Review of instructional strategies used in socio-sexuality education for individuals with developmental disabilities

Socio-sexuality instruction represents a widely acknowledged need for individuals with developmental disabilities (DD). However, with relatively few socio-sexuality education curricula developed for individuals with DD and few evaluations of these curricula, many professionals lack knowledge about how to present socio-sexuality content. Without knowledge of how to teach, individuals with DD may not learn socio-sexuality content effectively and efficiently. This review sought to identify the instructional strategies/methods used in commercially published socio-sexuality curricula for students with DD. Results indicated that very few instructional strategies were being used to teach socio-sexuality content to individuals with DD, with visual strategies and social problem solving being employed most frequently. The importance of using evidence-based instructional methods when teaching socio-sexuality content to individuals with DD and future directions are discussed.