Because it is a part of the curriculum,
not its own
class, it might not get a great deal of depth. For
students with a visual impairment, it is hard to
pick up a diagram of the body, look up the
correct way to use birth control or notice a
[sexually transmitted infection] (STI) (just as an
example) compared to their peers who are
sighted. It takes more detailed instruction to
overcome the differ-ence.
Students who are visually impaired are also
more vulnerable to being victims of sexual assault
or being taken advantage. Social interactions with
peers are hard enough but to have an attraction
or need to resist attention requires students to un-
derstand their rights and practice expressing
those rights.
Q: What do you think are the greatest chal-
lenges in teaching sex education curriculum to
students with visual impairments?
Alison: I don't think I am the best to answer
[this question] because I only have students with
[visual impairments] (VI). I don't have compari-
son to same-age peers except with past experi-
ence but both at the same time.
I don't think this is the greatest,
but
I am
having a hard time with one stand out issue. [I
am] having to spend a lot of time reviewing or fig-
uring out the true level of knowledge about sexual
health, [which] can be hard. Students have
health in our school three years after their middle
school requirement. In that time, students hear
many things from their peers, families, media,
and friends. All that information forms their opin-
ions and not all of it is accurate. No one in high
school wants to stand out as not understanding,
so getting students to be honest or figure out
what he/she might not completely understand
can
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