The Reality of Common Sexual Problems for Students with Down’s Syndrome in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Introduction: The current study aimed to identify the sexual problems of students with Down’s syndrome in Saudi Arabia from the point of view of their parents and teachers in the light of a range of variables (student’s age, educational program, and family’s economic situation). Method: This descriptive comparative study was based on a sample of 120 participants consisting of 68 parents and 52 teachers caring for students with Down’s syndrome. The questionnaire of sexual problems for students with disabilities was applied and the data was statically analyzed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and One- way ANOVA. The findings indicated that the most prevalent sexual problems experienced by students with Down’s syndrome according to their parents and teachers are a lack of knowledge of sexual development, difficulties in the child presenting themselves in front of others, and the inability to distinguish between normal and abnormal physical contact. Findings: The arithmetic one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), mean, standard deviation, and t-test were used to calculate the findings that revealed no statistically significant differences between the perspectives of the parents and teachers of students with intellectual disability regarding the most prevalent sexual problems. Moreover, there was no statistically significant correlation between the student’s age and the sexual problems they encountered. Finally, the findings found statistically significant differences in the sexual problems encountered according to the of the program variables to which the students with Down’s syndrome belong and the family’s economic situation Discussion: It is recommended that a group counseling program be devised for the parents of students with Down’s syndrome to advance their knowledge of sexual development and to obtain an understanding of how to deal with the variables resulting from such development. Develop training programs for families, teachers, psychologists, and social workers working in special needs care on how to identify the sexual problems experienced by intellectually disabled students. Raise parents’ awareness of the importance of communication and dialogue with teachers to identify the most important sexual problems their children face and collaborate to resolve them through training courses.