"The System Sweeps it Under the Rug": Educational Staff's Perspectives on Romantic Relationships Among Autistic Adolescents.

Article 23 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) calls to recognize the right of people with disabilities to have romantic relationships, marry and raise children. However, to date, research has mainly focused on this issue in relation to people with physical or intellectual disabilities. Less is known about romantic relationships among autistic adolescents and how others in their immediate environment, such as educational staff, perceive and refer to this issue. To address this gap, the present study aimed to understand and describe the perspectives of educational staff on the romantic relationships of autistic adolescents, including their views regarding the right and capability of adolescents to form and maintain such relationships, and the education system's role in providing relevant knowledge and skills. A descriptive phenomenological qualitative approach was applied. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 20 educational staff members from special education schools in Israel. Four main themes emerged from the thematic analysis of the interviews: (1) Stigmatic attitudes regarding the ability of autistic adolescents to develop romantic relationships; (2) Preventive sexual education as a priority; (3) Behavioral implications of educational neglect; and (4) Recommended practices. The findings highlight the need for macro- and micro-level change by developing an adapted curriculum that views romantic relationships as positive and constructive and eliminating stigmatic perceptions among educational staff. Another recommendation is to provide educational staff with emotional and practical preparation for addressing the issue of romantic relationships in class.