Puberty can be a challenging time. For children and young people who have a learning disability, puberty may come with increased challenges, such as understanding the changes in their bodies, managing their emotions, and expressing their feelings.
Understanding privacy and the difference between public and private behaviours can also be difficult and, at times, confusing.
We know this can also be a tricky time for parents and carers who want to support their children and young people through this new stage of growing up.
This guide, created by Together for Childhood Stoke in collaboration with key local partners, helps to provide parents and carers with advice, guidance, and practical tips.
The language and symbols used in this guide are intentionally simple and accessible. This is to support parents and carers when they are exploring puberty with their child or young person.
This booklet is accessible for anyone who requires a screen reader by using NVDA.
References
Read our guidance for schools on safeguarding children with special educational needs and disabilities, including resources to support anyone working in education.
Find out how you can better identify safeguarding concerns and communicate effectively when working with pupils who are disabled and have additional needs.
We have a variety of leaflets and resources which you can share with parents and carers to provide useful information and help make conversations about keeping their child safe easier.