People with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are harmed by sexual assault more often than others. They are usually harmed by someone they know. This can include family members, other people with IDD, and support staff. Consent is critical in all relationships. People with IDD often understand the idea of consent. But some things make it more confusing.
To prevent assault/abuse, we must teach consent in all contexts. People with IDD must have power over their bodies, even if it feels inconvenient to those caring for them. People must be able to give or withhold consent using their ways of communicating.
• You can self-pace through its contents to learn on your own.
You can use this toolkit in many ways.
• Teams can work together in person or remotely for staff development.
• You can share the videos and activities with the self-advocates you work with.
This toolkit was developed by Strategic Education Solutions (https://www.strategicedsolutions.com) in partnership with UMass Chan Medical School (https://www.umassmed.edu).
There are three modules in the Consent Toolkit. We recommend exploring these resources in three 30-minute sessions.
Consent Toolkit for Educators & Service Providers: https://selfadvocatecentral.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Consent-Toolkit-Educators-Svc-Providers-1.pdf