On today's podcast, I discuss the first of the extrinsic (or external) factors that impact on the sociosexual development of individuals with ASD:  Ableism.  For those unfamiliar with ableism, it is "a form of discrimination or prejudice against individuals with physical, mental, or developmental disabilities that is characterized by the belief that these individuals need to be fixed or cannot function as full members of society" (Castañeda & Peters, 2000).  It is also one of the largest hindrances to the sociosexual development of individuals with ASD according to a number of authors.