Taming adulthood

Usługa

Studies show that, at a certain age, many people with intellectual disabilities, just like non-disabled people, begin to explore their sexuality. Later on, some of them decide to start families and want to become parents. These people often are not properly educated on issues regarding sexuality, nor are they prepared to be parents. This can lead to various complications when raising children in the future, including ones that non-disabled parents are not faced with.

The innovation involves a training programme that prepares therapists to work with people with intellectual disabilities using of an infant simulator. It is a doll with a built-in minicomputer and special software that imitates the behaviour of a newborn baby. The infant care simulation is an educational method that replicates real infant care in artificial conditions, allowing the recipients to go through the experience of being a parent and caregiver, and prepare them to take a responsible approach to infant care. The simulator operator is a therapist/educator/caregiver who, by selecting the appropriate version of the programme and reading out the results, is able to assess the educational progress of the innovation recipient. The innovation 'Taming adulthood' consists of: A training programme for professionals supporting people with intellectual disabilities. It provides basic information on parenting and sexuality of people with intellectual disabilities, operation of the infant simulator, use of the infant simulator in therapy, workshop plans. A workshop on location – a training offer for professionals supporting people with intellectual disabilities. Consultation point – activities carried out as part of the innovation by specialists trained in sex education. The consultation point organizes individual consultations, therapy and diagnosis of people with intellectual disabilities on sexual disorders as well as group training and educational activities in support centers for people with intellectual disabilities.

Employees of institutions supporting people with intellectual disabilities – therapists, instructors, caregivers, parents People with intellectual disabilities

Integrative and mainstream schools Special schools for people with mild intellectual disabilities Special schools for people with moderate and severe intellectual disabilities Boarding schools Facilities for adults (occupational therapy workshops, community self-help homes, activity centers and others) Residential institutions for people with disabilities (transitional housing, sheltered housing, residential homes and others) Institutions supporting people with disabilities

A handbook ‘Taming Adulthood. Using the infant simulator in support of people with intellectual disabilities. A guidebook for professionals” Plans for activities conductedt during workshops on location Workshop participant notebook Report on participant notebooks/registers of infant simulator supervisors Model contracts on infant simulator care to be signed by parents/caregivers Plans for activities conducted during workshops on location Consultation points A video made during the workshop on location

People with intellectual disabilities participated in workshops on location where they took care of infant simulators. They were responsible for the simulators throughout the trip and were given the opportunity to discuss any issues they had with educators and psychotherapists. The participants also took part in workshops on sex education, family, love, care, responsibility, assertiveness. Parents and caregivers of people with disabilities were satisfied with the workshops. Some of them said that they had not been aware of many things their children were capable of. Thanks to the project, they began to better understand their children's sexuality and competence.

Tak

Psychotherapists Educators supporting people with intellectual disabilities

Infant simulators

Podmiot prawny

Katarzyna Karczewska, Sławomir Matuszak | Fundacja “Dom Marzeń”

Gdynia

Inkubator pomysłów [2020-23]