Planet Puberty

Preparing a child for their period can be a challenging time for a lot of parents of children with disability. They might be worried about how to teach their child about periods, if they will use pads or tampons and how to manage period pain.

This episode Associate Professor Melissa Kang will answer your questions about supporting your child to learn about and manage their period

Associate Professor Melissa Kang's career has been devoted to the health and health care of adolescents and young adults. She has worked as a senior career medical officer in Youth Health Services in Western Sydney for almost 20 years, providing primary medical care and coordination of care to homeless and high risk youth. She has been the medical writer for Dolly magazine since 1993.

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As boys start puberty they begin to experience wet dreams and more frequent erections. It is important to prepare your child for these changes but it can sometimes be difficult to know where to start.

This episode we talk to Karl, a father of a young boy with disability, about supporting his son to learn about wet dreams and erections. We also talk to Assistant Clinical Director Leigh Myers and National Clinical Director Sarah McCluskey from the Centre for Positive Behaviour Support. They will answer your questions about supporting children with intellectual disability and autism to manage wet dreams and erections.

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It may seem like the teenage years and moodiness go hand-in-hand. When children start puberty, changes to hormones, relationships, identity and their body can cause their moods to be more changeable. This can be challenging for both the child and their parent or carer. For parents of children who find it hard to identify and express their emotions this can be even more challenging as new emotions like sexual attraction begin to surface.

In this episode we speak with Mitchell, a young man with intellectual disability about how he dealt with his emotions through puberty, and provisional psychologist Hilary Key answers your questions about how to support children with disability with their emotions through puberty.

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Masturbation is a normal part of growing up, but sometimes it can be hard to talk about with your children. For parents and carers of children with disability there may also be concerns about their child learning about privacy and masturbation.

In this episode we talk to Sarah, a mother of young girl with autism, about how she is supporting her daughter to learn about masturbation. We also talk to Assistant Clinical Director Leigh Myers and National Clinical Director Sarah McCluskey from the Centre for Positive Behaviour support. They will be answering your questions about supporting children with intellectual disability and autism to learn about masturbation and private and public behaviours.

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Changes to your child’s body during puberty means they will need to include new activities in their personal care and hygiene routines. For parents and carers of children with intellectual disability and autism this can raise concerns about how they will introduce these new skills to their child to help keep their bodies clean and healthy. They might be worried about teaching their child to shower more often, wear deodorant or how to support them to care for their skin as pimples and acne start to develop.

In this episode of Puberty Bites we speak to Kathryn, a mother of a young man with autism and psychologist Zoe Semmler about different strategies you can use to support your child with hygiene as they go through puberty.

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When children start puberty, it is normal for them to want more independence. They might find new friends and fall out with old ones, or start thinking about wanting a boyfriend or girlfriend.

This is also the case for children with intellectual disability and/or autism; however they may require more support and preparation to build their independence and make new relationships. This can be a time of uncertainty for parents and carers as they begin to think about their child’s relationships, social skills and how they will change as they grow into an adult.

In this episode we talk with Jo, a parent of a young man with disability who is working to overcome his shyness and meet people in his community. Relationships counsellor and sexologist Jodi Rodgers answers your questions about how to support children with disability’s changing relationships during puberty.

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Join us on Planet Puberty where we launch into the mood swing Milky Way, float by the BO black hole and gaze with wonder at the menstruation constellation.

Puberty can be a tough time for all young people but for kids with intellectual disability and autism it can be even harder, for both them and their parents and carers. On the Planet Puberty podcast we aim to make puberty less of a bumpy ride by talking about the challenges, joys and opportunities that puberty can bring.

We chat to parents and carers about their experience of supporting a child with disability through puberty. We also talk with professionals about tips and tricks you can use to help you and your child navigate this new world.

Subscribe to this podcast and join us on May 24th for our first episode.

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