Sexuality Education in the Secondary Special Education Curriculum: Teachers' Perceptions and Concerns

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.