Parents of children with Down syndrome and other intellectual disabilities are accustomed to paying close attention to their child's physical, cognitive, and emotional development. This proactive approach should also include their child's sexual development, which for many parents may not seem as obvious or urgent, especially to those with young children. Drawing on her unique background as both a sexual educator and mother of a child with Down syndrome, the author blends factual information and practical ideas for teaching children with Down syndrome about their bodies, puberty, and sexuality. This book gives parents the confidence to speak comfortably about these sometimes difficult subjects. In an easy-to-read, non-clinical style, the book covers relevant issues and concerns for children of all ages, such as: Labelling & explaining private body parts; Identifying & expressing emotions; Respecting personal space; Teaching self-care & hygiene; Understanding norms of privacy; Understanding gender identity; Showing appropriate levels of affection. It also covers later issues that affect teenagers and young adults, including: Anticipating and understanding puberty; Dealing with periods, bras for girls; Experiencing erections, wet dreams for boys; Relating to the opposite sex; Sharing parental values about sexuality; Explaining sexual relationships; Preventing sexual abuse; Understanding how Down syndrome affects puberty & fertility rates. Each chapter highlights important points with key messages, teaching activities, parental pauses, and anecdotes, all of which prompt readers to stop and consider concepts or values associated with a particular topic. The final chapter covers the special concerns of parents who are now teaching teenaged or adult children about sexuality for the first time. It concludes with extensive appendices containing invaluable teaching materials and illustrations of body parts and functions.

Presents a guide for girls with intellectual disabilities as an introduction to the physical and emotional changes they will encounter during puberty.

Adolescence is a difficult stage for all boys. Even more so for boys who experience intellectual and developmental disabilities. This book is designed for pre-adolescent males with intellectual or developmental disabilities who are experiencing the physical and emotional changes that accompany puberty. The author uses concrete language, illustrations, and plain language designed to improve comprehension for those who struggle with traditional resources. Readers are able to take in complex topics about their growth and development more independently, which leads to healthier choices during this life stage. The Boys' Guide to Growing Up helps the reader understand what body changes to expect and how to handle them. Other topics include how to behave in different social settings, the importance of knowing what is public behavior and what is private behavior, how to take care of your body and keep it clean, and understanding sexual feelings and how to handle them. The Boys' Guide to Growing Up is a great book for parents, educators, and healthcare professionals. Educators can use the book to support human growth and development units. Parents can use the book to initiate what can be a difficult discussion about growing up. Healthcare providers can use the book to provide patient and family education.

Behavior issues in children with Down syndrome can quickly become engrained, which means short-term problems often develop into bad habits that are difficult to change. This new book by pediatric psychologist Dr. David Stein looks at how the brain of a person with Down syndrome works, why those differences impact behavior, and how to address these problems using his positive behavior approach designed specifically for children and teens with Down syndrome. Book jacket.

The Ultimate Guide to Sex and Disability is the first complete sex guide for people who live with disabilities, pain, illness, or chronic conditions. Useful for absolutely everyone, regardless of age, gender, or sexual orientation, the book addresses a wide range of disabilities — from chronic fatigue, back pain, and asthma to spinal cord injury, hearing and visual impairment, multiple sclerosis, and more. Expertly written by a medical doctor, a sex educator, and a disability activist, The Ultimate Guide provides readers with encouragement, support, and all the information they need to create a sex life that works for them. The authors cover all aspects of sex and disability, including building a positive sexual self-image; positions to minimize stress and maximize pleasure; dealing with fatigue or pain during sex; finding partners and talking with partners about sex and disability; adapting sex toys; and more.

Written from a child's point of view, advises young readers on ways to handle a variety of problematic situations, provides an easy-to-use system to help children rehearse and remember appropriate responses to keep them safe, and includes coverage of where to go for help and how to deal with shame and guilt.

Puberty, personal hygiene and sex can be difficult topics to broach with your child, especially when they have an intellectual disability or autism. The authors of this guide provide honest answers to challenging questions and provide solutions to the dilemmas that many parents face on a daily basis. Structured around issues related to puberty and emerging sexuality in children with disabilities or autism, such as physical changes, mood swings and sexual behaviour, the book presents case studies alongside practical guidance on how to overcome problems that commonly arise. The book also explains laws relevant to disability and sexuality and suggests appropriate sex education programmes to meet the needs of differing degrees of disability.

From Heather Corinna, founder and director of Scarleteen.com, and Isabella Rotman, cartoonist and sex educator, comes a graphic novel guide that covers essential topics for preteens and young teens about their changing bodies and feelings. Join friends Malia, Rico, Max, Sam and Alexis as they talk about all the weird and exciting parts of growing up! This supportive group of friends are guides for some tricky subjects. Using comics, activities and examples, they give encouragement and context for new and confusing feelings and experiences. Inclusive of different kinds of genders, sexualities, and other identities, they talk about important topics like: - Bodies, including puberty, body parts and body image - Sexual and gender identity - Gender roles and stereotypes - Crushes, relationships, and sexual feelings - Boundaries and consent - The media and cultural messages, specifically around bodies and sex - How to be sensitive, kind, accepting, and mature - Where to look for more information, support and help A fun and easy-to-read guide from expert sex educators that gives readers a good basis and an age-appropriate start with sex, bodies and relationships education! The perfect complement to any school curriculum.