helping clients make informed choices that prioritize their health, safety, and autonomy. Such education has the potential to serve as a protective factor against abuse and harm often faced by this population.
IMPACT STATEMENT: OTs are uniquely qualified to provide client-centered safety education and interventions, drawing on our specific expertise in biomechanics and neurodevelopment.
References
Pearson, A., & Hodgetts, S. (2024). ‘Comforting, Reassuring, and…Hot’: A Qualitative Exploration of Engaging in Bondage, Discipline, Domination, Submission, Sadism and (Sado)masochism and Kink from the Perspective of Autistic Adults. Autism in adulthood: challenges and management, 6(1), 25–35. https://doi.org/10.1089/aut.2022.0103
SIECUS. (2021, May 25). Comprehensive Sex Education for Youth with Disabilities. A Call to Action. Retrieved June 19, 2024, from https://siecus.org/a-call-to-action-lgbtq-youth-need-inclusive-sex-education/.
