I did my internship in a hostel, where there were twenty-one adults with intellectual disabilities and psychotic disorders, in the age group between twenty four and fifty nine. These adults were supported by an educational team consisting of three monitors or counselors, two educators, a pre-intern, a psychologist and a Head of the Department.
We will discuss the most important issue that lingers in most of these institutions. Though the people are disabled, there is no denying that they have sexuality, which is the basic instinct of any human being. We will discuss more about the various issues related to the sexuality of individuals who are disabled.
[...] In this context, I tried developing my own hypothesis about how to balance work with institutional respect for privacy, emotions and sexuality of disabled adults, with the support of theoretical input and my experience. Theoretical verification of my hypothesis Before we even think about the sexual and emotional dimension of people with disabilities, we have to accept the fact that before being disabled, they are all primarily men and women in their own right. My suggestion would be to ensure the safety and well being of mentally disabled adults, particularly with respect to their emotional and sexual life. [...]
[...] Similarly, there may be a legitimate confusion between the institution and the volunteer doctor, which may have the effect on the participation of residents in this group. Beyond this confusion, it is quite legitimate to not participate in these groups. Despite the relative ignorance on the topics, modesty may be one reason why residents do not want to participate in such groups. After stressing the importance of respecting the right of privacy and sexuality, I will discuss two situations where the resident refuses intimacy. [...]
[...] How to get people to respect the privacy, emotions and the sexual life of mentally handicapped adults within institutions? The institution must try to promote the emotional and sexual development of the user under its wing, through a teacher, without breaking the critical privacy barrier. Having established the legislative framework, I will articulate some situations encountered in the course of my internship in hospitals, to develop a reflection related to this problem. Finally, from this discussion, I will try to assess to what extent my hypothesis is feasible. [...]
[...] An exchange that can create an awareness of issues related to sexuality, relationships and emotional intimacy of the user, is the need of the hour. Training programs The first tool of the educator is himself. Finding the right method to coach people every day is a tough task. There are a number of training programs tailored for people with intellectual disabilities. Among these, the training program life vision, enables people with learning disabilities to have access to information about sexuality and emotion, through projected slides. [...]
[...] This is very important for the person confiding and also the person in whom the matter is confided. If this approach is not present, then the user will not have trust in the confidant. This makes it all the more important to protect the physical and mental health of a handicapped person, without disrespecting their privacy. This leads us to questioning as which of the two aspects are important. Is protecting the person's physical and mental health important? or Should the privacy and sexuality of the person be respected? [...]
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