Autism: Helping Young Adults with Puberty
What does the program look like?
The program has both physical materials to take home as well as in-class components. Educational materials were given to the families so they could use them as guides at home. They made special guides for each gender, called “Just for Girls” and “Just for Boys”. These packets are filled with information about proper hygiene as well as body changes that happen in puberty.
There was also a classroom component to the program. Kids and their parents would come to weekly, on-site classes for a total of 4 weeks. Each week, they tackled a different topic about puberty. They used very engaging lessons, with plenty of videos and hands-on exercises to keep things interesting!
As part of the program, it was a really nice touch that every kid was able to get his or her very own hygiene kit. For boys, this included a toothbrush, toothpaste, comb, shaving cream, razor, face wash, and deodorant. Girls got the same kit but were also given maxi-pads.
Lastly, there was weekly homework for both kids and parents to do. The homework was a checklist for puberty and hygiene routines so they could practice what they learned at home. These checklists were turned in at every class the following week.
