Talking about Healthy Sexual Development with Your Child with a Disability

You are the best person to discuss healthy sexual development with your children and help them learn how to identify and read  situations where they might feel unsure, unsafe, or uncomfortable.  
 
Talking about Healthy Sexual Development with
your children…

~Helps them better understand their changing bodies
~Helps them learn what a healthy relationship looks like,  
  as well as what may be less safe behavior
~Helps them understand appropriate boundaries with others,  
  particularly if they have needed or need help 
   with daily living tasks, such as getting dressed
~Helps them understand how to relate to their peers in an 
  acceptable manner
~Helps prevent them from being victimized or exploited
~Helps set an openness about this topic so that when they do have questions, they know they can come to you.


How to go about it?
       
~Take a deep breath!  Recognize your own concerns and fears.  This can be a difficult conversation to begin!
~ Have conversations with your children about their personal care, puberty, and hygiene.
~Explore your children’s feelings about relationships and sexuality.   
~Teach children about appropriate touches.       
~Help your child navigate the cyber world, helping your children recognize that people online may not be 
   who they claim to be.  If it’s too good to be true, it probably is!