We at LemmeLearn want to do our part to ensure that the special needs community are well equipped to have the difficult conversations with our children as they mature into teenhood and adulthood. It is not easy especially for the population of people with special needs who have limited language reception and communication to grasp concepts that have so many variables. We hope that this social story will be an effective tool to use.
How to use it:
1) Print it out
2) Sit comfortably with your child ensuring he/she is calm
3) Adapt it to your child - change wordings to simplify it to words your child is familiar with (eg. "Private areas" can be changed to "private parts")
4) Let your child try the quiz at the end as independently as possible bearing in mind that getting 6/6 on the quiz does not mean he will apply good behaviour 100% of the time
5) Use the last page cutting out the 'touching hand', 'ticks' and 'crosses' to illustrate which parts can be touched and not touched
6) Revisit this weekly for a few weeks - this is not a one time lesson that will stick so easily. Talk about it with them continuously until you feel they understand.
There are many other sexual health, puberty and personal care topics that need to be covered for people with special needs. We are just highlighting this one because it is most urgent. This resource is adapted from 'Taking Care of Myself: A Healthy Hygiene, Puberty and Personal Curriculum For Young People With Autism' by Mary Wrobel. Do purchase her book on bookdepository.com if you want more simplified social stories like this.
Let's learn together,
Eileen
Click below to download the social story