Making a Difference for Youth with Cognitive Impairments Set

Making a Difference! is designed to provide young adolescents with the knowledge, confidence and skills necessary to reduce their risk of sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy by abstaining from sex. The curriculum emphasizes that young adolescents should postpone sexual activity and that practicing abstinence is the only way to eliminate the risk for pregnancy and STDs, including HIV. 

 

ETR, dfusion and Kent ISD collaborated to create this adapted version of Making a Difference! to serve the special needs of high school students with mild cognitive impairment (MiCI). Because students with MiCI have different instructional needs than their general education peers, the pedagogical approach has been adapted to make the information understandable and relevant for these youth. This adaptation may also be appropriate for other age ranges and developmental disabilities.

 

The curriculum incorporates the following adaptations to better meet the needs of students with MiCI:

• Highlights key messages for facilitators and provides a glossary of terms for quick reference of simple definitions
• Simplifies the number of discussion questions and scenarios
• Offers additional review of previous learning at the beginning of each lesson
• Provides parent materials to enable parents and caregivers to support student learning of core concepts
• Incorporates messages about consent and healthy relationships
• Includes optional activities on puberty and the distinction between public and private behaviors.

The set includes:

• Facilitator Curriculum
• Activity Set (cards, posters, handouts)
• Curriculum DVDs: Tanisha and Shay; The Subject Is HIV (Abstinence Only); The Subject Is Puberty (Abstinence Only)