Breast Health
for Women with Intellectual Disabilities
Center for Relationship and Sexuality Education
Overview
When it comes to breast health, every woman, including those with special learning needs, should have access to the best available information. Using the included manual, slides, worksheets and laminated flashcards, this curriculum provides care givers with everything they need to teach the practical steps to breast health, including self-examination, clinical exams and mammograms for women of all ages and different abilities.
Breast Health for Women with Intellectual Disabilities is a complete curriculum designed by the founder of the Oak Hill Center for Relationship & Sexuality, with the support of The Connecticut Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the Aetna Foundation.
Read what others are saying about the important contribution made by this new curriculum.
Testimonials
“Reaching women with intellectual disabilities about breast health is essential yet often overlooked. This teaching guide fills that gap in service and should be disseminated to all who work with this special population.”
Pauline Kezer, Past President
Connecticut Affiliate, Susan G. Komen for the Cure
“The 30% decrease in breast cancer mortality that we have seen in the last 30 years is very much a tribute to increased utilization of effective early detection as well as improvements in therapy. It therefore seems ironic that women with disabilities of various kinds, who might be most adversely impacted by dealing with an advanced breast cancer diagnosis, have not had ready access to these early detection strategies. This manual is written by an expert who clearly understands these issues and offers solutions to those working with women who are in need. I highly recommend it.”
Andrew L. Salner, MD
Director, Helen and Harry Gray Cancer Center, Hartford Hospital, Connecticut
“It is powerful to see that an underserved, hard to reach population is being so thoroughly educated.”
Vickie Han
Health Educator, Uncas Health District, Norwich, CT
Positive Choices
Positive Choices is a new life skills program for High School students with developmental and intellectual disabilities developed through the generous support of the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, Hartford, Connecticut, and The Special Hope Foundation of Palo Alto, California.
This comprehensive adapted health education program, was piloted with youth in the Greater Hartford area in 2007. An Advisory Board of area educators, parents, and self-advocates served to inspire and guide the project.
The syllabus includes 31 units of instruction on relationships and self-awareness, maturation, the life cycle, sexual health, and making Positive Choices.
