Factsheet
Social Rules and Different Types of Relationships (disability fact sheet)
Date 07 September 2004
This fact sheet presents messages in plain English. . It is designed to assist families and workers to talk with a person with a disability about sexuality issues.
Please note that some of the language in this fact sheet may be very explicit. This is to maximise the learning possibilities of the person with a disability. The language chosen is simple and clear and the concepts developed have been used successfully in teaching situations.
A relationship is when you know another person. You have different sorts of relationships with different people that you know. You have different sorts of relationships with the people you live with, your family, your friends, workers and people you don't know well.
Usually the most special relationship a person would have is with their girlfriend or boyfriend, or husband or wife.
Some people do not know many other people. They may not have a girlfriend or boyfriend or a family. That's okay. It is different for each person.
It is okay to hug, kiss and have sex with a very special person like a boyfriend, girlfriend, husband or wife if you both want to.
It is okay to hug and kiss someone in your family if you both want to. It is not okay to have sex with someone in your family.
It is okay to hug a good friend when you meet them or leave them.
It is okay to shake hands or wave to people that you work with and people you don't know well.
Some good things in a relationship can be sharing, talking to each other and doing things together, and helping each other. Sometimes people do not agree with each other and they argue. This can mean that the people don't like each other any more, but not always. Sometimes people do decide that they do not like each other any more, and then they end their relationship.
You can decide who you want to have a relationship with.
References:
All About Sex / Family Planning NSW - a book written specifically for people with an intellectual disability or learning difficulty to educate them about sexuality.
Relationships - Going round in Circles / Family Planning NSW - a teaching concept that describes different types of relationships and social behaviours
For further information
- Contact the Healthline on 1300 658 886.
