Resources

Pelvic Exams are a common physical exam, but they can be scary and uncomfortable if you don’t know what to expect. This social story walks you through the process of a pelvic exam and includes a glossary that breaks down terms like pelvis, uterus, vagina, and more!

This social story was designed by SexEdVA in collaboration with the Health Education Design Group (HEDG), both programs at the Institute for Innovation in Health and Human Services at James Madison University.

There are two versions of this social story:

• Pelvic Exam Social Story

• Larger Print Pelvic Exam Social Story

Spanish Social Stories:

• Spanish Pelvic Exam Social Story

• Spanish Larger Print Pelvic Exam Social Story

Healthy Understanding of Our Bodies (HUB)

Youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities don’t always have access to sexual health education. With so many topics to cover, it can feel overwhelming for youth, caregivers and professionals to decide where to go for information.

In this resource hub, you will find a collection of videos, learning tools, and webpages to help youth with disabilities and their supportive networks build a strong foundation for sexual health. You will also find information about Virginia organizations who are offering relationship and sex education for young people with IDD and national organizations who offer curriculums, trainings, and other resources.

Sexual Health and Behavioral Changes in Youth with IDD

DSHN created this resource to help you identify when your youth might be in need of sexual health support through observed behaviors. The idea behind this project is to identify behaviors that could be associated with sexual health topics and provide a list of strategies to support parents, caregivers, community partners, and educators support youth in that area.

Family Life Education (FLE) and Individualized Education Plans (IEPs): You can make it happen.

This document was created by DSHN staff to discuss the importance of sexual health education for youth with disabilities as well as the current status of FLE in Virginia.

This document was created by DSHN staff and partners to provide examples of sexual health concepts that could be applicable to students with disabilities. While these are broader concepts, they can be broken down to meet the needs of each individual student. Then, IEP teams can work to create SMART goals to put in the IEP.

Sexual Health Concepts PDF

This learning guide was created by DSHN staff and our Youth Advisory Board (YAB) to accompany our original short film Follow You, Follow Me.

There are two guides:

• Follow You, Follow Me Student Learning Guide

• Follow You, Follow Me Teacher Learning Guide

This learning guide was created by DSHN staff and our Youth Advisory Board (YAB) to accompany our original short film Flip the Script.

There are two learning guides:

• Flip the Script Student Learning Guide

• Flip the Script Teacher Learning Guide

This factsheet describes the rights people with disabilities have when living in licensed provider settings. Individuals deserve to know their rights, and who to speak to if these rights have been violated.

Rights to Privacy in a Group Home PDF

Conversations about sexuality and puberty are critical to your child’s health and safety. This toolkit created by PEATC offers practical tools and strategies you can use to help your child through puberty and adolescence.

Let’s Talk About Sex: Toolkit for Parents of Students with Disabilities

Birth Control and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) are sensitive topics that can be hard to talk about, but it is important that your child learns about them so that they can stay safe and healthy.

English Version: PEATC Birth Control and Sexually Transmitted Infections Factsheet

Spanish Version: Control de embarazo e infecciones de transmisión sexual

From an early age, it is important to teach your child about their body. Body parts have proper names and each part functions differently. It is also important that all children learn that they have body rights.

English Version: PEATC Body Rights and Body Knowledge

Spanish Version: Conocimiento del Cuerpo y Derechos del Cuerpo

All people have the right to safe and healthy relationships. Sometimes that means having boundaries. It’s important that children learn about boundaries from an early age so that they do not get hurt and they do not hurt other people.

English Version: PEATC Safe and Health Boundaries

Spanish Version: Límites Seguros y Saludables

Consent means that you agree to something. You say YES. We need our consent to be “informed.” We don’t want to scare our children, but they do need to fully understand what saying YES means.

English Version: PEATC What is Consent?

Spanish Version: ¿Qué es el consentimiento?

It is okay to leave a situation if you feel unsafe or uncomfortable. It is important to have ongoing, developmentally appropriate conversations with your child about boundaries so they understand what is okay and what isn’t and how to get away and tell someone when needed.

English Version: Get Away and Tell Someone

Spanish Version: Alejarse y Contarle a Alguien

The Internet is an ever-changing public space that our children have access to through email, texting, virtual reality, and social media. Monitor your child’s social media activity until you are certain they are mature enough to keep themselves safe online without you.

English Version: Social Media and Online Safety

Spanish Version: Redes Sociales y Seguridad en Línea

All children, including those with disabilities, go through puberty. Puberty is when your child starts making the physical change from being a child to being an adult. Don’t wait for them to hear it from their peers or see it online and get misinformation.

English Version: Puberty

Spanish Version: Pubertad

It is important for your child to learn the difference between public and private places, public and private behaviors, and know what body parts are private.

English Version: Public vs. Private

Spanish Version: Público vs. Privado

It is important for individuals with and without disabilities to understand human reproduction—how babies are made.You can decide when the time is right, but it should be before they reach puberty or begin sexual activity.

English Version: Human Reproduction

Spanish Version: Repreproducción Humana

We are all sexual beings.This is true for people with and without disabilities. Developing a romantic attachment to someone is normal, but it can also be confusing. It’s important that your child with a disability learns about romantic relationships and sexual feelings.

English Version: Romantic Relationships

Spanish Version: Relaciones Románticas

This resource was developed by a group of teen self-advocates at the disability Law Center of Virginia (dLCV). This document covers a student's top 4 sex education rights according to Virginia law.

Your Top 4 Sex Education Rights PDF

This resource was developed by the disability Law Center of Virginia (dLCV). This document covers protections and advocacy rights for Virginians with Disabilities.

Rights to a Relationship