Health curriculum for Adolescents and Young Adults with I/DD-My Life, My Body, My Choice focusing on I/DD and Sexuality
Project Description:
Adolescents and young adults (AYA) with developmental disabilities (DD) remain a vulnerable target for bullying, abuse, and exploitation. Despite research highlighting higher rates of abuse and victimization among these individuals, there is a lack of intervention to augment protective skills and factors that might mitigate future risk. While knowledge of body and body rights, normative dialogue about sexuality and increase sexual health knowledge, and social skills to support healthy relationships are generally encouraged among AYA, youth with developmental disabilities often are left out of these conversations. Among many reasons, this is due to continued stigma and assumptions regarding viewing young people with disabilities as experiencing sexual development and having interest in sexual or romantic relationships, while there remain at greater risk for exploitation and abuse. Thus, interventions must aim to increase knowledge of sexual development and healthy sexuality for AYA with DD who are more vulnerable to perpetration and bullying. Using a trauma-informed, developmental perspective, this workshop will review key concepts, skills, and resources to address health needs of AYA with DD in a sex positive manner. We developed a 10 week curriculum-based intervention, which aims to increase knowledge of sexual health, increase sexual self-advocacy and, increase skills to develop safe, healthy relationships and discuss potential adaptation and implementation in clinic settings. Our core areas of focus are: body rights and knowledge, puberty and sexual health education, healthy relationships/self-esteem, and safety and consent. Overall, this project aims to address a critical area of need for AYA with DD to reduce risk of future victimization or re-victimization and to support healthy, positive sexual and social development.
