William's Syndrome charity foundation

Project idea

"Rare Lessons" is an initiative to create educational video lessons for children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities. 

Materials will include how-to guides and video content covering various topics of growing up, including sex education. Lessons are designed to maximize accessibility and understanding so that students can engage independently.

The main goal of the project is to provide parents and educators with quality resources for the education and training of children with special needs. In particular, the project seeks to overcome the taboos in society around sex education by providing the necessary knowledge and tools to discuss this important topic.

To achieve these objectives, the project will use the following approaches:

• Development of teaching materials and video lessons—creating clear and accessible educational content.
• Publishing lessons to open access—making resources freely available to a wide audience.
• Conducting surveys and collecting feedback—analyzing the needs and challenges faced by parents and educators based on survey data in which over 80% of participants expressed difficulty in discussing growing up and safety.
• Parent training and support—organizing lectures, webinars and workshops to raise awareness and competence of adults.

Focus on safety and boundaries—a special focus on safety, given the statistic that children with mental disabilities are 40% more likely to experience violence.

Relevance

The "Rare Lessons" project addresses topics that are often overlooked in society, such as sex education, safety, socialization, and intimate hygiene.

Why is this essential?

1. Information vacuum. Our society still lacks a clear language for discussing topics of sexuality and corporality, especially when it comes to children with special needs. This creates problems in communication and understanding between children and adults.
2. Emotional difficulties. Parents and educators often experience strong emotions such as anxiety or fear when confronted with the need to discuss these topics. The project offers support and resources to overcome these challenges.
3. Developmental differences. Psychosexual development and gender socialization may differ between neurotypical children and children with special needs. The project seeks to illuminate these differences and offer adapted teaching methods.
4. Violence prevention. Children with mental disabilities are at risk of violence at much higher rates. The "Rare Lessons" project includes training that can help prevent these situations.
    

Supporting the "Rare Lessons" project is especially important for helping families and professionals working with special children and teens. This gives them the opportunity to access quality information and resources that can significantly improve the quality of life and provide a safer and more understanding society for all. As a result, the project contributes to a more inclusive and aware society where everyone, regardless of their characteristics, can feel valued and protected.

Social effect

Raising awareness and literacy in the area of sex education and personal boundaries among children and adolescents with mental disabilities throughout Russia.