Teaching Children with Down Syndrome about Their Bodies, Boundaries, and Sexuality

by Couwenhoven, Terri

• ISBN13: 9781890627331
• ISBN10: 189062733X
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-09-25
• Publisher: Woodbine House

Summary

Drawing on her unique background as both a sexual educator and mother of a child with Down syndrome, author Terri Couwenhoven blends factual information and practical ideas for teaching children with Down syndrome about their bodies, puberty, and sexuality. This book gives parents the confidence to speak comfortably about these sometimes difficult subjects. It also explains why it's so important to begin early in the life of a child to deal with issues such as hygiene, emotional and physical boundaries, privacy, and what makes for healthy relationships. In a friendly conversational style, the author covers relevant issues and concerns for children of all ages, such as: ? Labeling & explaining private body parts ? Identifying & expressing emotions ? Respecting personal space ? Teaching self-care & hygiene ? Understanding norms of privacy ? Understanding gender identity ? Showing appropriate levels of affection She also covers later issues that affect teenagers and young adults, including: ? Anticipating and understanding puberty ? Dealing with periods, bras for girls ? Experiencing erections, wet dreams for boys ? Relating to the opposite sex ? Sharing parental values about sexuality ? Explaining sexual relationships ? Preventing sexual abuse ? Understanding how Down syndrome affects puberty & fertility rates

Author Biography

Terri Couwenhoven, M.S., is an ASSECT certified sexuality educator who specializes in working with people with intellectual disabilities, their families, and the professionals who support them. Previous publications include Beginnings: A Parent/Child Sexuality Program for Families with Puberty-Aged Children with Developmental Disabilities and Teen-to-Teen. When she is not teaching, she is Clinic Coordinator for the Down Syndrome Clinic of Wisconsin at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin. Terri has two daughters, her oldest has Down syndrome.