Preparing teachers of the deaf to teach sex education

Abstract

No graduate program in education of the deaf in the United States presently offers a course in sex education, or even health, for deaf students. Programs training counselors for the deaf seldom offer such classes. Frequently, however, the teacher or counselor who has primary contact with the deaf person finds himself responsible for instruction in sexuality as a routine part of his job. This article describes an in-service model used to prepare professionals working with the hearing impaired to infuse into traditional curricula the concepts of elementary human growth and development, including basic family relationships, sex differentiation, health and personal hygiene, social attitudes, habits and problems, and growth, development, and reproduction. Special emphasis is placed on the unique problems in communicating with the deaf. The model is intended for training those professionals who have had no extensive preparation in sexuality or sex education, but who find themselves responsible for instructing and advising students and clients.