Today, Katie Thune, founder of Mad Hatter Wellness, discusses sexual health and wellbeing for individuals with disabilities. She emphasizes the importance of teaching sexual health from a young age and the need for ongoing conversations throughout a person's life.

Katie provides tips for teaching body autonomy and consent to nonverbal or non-speaking children. She also discusses the importance of allowing children to set boundaries in relationships and categorizing relationships to help navigate social interactions.

Katie highlights the need to respect individual preferences and comfort levels within different relationships. The conversation covers various stages of a child's life and how to navigate important topics such as consent, boundaries, relationships, and sexual wellness. It emphasizes the importance of starting these conversations early and teaching children to respect others' boundaries.

The speakers discuss strategies for nonverbal children, the significance of privacy and personal space, and the challenges of parenting during the middle school years. They also touch on the importance of teaching about healthy relationships, consent, and safety in the workplace.

The conversation concludes with advice on supporting children's independence and addressing sensitive topics like self-touch and self-pleasure.

Keywords

sexual health, wellbeing, disabilities, teaching, body autonomy, consent, relationships, boundaries, consent, boundaries, relationships, sexual wellness, privacy, personal space, middle school years, healthy relationships, safety in the workplace, independence, self-touch, self-pleasure

Chapters

00:00Introduction to Mad Hatter Wellness and Sexual Health

03:14The Importance of Support Systems

05:52Teaching Body Autonomy and Consent from a Young Age

12:33Tips for Parents of Nonverbal or Non-Speaking Children

19:34Being Patient and Gentle with Yourself

24:46Navigating Friendships and Relationships

27:36Understanding Different Levels of Touch and Intimacy

29:32Starting Early: Teaching Consent and Boundaries

39:19Navigating the Middle School Years

41:09Healthy Relationships and Dealing with Rejection

47:17Boundaries in the Workplace

54:47Addressing Self-Touch and Self-Pleasure

56:11Building Trust and Independence

About our guest

Katie Thune was once a sepcial needs educator and now runs Mad Hatter Wellness. There, the focus is on cultivating safety and wellness, especially related to comprehensive sex education specifically for all people with disabilities. Healthy relationships, boundaries, consent and safety are the topics they focus on the most.

Connect with Katie and her team and learn more here: https://madhatterwellness.com/open-conversations/ About the podcast host

Dr. Marcia Nathai-Balkissoon is a special needs parent and coach to parents, a podcaster, author, and strategy lecturer. She runs the Special Needs Parent Podcast because she aims to make special needs parents feel valued, connected, and supported.

Get her Amazon bestselling book, Lighting the Path, at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://books2read.com/lightingthepath⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Find Marcia on Facebook at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/MarciaNB8/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and on Instagram @specialneedsparentjourney

Join the FREE Lighting the Path Community for Special Needs Parents at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/share/jG6JEHafR3TWTyqG⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠