PSY 4122 Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Sex Education, Delorme, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
28 Apr 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
March 27, 2018
Sexual Education in Individuals with Intellectual
Disabilities
Pooneh Montazeralsedgh, Charlotte Garvin, Kathleen Cassidy, Melony Delorme (Group 3)
What is intellectual disability?
Deļ¬nition: a type of disability that arises prior to the age of 18 and may be categorized as part of developmental
disabilities
Includes signiļ¬cant limitations in intellectual functioning and adaptive behaviour (everyday skills), such as
communication, self-care, and autonomy
Signiļ¬cant impairments in expressing sexuality due to lack of knowledge and storage
Ex. Fragile X syndrome, Down Syndrome, developmental delay, Prader-Willi Syndrome, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum
Disorder
Levels of ID:
-Mild: majority of individual with ID fall under mild (85%)
ā¢Can generally learn reading, writing, and math skills between third and sixth-grade levels
ā¢May have jobs and live independently
-Moderate: in between mild and severe (10%)
ā¢May be able to learn some basic reading and writing
ā¢Require some type of supervision
-Severe: highest mortality rates (5%)
ā¢Probably unable to read or write
ā¢Require lots of help/supervision within their daily lives
What is sexual health?
Wold Health Organization (WHO): a state of emotional, mental, physical, and social health regarding sexuality
It is not only oneās negative sexual experiences or the absence of a disease, but also emphasizing the possibility of
having safe sex paired with pleasure
Sexual relations should be free of discrimination, coercion, or violence
Why is sexual health important?
Helps people understand the beneļ¬ts, risks, and responsibility or sexual behaviour
Prevent diseases such as STIs
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March 27, 2018
Fulļ¬ll sexual relationships (positive+safe+satisfying)
Comfortable with own body in expressive sexual desire
Learn about rights such as right to body and access to sex
Change the idea of sexual health from ātabooā to normal
Sexual Abuse
Those with ID are more likely to be abused that those without ID
Why?
-Lack awareness regarding which sexual behaviours are appropriate
-Individuals with ID are more likely to be dependent on and be abused by a caregiver
-When combined, these factors account for the increased vulnerability in intellectuals with ID to sexual abuse
Safe Sex Practices
Those with ID are more likely to be uninformed about safe sex practices
What are the consequences of this?
-Teens with ID are more likely to have an STI
-Those with ID are more likely to be pregnant as teenagers and thus experience preterm birth
Understanding Abstract Concepts
Difļ¬culties in understanding abstract concepts, such as:
-Privacy
-Consent
-Trust
-Different perceptions
Application of these concepts to outside reality - hard to apply concepts learned to real like
Social Skill Difficulties
Understanding privacy: hard to understand when they have limited privacy of their own
-Ex. Support from carver when toileting, bathing, getting dressed
-Canāt discover their own bodies
Forming and maintaining relationships:
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