What we do

Assessment
Assessing gaps in sexuality and relationship knowledge to identify educational need. This can include completing formal assessment such as the Assessment of Sexual Knowledge and informal assessments, interviews and observations.

1:1 Education

Individualised sexuality and relationship education covering a variety of topics as directed by the participant, primary carer, family and supports. Topics could include;  puberty, sexuality, relationships, cyber safety, consent etc. This is provided to best suit a person’s individualized learning strengths and could involve using augmentative and alternative communication as required, for example use of visuals, communication devices, key word sign, Auslan etc, and using different modes of delivery such as face-to-face in the home, at Rubix or online. To support learning individualised resources can be developed, such as video self-modelling, social stories or worksheets.

Support needs;

About Us

Sexuality and Relationship Education at Rubix Support is overseen by Melanie Guiney. Melanie is a leading clinician in sexuality and disability in Australia. She has extensive experience providing high quality, age-appropriate puberty, sexuality and relationship education for autistic people and people with cognitive disability. Melanie is a registered Developmental Educator and NDIS registered Behaviour Support Practitioner in Specialist in Sexuality Education.

Melanie and her team are passionate about people with disability being provided with accurate and positive sexuality and relationship education. Rubix Support works collaboratively within the sector to improve standards of services, education and opportunities for all.

Training and coaching

Sexuality and disability education for parents / carers, support workers and organisations to ensure the person is provided with ongoing opportunities to practice and generalise their new skills, with skilled support.

Pep Talk

Puberty education program for young people. Learning together within a fun, interactive social group of peers with similar learning needs. Pep talk is run in conjunction with education for parents / carers to enable new knowledge to be supported within the home.

Human rights approach

All children and young people have a right to age-appropriate high quality puberty education. To learn and develop skills for safe relationships. Every adult has the right to positive sexuality and to meet their basic human needs safely. A cognitive or intellectual disability does not diminish this right.

Why is this so important?

The Royal Commission into disability has highlighted the increased risk of violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation for people with disability, particularly people with communication disability, culturally and linguistically diverse people with disability and people with intellectual disability. People with disability are two and a half times more likely to experience violence from an intimate partner, compared to people without a disability.[1]

The lifetime experience of people who have experienced violence since the age of 15 is 65% of people with disability compared with 45% of people without disability.[2]

Education is the key to empowerment. People with disability must have positive sexuality and relationship education, know what their rights are and have the skills and knowledge to build self-esteem, self-expression, develop fulfilling relationships as well as skills and knowledge to keep themselves safe.

[1] Violence against people with disability

[2] Violence against people with disabilty

Further sexuality and relationship education?

If you would like to access any of these supports please visit the referral page and complete the referral form.