How to talk about sexual and reproductive health issues with adolescents with intellectual disabilities, what skills and materials to use, what to pay attention to, how to raise awareness and protect adolescents?
These and many other professional questions were addressed in the two-day course for special educators, which was initiated by the Republican Pedagogical-Psychological Centre (RPPC) and the UNFPA.
The aim of the course was to transfer new skills and knowledge to the specialists, which will facilitate their work and help them become more proficient and apply the right approach when working with children.
The Need for Inclusion: Why This Training Matters
The idea for the training arose during the monitoring of the obligatory "Healthy Lifestyle" subject group courses. UNFPA coordinates the assistance of UN agencies to the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport (MoESCS) regarding the introduction of the obligatory "Healthy Lifestyle" subject group in schools.
"This monitoring work revealed needs, one of which was the inclusion of students with disabilities, especially children with intellectual disabilities, in the class process. At the same time, we all know how important healthy lifestyle and life skills education is for these children; it helps them live more independently, feel complete, and participate in public life," said Lusine Sargsyan, Head of the UNFPA in Armenia CO, in her welcoming speech at the meeting, adding that research indicates that people with disabilities are more vulnerable to the risk of violence, particularly sexual violence. "That is why, during this training, we paid special attention to sexual and reproductive health topics that will contribute to shaping a safe and protected life for adolescents."
The Toolkit for Change: Core Skills and Resources for Special Educators
The course is for special educators and imparts knowledge and skills for organising reproductive and sexual health education for students with special educational needs, addressing the physical, psychological, and social changes conditioned by the specifics of adolescence.
The experts also presented the structure of the sexual and reproductive health assessment toolkit, the principles of its application, and its role in the process of planning individual education. Participants were provided with adapted educational materials developed by experts, which will facilitate the work of special educators and help students develop important skills.
The course material was presented by Eva Movsesyan, Coordinator of Children's and Adolescent Health and Development Programmes at the Arabkir Medical Centre; Shoghik Keoshkeryan, Lecturer at the American University of Armenia; Haykuhi Adamyan, Deputy Director of the RPPC; and Lusine Hakobyan, Methodist-Trainer, Special Educator at the RPPC Training and Methodological Support Department.
Educator Insights and Next Steps
Margarita Hakobyan (special educator, speech therapist, "Huyse Kamurj" NGO, Dilijan) noted that although the topic is not new, it is extremely important, especially considering the frequent questions colleagues have regarding topics related to sexual and reproductive health and working with children, as well as the parent community.
"This meeting was useful because I returned with new knowledge and skills. I have already initiated a meeting with colleagues, presented the material provided to us, as well as various didactic materials, cards, and games that we brought back."
Margarita added that the course was useful for her not only as a specialist but also as a parent: "I am also a parent of an adolescent, and yes, this knowledge was also useful to me as a parent. It would be very good if similar deeply informative meetings were organised for the parents of our beneficiaries as well."
Hasmik Harutyunyan (special educator, Yerevan Regional Pedagogical-Psychological Centre No. 1) honestly noted that initially, it seemed that the topic was more in the field of psychologists and social workers, but after the course, she changed her attitude.
"During the course, I mentally recalled cases that occurred in my professional work, and I will honestly say that if this course had been years ago, my response and guidance would have been different in some cases. This is important knowledge that will help me work more closely with the psychologist and social worker and help the adolescent if needed."
Nazik Khachatryan (psychologist, Shirak RPP Regional Pedagogical-Psychological Centre) noted that the course had a double benefit for her: as a parent and as a specialist.
"The material presented was very accessible. After the course, I also started looking at these issues through the eyes of my sons. It became more visible how attentive we need to be to the child's development. As a specialist, I feel more confident now, more prepared," noted Nazik, adding, "It would be very useful if this knowledge were also passed on to social workers, although upon returning, I shared all the materials and the knowledge I gained with my colleagues."
Lusine Mamajanyan believes that such knowledge is necessary for the entire school staff, from the management to even the cleaner or the guard.
"The topic of sex education, even the professional vocabulary, still seemed foreign to us before this course; now we look at it with a more professional eye, and we have shared our new approaches with colleagues. All the working materials we brought back were also very useful, and we will use them for a long time, and not just us, but our colleagues too."
As a result of the joint initiative of the RPPC and UNFPA, a total of approximately 50 special educators from the republican and regional pedagogical-psychological centres were trained.
Photos by UNFPA and RPPC
