IMPLEMENTING WHAT WE LEARNED

In the previous post, I discussed some things I learned at a recent seminar I attended about "Sexuality and Preventing Sexual Abuse for Individuals with Down syndrome."

I decided we needed to come up with some guidelines regarding appropriate affection to start teaching our boys now before they hit puberty.  

A hug from one of our cute little boys who both look age five (even though they are actually 9) is still probably appropriate.  

But it will not be appropriate when our boys start to turn into young men.  Then an unwelcomed hug/kiss could make someone feel very uncomfortable, and even cause our boys to get into trouble.  I do not want this for our boys ever!

Also, the boys need to start understanding what are appropriate shows of affection so that they are not taken advantage of by someone who intends to hurt or abuse them.  Again, I do not want this for our boys ever!

I think the challenge of this, especially in the school setting, will be to get everyone on board and be consistent.  

I feel bad because this is another "thing" I am asking school to help with for our boys (they do sooo already), but I have to remember the boys' safety and well-being has to be my primary concern.  Hopefully, I can convey my appreciation to the school for helping us in this area along with the importance of these guidelines for our boys.

Please remember people with intellectual disabilities are sexually assaulted SEVEN times the rate of people without disabilities.  That is why I feel we MUST address these issues to keep the boys safe!

To start with, here is an incredible video that I think is a great resource for the grown ups in the boys lives as well as the boys themselves:

Click HERE for "Appropriate Touch" Video 

Second, here are the affection guidelines that we feel comfortable for family, friends, acquaintances, and strangers.  

Click HERE for Appropriate Affection Guidelines for Individuals with Down Syndrome

Here are some other resources that I might use as we go over these guidelines:

Songs:
1. "Personal Space" song
2. "Family Members" song
3. "Friends" song
4. "Good Manners" song

Books:
1. Mommy Hugs book
2. Daddy Hugs book
3. Best Friends book
4. Suppose You Meet a Dinosaur: First Book of Manners book

Worksheets:
1. "Personal Space Camp" cut and paste
2. Understanding Love-Like-Polite