Page 7 - YOUTH DIGEST
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They spend little time with others and can answering these questions.
benefit from intensive social and In this case, the child should not be
occupational support. Individuals blamed, scolded or reduced to silence.
with severe intellectual disabilities can Being blamed or scolded gives the child
develop communication skills in childhood; the impression that these questions
however, they can learn important should not be asked, leaving
words at any time. Children with profound him/her to resort to observing and
intellectual disabilities can learn certain performing experiments, as well as
self-care skills, but they require appropriate searching for answers by asking other
education to learn to communicate. individuals In this way sexual education
The fact that individuals with intellectual moves beyond the parents’ control
disabilities also have sexual rights is usually and may go in unwanted directions.
forgotten, and their needs regarding Every family wants to provide their
sexual knowledge, emotions and thoughts
are neglected Instead of being allowed to children with sexual education in
develop proper sexual behaviors, their accordance with their family structure
sexual expressions are unconsciously and culture. Many parents, however,
prevented, and social education in this become flustered and embarrassed,
respect is not provided for them. Therefore, or anxious when sexuality is mentioned.
inappropriate sexual behaviors observed in They give evasive answers or refrain
these individuals arise from lack of from answering at all, distracting
knowledge or being restricted as to the their child’s attention to safer areas. In a
expression of their sexuality. Moreover, study conducted with the parents of
compared to their peers with normal children with Down syndrome by Pueschel
development, it is more difficult for and Scola (1988), 70% of parents found it
intellectually disabled adolescents to disturbing to talk with their children
acquire the right information about about sexuality. However, children
sexuality to provide competence for perceive non-verbal behaviors and
social interactions. Therefore, they are evasive answers and learn to associate
devoid of opportunity for expressing their conversations about sexuality with
social and sexual interests properly. feelings of embarrassment and anxiety.
Sexual education begins with the birth of It is important to use age-apprpriate
individual. It continues until adulthood or language and provide information that
beyond. Regardless of having child can understand. Moreover, parents
intellectual disability, the most appropriate of children with intellectual disability
guide for all children is their parents. stated that they have difficulty using
Because contradictory messages can come graphical descriptions and the special
from different sources, the first and most anatomical terms which are necessary
accurate information about sexuality should for children to understand
come from the parents. Every individual
requires continuous sexual education sexual activity. Some were concerned
appropriate to his/her age to develop that sexual education might increase
positive attitude to his/her own sexuality. their child’s sexual behaviors.
Asking about sexuality from an early age Others felt that there was no need to
constitutes the most important part of give their intellectually disabled children
sexual education. The most important point sexual education because they presumed
for all questions asked about sexuality is that their children were asexual.
the parents’ attitudes while
7 | YOUTH DIGEST
