I don’t know if anyone else saw last Monday’s (26/9/11) Four Corners episode, called St Ann’s Secret. If not the link is here. And here is a summary:
In July this year, authorities in South Australia decided not to proceed with a case claiming sexual abuse of a child with an intellectual disability. The prosecution formed the view that the child could not give reliable evidence. The accused was released. The parents were enraged.
It was not the first time authorities in this country had made such a decision… In 1991, police searched the home of Brian Perkins, the bus driver from St Ann’s [Special School]. They found photographs of several naked children who attended the school. Police moved to prosecute Perkins, but due to a “systems error” he was given bail and absconded.
But this wasn’t the only mistake. Although they knew it was possible that up to 30 children had been abused, the police and the school authorities did not tell all the parents whose children had come into contact with Perkins.
For 10 years nothing was done. Over that time many of the children developed terrible behavioural problems. Finally, as a result of a chance encounter between the parents, the full extent of their children’s abuse was revealed. The parents tell how, in the decade that followed their discovery, they struggled to get justice from the Catholic Church and the police. None of them can understand why the abuse was covered up or why Church authorities have fought so hard – in spite of their offer of a one-off financial payment to some families – to avoid admitting the extent of the abuse.
It’s enough to make you weep, isn’t it?
I have harped on earlier about the need to educate our ASD children about sex, and this story illustrates why. They are vulnerable. Even if these kids learn little more than the fact it’s not okay for someone to touch them in private places, that’s a huge start.
Finding suitable sex education resources can be tricky though, as they have to be pitched at the right level. You can read my review of the excellent resource Taking Care of Myself here.
Recently I also stumbled across an online teaching module produced by Positive Partnerships.
In case you’re not aware, Positive Partnerships is one of the federal government’s Helping Children with Autism initiatives. It was established in 2008 to ‘improve the educational outcomes for school aged children with autism spectrum disorders’, with its name acknowledging the importance of establishing co-operative partnerships between families and schools.
Positive Partnerships consists of two components:
- a professional development component for teachers and other school staff who are working with students with ASD (if I may editorialise here, if I was Prime Minister this training would be compulsory for all teachers working in Australia!)
- a parent/carer component, which provides workshops and information sessions for parents/carers of school-aged children with ASD.
Positive Partnerships has run parent and professional workshops throughout the country since its inception. Hopefully these will continue in 2012 and beyond, although the Positive Parenting website suggests some uncertainty about ongoing funding.
However, as I mentioned, it was the online teaching modules that caught my eye. These are accessible by anyone with an interest and access to the internet. In addition to Parent/Carer course, which is based on the face-to-face workshops and specifically focuses on the educational challenges of children with ASD, there are nine additional online modules for parents and carers:
- introduction to autism
- making friends
- completing work
- everyday transitions
- sexuality, personal hygiene and safety
- positive behaviour support
- communication
- bullying
- siblings
A few weeks ago I decided to register as a parent/carer to see exactly what was on offer. I chose to review the sexuality and positive behaviour support modules. The modules are easy to use, interactive and visually appealing. Participants are required to answer questions to gauge their understanding (to my embarrassment I got one answer wrong, but my excuse is that I was reviewing the technology rather actually attempting to learn anything!) Each module takes about 15-20 minutes to complete. They are perhaps not as detailed as I would like, but I then I’m not a typical user. They’ve kept the information simple, snappy and relevant and you can’t ask for more than that. Each module has a list of resources (book and websites) for those who require more information.
The sexuality, personal hygiene and safety module stresses—as I have—that it’s essential for children and teens with ASD to be educated about sexuality, otherwise they may find themselves in hot water because they have not been taught the rules of appropriate behaviour, or, even worse, become unwitting victims of creeps such as Brian Perkins.
I wonder if the young men featured in Four Corners had been better educated about their rights whether the terrible abuses at St Ann’s would have been picked up earlier.
Have you used the Positive Partnership resources? If so, did you find them helpful?
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Great informative piece re the need to educate people with autism about sex education. People who sexually abuse target vulnerable children or adults. To answer the question “I wonder if the young men featured in Four Corners had been better educated about their rights whether the terrible abuses at St Ann’s would have been picked up earlier?” I believe yes as people who have received education are less vulnerable and probably more likely to tell someone as they have been given the words or signs to communicate sexual terms.
I hope all children and young people receive education in relationships and sexuality and may all who communicate sexual abuse be believed.
Liz Dore
Thanks for your comment Liz. It’s really great to find someone who is professionally interested in this topic.
I went to a Positive Partnerships seminar and it was fantastic. I loved the positive approach about being a team with your childs school and not fighting each other but working together for the good of your child.