Social-Sexual Education for Individuals with Disabilities

1. Social-Sexual Education for Individuals with Disabilities

2. Myths about Sexuality and Disability • Myth 1: People with disabilities do not feel the desire to have sex (if disabled in one way disabled in every way) • Myth 2: People with developmental and physical disabilities are asexual, childlike, sexually innocent (do not possess maturity to learn about sexuality) • Myth 3: People with disabilities are sexually impulsive (oversexed and unable to control their sexual urges) men aggressive & women promiscuous • Myth 4: People with disabilities will not marry or have children so they have no need to learn about sexuality

3. Facts about Sexuality and Disability • Myth 1: Children with developmental disabilities have normal physical maturation and slowed emotional and cognitive development • Need sex education that builds skills for appropriate language and behavior in public • Myth 2: societal discomfort with disability and sexuality makes it easier to view anyone with a disability as an eternal child – this view denies person full humanity • Myth 3: education and training are the key to promoting healthy and mutually respectful behavior, regardless of disability

4. The Politics Of Education • 1975 P.L. 94-142 Education of All Handicapped Children Act • Guaranteed a free, appropriate public education to each child with a disability in every state across the country • Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (2004) • Students with disabilities have the same educational opportunities to the maximum extent possible as their non-disabled peers • IEP include transition plans identifying appropriate employment and other adult living objectives, referring student to appropriate community agencies and resources (must begin at age 14) • Attitudes of people with disabilities has not changes as fast as the laws enacted to support them – especially in sexuality and disability

5. What is Sexuality • Having a physical sexual relationship • Physical sensations or drives our bodies experience • Social phenomenon • Friendship • Warmth • Approval • Affection • Social outlets • What we feel about ourselves • Whether we like ourselves • Our understanding of ourselves as men and women • What we feel we have to share with others

6. What is Sexuality Education • Not just providing information about the basic facts of life, reproduction and sexual intercourse • Other dimensions of sexuality education include: • Biological • Sociocultural • Psychological • spiritual

7. Socialization • Important goals of any human sexuality education program include promoting a positive self-image as well as developing competence and confidence in social abilities • Children with disabilities have • Fewer opportunities to acquire information from peers • Fewer chances to observe, develop, and practice appropriate social and sexual behavior • May have reading levels that limit access to information • May need more time and repetition to understand concepts

8. General Guidelines for Professionals • Regardless of disability, young people have feelings, sexual desire, and a need for intimacy and closeness • To behave in a sexually responsible manner, each needs skills, knowledge, and support • Youth with disabilities far more vulnerable to sexual abuse than their peers • Sex education must include skills to prevent sex abuse, reporting and seeking treatment • Youth with disabilities feel the same discomfort and suffer same lack of information as peers • Learn as much as possible about disability • Rely on role plays and interactive exercises, use concrete teaching strategies • Be creative, develop specialized teaching tools and resources (models, dolls, pictures, personal stories)

9. Human Development and Sexuality • People with disabilities may have: • Difficulty learning • Limited genital and other tactile sensations • Communication problems • Uncertainty about their sexual function and fertility status • Issues that may hinder development of healthy body image and self-concept include: • Use of braces, crutches, wheelchair • Bladder and bowl management routines • Physical differences from peers (atrophy) • Diminished gender role expectations from society • Mistrust of own body

10. Contextual Errors and Safety Issues • Inappropriate sexual behavior by individuals with disabilities can stem from: • Lack of opportunity for appropriate sexual expression • Ignorance of what is considered appropriate behavior • Poor social education • Opportunities for privacy are less frequent for people with special needs • Comprehensive sexuality education often withheld from this population • Not surprising that teens with disabilities display sexuality inappropriately

11. Contextual Errors and Safety Issues • Common social mistakes on part of person with a disability • Public-private errors • Sexual self-stimulation • Saying something inappropriate in public • Stranger-friend errors • Hugging or kissing a stranger • Being overly familiar with an acquaintance • Both types of mistakes can put people with disabilities at risk for sexual exploitation or breaking the law “perpetrators”

12. Contextual Errors and Safety Issues • American Academy of Pediatrics • Children with disabilities are sexually abused at a rate that is 2.2 times higher than for children without disabilities • 68-83% of women with developmental disabilities will be sexually assaulted • Factors influencing these statistics • Less able to defend themselves • Often not alert to potentially dangerous situations • Do not know to report abuse • Seek approval and affection • May be exposed to a large number of caregivers for intimate care • Compliant to authority

13. Developmental Appropriate Sexuality Education Content • Sexuality Education for children with disabilities requires some degree of individualization • IEP used as an instrument for adapting sexuality curriculum • Knowledge of how a particular disability affects development, learning and sexual expression important in adapting curriculum

14. Parents as Sexuality Educators for their Children with Disabilities • Parents of children with developmental disabilities tend to be uncertain about the appropriate management of their child’s sexual development • Concerned about • overt signs of sexuality • Physical development during puberty • Genital hygiene • Fears of unwanted pregnancy • STD’s • Embarrassing or hurtful situations • Fear that their child will be unable to express sexual impulses appropriately • Targets of sexual abuse or exploitation

15. Parents as Sexuality Educators for their Children with Disabilities • Problems most frequently mentioned by parents regarding sexuality education are: • Inability to answer questions • Uncertain of what children know or should know • Confusion, anxiety and ambivalent attitudes toward sexuality of their children • Equate learning with intentions to perform sexual activities

16. Developmental Appropriate Sexuality Education Content • American Academy of Pediatrics suggests the following topics • Body parts • Pubertal changes • Personal care and hygiene • Medical examinations • Social skills • Sexual expression • Contraception strategies • Rights and responsibilities of sexual behavior

17. Developmental Appropriate Sexuality Education Content • Small blocks of information • Simple and concrete terms • Concept of public and private places and behavior • Personal safety considerations • Reading level and ability • Role play • Interaction with peers without disabilities • Multisensory activities • Illustrations, anatomical models, slides, photos, audio-visual, interactive games • Repetition, practice, frequent review, feedback & praise

18. Developing Social Skills • Role Play • Modeling and play-acting various social interactions • Phone etiquette • Initiating conversation • Inviting a friend for a meal • Develop hobbies or pursue recreational activities

19. Sexuality Education for Persons with a Visual Impairment • Visually impaired adolescent has the same interests regarding sexuality as sighted peers • Problems related to sex education for the blind include how they learn, how concepts are formed, how to select content, how to train teachers and parents • Teaching Plan includes • Concrete teaching • Use of other senses (distinguish males from females by smell) • Opportunities for social learning • Talking books, large print books, books in braille

20. Sexuality Education for Persons with Hearing Impairment/Deafness • Single most prevalent disability in the US • Communication problem as well as a language problem • First language is American Sign language • 50% of deaf students age 20 and below read less than fourth grade level • Difficult to provide written information

21. Sexuality Education for Persons with Paralysis • Capable of understanding a wide range of concepts and facts and would not need information to be presented in alternate formats • Might need specific information about how the physical disability affects expression of sexuality and participation in a sexual relationship • Some physical disabilities directly affect sexuality by the disablement of genital function, most do not • Absence of sensation does not mean absence of feeling – Inability to move does not mean inability to please • Presence of deformity does not mean absence of desire – inability to perform does ot mean inability to enjoy

22. Policy Statements on Sexuality Education for Persons with a Disability • Policy development project for your school district • Evolved from need for guidelines to formulate consistent responses to behavioral issues • Public masturbatory behavior • Student engaged in self-stimulating behavior such as touch his/her genitals, rubbing against an object, rubbing him/herself against the floor in a public part of a building (classroom, lunchroom) • Unacceptable touching of others • Couples engaging in intimate behavior in public places • In the absence of a policy different staff members would respond to incidents haphazardly and counter productively • Consistency of response is an essential component to alter maladaptive behavior

23. Policy Statements on Sexuality Education for Persons with a Disability • Identify policy issues that need to be addressed • Definition of sexuality • Philosophy about normative sexual development • Inappropriate self-touch • Menstruation • Toileting skills • Allowable sexual expression • Sexual orientation • Sexual exploitation • SDT’s and HIV/AIDS infection • Public and private places • Inappropriate dress for work