Teaching Children with Down Syndrome about Their Bodies, Boundaries, and Sexuality: A Guide for Parents and Professionals
Parents of children with Down syndrome and other intellectual disabilities are accustomed to paying close attention to their child's physical, cognitive, and emotional development. This proactive approach should also include their child's sexual development, which for many parents may not seem as obvious or urgent, especially to those with young children. \ \ Drawing on her unique background as both a sexual educator and mother of a child with Down syndrome, the author blends factual...
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Parents of children with Down syndrome and other intellectual disabilities are accustomed to paying close attention to their child's physical, cognitive, and emotional development. This proactive approach should also include their child's sexual development, which for many parents may not seem as obvious or urgent, especially to those with young children. Drawing on her unique background as both a sexual educator and mother of a child with Down syndrome, the author blends factual information and practical ideas for teaching children with Down syndrome about their bodies, puberty, and sexuality. This book gives parents the confidence to speak comfortably about these sometimes difficult subjects.In an easy-to-read, non-clinical style, the book covers relevant issues and concerns for children of all ages, such as:Labeling & explaining private body partsIdentifying & expressing emotionsRespecting personal space Teaching self-care & hygieneUnderstanding norms of privacyUnderstanding gender identityShowing appropriate levels of affection It also covers later issues that affect teenagers and young adults, including:Anticipating and understanding pubertyDealing with periods, bras for girlsExperiencing erections, wet dreams for boysRelating to the opposite sexSharing parental values about sexualityExplaining sexual relationshipsPreventing sexual abuseUnderstanding how Down syndrome affects puberty & fertility ratesEach chapter highlights important points with key messages, teaching activities, parental pauses, and anecdotes, all of which prompt readers to stop and consider concepts or valuesassociated with a particular topic. The final chapter covers the special concerns of parents who are now teaching teenaged or adult children about sexuality for the first time. It concludes with extensive appendices containing invaluable teaching materials and illustrations of body parts and functions.
