Bringing up a disabled child or young person can be difficult at times but understanding their feelings on relationships, sex, and puberty can prove a challenge!
This page provides information for parents and carers to support their older child or young person with various relationship issues.
Good sex and relationship education (RSE) informs children and young people about relationships, emotions, sex and sexuality and sexual health. It also enables them to develop life skills and a positive attitude to sexual health and wellbeing.
This can include relationships with family/friends, making friends, sexual awareness, puberty, pregnancy and contraception.
Despite a willingness to talk about sex and relationships, many parents are unsure how to go about it. They worry and think they may not know enough and lack the confidence to talk and listen confidently without embarrassment.
Please also refer to Contact, the national support organisation for families with disabled children for more information:
Contact have produced 2 helpful guides - one for parents and one for young people.
Please click on the links below to download your copy.
- Parents carers leaflet - growing up, sex and relationships
- Young person's leaflet - growing up, sex and relationships
Growing up resources list: