Becoming a Sexuality Educator

Nothing about us without us.

Self-Advocates as Sexuality Educators?

One way to help people with I/DD lead sexually healthy lives is to provide sexuality education classes through your agency or school. We believe the most effective way of doing this is by including self-advocates in the teaching. We’re proud to offer this unique and forward-thinking model, which trains teams of self-advocates and staff to teach classes together.

Benefits of this Approach:

1. Peer education has been proven to be a very effective model for teaching.
2. Supports the self-advocate philosophy, “Nothing about us without us.”

For Class Participants:

1. Participants feel open to the teacher because this person understands them and their struggles.
2. When participants see someone like themselves as the teacher, it makes so much more seem possible.
3. Participants see the teachers and themselves as part of the solution.

For Self-Advocates as Teachers:

1. They feel empowered and proud because they are part of the solution.
2. Helps self-advocates learn the content by being the teacher. You retain more information when you say and do something with the content.

Developmental Disabilities and Sexuality: Becoming a Sexuality Educator

This 2-day training is for teams of self-advocates and staff members who want to learn how to lead sexuality education classes for people with I/DD. We will discuss what makes a good sexuality educator and learn skills and tools for leading sexuality education classes.

Teams utilize our 22-lesson sexuality education curriculum titled Sexuality Education for People with Developmental Disabilities, which includes teaching tools and handouts. This training along with the curriculum will give you everything you need to get started teaching classes.

Following the training, you will have the skills and a curriculum to lead sexuality education classes for people with I/DD.

Learning Objectives:

1. Define what sexuality and sexual self-advocacy means
2. Explore messages we got growing up about sexuality
3. Examine what it means to be a good sexuality educator
4. Explore the difference between being a friend and a sexuality educator
5. Practice skills for being an effective sexuality educator
6. Discuss sexuality content for teaching the topic
7. Review manual/curriculum
8. Explore challenges to teaching sexuality and how to overcome the challenges
9. Discuss working as a team and practice
10. Practice teaching from the curriculum

The cost of the training consists of the training fee, cost of curriculum, and travel expenses.

Words of Praise from Past Participants

“I have shared topics from the curriculum with people with disabilities and others without disabilities. The message is universal to all because too often people have not had the opportunity for proper Sexuality Education regardless of disability.”
Bonnie Gonzalez, Muskegon Team Educator

“It is so empowering to be able to reach out to your own community and inform.”
Frank Vaca, Self-Advocate Central Team Sexuality Educator

Click to View the Day 1 Agenda

Day One

Introduction and warm-up activity

Messages we received and how to give positive messages

Role and useful skills to be a sexuality educator

Difference between being a friend and being an educator

Showing respect and managing our values

Being a good listener

Asking open-ended questions and encouraging discussion

Types of Questions and how to answer them

Sexuality 101

Wrap up

Click to View the Day 2 Agenda

Day Two

Introduction

Review the curriculum

Challenges when teaching

Planning as a team

Practicing as a team

Worries and Concerns

Returning Home

Wrap-up and evaluations

For inquiries about scheduling an in-service training, please contact us via our Contact form here.

Note: This in-service can also be offered for staff only, without using self-advocates, although we encourage you to consider the team model.

Access the full proposal here (pdf)

Here’s an example (pdf) of our partnership with the Michigan Developmental Disabilities Council.