![](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bepreparedperiod.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/3.jpg?w=1080&ssl=1\")
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By Gina Badalaty<\/p>\n
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6 Keys to Help You Teach Your Special Needs Daughter about Puberty<\/strong><\/p>\n One of the more challenging aspects of raising a daughter with special needs is teaching her about puberty.\u00a0 This year my 9 year old, Amelia, started showing the earliest signs of puberty.\u00a0 I panicked, but after I calmed down, I came up with a practical plan on how I would teach her.\u00a0 In developing my plan, I discovered six keys that can help you take the right approach to teaching your daughter about puberty.<\/p>\n 1.\u00a0 Communication.<\/strong> 2.\u00a0 Perspective.<\/strong> 4.\u00a0 Accuracy.<\/strong> 5.\u00a0 Patience.<\/strong> 6.\u00a0 Anticipate.<\/strong> <\/p>\n Puberty is an important and exciting time in a girl\u2019s life.\u00a0 It\u2019s the gateway to womanhood, and while many people prefer to think of learning disabled children without regard to their future, it\u2019s important that we parents arm and protect them by teaching them the truth about what will happen to their bodies.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Looking for more information? Pin This Post For Later<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.bepreparedperiod.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/3.jpg” _builder_version=”4.4.1″ hover_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_4″ _builder_version=”4.4.1″][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Gina Badalaty 6 Keys to Help You Teach Your Special Needs Daughter about Puberty One of the more challenging aspects of raising a daughter with special needs is teaching her about puberty.\u00a0 This year my 9 year old, Amelia, started showing the earliest signs of puberty.\u00a0 I panicked, but after I […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":" 2. Perspective.<\/strong>\nEvery child is different, so in order to select the approach that works best for your child, you must first view everything through her perspective. I thought about Amelia\u2019s communication skills and deficits, her understanding of her body and science, and her relationships with other people, and created a relaxed and informative plan that I thought would speak directly to her, through books, pictures, and demonstration but without a rigid learning structure since this suits her personality best.\n\n 3. Calmness.<\/strong>\nI was freaked out initially but in order to calm my own fears, I started seriously thinking about what I would need to do and teach to protect Amelia. For example, sterilizing her sounds like a distasteful and difficult option as she gets older. Before considering that step, I believe that positive self-esteem can help a girl avoid promiscuity, dangerous situations, and sexual experimentation when she is not ready for it. Amelia has a great opinion of herself, and tying that to respecting her own body is a breeze. Observe where your child excels to get a grip on how to handle this situation.\n\n 4. Accuracy.<\/strong>\nCall things what they are. Cute names and sweeping references (i.e., \u201cdown there\u201d instead of \u201cuterus\u201d and \u201cvagina\u201d) will confuse a child. If you are raising a girl with autism or who does not understand metaphors, it\u2019s important to be as literal as possible. Calling everything by it\u2019s real name will go a long way towards helping her understand her body and communicating if something unpleasant happens. Get over your own embarrassment by putting her safety first.\n\n 5. Patience.<\/strong>\nAt first, I sat down every night and read the effects of getting your period with Amelia. It was helpful to review the book we purchased over and over. That got my daughter interested in the book, and now she looks at it on her own. I only bring up the subject few times a week, include other aspects of self and body care, and give her a head\u2019s up when I have my own period.\n\n 6. Anticipate.<\/strong>\nYour child may not be able to speak for herself, but as her parent, you know her best. Think about what scares her and what causes her anxiety or stress. Anticipate what will be a cause for concern. For example, if blood makes her cry, you need to make sure that she knows that bleeding is a normal part of menstruation and may be uncomfortable but does not mean she is hurt. The ultimate goal is to convince her that this is a normal and manageable part of being a woman. Address her insecurities and set them right.\n\n \n\nPuberty is an important and exciting time in a girl\u2019s life. It\u2019s the gateway to womanhood, and while many people prefer to think of learning disabled children without regard to their future, it\u2019s important that we parents arm and protect them by teaching them the truth about what will happen to their bodies.\n\n \n\n
If your child has a speech disability, or is unable to understand you, you must find another way to communicate what puberty is all about.\u00a0 This can entail a variety of methods.\u00a0 A good book can help, or you may need to find a picture exchange system (PECS) or social story based specifically on puberty.\u00a0 If not, look around for good images and create your own PECS or social story tailored to your child\u2019s needs.\u00a0 We use the American Girl book, \u201cThe Care and Keeping of You,\u201d<\/a> which Amelia likes very much.\u00a0 (Note: it is very graphic.)<\/p>\n
Every child is different, so in order to select the approach that works best for your child, you must first view everything through her perspective.\u00a0 I thought about Amelia\u2019s communication skills and deficits, her understanding of her body and science, and her relationships with other people, and created a relaxed and informative plan that I thought would speak directly to her, through books, pictures, and demonstration but without a rigid learning structure since this suits her personality best.<\/p>\n![\"Puberty](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bepreparedperiod.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/Puberty-and-your-special-needs-daughter-e1351292372619.jpg?resize=350%2C252&ssl=1\" "\\"Puberty")
<\/a>3.\u00a0 Calmness.<\/strong>
I was freaked out initially but in order to calm my own fears, I started seriously thinking about what I would need to do and teach to protect Amelia.\u00a0 For example, sterilizing her sounds like a distasteful and difficult option as she gets older.\u00a0 Before considering that step, I believe that positive self-esteem can help a girl avoid promiscuity, dangerous situations, and sexual experimentation when she is not ready for it. \u00a0Amelia has a great opinion of herself, and tying that to respecting her own body is a breeze. \u00a0Observe where your child excels to get a grip on how to handle this situation.<\/p>\n
Call things what they are.\u00a0 Cute names and sweeping references (i.e., \u201cdown there\u201d instead of \u201cuterus\u201d and \u201cvagina\u201d) will confuse a child.\u00a0 If you are raising a girl with autism or who does not understand metaphors, it\u2019s important to be as literal as possible.\u00a0 Calling everything by it\u2019s real name will go a long way towards helping her understand her body and communicating if something unpleasant happens.\u00a0 Get over your own embarrassment by putting her safety first.<\/p>\n
At first, I sat down every night and read the effects of getting your period with Amelia.\u00a0 It was helpful to review the book we purchased over and over.\u00a0 That got my daughter interested in the book, and now she looks at it on her own. \u00a0I only bring up the subject few times a week, include other aspects of self and body care, and give her a head\u2019s up when I have my own period.<\/p>\n
Your child may not be able to speak for herself, but as her parent, you know her best.\u00a0 Think about what scares her and what causes her anxiety or stress.\u00a0 Anticipate what will be a cause for concern.\u00a0 For example, if blood makes her cry, you need to make sure that she knows that bleeding is a normal part of menstruation and may be uncomfortable but does not mean she is hurt.\u00a0 The ultimate goal is to convince her that this is a normal and manageable part of being a woman.\u00a0 Address her insecurities and set them right.<\/p>\n![\"gina](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bepreparedperiod.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/gina-badalaty1-e1351284631130.jpg?resize=150%2C171&ssl=1\" "\\"gina")
<\/a>Gina Badalaty is the owner of Mom-Blog.com<\/a>, the #2 Google result for \u201cmom blog\u201d.\u00a0 Gina has been blogging about parenting, raising children with disabilities, and product reviews for nearly 10 years. Her blogger credentials include She Speaks, American Greetings Interactive, AbilityPath.org, and ParentSociety.com.\u00a0 She loves creative writing, taking a good photo, and has recently fallen in love with Pinterest<\/a>.\u00a0 She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, two gorgeous daughters, and a cat that thinks he\u2019s a dog.<\/p>\n
<\/strong>Check out our Info on Periods & Puberty<\/a> page for more helpful information OR stop by our new PeriodTalk<\/a> forum to get answers to the questions you\u2019ve been wondering about.
<\/strong><\/p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.4.1″ custom_margin=”-3px|||||” custom_padding=”0px|||||”][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_4,1_2,1_4″ _builder_version=”4.4.1″][et_pb_column type=”1_4″ _builder_version=”4.4.1″][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.4.1″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.4.1″ custom_margin=”||1px|||”]![](\"https:\/\/www.bepreparedperiod.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/3.jpg\")
<\/center>By Gina Badalaty\n\n<\/strong>\n\n6 Keys to Help You Teach Your Special Needs Daughter about Puberty<\/strong>\n\nOne of the more challenging aspects of raising a daughter with special needs is teaching her about puberty. This year my 9 year old, Amelia, started showing the earliest signs of puberty. I panicked, but after I calmed down, I came up with a practical plan on how I would teach her. In developing my plan, I discovered six keys that can help you take the right approach to teaching your daughter about puberty.\n\n![\"Puberty](\"https:\/\/www.bepreparedperiod.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/Puberty-and-your-special-needs-daughter-e1351292372619.jpg\" "\\"Puberty")
<\/a>1. Communication.<\/strong>\nIf your child has a speech disability, or is unable to understand you, you must find another way to communicate what puberty is all about. This can entail a variety of methods. A good book can help, or you may need to find a picture exchange system (PECS) or social story based specifically on puberty. If not, look around for good images and create your own PECS or social story tailored to your child\u2019s needs. We use the American Girl book, \u201cThe Care and Keeping of You,\u201d<\/a> which Amelia likes very much. (Note: it is very graphic.)\n\n![\"gina](\"https:\/\/www.bepreparedperiod.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/gina-badalaty1-e1351284631130.jpg\" "\\"gina")
<\/a>Gina Badalaty is the owner of Mom-Blog.com<\/a>, the #2 Google result for \u201cmom blog\u201d. Gina has been blogging about parenting, raising children with disabilities, and product reviews for nearly 10 years. Her blogger credentials include She Speaks, American Greetings Interactive, AbilityPath.org, and ParentSociety.com. She loves creative writing, taking a good photo, and has recently fallen in love with Pinterest<\/a>. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, two gorgeous daughters, and a cat that thinks he\u2019s a dog.\n\nLooking for more information?\n<\/strong>Check out our Info on Periods & Puberty<\/a> page for more helpful information OR stop by our new PeriodTalk<\/a> forum to get answers to the questions you\u2019ve been wondering about.\n<\/strong>","_et_gb_content_width":"","_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[127,426],"tags":[421,422,423,29,424,425,427,428,429],"class_list":["post-1620","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-puberty-2","category-specialneeds","tag-daughter-with-special-needs","tag-learning-disabled","tag-learning-disabled-daughter","tag-puberty","tag-puberty-and-your-special-needs-daughter","tag-special-needs","tag-special-needs-daughter","tag-special-needs-daughters","tag-womanhood"],"yoast_head":"\n