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Graphic image showing all Sexual Rights, with Safety highlighted.

Sexual Rights: Safety, Empowering Self-Advocates to Keep Themselves Safe

People with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) deserve the knowledge and skills to help keep themselves safe. Learning about consent, boundaries, healthy relationships, and personal safety can help people recognize risks, communicate their needs, make informed choices, and advocate for themselves. This article explores why sexual safety education matters and shares practical ways to support self-advocacy, confidence, and safe relationships. Read more about: Sexual Rights: Safety, Empowering Self-Advocates to Keep Themselves Safe

Graphic image showing all Sexual Rights, with Privacy highlighted.

Sexual Rights: Privacy for People With Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities

Privacy is a basic human right, but people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) are often denied it — especially around sexuality and relationships. This article explains how privacy gets taken away, sets a learning objective for self-advocates and professionals, and offers three ways to respect and protect privacy. Read more about: Sexual Rights: Privacy for People With Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities

Sexual Rights: Autonomy for People With Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities

Autonomy means self-governing — being in charge of your own life, body, mind, and relationships, and making informed decisions free of pressure. For people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), that right is often overlooked. This article explains what autonomy is and shares three activities to help self-advocates recognize and claim it, plus a bonus reflection for the professionals who support them. Read more about: Sexual Rights: Autonomy for People With Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities

Young woman with Down syndrome discusses healthy relationships with her father at a kitchen table.

3 Steps to Support Children with I/DD to Have Healthy Relationships

Talking with your child about relationships and sexuality can feel intimidating, but staying quiet leaves them without the tools to build healthy ones. This article offers three steps: share positive messages about relationships, discuss what a romantic/sexual relationship is, and share your own values as these conversations come up. Read more about: 3 Steps to Support Children with I/DD to Have Healthy Relationships

Diverse group of LGBTQ+ adults, including a woman with Down syndrome, sharing conversation and laughter at a café.

Supporting LGBTQ+ People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Self-advocate Pauline Bosma shares her own story of coming out and finding acceptance, and explains why LGBTQ+ people with I/DD deserve support to express who they are. She also shares practical ways to support LGBTQ+ people with I/DD, from using the right names and pronouns to connecting them with a support network. Read more about: Supporting LGBTQ+ People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

A man with Down syndrome uses a thumbs-up to give consent when a friend asks to sit beside him at a café.

How to Teach Consent to People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Katherine McLaughlin shares a 3-step script for teaching consent to people with I/DD: help them believe their life, mind, and body are theirs to control, explore what they want to say yes or no to, then practice putting it into words. Read more about: How to Teach Consent to People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Sex Talk for Self-Advocates Webinar Series

These webinars are part of a series that addresses self-advocate questions about relationships and sexuality. This series is a great learning opportunity for self-advocates, professionals, and paraprofessionals working with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to better understand sexual health needs better. Read more about: Sex Talk for Self-Advocates Webinar Series

Is Asexuality Really a Thing? Isn’t it Actually a Disorder?

While presenting sexuality education training, these questions often surface when discussing sexual orientation. Many ask, “Is asexuality really a thing?” “Isn’t it more a symptom of a larger problem?” Read more about: Is Asexuality Really a Thing? Isn’t it Actually a Disorder?

Diverse group of adults with I/DD, including a man with Down syndrome, discusses relationships and online behavior in a peer-led workshop.

Victim or Offender? People with I/DD Accused of Sex Offending Behaviors

People with I/DD face the criminal justice system from both sides — far more likely to be victimized than their peers, and overrepresented among suspects and inmates. The reasons trace back to unaddressed trauma, exploitation by others, and a persistent lack of sexuality and relationship education. Comprehensive, accessible education is part of the fix. Read more about: Victim or Offender? People with I/DD Accused of Sex Offending Behaviors

Photo of young woman leading a class on values.

Can You Be a Vegetarian and Work at McDonald’s? Managing Values and Attitudes as Professionals

Professionals supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) often face situations where their personal values conflict with their professional role. This article explores how to manage personal beliefs about sexuality while providing respectful, person-centered support. Read more about: Can You Be a Vegetarian and Work at McDonald’s? Managing Values and Attitudes as Professionals

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