As a mother, this is a topic that I find of utmost importance. How to protect our children is something I am sure we all worry about. Probably even more so if your child has a disability.

A few months ago, I found the Instagram account of a non-for-profit organization called Worth The Conversation that focuses on educating parents to prevent child abuse of their kids with a disability. I wanted to share this very informational post and encourage all of you – special needs family or not – to follow the account. This is a topic we all should be very familiar with as parents.

Children with Down syndrome are particularly vulnerable to sexual abuse due to:
– Limited verbal communication and vocabulary
– Reliance on helpers for personal and physical needs
– Lack of education in body awareness and boundaries
– Conditioned compliance due to the need for interventions
– Frequent separation from typical peers
– Increased exposure to multiple adults and caregivers
– Strong desire for attention = vulnerability to manipulation
– Societal expectation that children with Down syndrome are friendly to all people, even strangers

Learn more at WorthTheConversation.com and share this post with as many parents as possible!