Secondary teachers of students with mild mental handicaps discussed the factors that influenced their decisions about teaching family life education. Although teachers believed that their students would benefit from comprehensive and realistic family life programming, only about a third of them had offered it. Teachers were wary of an adverse reaction from students, students' parents, and their administrators. Many said that they were unsure of appropriate content and teaching strategies. Few had received even minimal preparation for teaching sexuality education in their preservice education.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Andron, L., & Tymchuk, A. (1987). Parents who are mentally retarded. In A. Craft (Ed.), Mental handicap and sexuality: Issues and perspectives (pp. 238-262). Kent, Great Britain: Costello Press.
2.
Andron, L., & Tymchuk, A. (1985). Marriage and parenting: Effective decision making for the developmentally disabled. Los Angeles: Stanfield House.
3.
Benz, M.R., & Halpern, A.S. (1987). Transition services for secondary students with mild disabilities: A statewide perspective. Exceptional Children , 53, 507-514.
4.
Brantlinger, E.A. (1988a). Teachers' perceptions of the sexuality of their secondary students with mild mental retardation. Education and Training in Mental Retardation, 23, 24-37.
5.
Brantlinger, E.A. (1988b). Teachers' perceptions of the parenting abilities of their secondary students with mild mental retardation. Remedial and Special Education, 9, 31-43.
6.
Brantlinger, E.A. (1987). Influencing staff attitudes about the sexuality of handicapped persons. In A. Craft (Ed.), Sex education and counseling for mentally handicapped people (pp. 177-206). Kent, Great Britain: Costello Press.
7.
Brantlinger, E.A. (1985). Mildly mentally retarded secondary students' information about and attitudes toward sexuality and sexuality education. Education and Training in Mental Retardation, 20, 99-108.
8.
Brown, H. (1987). Working with parents. In A. Craft (Ed.). Mental Handicap and Sexuality: Issues and Perspectives (pp. 177-206). Kent, Great Britain: Costello Press.
9.
Budd, K., & Greenspan, S. (1985). Parameters of successful and unsuccessful intervention with parents who are mentally retarded. Mental Retardation , 23, 269-273.
10.
Budd, K., & Greenspan, S. (1984). Mentally retarded mothers. In E. Bleckman (Ed.), Behavior modification with women (pp. 477-506). New York: Guilford Press.
11.
Craft, A. (1987). Mental handicap and sexuality: Issues for individuals with a mental handicap, their parents and professionals. In A. Craft (Ed.), Mental handicap and sexuality: Issues and perspectives (pp. 13-34). Kent, Great Britain: Costello Press.
12.
Dupras, A., & Tremblay, R. (1976). Path analysis of parents' conservatism toward sex education of their mentally retarded children. American Journal of Mental Deficiency, 81, 162-166.
13.
Edgerton, R.B. (1984). Lives in process: Mildly retarded adults in a large city (Monograph No. 62). Washington, DC: American Association on Mental Deficiency .
14.
Fairweather, J.S. (1989). Transition and other services for handicapped students in local education agencies. Exceptional Children , 55, 315-320.
15.
Feldman, M., Case, L., Towns, F., & Betel, J. (1985). Parent Education Project I: Development and nurturance of children of mentally retarded parents. American Journal of Mental Deficiency, 90, 253-258.
16.
Haight, S.L., & Fachting, D.D. (1986). Materials for teaching sexuality, love and maturity to high school students with learning disabilities . Journal of Learning Disabilities, 19, 344-350.
17.
Hall, J.E., Morris, H.L., & Barker, H.R. (1973). Sexual knowledge and attitudes of mentally retarded adolescents. American Journal of Mental Deficiency, 27, 706-709.
18.
Johnson, P.R. (1987). Becoming real: A developmental approach to relationship education. In A. Craft (Ed.), Mental handicap and sexuality: Issues and perspectives (pp. 62-83). Kent , Great Britain: Costello Press.
19.
Kaufman, S. (1984). Friendship, coping systems, and community adjustment of mildly retarded adults. In R. B. Edgerton (Ed.), Lives in process: Mentally retarded adults in a large city (pp. 73-92). (Monograph No. 6). Washington, DC: American Association of Mental Deficiency.
20.
Kenney, A.M. (1987). Teen pregnancy: An issue for schools. Phi Delta Kappan, 68, 728-736.
21.
Levinson, R.A. (1984). Contraceptive self-efficacy: A primary prevention strategy. Journal of Social Work and Human Sexuality, 3, 1-15.
22.
Lincoln, Y.S., & Guba, E.G. (1985). Naturalistic Inquiry. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
23.
Madsen, M.K. (1979). Parenting classes for the mentally retarded. Mental Retardation, 17, 195-196.
24.
May, D.C. (1980). Survey of sex education coursework in special education programs. Journal of Special Education, 14, 107-109.
25.
Peterson, S., Robinson, E., & Littman, I. (1983). Parent-child interaction training for parents with a history of mental retardation. Applied Research in Mental Retardation, 4, 329-342.
26.
Ramey, C., & Campbell, F. (1984). Preventive education for high-risk children: Cognitive consequences of the Carolina Abecedarian Project. American Journal of Mental Deficiency, 88, 515-523.
27.
Rosenberg, S.A., & McTate, G.A. (1982). Intellectually handicapped mothers: Problems and prospects. Children Today, 11, 24-26.
28.
Wolf, L., & Zarfas, D.E. (1983). Parents' attitudes toward the sterilization of their mentally retarded children. American Journal of Mental Deficiency, 87, 122-129.
29.
Zetlin, S.G., & Hosseini, A. (1989). Six postschool case studies of mildly learning handicapped young adults. Exceptional Children, 55, 405-411.
30.
Zetlin, A.G., Weisner, T.S., & Gallimore, R. (1985). Diversity, shared functioning and the role of parenting by retarded persons. In S. K. Thurman (Ed.), Children of handicapped parents (pp. 69-95). New York: Academic Press.
