A Review of Sexuality Education Curricula: Meeting the Sexuality Education Needs of Individuals with Moderate and Severe Intellectual Disabilities

Abstract

The importance of sexuality education for students with moderate and severe disabilities has received increasing attention as these people have moved into community settings and as the idea of their right to full, satisfying life circumstances has gained acceptance. Although more curricula are now available for students with special needs, educators and other service providers must select curricula that are comprehensive, credible, and appropriately match their students' learning characteristics and needs. The purpose of this review was to evaluate the 12 sexuality education curricula that were recommended by the Sexuality Information Education Center of the United States (SIECUS) as appropriate for students with special needs. Curricula were reviewed based on the presence and appropriateness of (a) goals/ objectives and scope/sequence, (b) curriculum concepts, (c) instructional methods, (d) curriculum development and evaluation techniques, and (e) suggested adaptations for diverse student learners.

Sexual health care in persons with intellectual disabilities

“…Second, there is a dearth of research on sexual health status and practices of men with ID. Third, although sex education curricula for people with ID exist [Blanchett and Wolfe, 2002], more research is needed to establish the effectiveness of these programs beyond transmission of knowledge, to include global aspects of sexual health practices and abuse prevention [Whitehouse and McCabe, 1997]. Fourth, there is a need to move beyond descriptive research and use experimental designs to ascertain the efficacy of certain sexual health interventions or treatments in this population.…”

“…There appear to be no data on hygiene management in men with ID, although there exist several adapted sex education programs that address this topic (e.g., prostate exams, care for sexual organs) [Blanchett and Wolfe, 2002]. As such, discussion will be limited to feminine hygiene, which has received greater attention in the research literature.…”

“…Blanchett and Wolfe [2002] reviewed 12 sex education curricula recommended for use with people with ID. All programs addressed self-protection/self-advocacy at some level, but only 5 specifically covered protection against abuse.…”

Rénover la pratique de l’éducation à la sexualité des personnes ayant des incapacités intellectuelles

“…Certaines critiques dans la littérature américaine et européenne ont été exprimées à l'égard de l'éducation à la sexualité des personnes ayant des incapacités intellectuelles (Blanchett et Wolfe, 2002). Son renouvellement ne consiste pas en des changements mineurs qui se limitent à une réorganisation de quelques éléments de contenu des programmes éducatifs existants.…”

A Review and Treatment Selection Model for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities Who Engage in Inappropriate Sexual Behavior

“…Past reviews of the literature pertaining to the sexuality of individuals with DD have primarily focused on sex education curricula (see Blanchett and Wolfe 2002;Sullivan and Caterino 2008 for reviews). In regard to evaluating specific interventions, Tarnai (2006) completed a systematic review of interventions addressing socially inappropriate masturbation for persons with DD.…”