An exploration of the attitudes and perspectives of special education teachers towards the teaching of human sexuality education

There is a general understanding and acceptance among special educators regarding the importance of sexuality education in the lives of students with mild mental retardation. However, limited information is available with regards to the attitudes that special education teachers have towards the teaching of human sexuality education to students with mild mental retardation. The intent of this survey study was to help inform the field regarding the current attitudes and perspectives of special education teachers who teach students with various types and degrees of disabilities in grades K-12. In addition, the survey examined whether these teachers' attitudes were similar or different from their attitudes towards the teaching of this subject to regular education students.; A total of 90 special education teachers, seventy-three females and seventeen males, completed the self-designed, self-reported questionnaire entitled Attitude Towards Teaching Human Sexuality Education (ATTHSE) Scale: Revised Version. Only nine of these teachers currently teach sexuality education to students with mild mental retardation. Results indicate that there were more similarities than differences in special educators' attitudes towards the teaching of human sexuality education to students with and without mild mental retardation. Recognition of the similarities in attitudes for both groups may allow for development and implementation of comprehensive sexuality education in the curriculum of students with mild mental retardation.