WELCOME TO
Supporting Autistic Adults' Intimate Lives
A participatory research project about autistic adults' intimate lives
About
SAAIL (Supporting Autistic Adults' Intimate Lives) is a sex-positive research project that aims to explore and represent autistic adults' intimate lives in affirmative ways.
The motivation behind SAAIL:
Our society is set up according to neurotypical dating and relational scripts. A lack of awareness amongst non-autistic people, and within health and social care systems, around how neurodivergence may impact dating and intimate experiences and needs can cause barriers for autistic people. This project aims to help address this lack of awareness, asking autistic people how they would like their intimate lives represented and supported in adult social care policy and practice.
SAAIL is funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research's School For Social Care Research (NIHR SSCR), with the aim of improving adult social care in England.
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If you are an autistic adult living in England, this project includes you! We aim to include all genders and sexual identities and communities. We want to hear from people of all relationship configurations, from all age groups and ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Help us make SAAIL as diverse and inclusive as possible by participating.
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The project will also map out the service providers, social care structures, self advocacy groups, and other individuals and organisations that are already supporting autistic adults' intimate lives. If you know or are part of an organisation doing this work, please get in touch.
Who the project includes:
What do we mean by "intimate lives"?
SAAIL focuses on autistic people’s sexual and romantic interpersonal relationships, practices, preferences, and needs in everyday life. We use the word “intimate lives” to talk about this. When we talk about intimate lives here, we are referring to aspects which may include (but are in no way limited to) meeting romantic or sexual partners, going on dates, forming relationships and close bonds, expressing one’s sexual identity, experiencing romantic love, engaging in preferred sexual practices, having sex, experiencing sexual pleasure, touch and closeness, belonging to sexual communities, or starting one’s own chosen family.
Our Research Questions
What?
What are autistic people's experiences of intimacy, relationships, dating, and sex? What would they like to see change to better support their intimate lives?
Who?
Who are the people, organisations, communities, and authorities that need to be mobilised to support these changes?
How?
How do we make these changes happen?
Participate in SAAIL
We have now completed interviews and focus groups
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We need your help to identify existing resources, support, service providers and stakeholders who are already working to support autistic adults intimate lives
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Help co-produce digital toolkits
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Provide suggestions and advice
If you would like to get involved, offer suggestions, or hear more about SAAIL please get in touch via email, phone or Twitter (@autlives).
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07501550535
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Research findings
We'll share our research findings and project-related outputs below
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Our partners and collaborators
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The study represents independent research funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) School for Social Care Research (NIHR SSCR). The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NIHR SSCR, NIHR or Department of Health and Social Care.