Growing up- Adolescence and

Sexuality
PCTP
October-December 2022
 About routines and Autism…..

• People with autism learn routines very well, be it:

• A ‘good’ routine or a ‘bad’ routine
• An ‘appropriate’ routine or an ‘inappropriate’
routine

• And once they learn a routine, they often learn

for life
• Difficult to unlearn and re learn it in a different
way
Childhood Adolescence Adulthood

Adolescence

Adulthood Childhood
From Childhood to Adolescence to Adulthood

Childhood occupies approx 10% to 15% of the life span

So, whatever we teach needs to factor the 85% to 90 %

of our children’s life span, the skills required for the
majority of their life span to help them lead happy
lives.

Teaching / Training to have a life span approach

 We teach

Amongst others

• Communication Skills: Receptive and Expressive

• Social Skills: Understanding social situations and
rules and appropriate social behaviors
• Work Skills
• Play and leisure skills
• Self Help Skills
 We also teach

• Names of body parts • Imitation (For teaching

• Identification of one’s self help skills)
own and other’s • Compliance/ Following
genders instructions
• Taking care of personal And
belongings • The concept of PRIVACY
• Making choices
 The concept of Privacy

• A rather abstract concept

• Those without autism learn almost intrinsically, as a
natural part of growing up
• People with autism need to be TAUGHT the concept
of privacy
 Teach ‘Privacy / Private’ NOW

• What are ‘private parts’

Can be taught whilst teaching body parts

• What are ‘private acts’

Bathing, getting dressed, being unclothed, touching
private parts
(+ Digging nose, scratching private parts)

• ‘Private acts’ to be done ‘in Private’/ ‘in Private area’

 Teach ‘Privacy / Private’ NOW

• Where is ‘in Private’/ ‘in Private area’

Own bedroom, secluded part of another room, toilet

• Use clear visuals cues

‘Private’ written in bold letters on the doors of the
private areas, (both on the front and at the back)
Use a particular colour code to denote ‘private’
 Teach ‘Privacy / Private’ NOW
• Door of relevant room / area to be closed during ‘private
acts’

• Only specific people to see the child unclothed (contrive

to teach)

• In case of a ‘private act’ occurring in an area other than

the ‘private area’, gently guide to the ‘Private area’
 Teach ‘Privacy / Private’ NOW
• Teach the child about these as you would with all other
concepts:
• Be comfortable, use clear visuals, physical prompts
and… REINFORCE!

• Respect the child’s privacy

• Teach the child to respect your privacy
 Some of the things we need to teach our
children at puberty
• Changes in their bodies
• Hygiene and health
• Menstruation
• Masturbation
• Personal safety
• Intimate relationships and marriage
 Changes in their bodies

• Growing up to be a man/woman
• ITS OK TO GROW UP!
• Gender specific information about changes in the body
• Use visuals: realistic visuals, avoid cartoons
• Teach in a relaxed setting, as a conversation
• Sound excited, growing up a good thing!
 Hygiene: Good hygiene routines to be
established, reinforced

To emphasize on
• Washing of face, underarms, private parts, feet,
hands
• Application of deodorant, talcum powder
• Application of creams/ medication for acne
• Dental hygiene
 Hygiene: Good hygiene routines to be
established, reinforced

Girls to be taught
• About wearing a bra
• The use of feminine hygiene products

Boys to be taught
• About shaving facial hair
 Health

• Regular physical exercise routine

• Going for walks
• Using gym equipment, free hand exercise, etc
• Keep it fun and REINFORCE!

• Healthy eating habits

• Less of junk food, processed food, soft drinks
• Keep trying to introduce new foods that are healthy
 Preparing for Menstruation

• Prepare well in advance

• Reassure her, its OK to have your period
• Introduce her to the sanitary napkin
• Her mother/sister can contrive situations so she can
see her mother/sister using the napkin
• Have a clear, designated, accessible place for the
napkin both at school and home
 Preparing for Menstruation

• Practice using the napkin, if possible

• Tell her that she may have some physical discomfort
during her periods
• Use a calendar with approximate dates marked
clearly
• Use social stories, visuals
Preparing for Menstruation… Social Story

Once a month I will bleed for about 5 days

This is called getting my periods
It is ok to have my periods
Mamma/ Didi also have periods
When I have my periods I can tell Mamma / Didi/ X
teacher
When I have periods I wear full pants/salwar
When I have periods I wear a napkin in my panties
Preparing for Menstruation …Social Story- contd

I change the napkin when the alarm rings / see the

clock / Mamma reminds.
I put the soiled napkin in a packet/ newspaper and
throw it in the toilet bin.
I wash my hands after I have changed the napkin.
I may not feel very good when I have my period.
My stomach may hurt when I have my period.
When I have my period, I can ask Mama/ Didi/ X
teacher for help.
Preparing for Menstruation...Visuals
Preparing for Menstruation...Visuals
Preparing for Menstruation...Visuals
Preparing for Menstruation...Visuals
 About Masturbation

• Normal sexual bodily function

• We need to work on our comfort
• We need to teach our teens the social implications
• Its ok to masturbate
• BUT, that it is a ‘private act’, to be done in ‘private’
• Where and when is ‘private’
• Through videos, social stories
 About Masturbation… Social Story

• Sometimes I want to touch myself- its okay

• I will do it in private
• Private means my room / bathroom
• After I have finished I shall wash my hands
• Sometimes I may have difficulty
• I can ask daddy or---- to help me
 About Personal Safety…

• About relationship boundaries (appropriate

behaviour, sharing thoughts, asking for information,
proximity etc)

• About sexual abuse

 Visualing Relationship Boundaries:
Relationship Circles/ Circles of Support

Private circle

Hug circle

Faraway hug circle

Handshake circle

Wave circle

Stranger Circle

Each circle represents people/ sets of people according

to the varying degrees of closeness with them
 Visualing Relationship Boundaries:
Relationship Circles/ Circles of Support
• The private circle/ close hug circle: People the child is extremely close to,
such as immediate family members.

• The hug circle: Extended family and best friends. neighbours, favourite
teacher

• The far away hug circle: Friends, relatives, teachers, neighbours- not as
close as one’s family or best friends.

• The handshake circle: School mates, relatives, other teachers, colleagues-

People the child/ adult sees at school or people s/he works with:

• The wave circle: People the child passes every day on the street in the
neighborhood, but doesn’t personally know.

• The stranger circle: People one would ignore or not give a greeting to,
because one doesn’t know them.
 Visualing Relationship Boundaries:
Relationship Circles/ Circles of Support
Private circle: Immediate
family members-
Photographs and Rules of
interaction
Hug circle: Extended family,
best friends, neighbours,
favourite teacher-
Photographs and Rules of
interaction
Faraway hug circle: Friends, relatives,
teachers, neighbours- not as close-
Photographs and Rules of interaction

Handshake circle: School mates,

relatives, other teachers,
colleagues-
Photographs and Rules of
interaction
Wave circle: Sees often, but
doesn’t personally know.-
NO Photographs, just rules of
interaction

Stranger Circle:
Unknown People we do
not know at all
NO Photographs, just
rules of interaction

Each circle clarifies degree of intimacy

 Visualing Relationship Boundaries:
Relationship Circles/ Circles of Support

Private circle: Immediate family members

Photographs of relevant people:

Pasted in the circle

Rules of interactions:
Written and/ or visualized in the circle/ On a wall
next to the circle on a separate sheet of same coloured
paper.
Proximity, privacy, what we can talk about, share, ask
for information etc
 About Abuse

• Abuse is not just about physical or sexual abuse

• The way we speak to our folks, speak about our folks,

the way we behave with them, CAN also tantamount
to abuse
 About Abuse

• Be focused to recognize any signs or behaviors that

show sudden deviances in behaviors towards
particular people or situations.
 About Sexual Abuse

• Teach to maintain physical distance from others

• Avoid inappropriate hugging and kissing

• Teaching to say NO to physical advances

• Be careful about the exposure the child is getting

from the media and by observing other people