Perception of Sex Education for Individuals with Developmental and Cognitive Disability: A Four Cohort Study.

Individuals with developmental disabilities/cognitive disabilities (DD/CD) may lack experience and skills necessary to build relationships and define their sexuality boundaries. This lack of experience makes them particularly vulnerable to sexual abuse and exploitation. The short-term goal of this study was to discover the expectations for a sex education program as described by individuals with DD/CD, parents of individuals with DD/CD, professionals who work with individuals with DD/CD, and health care professionals who come into contact with these individuals. The long term goal is to gain information that will be helpful in the development of an appropriate sex education program for individuals with DD/CD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]