Sexual Health and Dating with Disabilities: Understanding the Perspectives of Parent Resource Coordinators (PRCs)

Young people with disabilities have unique needs concerning dating and sexuality compared to their peers without disabilities. Research supports that young people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) desire more education and support. However, young people with I/DD often lack formal and informal sex education and dating information. Despite these barriers, youth with disabilities report feeling empowered when they receive information on sexual and dating health, and when they are included in discussion with community members, family, and close friends about their dating and sexual wants and needs. This study responds to the need to better understand how to support parents/caregivers of youth with I/DD with regard to sexual and dating health by asking them directly about what they want to know, what they feel youth should know, and how to implement community-based sexual health and dating programming that would support both parents/caregivers and their youth with I/DD