Attitudes of a multi-disciplinary team regarding sexual education among students with Developmental Cognitive Disabilities (DCD)
PDF (English)

Słowa kluczowe

sexual education
Developmental Cognitive Disabilities (DCD)
attitudes
multi-disciplinary team members
sector

Jak cytować

Kellerman, S. (2021). Attitudes of a multi-disciplinary team regarding sexual education among students with Developmental Cognitive Disabilities (DCD). Interdyscyplinarne Konteksty Pedagogiki Specjalnej, (32), 185–212. https://doi.org/10.14746/ikps.2021.32.10

Abstrakt

This quantitative study examines the attitudes of multidisciplinary staff regarding sex education among students with developmental intellectual disabilities and compares the attitudes of teachers working in regular education and those working in special education, and attitudes of religious versus non-religious teachers. One hundred and twenty teachers from various schools in the State of Israel participated in the study. The vast majority were women (91.7%), and the rest were men (8.3%). The prevailing level of religiosity in the study was secular (47.5%), and religious (43.3%). Most teachers had no experience working with children with special needs (60%). The study participants completed a demographic survey. The questionnaire used to examine the research questions was The Sexual Attitude Scale (SAS) (Hudson, Murphy, & Nurius, 1983) – a 25-item summated category partition scale that was designed to measure the extent to which an individual adheres to a liberal or a conservative orientation concerning sexual expression. One question was removed from the original questionnaire (statement 18: heavy sexual petting should be discouraged) and 5 statements were added, focusing on attitudes toward sex education for students with developmental intellectual disabilities. The study findings show that the level of conservatism among special education teachers was lower than the level of conservatism among regular education teachers, i.e., special education teachers expressed more positive attitudes. The study find-ings show that the level of conservatism among religious teachers was higher than the level of conservatism among non-religious teachers, i.e., non-religious teachers expressed more positive attitudes. It was also found that there is a positive and significant relation between the seniority of teachers and their degree of conservatism: the more years of experience teachers had, the more negative were their attitudes regarding the sexual education of students with Developmental Cognitive Disabilities (DCD). In contrast, there was no significant connection between age and level of conservatism. The study also examined the relationship between the role of the teacher and his attitudes. The study reveals surprising findings that show that the highest degree of conservatism was found among teachers and counselors, then, among professional teachers, and finally, school therapists who demonstrated the lowest level of conservatism. This means that the most positive attitudes were among the paramedical caregivers and the more negative among the educators and counselors.
These findings suggest that training is needed for teachers in regular education, and among religious teachers, who are more conservative concerning sex education for people with special needs. It was also found that there is a connection between the teacher's role and his attitudes, and that the teacher's discipline should be addressed in the training. Veteran teachers have shown more negative attitudes, which is why training, for both teaching students and young teachers, and especially to veteran teachers, has an impact on their attitudes towards sex education among people with special needs. This training, beyond the knowledge provided, will facilitate changes of social attitudes to another, more positive view, towards people with special needs.

https://doi.org/10.14746/ikps.2021.32.10
PDF (English)

Bibliografia

Aloni, R. (1998). Sexual therapy of people with mental retardation. In A. Duvdevani et al., (Eds.), Parenting and Developmental Disabilities in Israel, pp. 151-163. Magnes. [Hebrew]

American Association on Mental Retardation. (2002). Mental retardation: definition classification, and systems of supports (10th Ed). AAMA.

Arnan, K. (1995). Life Skills for 5th-6th Grades: Skills, developmental and preventive issues for the state and state religious primary schools. Maa’lot. [Hebrew]

Assoulin, M. and Barnea, H. (2002). Survey on Operating Programs in Sex Education and Family Life Education. Ministry of Education, Pedagogical Administration. [Hebrew]

Aunos, M., & Feldman, M. A. (2002). Attitudes towards sexuality, sterilization and parenting rights of persons with intellectual disabilities. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 15(4), 285-296.

Bazzo, G., Nota, L., Soresi, S., Ferrari, L., & Minnes, P. (2007). Attitudes of social service providers towards the sexuality of individuals with intellectual disability. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 20(2), 110-115.

Blanchett, W. J., & Wolfe, P. S. (2002). A review of sexuality education curricula: Meeting the sexuality education needs of individuals with moderate and severe intellectual disabilities. Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities, 27(1), 43-57.

Bonnie, S. (2004). Disabled people, disability and sexuality. Disabling barriers-Enabling Environments, 19, 124-132.

Box, M., & Shawe, J. (2014). The experiences of adults with learning disabilities attending a sexuality and relationship group: “I want to get married and have kids”. Journal of Family Planning and Reproductive Health Care, 40(2), 82-88.

Brosh, A. (2007). Awareness, knowledge and willingness to deal with sex education in school among teaching students. Research report. Mofet Institute. [Hebrew]

Brown, H. (1994). ‘An ordinary sexual life?’: A review of the normalisation principle as it applies to the sexual options of people with learning disabilities. Disability & Society, 9(2), 123-144.

Cheng, M. M., & Udry, J. R. (2002). Sexual behaviors of physically disabled adolescents in the United States. Journal of Adolescent Health, 31(1), 48-58.

Cuskelly, M., & Bryde, R. (2004). Attitudes towards the sexuality of adults with an intellectual disability: parents, support staff, and a community sample. Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability, 29(3), 255-264.

Ćwirynkało, K., Byra, S., & Żyta, A. (2017). Sexuality of adults with intellectual disabilities as described by support staff workers. Hrvatska Revija za Rehabilitacijska Istrazivanja, 53, 77-87. di Giulio, G. (2003). Sexuality and People Living with Physical or Developmental

Disabilities: A Review of Key Issues. Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 12(1).

Finan, S. L. (1997). Promoting healthy sexuality: guidelines for infancy through preschool. The Nurse Practitioner, 22(10), 79-80.

Firstater, E., & Lapidot-Berman, Y. (2018). Sex education – why bother? The contribution of a course in human sexuality to teaching students. Rav Gvanim: Mekhkar va’Siach, 16, 81-53. [Hebrew]

Forer-Eilam, A. (2012). "And I did not know if I had the tools at all to help her deal with it or to share this big secret": attitudes of educational counselors in Israel towards gay and lesbian students. [Unpublished M.A. Thesis]. The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. [Hebrew]

Furey, E. M. (1994). Sexual abuse of adults with mental retardation: Who and where. Mental Retardation, 32(3), 173.

Gilmore, L., & Chambers, B. (2010). Intellectual disability and sexuality: Attitudes of disability support staff and leisure industry employees. Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability, 35(1), 22-28.

Grenon, I., & Merrick, J. (2014). Intellectual and developmental disabilities: eugenics. Frontiers in Public Health, 2, 201.

Gunn, M. G. (1986). Sexual rights of mentally handicapped. Division of Legal and Criminological Psychology of BPS.

Guvrin, N. (2007) Flowers, butterflies and bees: Sex education for children and youth in the Land of Israel. Olam Katan, 3, 82-66.

Ionescu, C. E., Rusu, A. S., & Costea-Bărluţiu, C. (2019). Attitudes of Special Education teachers towards sexual education of students with intellectual disabilities:

Effects of religiosity and professional experiences. Educatia 21 (17), 102-111.

Kempton, W., & Kahn, E. (1991). Sexuality and people with intellectual disabilities: A historical perspective. Sexuality and Disability, 9(2), 93-111.

King, R., & Richards, D. (2002). Sterilization and birth control. In D. Griffiths., D. Richards, P. Fedoroff, & S. L. Watson (Eds.), Ethical dilemmas: Sexuality and developmental disability. NADD Press. 227-254.

Kukulu, K., Gürsoy, E., & Sözer, G. A. (2009). Turkish university students’ beliefs in sexual myths. Sexuality and Disability, 27(1), 49-59.

Lacey, P., & Lomas, J. (2013). Support services and the curriculum: A practical guide to collaboration. Routledge.

Lachover, Y., & Argaman, R. (2007). Towards Sexual Maturity – Aspects of Sex Education from a Social Perspective, A Guide for Special Education Teams. Maa’lot. [Hebrew]

Lyden, M. (2007). Assessment of sexual consent capacity. Sexuality and Disability, 25(1), 3-20.

Manor-Binyamini, I. (2003). Collaboration within a multidisciplinary team at a special education school. Issues in Special Education and Rehabilitation, 18 (1), 61-74. [Hebrew]

Manor-Binyamini, I. (2009). Multidisciplinary teamwork – theory, research, and application.

Ministry of Education, publications division.

McCabe, M. P. (1993). Sex education programs for people with mental retardation. Mental Retardation, 31(6), 377.

Murphy, G. H., & O’callaghan, A. (2004). Capacity of adults with intellectual disabilities to consent to sexual relationships. Psychological Medicine, 34(7), 1347.

Nissim, D. (1997). Social attitudes towards the sexuality of the mentally retarded person. Issues in Special Education and Rehabilitation, 13(1), 44-49. [Hebrew]

Pebdani, R. N. (2016). Attitudes of group home employees towards the sexuality of individuals with intellectual disabilities. Sexuality and Disability, 34(3), 329-339.

Rogers, C. (2010). But it’s not all about the sex: Mothering, normalisation and young learning disabled people. Disability & Society, 25(1), 63-74.

Sanders, T. (2007). The politics of sexual citizenship: commercial sex and disability. Disability & Society, 22(5), 439-455.

Schaaf, M. (2011). Negotiating sexuality in the convention on the rights of persons with disabilities. SUR-International Journal on Human Rights, 14, 113.

Schaafsma, D., Kok, G., Stoffelen, J. M. T., & Curfs, L. M. G. (2017). People with intellectual disabilities talk about sexuality: implications for the development of sex education. Sexuality and disability, 35(1), 21-38.

Schaafsma, D., Stoffelen, J. M., Kok, G., & Curfs, L. M. (2013). Exploring the development of existing sex education programmes for people with intellectual disabilities: an intervention mapping approach. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 26(2), 157-166.

Sciaraffa, M. (2012). Suzie’s Mommy Is Having a Baby: Don’t Freak out! Healthy Sexuality Development in Young Children. Exchange: The Early Childhood Leaders’ Magazine Since 1978, 207, 104-108.

Sciaraffa, M., & Randolph, T. (2011). “You want me to talk to children about what?”: Responding to the subject of sexuality development in young children. YC Young Children, 66(4), 32.

Shaked, L. (2006). Implementation process of the Special Education Law in Israel. [Unpublished Ph.D. dissertation] Bar Ilan University. [Hebrew]. https://www.nli.org.il/he/dissertations/NNL_ALEPH002523741/NLI

Shakespeare, T., Gillespie-Sells, K., & Davies, D. (1996). The Sexual Politics of Disability. Cassell.

Shildrick, M. (2007). Contested pleasures: The sociopolitical economy of disability and sexuality. Sexuality Research & Social Policy, 4(1), 53.

Swango-Wilson, A. (2009). Perception of sex education for individuals with developmental and cognitive disability: A four cohort study. Sexuality and Disability, 27(4), 223.

Tepper, M. S. (2000). Sexuality and disability: The missing discourse of pleasure. Sexuality and Disability, 18(4), 283-290.

Tredgold, A. F., Soddy, K., Tredgold, R. F., & Dunkley, E. W. (1963). Textbook of Mental Deficiency (subnormality): By RF Tredgold and K. Soddy, with the Assistance of EW Dunkley [et Al.]. Baillière, Tindall, and Cox.

Weissblei, E. (2010). Sex education in the education system. Knesset Research and Information Center. https://www.knesset.gov.il/mmm/data/pdf/m02462.pdf

Weissblei, E. (2013). The Education System in Israel. Knesset Research and Information Center. [Hebrew]. https://fs.knesset.gov.il/globaldocs/MMM/21556b58-e9f7-e411-80c800155d010977/2_21556b58-e9f7-e411-80c8-00155d010977_11_7137.pdf

Weissblei, E. (2015). Education for Children with Special Needs in Israel – Data and Key Issues. The Knesset Research and Information Center. [Hebrew]

Wilkinson, V. J., Theodore, K., & Raczka, R. (2015). ‘As normal as possible’: Sexual identity development in people with intellectual disabilities transitioning to adulthood. Sexuality and Disability, 33(1), 93-105.

Wright, R. (2011). Young people with learning disabilities and the development of sexual relationships. Mental Health and Learning Disabilities Research and Practice, 8(1).

Yoshida, K. K. (1994). Intimate and marital relationships: An insider's perspective. Sexuality and Disability, 12(3), 179-189.

Zamir, K. (2003). Education is stepping out of the closet: teachers’ attitudes in Israel towards homosexuality and their willingness to address the subject in the classrooms. [Unpublished M.A Thesis]. Tel Aviv University. [Hebrew]