I'm starting to explore the forums, and came upon this one. I thought very highly of this community before, and think ever more highly now.
I work in a clinical fashion with people who have intellectual and developmental disabilities. This is a population who has really been left behind in terms of receiving good sexual education. There are several reasons for this. They include:
-Parents who don't know how to talk about these issues.
-The thought that adults with intellectual disabilities (formerly mental retardation) are childlike
-Society's reaction of revulsion towards the topic
-The misconception that people with disabilities are hypersexual or deviant
Either way, this lack of education is dangerous. If people don't know the names of their private parts, they won't be able to report sexual abuse. If people don't understand consent, they may face legal issues they are ignorant of. If people don't understand boundaries, they won't be able to be in healthy relationships. If people don't learn masturbation, they will do it in ways that are unsafe and inappropriate.
In this vein, I have trained to be able to teach persons with disabilities about relationships and sex, to the ability that they will be able to understand and consent. It's empowering, creates independence, and prevents abuse. I'd be happy to share my thoughts on this topic, as an expert of sorts. Again, thank you for this forum to discuss this important issue.
I work in a clinical fashion with people who have intellectual and developmental disabilities. This is a population who has really been left behind in terms of receiving good sexual education. There are several reasons for this. They include:
-Parents who don't know how to talk about these issues.
-The thought that adults with intellectual disabilities (formerly mental retardation) are childlike
-Society's reaction of revulsion towards the topic
-The misconception that people with disabilities are hypersexual or deviant
Either way, this lack of education is dangerous. If people don't know the names of their private parts, they won't be able to report sexual abuse. If people don't understand consent, they may face legal issues they are ignorant of. If people don't understand boundaries, they won't be able to be in healthy relationships. If people don't learn masturbation, they will do it in ways that are unsafe and inappropriate.
In this vein, I have trained to be able to teach persons with disabilities about relationships and sex, to the ability that they will be able to understand and consent. It's empowering, creates independence, and prevents abuse. I'd be happy to share my thoughts on this topic, as an expert of sorts. Again, thank you for this forum to discuss this important issue.
