Autism Tennessee and the Parent Education, Advocacy and Training Center (PEATC) will begin a series of workshops for youth and young adults with disabilities on Sexual Health and Wellness. This 4-part series will begin on April 4th, 2022 on Zoom from 6:30 -7:30PM CT. Our target audience are primarily youth/young adults on the autism spectrum. Individuals with IDD and developmental disabilities are encouraged to attend. Workshop topics include: consent and body rights, public vs private behaviors, and social media and online safety.
Research has shown that youth/young adults with disabilities are interested in the changes happening in their body, and they are also interested in sex. Many parents, however, are not comfortable talking about sex with their children, and they are really uncomfortable talking about sex when their child has autism. In addition, some parents also tend to infantilize their child and do not see them as sexual beings. As a result, many parents are not having the “talk” with their youth/young adult, leaving them vulnerable to predators, and at risk for negative encounters with law enforcement if they engage in inappropriate sexual behaviors.
The goal of the workshops is to make it easier for these conversations to begin happening. We hope that by the end of the workshop parents will have the tools they need to continue the discussion at home, and that they will begin to accept that, although their child has autism (or a disability), they are still sexual beings. And for the youth/young adults with disabilities, we hope that talking about sex and their sexuality in such an open manner makes it easier for them to accept their own sexuality and gives them the tools they need to make informed choices about sex, and keep themselves safe while forming healthy relationships.
For more information on this Sexual Health and Wellness for Youth/Young Adults with Disabilities workshop series, please visit Autism Tennessee’s website or contact outreach@autismtn.org.