As a parent, it’s natural to worry about your child growing up, developing into an adult and becoming ready to take on the world. When your child has an intellectual disability and/or autism spectrum disorder, these worries can feel overwhelming, particularly if your child requires a lot of support or uses non-verbal communication. Many parents are concerned about how their child will be able to tell them if something is wrong, and how they can respond in a supportive way.
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Conversation Starters
I’ve noticed that you don’t seem very happy at the moment; can you tell/show me how you are feeling?
What do you think is the difference between a “surprise” and a “secret”?
Strategies for you to try
Keep an open line of communication with your child and encourage them to feel safe in telling you things
Get to know the people who are supporting your child and communicate with them regularly about any changes in mood or behaviours
Avoid talking about ‘secrets’ and instead talk about ‘surprises’. Surprises make people happy when they find out, they don’t last for very long and knowing about them doesn’t make you feel bad. Secrets exclude others, can cause others to be angry or upset when they find out and they might last for a long time. No one should be asking your child to keep a secret.
Teach your child about safe people and tricky people
Teach your child that they own their body, which body parts are private and the anatomically correct names for their private parts
Teach your child to “NO, GO & TELL” – if someone tries to touch them in a way they don’t like and/or tries to touch their private parts, say/sign no and go and tell a safe adult.
Recognise changes in behaviour and signs of abuse. Ensure that any physical signs are documented and accounted for and behaviour changes are monitored
Is This Normal? : Understanding Your Child's Sexual Behaviour
