A Slut's Guide To Happiness Podcast - Episode 16: Kink and Relationships on the Autism Spectrum - with Steph Takaya

n mainstream media, autism is often depicted as a deterrent to successful romantic or sexual relationships. Steph presents an alternate perspective: autism is a different way of thinking and being that can be harnessed as interpersonal superpowers. For example, autistic people are often highly empathetic, have a strong moral compass and are more comfortable with direct communication. Autism can also be associated with different sensory and sexual desires. Embracing, rather than trying to “fix” these differences allows for a world of exciting freedom and possibility. Both academic research and Steph’s personal and community experience suggest that forms of non-traditional sexuality, including kink, polyamory and queerness, are more prevalent among autistic people than the general public. Steph describes how BDSM kink allowed them to reconnect with their sexuality as they discovered the importance of novelty and sensation for the way they think and experience the world.