Infusion of sex education curricula into transition planning: obstacles and solutions

Although best practice literature centering on the transition of students with disabilities has highlighted the need for holistic planning, few educators have addressed the socio-sexual concerns of students with disabilities in transition plans. Given that appropriate sex education may increase the probability of successful adult adjustment of students with disabilities, efforts must be made to address socio-sexual issues. A particularly appropriate time to address such concerns is during transition planning when educators are preparing students with disabilities to undertake adult roles. The purpose of the current study was to examine educators' perceptions of sex education curricula for students with moderate to severe disabilities and apply these findings to create a strategy for infusing socio-sexual issues into existing curricula and individualized transition plans. The inclusion of socio-sexual concerns in transition encompassed strategies for assuring success of a sex education program, identification of curricular components, methods of modifying the curriculum, and team members involved in programming.