Author(s): Eileen Dukes and Brian McGuire
Department: Kerry Parents and Friends Association
Reported: Submitted to Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disability (December 2008).
(31 Jul 2009)
The aim of the study was to apply an intervention to the area of
knowledge in order to determine if capacity to consent to sexual
contact can be improved using a sexuality education programme with four
adults with a moderate intellectual disability. Treatment consisted of
individually tailored programmes adapted from Living Your Life (Bustard
(2003) – original text by Ann Craft). Treatment was applied to each
participant twice weekly for a 10 week period on an individualized and
one-to-one basis. The study adopted a single subject design using
multiple base-line method. The Sexual Consent and Education Assessment
(SCEA, Kennedy, 1993) was used for measurement purposes. The SCEA
K-Scale (knowledge) and the S-Scale (safety practices) were
administered weekly throughout the baseline, treatment and
post-treatment phases of the study. Staff concerns were also assessed
using the SCEA Inappropriate Sexual Behaviour Scale. Results indicated
that all four participants improved their knowledge in all targeted
areas as measured by improvements in K-Scale and S-Scale scores. Staff
concerns were not increased as indicated by results on the
Inappropriate Sexual Behaviour Scale .Staff reports post intervention
indicated increased self-efficacy as a treatment effect. Six month
follow up data for three of the participants showed maintenance of
scores on the S-Scale and some decay in scores on the K-Scale from
post-intervention performance.
Conclusion: Results demonstrate that sexuality education programmes
applied to persons with moderate intellectual disability can improve
capacity to consent to sexual interaction.