NICHCY Connections...to Sexuality Education (continued)

From the National Down syndrome Society- NDSS

• Sexuality in Down syndrome
  http://www.ndss.org/content.cfm?fuseaction=NDSS.article&article=454
• Young People with Down syndrome: Transition from Childhood to Adulthood http://www.ndss.org/content.cfm?fuseaction=NDSS.article&article=227
• Issues of sexuality in Down syndrome
  http://www.down-syndrome.info/library/periodicals/dsrp/03/2/065/
  Courtesy of the Down syndrome Information Network Autism

Autism

• The Socio-sexual development of people with autism and related learning disabilities
  http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=364&a=2187
  From The National Autistic Society
• http://www.kluweronline.com/issn/0162-3257/
  From the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorder find two studies on sexual behavior and socio sexual knowledge of individuals with Autism Available through Kluwer online journals. Just go to the address above and search for sexuality in the box to the left on their home page.
• The Communication Dilemma; Teaching facts about sex and sexuality to individuals with communication disorders
  http://www.adamspublications.com/articlesex.htm

Deaf- Blind

• Introduction to Sexuality Education for Individuals who are Deaf-Blind and Significantly Developmentally Delayed
  http://www.tr.wou.edu/dblink/pdf/sex-ed.pdf
  This book address sexuality issues in the lives of school age individuals who are deaf-blind and significantly developmentally delayed. Since these individuals usually do not experience sexuality through typical relationships, they require a different type of instruction.
• From the American Foundation of the Blind
  Sex Education for Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults
  http://www.afb.org/Section.asp?DocumentID=2298#2000
  This article describes a model sex education program developed for youths and adults who are deaf-blind by the Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults. You have to be a subscriber to access the entire article.

Epilepsy

• Epilepsy and Sexuality
  http://www.epilepsyfoundation.org/answerplace/Life/adults/women/Professional/sexuality.cfm

Information for women with disabilities

• http://www.bcm.tmc.edu/crowd/
  Visit The Center for Research on Women with Disabilities (CROWD). CROWD is a research center that focuses on issues related to health, aging, civil rights, abuse, and independent living. Its purpose is to promote, develop, and disseminate information to expand the life choices of women with disabilities so that they may fully participate in community life.
  
• From the US Department of Health & Human Services
  visit the National Women's Health Information Center http://www.4woman.gov/
  The center has a variety of publications on sexuality, abuse, health care, resources for women with disabilities, including fact sheets, statistical information, journal articles, organization contacts, and professional guidelines.
  

General Sexuality Education Info Sources

Part of the report of the APA Committee on Psychology and AIDS discusses the research on, and the advisability of, providing youth with comprehensive sexuality education as a way of reducing HIV/AIDS transmission, an approach that research does support as effective. But where do you find resources on how to do that? And what is comprehensive sexuality education? And how are the needs of students with disabilities in any such course of study to be addressed? Here are some resources on the subject.

• School Health Education Clearinghouse.
  www.siecus.org/school/index.html
  The mission of the clearinghouse is to strengthen the capacity of state and local education, health, and social service agencies to help young people at risk for HIV infection, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), unintended pregnancy, and other important health problems. Here, professionals can find easy access to essential school health information, including state and local policies, sexual health promotion programs, national guidelines, information on curricula, and links to additional information on the Web. You'll even find training modules!
• SIECUS Guidelines for Comprehensive Sexuality Education.
  www.siecus.org/school/sex_ed/guidelines/guide0000.html
  The SIECUS Guidelines for Comprehensive Sexuality Education: K-12 are a framework to promote and facilitate the development of comprehensive sexuality education programs. The Guidelines identify the goals of comprehensive sexuality education, six key concepts that a comprehensive programs need to cover, and a variety of topics that should be included. The third edition of the guidelines was released in 2004, with the PDF version available at:
  www.siecus.org/pubs/guidelines/guidelines.pdf
• And curricula?
  www.siecus.org/pubs/biblio/bibs0010.html
  What curricula incorporate the key concepts of the SIECUS guidelines? SIECUS provides a review.
• The Responsible Education About Life Act: In the works.
  www.advocatesforyouth.org/real.htm
  Introduced in Congress on February 10, 2005 by Representative Barbara Lee (D-CA) and Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), the Responsible Education About Life Act (the REAL Act)—formerly the Family Life Education Act—will provide funding to states for medically accurate, age appropriate, comprehensive sex education in the schools—education that includes information about both abstinence and contraception, from both a values and public health perspective. Find out more at the link above.
• Medical info.
  www.plannedparenthood.org/pp2/portal/medicalinfo/
  Sexuality information is often medical in nature, which means it can be technical and detailed. To be accurate in what you say and teach, it may help to review the biology basics! The link above connects you Planned Parenthood's medical info page, where you can pick and choose which topics and details to pursue.

Comprehensive vs. Abstinence-Only Sex Ed

These days, we hear a lot of debate about the virtues of abstinence-only sexuality education for young people. In this approach to the subject, students are taught that abstinence from sexual activity outside marriage is the expected standard for all school-age children. Federal funds are available to schools that use abstinence-only programs.