Conquering the Puberty Blues

ONLINE (over 3 sessions)

Fridays – 26th July, 2nd & 9th August 2024

 9:00am – 10:30am (Aust EST)

Brisbane/Sydney/Canberra/Melbourne/Hobart – 9:00am – 10:30am (AustEST)       Darwin/ Adelaide –  8:30am – 10:00am (AustCST)  Perth – 7:00am – 8:30am (AustWST)

The transition from child to young adult brings much change and a few challenges for many individuals and their families. A cognitive or atypical neurodevelopmental disability (intellectual disability, ASD, acquired brain injury) comes with the addition of social communication difficulties, sensory differences and increased anxiety which can add further complexity to assisting individuals learn about the key changes that take place during puberty in terms of:

• understanding and managing changes to their body (personal hygiene, menstruation, erections, wet dreams)
• feeling comfortable with their developing body, sexuality (sexual thoughts, desires, sexual activities) and reproductive health
• developing and maintain respectful relationships

Children with disability often experience delays in achieving milestones; however, puberty usually occurs at the same age and rate as typically developing children.  Children with an atypical neurodevelopmental disability may need a more individualised plan of support to adjust to the changes that happen in puberty. Health professionals can provide support to individual’s and their families/carers in planning for and navigating these conversations.

Workshop Objectives – this module will provide participants with:

• an overview of the key physical changes for boys and girls in puberty
• an overview of teenage sexuality
• considerations/issues (regarding puberty) for neurodiverse children/teens and their families
• support a collaborative approach for health professional to work in authentic partnership with individual’s and their parents/caregivers to address any concerns/issues that arise with regard to puberty and sexuality.

Workshop Delivery

The workshop will be delivered over 3 weeks via an integrated system of pre-reading material, weekly pre-recorded lecture presentations and the scheduled online tutorial sessions.  Participants will need to allocate 1.5 – 2 hours per week for self-study outside the online group sessions.

• Workshop Manuals participants will be mailed a hard copy of the workshop manual which will include:
  • presentation notes, covering the online presentation content as well as the case studies used in the group tutorial sessions
  • resources to assist with implementing workshop content into clinical practice
• Online content one week prior to the workshop, participants will be emailed a link to the pre-recorded online presentation related to the upcoming tutorial session. Presentation content will be approx. 1 – 1½ hours in length – participants are expected to have viewed this content prior to participation in the scheduled group tutorial session (NB. the link to this content will expire on commencement of the accompanying tutorial session).

Participants will need to have access to internet facilities including Zoom and webcam to ensure that they are able to download and view workshop content, as well as actively participate in the on line group tutorials and agree to the online T&C. To fully participate in the interactive components of the group tutorial sessions, participants are encouraged to log on using a tablet, laptop or desk top computer. While utilising a mobile phone to access these sessions, the functionality of the device may limit participants ability to fully engage in the interactive components of the session.

Workshop Recording – Please note to safeguard the copyright of material presented, maintain the confidentiality of case discussions and the privacy of participants, this workshop WILL NOT be recorded. 

This workshop is suitable for occupational therapists, psychologists, child health nurses and school health nurses.

About the Presenter

Rebecca Khan authored the clinical resource Conquering Wees & Poos: a learning package for continence clinicians (©Queensland Health 2012) through the Royal Children’s Hospital, Brisbane. She presently runs Kids That Go, a private Occupational Therapy service in Brisbane and has been assessing, treating and researching best practice for paediatric incontinence since 2002. Rebecca has presented on the topic of Paediatric Continence for various organisations including the Continence Foundation of Australia, Queensland Health, Zi-Mei Events and OT Australia-Qld.