Disability education, self advocacy, Sexuality education

What do girls with intellectual disability think about sex education?

by Iva and Julie

This is an Easy Read report from our study.

What was this research study about?

What girls think about their sex education?

Sex education in New South Wales (Australia)

  • Required up to Year 10
  • Taught as part of a subject called the Personal Development Health and Physical Education (PDHPE)
  • Year 11 and 12 students take part in Life Ready program
  • Life Ready program includes:

financial knowledge

public engagement

online safety

mental health

sexuality and sexual health

  • Some students access the Life Skills syllabus.

What we already know from research.

Sex education is important for all students.

Students have a right to:

  • sex education
  • receive information in accessible ways.
  • have social and sexual experiences

Sex education also helps with a successful move to life after school.

Who was in our research team?

  • Iva Strnadová, University of New South Wales Sydney (UNSW)

  • Julie Loblinzk, UNSW and Self Advocacy Sydney
  • Joanne Danker, UNSW

Who took part in this study?

We talked to 11 Australian high school girls aged 13-20 years.

  • 7 girls attended a mainsteam school.
  • 4 attended a support unit in a mainstream school

How did we do our research?

We prepared questions for interview.

We met the girls at their schools and interviewed them.

We reviewed what the girls told us.

What did we find out?

Finding one

Topics not included in sex education:

  • different sexuality and gender identities
  • masturbation

Why does it matter?

  • Girls do not have good knowledge about sexuality.

Sex education classes were not accessibel for the girls.

Finding 2

Why does it matter?

Students with intellectual disabilty:

  • learn at a slower pace
  • have problems with abstract ideas
  • struggle with difficult words
  • have problems with memory

There are different teaching stragegies and practices to helo these students:

  • pictures
  • Easy Read resources
  • accessible language

Finding 3

The girls were:

  • not asked what they would like to learn
  • often included in Individual Learning Plan meetings.

Why does it matter?

Individual Learning Plans should be prepared by:

  • students with disability
  • teachers
  • parents

other people (e.g., speech therapist).

Taking part in creating their own plans helps students to:

  • develop their self-determination skills )eg making choices.
  • develop independence

For more information please contact:

Iva Strnadová: i.strnadova@unsw.edu.au
full paper:

https://onlinelibrary-wiley-com.wwwproxy1.library.unsw.edu.au/doi/10.1111/bld.12403