‘One Size Does Not Fit All’. The Voices of Professionals Regarding the Delivery of Relationships and Sexuality Education to Children and Young People With Intellectual Disability: Findings From a UK-Wide Qualitative Study

IF 1.9 3区医学 Q2 PSYCHOLOGY, EDUCATIONAL

Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities Pub Date : 2026-04-01 DOI:10.1111/jar.70223

Michael Brown, Mark Linden, Lynne Marsh, Maria Truesdale, Fintan Sheerin, Freda McCormick

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Abstract

Background

Relationships and sexuality education (RSE) is critical for children and young people with intellectual disabilities; yet, it is a contentious issue. This study explored the views and experiences of professionals regarding RSE programmes.

Method

Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with 16 health, social care and education professionals. Professionals came from across the UK (England n = 5, Scotland n = 1, Wales n = 2, Northern Ireland n = 8). Interview data were subjected to thematic analysis.

Results

Three themes emerged: (i) preparation for success; (ii) effective communication and lifelong learning and (iii) individual support and resources. Professionals were motivated and committed to offer the best learning experience possible. There is inconsistency in delivery across programmes, taking time and effort to develop.

Conclusions

The development of structured programmes and tailored resources is necessary to enable practitioners to effectively support and deliver RSE.

查看原文本刊更多论文

“一种尺码不适合所有人”。专业人士关于向智障儿童和青少年提供关系和性教育的声音：来自英国范围内定性研究的结果。

背景：人际关系和性教育（RSE）对智障儿童和青少年至关重要；然而，这是一个有争议的问题。本研究探讨了专业人士对RSE课程的看法和经验。方法：对16名卫生、社会护理和教育专业人员进行半结构化的个人访谈。专业人士来自英国各地（英格兰5人，苏格兰1人，威尔士2人，北爱尔兰8人）。对访谈数据进行专题分析。结果：出现了三个主题：(i)为成功做准备；（ii）有效的沟通和终身学习；（iii）个人支持和资源。专业人员积极主动，致力于提供最好的学习体验。各个项目的交付不一致，需要时间和精力来改进。结论：结构化项目和定制资源的开发是必要的，以使从业者能够有效地支持和交付RSE。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities Multiple-

CiteScore

4.70

自引率

12.50%

发文量

期刊介绍： JARID is an international, peer-reviewed journal which draws together findings derived from original applied research in intellectual disabilities. The journal is an important forum for the dissemination of ideas to promote valued lifestyles for people with intellectual disabilities. It reports on research from the UK and overseas by authors from all relevant professional disciplines. It is aimed at an international, multi-disciplinary readership. Topics covered include community living, quality of life, challenging behaviour, communication, sexuality, medication, ageing, supported employment, family issues, mental health, physical health, autism, economic issues, social networks, staff stress, staff training, epidemiology and service provision.