Parents and educators (and if you are one of these, please share with the other in your life - we're all contributors to our kids' learning),

This is an episode near and dear to me. It's also really special to Ashten because of her work with and friendships with people with disabilities. If you are raising or supporting a child or youth with a disability (either physical or mental), you'll know how much more complicated it feels to talk with them about their sexual health and development. It causes us to consider HOW they learn information, what's going to be relevant for them, and when to bring the information up. We discuss the vulnerabilities that come with interacting with systems of health care and/or education that make assumptions, aren't sure what questions to ask or how to provide answers that meet their needs, and inadvertently leave gaps for those who need more from care providers.

This conversation with Ashten made me think through so many important factors - things I'll know to bring up with families I'm supporting and also safe guards I can put in place for my own kids. Here are a couple of specific resources we thought you might want to know about after you listen to our conversation:

respectability.org/resources/sexual-education-resources for young adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities
www.shift-education.com (Jessy Wollen) is a local sex educator in BC's lower mainland who has great resources for diverse learners.

Learning alongside you,
Karen