Sex education for children and teenagers with disability

Sex education for children and teenagers with disability: why it’s important

Sexual development starts at birth. It includes physical changes like puberty, the attitudes and beliefs children and teenagers develop about sex and sexuality, and their sexual identity and behaviour.

Children and teenagers with disability typically experience sexual development in the same ways as their peers without disability. They also have the same curiosity about romance, relationships and intimacy, and they’re just as likely to engage in sexual activity.

This means children and teenagers with disability have the same need for accurate and age-appropriate information about bodies, sex, relationships and consent as their peers. Sex education gives children and teenagers the knowledge and skills to:

form healthy, safe relationships
understand consent
protect themselves
recognise inappropriate or harmful sexual behaviour
seek help when needed.

Children and teenagers with disability often face barriers to getting the sex education they need. This can leave them vulnerable to sexual abuse and other negative experiences. The Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability found that children with disability need extra support to stay safe.

Supporting sex education for children and teenagers with disability

Your child with disability might need support to understand subjects like public and private behaviour, intimacy and consent. This might involve adapting information to suit your child’s communication preferences and cognitive, emotional and developmental needs.

You can get answers to questions and support for your child’s sex education from your child’s GP, occupational therapist or speech pathologist or from other professionals who work with your child. Also, the articles below have answers to common questions about sexual development, plus suggestions for guiding your child through this part of their development.

If you have a child with disability, it’s natural to have questions about their sexual development and sex education. It’s also natural to be concerned about protecting your child from sexual abuse.

Childhood sexual development and sexual behaviour

Harmful sexual behaviour in childhood and adolescence

Sex, bodies and boundaries for children

Consent for children and teenagers

Respectful relationships for pre-teens and teenagers

Child sexual abuse: protecting children and teenagers