Asexuality and Asperger's Syndrome -- Correlation is not Causality
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- Category: Asexuality 101
- Published on Thursday, 14 July 2011 12:22
- Written by Lara Landis
- Hits: 3149
Many people, including one Variety reporter, think there is a connection between Asexuality and Aspergers Syndrome. A lack of interest in sex or a lack of sexual attraction does not indicate that an individual is suffering from a condition. Asexuals do not develop sexual relationships because they do not feel the need to do so. Some of them are on the Autism spectrum, but many people on the spectrum are just as sexual as those who are neurotypical.
No scientific research exists to prove that there is a higher rate of Aspergers among Asexual individuals. Lori Brotto on Asexuality said that further study was needed in this area in a 2009 paper on Asexuality: a Mixed Methods approach. As with many other issues related to Asexuality and the scientific study of the process, caution is needed.
A higher incidence of Asexuality among people with Asperger's Syndrome is to be expected, An inability to perform relationships is listed as a symptom of for the conditions, according to Medscape.com. An inability to form relationships applies to all relationships, not just sexual ones.
The continued pathologization of Asexuality is not a tenable position. People still hold this viewpoint, in part because Asexuals are only beginning to challenge the notion. It is a notion that is deeply entrenched in medicine and psychiatry and will not change over night.
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I would love to write a follow-up article on this. I have Aspergers and just as many people treat me as diseased because of that as because of my asexuality. Neither one is a disease. Aspergers is a different way of looking at the world, and the idea that people like me "can't form relationships" holds a lot of people back. 
Shula, I just checked and you are in the author's group here. If you want to write a follow up group, all you have to do is log in with your name and use the Submit an article button to use the editor.
I don't think people with ASDs are more likely to be asexual, but I can understand why they'd be confused and more likely to label themselves as ace. They have sensory issues and hate being close to people. They even see hugging as a problem. Of course they're going to hate sex.. It's too bad because they won't get treatment for their illness because they think it's their orientation. It give us a bad name when they tell all their friends that aces all hate being anywhere near people, and portray us as misanthropists. I'm an aromantic asexual, and I still like hugs, cuddling, and all that stuff and I find it disgusting the way most autistics make us look. If we could make it clear that asexuals don't want sex because they don't want sex, not because of sensory issues, there would be as many people who are ace with ASDs as anyone else. A lot of people on AVEN admit to being ASD or have a lot of symptoms of it, too, along with so many threads with pages of replies only from aspies… sigh
Sorry for the double post, I ran out of room when I was typing that last comment, haha. I don't mean any hate towards the disabled or anything, and I'm not saying people with ASDs can't be asexual. A lot just misinterpret it completely, and it ends up hurting both sides.
Julie AdamsI think you have ASD(aspergers syndrome) confused with OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder)
People with aspergers are not repulsed by physical contact. We merely are not able to grasp the subtle nuances of when to touch and when not to.
We are for the most part what you would refer to as grey a or simply not able to find a willing partner.
You are able to have aspergers and be asexual.
I do not understand where you come up with your theory that people with aspergers can not have sexual attraction with people. If you are unable to form relation ships with people, what makes you more able to have sexual attraction.