This is my birthday weekend!  

And I'm reminded of a story of one of my most memorable birthdays. My 13th.

Why?!?!

Well, if you've taken a puberty related program from me you have likely heard me share a personal piece of information about this specific birthday because it was when I got my very FIRST period! 

I've shared this story for years, but this past year a mother said something to me that I had never heard before.

She said, "You got your period the day you were born! See, you were born for this!"

Born for this? I blushed.

Yet it stuck with me enough that I'm telling you about it today.

Could I have been born to talk about this?

I'm going to share something very personal. There is history of sexual abuse in my family.

My mother was molested by her father and brother as a child.

My parents were surprisingly open about this with my sister and I growing up.

I have more than one memory of conversations my parents had in front of...

Puberty can be a tough time for all young people but for kids with intellectual disability it can be even harder, for both them and their parents and care givers. Children with differing abilities may develop earlier or later.  Although no two children will develop the same way, they will still progress through the different stages. Each child also has their own learning needs. Learning about the development that happens at different ages will help you to understand where your child is physically in their development.

But while a child’s cognitive understanding of puberty and sexuality may be delayed for his or her age, the process of body maturation, hormonal changes, and sexual feelings usually is not — creating a mismatch that can be dangerous if ignored.

How do you know your teen is ready for certain sexual health topics? 

Here’s the good news – you can’t introduce things too early! Discussing topics earlier than you think is often...

I know, I know...obviously! 

Is puberty the elephant in the room in your house?  Don't ignore the signs that your child is developing and in the midst of these physical and emotional changes. Most schools across the nation missed the infamous 5th grade puberty video this past spring. With the challenges teachers and schools are facing right now I wouldn't leave sex ed to schools at this time and other experts agree. 

What do schools usually cover in sex ed?

That depends where you live. Here in California the California Healthy Youth Act (implemented January 2016) requires school districts to ensure all students in grades 7–12 receive comprehensive sexual health education and HIV/AIDS prevention education at least once in middle school and once in high school, and mandates curricula be age appropriate, medically accurate, objective, and appropriate for “all races, genders, sexual orientations, and ethnic and cultural backgrounds; pupils with...