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Sexuality Education Training
We are all sexual beings from the day we are born. Sexuality is the exploration of ourselves - our physical bodies, our emotions, our self-worth and image, and our interrelations with others. It is one of the most basic human instincts, and no matter what level our learning ability, it is a natural part of being human to have the desire to discover what our bodies are all about. It is our ability to learn the responsibilities and consequences of the various aspects of sexuality that will define for each of us to what degree of involvement and discovery we will explore.
As a parent, caregiver, or educator of any child or adolescent, the subject of sexuality can be daunting. Add to the mix a physical or cognitive disability and you may find yourself feeling totally unprepared to deal with the subject matter.
Parents or caregivers are the ones who spend the most amount of time with a child or adolescent therefore it is important that you understand the importance of sexuality and how to talk to the child about it.
Most schools have a sexual education class these days. Many schools however, do not include a child with developmental disabilities in the classes. This is unfortunate as it is in the school where children interact the most with peers, and where they observe the exploration of sexuality.
For a child or adolescent with developmental disabilities, the more the family and the school communicate with each other the better support there will be for them to experience as fully as possible their sexuality in a healthy and safe way.
It is critical then that educators have a resource and the knowledge to help individuals with developmental disabilities discover their sexuality.
What These Workshops Accomplished
The workshops were designed for parents/caregivers and educators to attend independent 4 hour training sessions in an environment that stresses cooperative learning, and provides participants with consistent teaching strategies to provide cross-training in home and school.
Training Resources Now Available Online
The Sexuality Education Training resources developed by DiAnn Baxley, Project Director, Anna Zendell, and Jeanne Matich-Maroney as part of a grant from the Florida Developmental Disabilities Council, in collaboration with the University at Albany, Center on Intellectual Disabilities, can be found here.
The materials are designed to open dialogue between school and home on the topic of providing sexuality education to children and adolescents with intellectual or developmental disabilities.
Please note these resources are copyrighted by the Council, but are free to download. Please contact the Council at the address listed on the inside cover of each document for mass reproduction.