Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Pages: 144
Trim: 6¼ x 9½
978-1-4758-3983-8 • Hardback • April 2018 • $70.00 • (£54.00)
978-1-4758-3984-5 • Paperback • April 2018 • $35.00 • (£30.00)
978-1-4758-3985-2 • eBook • April 2018 • $33.00 • (£25.00)
Elizabeth A. Harkins Monaco is a professor of special education at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown. She focuses on social and emotional development for students with intellectual disabilities and autism spectrum disorders.
Thomas Gibbon is an associate professor of special education at Shippensburg University. He focuses on transition to adulthood and vocational models for students with disabilities.
David Bateman is a professor of special education at Shippensburg University. He focuses on appropriate services for students with disabilities.
Preface
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1- Introduction
Chapter 2- We’re in this Together: Who are the Educators?
Chapter 3- The Birds and the Bees: Specific Skills and Teaching Strategies
Chapter 4- We Can’t Hide: Pop Culture and Digital Media
Chapter 5- The Birds and the Bees, Round 2: The Curriculum
Chapter 6- No One Can Escape Puberty: Physical and Cognitive Development
Chapter 7- What Does It All Mean: LGBTQ+
Chapter 8- Special Considerations: Group Homes and Residential Facilities
Chapter 9- Similarities and Differences: ASD and IDD
Chapter 10- Just Say No! (Or Yes): Ethics
About the Authors
Talking About Sex: Sexuality Education for Learners with Disabilities makes an essential contribution to advocating for self-determination of persons with developmental disabilities by taking up a subject that educators and other human service professional have historically overlooked. Educational practices have focused on academic and self-help skills while largely ignoring issues of sexuality. Understanding sexuality is an equally important life skill that empowers young adults with disabilities. Individuals with developmental disabilities are at the greatest risk for sexual abuse and need an awareness of both normal and deviant sexuality. These individuals have the same rights as people without disabilitiesto engage in sexual and relationship exploration, including knowledge of safe sex practices, consent, and ethical behavior. In addition to exploring the topic, the authors offer instructional approaches for sex education that are adapted for special populations. Talking About Sex: Sexuality Education for Learners with Disabilities is a must-read for parents, counselors, providers, and virtually anyone engaged in the field.
— Henry B. Reiff Ph.D, , professor of Special Education, McDaniel College
In my role as a special education leader for over 20 years, one of the biggest gaps in programming for students with IDD and Autism is in the area of curriculum to provide direct instruction in sexuality education. In just the last two years, I have seen the number of individuals with IDD and/or Autism who get in trouble with the law increase exponentially simply because they lack a basic understanding of societal norms when it comes to sexual behavior while also having instant and often unmonitored access to social media. “Talking About Sex: Sexuality for Learners with Disabilities” is one of the first books I’ve seen on this topic and it provides a well-researched approach that will help inform educators and caregivers of the need for sexuality education for this population. It does a great job of identifying topics that need to be discussed while also providing hands on curriculum suggestions and resources for teachers and parents to use to help this population learn to safety navigate the complicated world of human sexual behavior.
— William P. Gillet, director of student services, Big Spring School District, Newville, PA