Learn how to use communication boards and cards to support consent, participation, and sexuality education for people with I/DD and limited speech. Read more about: How to Use Communication Supports in Sexuality Education for People With I/DD
Most people with I/DD encounter pornography at some point, often with less preparation to understand what they are seeing than their peers. This guide helps parents and support professionals respond to that moment without panic and shows how to turn it into an ongoing conversation using pornography literacy. It also covers when pornography use crosses into a bigger concern that needs more than a conversation, and what agencies should have in place so staff and families are not figuring this out alone. Read more about: When Someone You Support Is Watching Porn: A Guide for Parents and Staff Supporting People with I/DD
Many people hear the words “sex ed” and assume the topic is sexual activity. That is one of the biggest misconceptions about sexuality education for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The act of sex is only one small part of sexuality. Most of what we teach is about relationships, communication, boundaries, consent, identity, and belonging. Those are the skills that reduce vulnerability to abuse and open up connection, confidence, and independence. Read more about: Sex Ed vs. Sexuality Education: Why the Words We Use Matter
Consent is giving permission: saying yes, or agreeing to do something. Teaching it to people with I/DD rests on two ideas. There must be two yesses, and both must be freely chosen. Those skills grow through everyday practice, accessible communication, and supporters who ask before they act. Read more about: Teaching Consent to People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: What Builds Real-Life Skills?
Healthy relationships and sexuality education continuously evolve. As such, we regularly update our products and materials based on feedback from our students and community. In this article, we offer an example and guidance on why it is crucial that educators/trainers continuously upgrade their content and teaching tools. Read more about: Finding the Right Fit in Sexuality Education and Healthy Relationships Training
By the end of this article, you will have simple, practical tools to help people with intellectual and developmental disabilities start, continue, and end conversations with greater confidence. Read more about: Let’s Talk: Simple Conversation Tips for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
Teaching healthy relationships and sexuality can be deeply rewarding — and unexpectedly messy. A room goes quiet, a participant says something surprising, a parent feels uneasy or a lesson lands harder than planned. This guide offers practical, compassionate strategies for educators and trainers who want to stay grounded when teaching about sexuality, disability, consent and self-determination gets real. Read more about: Managing Curveballs in Teaching Healthy Relationships and Sexuality
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
TV and film increasingly show people with I/DD in real relationships — even though actors with disabilities are rarely cast in these roles. This lesson turns four scenes from Atypical, Glee, and Everything’s Gonna Be Okay into a discussion-based teaching tool for relationship and communication skills. Read more about: How to Teach Relationship Skills to People with I/DD Using TV and Film
People with I/DD have the right to sexuality education, and it works best when self-advocates help teach it. Peer-led classes feel more trusted and more real, and the self-advocates who teach them grow into experts in their own lives. Here is why the model works, with several free resources to help you bring it into your own classes. Read more about: Benefits of Self-Advocates as Peer Sexuality Educators
