Online Workshop: Why Acceptance Is Critical: Real Parent Stories on Supporting LGBTQ+ People with I/DD
Workshop Summary
When someone with I/DD comes out as LGBTQ+, the person they most need to hear “I accept you” from is often the one who’s struggling the most to say it. In this workshop, two parents who have made that journey share how they got there, and what professionals can do in the meantime.
Note: This is a pre-recorded, 90-minute, online workshop. You’ll receive Instant access upon purchase — including three downloadable resource packs.
Why This Workshop Exists
Many professionals working with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities assume LGBTQ+ identity is a rare or separate issue. The data says otherwise. Research from Cambridge University finds that people with autism are eight times more likely to identify as asexual, and transgender identity is two to three times more prevalent among people with autism than in the general population.*
In other words, if you work with people with I/DD, you already work with LGBTQ+ people. The question is whether they feel safe enough to tell you.
*Stats cited in workshop from Cambridge University and Spark for Autism.
The Challenge Professionals Face
When people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) tell us they are part of the LGBTQ+ community, they do not always get the acceptance that they need. Sometimes, family members are taken aback and don’t quite believe it, feel that a disability is enough to manage, and worry about how their young and grown children will be treated with this “double whammy,” having a disability and being LGBTQ+.
“You are their rock. You’re the person that’s been there their entire lives. If you don’t accept them, I think that gives them a very unstable foundation — even if they encounter other people who do accept them.”
— Fiona Rattray, workshop panelist
This online workshop will have parents of LGBTQ+ people with I/DD share their personal journey to acceptance, discuss why acceptance is important, and how they show their support for their LGBTQ+ children. The panelists and hosts will also address how you, as a professional, can support an individual when their family is not supportive and how self-advocates can talk with their parents about their identity.
What LGBTQ+ People with I/DD Say They Need
Workshop presenter Oscar Hughes, PhD, shares findings from research he conducted with 17 LGBTQ+ adults with I/DD — ranging in age from 25 to 65, representing a wide range of identities and disabilities. When asked what they wished parents would do, here is what some of them said:
“Just ask them different questions. Try to get to know your child further and try to make them comfortable. Parents have to be open when they give support.”
— Research participant, age 28, intellectual disability
“If a parent does in fact support their child, they should encourage them to be who they are and find ways to support them. Have open conversations and dialogue. Offer advice when appropriate, but don’t try to convince them to change who they are. Try to learn as much as you can to be the best advocate and role model for your child.”
— Research participant, age 30, cerebral palsy and epilepsy
Who This Workshop Is For
This workshop is for anyone who supports people with intellectual and developmental disabilities: direct support professionals, special education teachers, transition coordinators, social workers, therapists, residential staff, and agency trainers. It is also valuable for parents who are still finding their way to acceptance, and for self-advocates who want to understand their own identity and how to talk about it with the people they love.
What You Will Learn
By the end of this workshop, you will be able to:
Understand the emotional journey parents take toward acceptance — told directly in their own words, including the fears, the turning points, and what finally shifted
Explain why family acceptance is not just meaningful but essential to the mental health and well-being of LGBTQ+ people with I/DD
Apply specific strategies for supporting individuals when their families are not yet accepting — including what to do when guardianship creates an additional layer of complexity
Give self-advocates language and concrete approaches for opening conversations with their own families
Workshop Price
$45/one-time
Purchase once — watch as many times as you like.
What is Included?
Your purchase includes immediate access to the 90-minute video recording, plus three downloadable resource packs:
Workshop Resources — A curated collection of guides, booklets, and research from PFLAG, the Human Rights Campaign, and the Family Acceptance Project, organized by topic and ready to share with families and colleagues.
Plain Language Tools — Visual handouts on gender identity, sexual orientation, and attraction, co-created with self-advocates and designed specifically for use with people with I/DD. Developed by Oscar Hughes and Katherine McLaughlin.
Family Resources — Ready-to-share posters from the Family Acceptance Project, including a version designed for families with conservative values — so you can meet families where they are.
Oscar Hughes, PhD, started his career as a special education teacher for high school and transition-age students with intellectual and developmental disabilities, where he sought to create a classroom and school environment that was inclusive to trans and gender-diverse students. He also advised the high school’s Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA), which included students with and without disabilities. Oscar has a PhD in special education from Boston University, where his research focused on supporting LGBTQ+ adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to express their gender and sexuality. He works part-time as the assistant to the Rainbow Support Groups and as an adjunct trainer for Elevatus Training.
Katherine McLaughlin, M.Ed., CSE, is a national expert and trains individuals, staff, and parents on sexuality and developmental disabilities. She teaches sexuality education to people with DD/ID as well as trains them to be peer sexuality educators themselves. Katherine is the author of an agency and school curriculum, Sexuality Education for People with Developmental Disabilities, and has developed two online courses: one to train professionals, Developmental Disability and Sexuality 101, and one for parents, Talking to Your Kids: Developmental Disabilities and Sexuality. Katherine has spent her career trying to elevate the status of all people, which is why the new name for her growing company is Elevatus Training.
Fiona Rattray is a former special education teacher with additional training in counseling, peer mentoring, specific learning disabilities, managing students with challenging behaviors, and working with students with Asperger Syndrome. She has two children diagnosed with high-functioning autism. During the past five years, Fiona has been volunteering and working in the field of special education advocacy. She currently works as a Parent Training and Information Center Specialist for Putnam Independent Living Services in the Hudson Valley. Fiona’s eldest child identifies as a transgender woman. Her youngest child is 15; he is gay and gender fluid.
Heather Johnsen is a parent of three children, two who identify as part of the LGBT community. She was originally from Wellesley, MA, and graduated from the New England Conservatory of Music with a degree in clarinet performance. She also holds a Master of Music in performance from the Cleveland Institute of Music. Along with her music, she also worked part-time in the art department at Hamilton College. Heather moved to Utica, NY, in 1977, where she lived until moving to Canton, MA, in 2021. Since having a child with a disability, she became a disability rights advocate and led a youth group at the Utica Resource Center for Independent Living. Most of her time is now spent helping her daughter become more independent and supporting her with her advocacy for disability and LGBT rights.
