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Living healthy lives Living healthy lives

.AVIGATINGPUBERTY
by Kardella Whelan
Family Planning Victoria
(www.fpv.org.au)

.AVIGATINGPUBERTYWITHYOURCHILDISADAUNTINGEXPERIENCEFORALL
PARENTS BUTITCANBEESPECIALLYDAUNTINGFORPARENTSWHOHAVEACHILD
WITH$OWNSYNDROME#ONSCIOUSTHATTHEIRCHILDMAYBEMOREVULNER
ABLEASTHEYGROWINTOASEXUALPERSON PARENTSAREOFTENUNSUREHOWTO
APPROACHSEXANDPUBERTY(EREARESOMEPRACTICALSTEPSTOHELPREDUCE
THESTRESSFORYOUANDYOURCHILDREN

3TARTEARLY #ORRECTNAMES
5SINGTHECORRECTNAMEFORBODYPARTSWILLHELP
)NSTEADOFPUTTINGOFFTALKINGABOUTSEX STARTEARLY YOURCHILDRENAVOIDCONFUSIONINOTHERSETTINGS
4ALKINGABOUTSIMPLETHINGSWHENYOURCHILDISYOUNG 7ORDSLIKEPENIS TESTICLES VAGINAANDBREASTS
WILLHELPYOULAYTHEFOUNDATIONSFORTHEMORE SHOULDBEUSEDINPLACEOFSLANGORkCUTElWORDS!N
kEMBARRASSINGlCONVERSATIONSTHATMIGHTCOMEWITH EXAMPLEOFTHISWOULDBEm-UMMYISAGIRLBECAUSE
PUBERTY SHEHASAVAGINABETWEENHERLEGSANDYOUAREA
"EGINBYTEACHINGTHEDIFFERENCESBETWEENBOYSAND BOYBECAUSEYOUHAVEAPENISANDTESTICLESBETWEEN
GIRLS THECORRECTNAMESOFBODYPARTS CONCEPTSLIKE YOURLEGSn
PUBLICANDPRIVATE ANDAPPROPRIATETOUCHING4HIS 0UBLICANDPRIVATE
WILLGIVEYOURCHILDRENTHEKNOWLEDGETHEYNEED
ANDSHOWTHEMYOUCANTALKABOUTTHESETHINGSINA 4EACHYOURCHILDABOUTPRIVACYBYLETTINGTHEM
NATURALANDEASYWAY)TlSALSOGOODPRACTICEFORYOU EXPERIENCEIT/FFEROLDERCHILDRENPRIVACYINTHE
BATHROOMORBEDROOMTHISMEANSALLOWINGTHEM
.OTICINGDIFFERENCES TOHAVETHEDOORCLOSEDANDREQUIRINGOTHERSTO
!NYONEWHOHASHADABABYBOYANDSOMEBABY KNOCKANDWAITTOBEINVITEDIN"ECONCRETEABOUT
GIRLS KNOWSTHEüRSTTHINGHEDOESWHENHISNAPPY THEPLACESINTHEHOUSETHATARECONSIDEREDPRIVATE
ISOFFISEXPLOREHISGENITALS4HISISHOWHEBEGINSTO SUCHASBATHROOM TOILET BEDROOM SOASTOAVOID
DEVELOPANUNDERSTANDINGOFHISGENDER#HILDREN CONFUSION
CANALSOLEARNTODISTINGUISHkBOYlFROMkGIRLlBYSEEING 9OUNGERSIBLINGSNEEDTOBETAUGHTTORESPECT
THEIRPARENTSINTHESHOWERORTHEIRSIBLINGSINTHE THEIROLDERSIBLINGSNEEDFORPRIVACY'IVETHEM
BATH

8 Voice Autumn 2008. Down Syndrome Victoria members journal


Living healthy lives Living healthy lives

CLEARSTATEMENTSSUCHASm*OHNWANTSTOGOINTO WHENYOUTOUCHYOUROWNCHILD!TANEARLYAGE LET


THEBATHROOMBYHIMSELFBECAUSEHEWANTSTOBE YOURCHILDKNOWWHATYOUAREGOINGTODOANDASK
PRIVATE4HATlSWHYHESHUTSTHEDOOR7ENEEDTO THEIRPERMISSIONTODOIT&OREXAMPLE WHENWASH
STAYOUTn INGYOURDAUGHTERlSVAGINAINTHEBATH YOUCOULDSAY
SOMETHINGLIKEm)lMJUSTGOINGTOWASHYOURVAGINA
)TISIMPORTANTTHATPRIVACYISNOTONLYAPPLIEDTO
NOW)STHATOKAYn4HISAPPROACHTEACHESCHILDREN
HYGIENEANDRESTRICTEDTOTHEBATHROOMANDTOILET
THATPEOPLEHAVETOASKPERMISSIONBEFORETOUCHING
-ANYPEOPLEREQUIREASSISTANCEWITHPERSONAL
ANYPRIVATEAREAS
HYGIENEANDARENEVERALONEDURINGTHESETASKS BUT
THEYSTILLNEEDOPPORTUNITIESFORPRIVACY )TALSOHELPSTOMAKETHISMESSAGECRYSTALCLEARBY
SAYINGm9OUARETHEONLYONEWHOCANTOUCHYOUR
0RIVACYISABOUTDEVELOPINGASETOFRULESFOROUR
BODYWITHOUTASKING%VERYONEELSEHASTOASK
CONDUCTANDRESPECTFOROURSELVESANDOTHERS
7HENTHEYASK YOUCANDECIDEWHETHERYOUWANT
4HESERULESBECOMEESPECIALLYIMPORTANTWHEN
TOSAYSIGNYESORNOn
BODYCHANGESBEGINTOHAPPEN#HILDRENNEEDASAFE
ENVIRONMENTTOEXPLORETHEIROWNBODIES !NOTHEREFFECTIVEWAYOFTEACHINGCHILDRENABOUT
APPROPRIATEANDINAPPROPRIATETOUCHISTOTEACHTHE
)FYOUESTABLISHAPRIVACYSYSTEMEARLYON YOUR
#IRCLES#ONCEPT)TUSESCONCENTRICCIRCLESTOHELP
CHILDRENWILLNOTFEELSTRANGEABOUTWANTINGPRIVACY
CHILDRENUNDERSTANDTHERULESFORAPPROPRIATETALK
WHENTHEYBECOMEEMBARRASSEDABOUTTHEIRCHANG
TOUCHANDTRUSTANDHOWTHEYAPPLYTOTHEVARIOUS
INGBODIES
PEOPLEINTHEIRLIVES FROMTHEIRINNERCIRCLEOFFAMILY
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QUIETTIMEREADINGABOOKINTHEIRBEDROOMORPLAY WHETHERTHEYTEACHTHE#IRCLES#ONCEPTASYOUR
INGASOLITARYGAMEONTHEIRBED4HISSHOWSCHILDREN CHILDWILLBENEüTMOREIFYOUAREBOTHTEACHINGTHE
THROUGHEXPERIENCETHATWESOMETIMESNEEDTO SAMETHING&AMILY0LANNING6ICTORIARUNSCOURSESIN
TAKETIMEOUTFROMTHEPEOPLEAROUNDUS USINGTHE#IRCLES#ONCEPTFORSCHOOLSANDCARERS
!PPROPRIATETOUCHING
!LLPARENTSWANTTHEIRCHILDRENTOBESAFEINPUBERTY
0REPARATIONFORPUBERTY
ANDTHROUGHOUTTHEIRLIVES"ECAUSESTUDIESSHOW /NCEYOURCHILDHASUNDERSTOODTHEDIFFERENCES
PEOPLEWITHANINTELLECTUALDISABILITYAREPARTICULARLY BETWEENBOYSANDGIRLSANDHASAüRMGRASPOFTHE
VULNERABLETOABUSE ITISIMPORTANTTOEMPOWER CORRECTNAMES YOUNEEDTOHAVEADISCUSSIONABOUT
YOURCHILDBYTEACHINGAPPROPRIATETOUCH TALKAND THECHANGESTHATWILLOCCURINPUBERTYANDADOLES
TRUST CENCE)TISIMPORTANTTOHAVETHISDISCUSSIONBEFORE
4HEüRSTSTEPINTEACHINGAPPROPRIATETOUCH TALK ANYMAJORCHANGESOCCURSUCHASMENSTRUATION SO
ANDTRUSTISTEACHINGBODYOWNERSHIP"ODYOWNER YOURCHILDDOESNlTTHINKTHEREISSOMETHINGWRONG
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ANDNO ONECANTOUCHITWITHOUTTHEMSAYINGITlS STARTSWHENGIRLSAREBETWEENANDYEARSAND
OKAY$EVELOPINGTHISUNDERSTANDINGWILLHELPYOUR WHENBOYSAREBETWEENANDYEARS
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INAPPROPRIATEWAY ANDSAYNOTOINAPPROPRIATESEXUALTOUCHINGBY
9OUCANHELPDEVELOPUNDERSTANDINGBYAPPLYINGIT OTHERSHOWBABIESAREMADESEXUALFEELINGSWET
DREAMSANDMASTURBATIONYES FORGIRLSTOO

Voice Autumn 2008. Down Syndrome Victoria members journal 9


Living healthy lives

(YGIENE ABEDWETTINGPROBLEMATANDBETOOEMBAR
RASSEDTOASKABOUTIT2EASSUREYOURSONTHATIT
(YGIENEMESSAGESCANBESTARTEDEARLYALONGWITH
ISCOMPLETELYNORMALANDHAPPENSTOMOSTBOYS
BODYPARTS ALTHOUGHASCHILDRENBEGINTOCHANGE
AROUNDTHISTIME%XPLAINTHATWETDREAMSONLY
SHAPE DEVELOPBODYODOURANDMENSTRUATE YOU
HAPPENWHENHEISASLEEPANDLETHIMKNOWWHAT
WILLNEEDTOGIVEADDITIONALINSTRUCTIONSOTHERTHAN
TODOIFHEHASONEIE PUTSHEETSANDPYJAMASIN
WASHINGIE USEOFDEODORANT HOWOFTENTOCHANGE
THEWASH 
PADS ETC 
-ASTURBATION
(OWBABIESAREMADE
-ASTURBATIONISANOTHERTOPICTHATMAKESMANY
4HISCANBEDISCUSSEDFROMTHETIMECHILDRENBEGIN
PEOPLEUNCOMFORTABLE BUTTHEFACTISYOURCHILD
TOASK)FTHECHILDISASKING THEYWANTTOKNOW SO
WILLPROBABLYMASTURBATEATSOMETIMEDURINGTHEIR
DONlTLIEORTELLTHEMTOmWAITTILLTHEYGETOLDERn
LIFE)TISIMPORTANTFORYOUTOCONVEYHYGIENEAND
'IVETHEMAMINIMALAMOUNTOFINFORMATIONTHATIS
PRIVACYMESSAGESSUCHASWASHYOURHANDSAND
AGEAPPROPRIATE9OUMIGHTSAYm7HENTWOPEOPLE
CLEANUP ANDONLYDOITINAPRIVATEPLACELIKEYOUR
LOVEEACHOTHERTHEYCANDOSPECIALSEXYTHINGS
BEDROOM 9OUDONOTNEEDTOEXPLAINTHEPRO
THATCANMAKEABABY)TWILLGROWINASPECIALPLACE
CEDURESFORMASTURBATING ONLYTHATITISNORMALTO
INTHEMUMMYlSABDOMENnYOUCANTOUCHYOUR
TOUCHYOURSELFWHENYOUHAVESEXYFEELINGSASLONG
LOWERABDOMENTODEMONSTRATE )TISIMPORTANTTO
ASYOUAREINAPRIVATEPLACEWITHTHEDOORSHUT
LETCHILDRENKNOWTHATABABYDOESNOTGROWINTHE
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WITHMOREINFORMATION SAYkUTERUSlINSTEADOFABDO
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PEOPLE"UTITHAPPENSTOALLOFUS ANDTHEFEELINGS
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EVERYDAYS)FYOURDAUGHTERISABLETOUNDER
CONFUSING)TISIMPORTANTISTODISCUSSRELATIONSHIPS
STANDMORE YOUCANGOINTOMOREDETAIL7HEN
WITHYOURCHILDRENANDLETTHEMKNOWITlSCOM
SHEBEGINSMENSTRUATING ITMAYBEHELPFULTOUSEA
PLETELYNORMALTOHAVEFEELINGSFOROTHERBOYSOR
CALENDARTOHELPHERCHARTHERCYCLEANDPREPAREFOR
GIRLS4HISDISCUSSIONCOULDBEOPENEDBYASKINGYOUR
THENEXTPERIOD
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$ONOTASSUMEITWILLBEANOPPOSITESEXATTRAC )TISIMPORTANTTOTAKEARELAXED HONESTAPPROACH
TION 4HISHELPSYOURCHILDKNOWITISOKAYTOHAVE WHENYOUTALKWITHYOURCHILDRENABOUTPUBERTYAND
SEXYFEELINGSABOUTANOTHERPERSON EVENIFTHEY ALLITSRELATEDISSUES)FYOUHAVEANYQUESTIONSOR
DONlTWANTTOACTONTHEM WOULDLIKETOREFRESHYOURSKILLINTALKINGABOUTTHESE
TOPICS PLEASECONTACTUSAT&AMILY0LANNING6ICTORIA
7ETDREAMS
ON 
)TISASIMPORTANTTOEXPLAINWETDREAMSTOYOURSON
1. Champagne MP & Walker Hirsch L, (1993). Circles I: Intimacy
ASITISTOEXPLAINMENSTRUATIONTOYOURDAUGHTER and Relationships Revised Edition. James Stanfield Company, Inc.
9OUDONlTWANTYOURSONTOSUDDENLYTHINKHEHAS

10 Voice Autumn 2008. Down Syndrome Victoria members journal

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