A recent report finds that many students who claim to be abstinent from sexual activity are testing positive for STDs. The conclusion is that doctors need to do more than just take the teen patients word on their sexual activity and more outreach needs to take place. While the report focuses on teenaged students generally, it further highlights students with special needs, who are especially vulnerable for a variety of reasons. For many students that I represent there are particular issues of impulsive behaviors, lower self-esteem making them vulnerable to peer pressure, and lack of a meaningful curriculum that applies to them.
I was recently at an IEP meeting where the teacher actually modified the curriculum and adopted curriculum for her self contained class of students providing a diagnostic report at the end of the unit. The teacher is young and enthusiastic about teaching, but most importantly she had the support of her special education director and superintendent. Without this leadership she would not have had the leeway to take such an innovative approach to her teaching. Hopefully this new report will put even more emphasis on appropriate teaching to keep all students safe, and especially those who are the most vulnerable, students with special needs.