This curriculum is designed for adults with developmental disabilities. It can be taught to people with a wide range of abilities, including people with and without language. The material has been effectively taught to people with various co-occuring mental health conditions.

Use your professional judgement when including people who have disruptive behaviors, histories of sexually offending, symptoms of trauma, and/or paranoid/delusional ideation.

When physical and/or mental health safety is a concern, it is best to teach the curriculum to some people in a 1:1 setting.

Each lesson was designed to take about an hour to deliver. Based on the experience of pilot testers, lesson delivery ranges from 30 minutes to an hour and a half depending on the participants’ prior knowledge, level of participation, and engagement.

The program was designed to be delivered by professionals who work with people who have developmental disabilities, such as mental health professionals and special education teachers. However, what is most important is that facilitators have a strong understanding of developmental disabilities, evidence based practices, the impact of trauma, and are comfortable with the topics covered.

It is recommended that people review AFIRM (autism focused intervention and modules), a free resource to learn about the proper implementation of evidence based practices before starting the curriculum. It is especially important to have a strong understanding of video modeling, scripting, social narratives, cognitive behavioral interventions, and social skills training.

Our pilot testers taught the curriculum in a number of settings successfully. These included classrooms, regional centers, counseling offices, adult day programs, personal homes, and in the community. You will need internet access and a device to display the images and videos.

Some of our pilot testers taught the lessons alone, some worked in pairs, and some worked in groups of three. There was very positive feedback from facilitators who taught with at least one other person. While this is by no means a requirement to effectively teach the material, it did offer some advantages. For example, if a participant needs to step out of the room for emotional support, the co-facilitator can join them. Also, some participants may simply connect well with one particular facilitator. Different styles of instruction also bring more diversity to the conversations.

Our pilot testers used the curriculum individually and with groups of up to fourteen. During focus groups that consisted entirely of people with developmental disabilities, an overwhelming majority stated that they would prefer to take the classes in small groups with all genders. However, use your professional judgement when deciding on the size of your groups. It will be important to screen participants and assess your own facilitation skills when determining what size group will work best.

There are some core concepts from the Introductory Curriculum that should be well understood before a person is ready for the Advanced Curriculum. This includes the ability to differentiate between public and private places, knowing what personal space is, differentiating between wanted and unwanted touching, being able to identify private body parts, and familiarity with assertiveness. People who do not understand these concepts should start with the Introductory Curriculum. People who have not had any experience with dating or physical intimacy might feel like the Introductory Curriculum is most appropriate for their learning needs.

People who have some experience with dating, are interested in having a sexual experience, and/or have the prior knowledge mentioned above are appropriate for the Advanced Curriculum. The Advanced Curriculum addresses topics such as healthy versus unhealthy relationships, the emotions involved in dating and relationships, laws regarding sexual touching, contraception, and sexually transmitted infections.

Knowing about the social experiences and interests of participants will help guide you in choosing the right place to start. You can bounce between curriculums as well, selecting specific lesson plans that meet the needs and interests of participants.

Yes, in order to view the videos directly from the online visual supports you will need internet access. Alternatively, you can download the visual supports in advance and have them on your desktop, but the files are quite large and would take up a lot of space on your computer. All of our pilot testers used the internet to teach classes.

The visual supports and lesson plans can be downloaded from our website (www.relationshipsdecoded.com) and used on a variety of devices including laptops, desktops, smart phones, and tablets.

In preparation for class, it is recommended that facilitators print and review lesson plans.

The web application should be used as a supplemental tool to review information presented in the core curriculum. It is not designed to be used as a stand alone intervention. Depending on the participants, the app can be used independently to assess learning or to review some of the core concepts. It can also be used with a facilitator to continue dialogue about a particular topic.

The web application can assess individual learning and track learning progress. Some pilot testers found it useful to track IEP and/or behavioral goals.

It is not uncommon for staff members (one-on-one aids, day program staff, teaching assistants, etc.) to participate and/or sit in on classes. Many pilot testers found it very helpful, particularly when staff attended all of the classes. Each group creates its own cohesiveness and it can be disruptive to have unfamiliar staff coming in and out of classes. Overall, it depends on the comfort of participants. We recommend asking participants during the first class if they are comfortable with staff or observers being in the room. People often share highly personal information so we need to respect the privacy of the group.

We do not recommend that guardians/family/conservators observe classes. However, they are welcome to review class material and content.

Given the topics covered in the curriculum, you should be prepared for some participants to get emotionally upset or triggered. Creating a Safety Plan is embedded into the curriculum. A Safety Plan should include how participants can take space and seek out extra support if needed.

It is highly recommended that in preparation facilitators become familiar with local resources and referrals for individualized emotional support. If you are teaching within a school system, contact the school based mental health providers/school psychologists so they can share their availability to respond or consult if needed.

Evidence based practices (EBPs) are interventions that have an acceptable level of research that indicates that their use produces positive outcomes for people. The National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorder, through their AFIRM modules, has free information and training on various EBPs. Although the research specifically indicates positive outcomes for people with Autism Spectrum Disorder, many of the practices have also been found to be effective interventions for people with other developmental disabilities. For EBPs to be effective, it is important that they are used with fidelity. It is highly recommended that all facilitators have a basic understanding of EBPs before using the curriculum.

It is common to have some initial discomfort with any new curriculum. It is important to review and prepare on your own before presenting material to participants. That being said, the content of this curriculum is unique and might not be comfortable for everyone. If you find yourself feeling uneasy about the content and the responses/questions you are receiving from participants, this might not be the right class for you to teach. Participants are more likely to learn and engage in the class if the facilitator is enthusiastic and comfortable. It is better to be honest about your discomfort and find a new facilitator than force yourself to complete it. We do not recommend that supervisors/administrators require staff to teach this curriculum if they are uncomfortable with the content.

If questions or concerns come up you can always contact us with any questions at relationshipsdecodedproject@gmail.com

Yes, this curriculum is inclusive of gender and sexual variance. Research shows that people with Autism Spectrum Disorder have higher rates of gender variance, homosexuality, bisexuality, asexuality, and transgender identities than the general population. Because of this, we made a concerted effort to include images that reflect this diversity. We have included images/videos of same gender couples, transgendered people, and gender fluid identities. We work to create an open and inclusive environment in each class. During the first class, by creating the Group Rules, facilitators will ensure everyone can commit to respecting each other’s relationships.

We recommend that every facilitator review the entire curriculum prior to teaching. It may also be helpful to review the AFIRM modules listed above. It is also strongly recommended that you prepare in advance for the possibility that a participant will self-disclose abuse during the course of the curriculum, perhaps reviewing your procedures as a mandated reporter.

In a school setting it is important that your administrator approves the use of this curriculum. Upon approval, it is recommended that the adult students’ families and/or living environments are aware that the curriculum will be used. Many schools require that adult students and/or conservators have basic information about what topics will be covered and an opportunity to review the curriculum beforehand in person with the facilitator. Some of our pilot testers in a school setting found opt-out forms and a curriculum preview date to be effective strategies. Please see here for a sample opt-out form that can be modified to various settings.

This curriculum was specifically designed for adults. At this time we do not have a curriculum for people under the age of 18.

If your agency is interested in training, please contact us at relationshipsdecodedproject@gmail.com. Here is a link to a webinar from the UC Davis Mind Institute Summer Institute in 2019.