Abstract

LITTIG, Patrícia Mattos Caldeira Brant; CARDIA, Daphne Rajab; REIS, Luciana Bicalho  and  FERRAO, Erika da Silva. Sexualidade na deficiência intelectual: uma análise das percepções de mães de adolescentes especiais. Rev. bras. educ. espec. [online]. 2012, vol.18, n.03, pp.469-486. ISSN 1413-6538.

Adolescence is the transitional phase between childhood and adulthood, an important moment of human development, marked by physical, psychological and social changes at the beginning of sexuality. This moment is often troubled and may be even more so for teenagers with intellectual disability (ID) by confronting preconceptions and mystification established long ago. The infantilizing and discriminatory way they may be treated by family and society influence the perceptions of mothers of children with ID. Thus, to investigate the conceptions that mothers of young people with ID have about their sexuality and how they will reflect the adoption of sexual education practices, 20 mothers of adolescents aged 12 to 18 years, of both sexes with a diagnosis of ID were interviewed at a clinical school located in the state of Espírito Santo. Analyzing the interviews, 12 answers indicated the idea of absence of sexuality in the person with ID, fostering an infantilized and overprotective attitude of these mothers to their children; it was considered unlikely that they would develop interest in sex or present sexual behaviors. As for the conceptions of mothers on the sexual manifestations of their children, 15 of them revealed understanding that their sexuality is different from that of people without intellectual disability. It was noted that 12 of the 20 mothers had never oriented their children about sex, saying they would not be capable of understanding. In general, the mothers do not recognize a sexual identity in their children and, therefore, do not provide them with sexual education, reproducing the social and cultural concept that denies the existence of sexuality when associated with ID.

Keywords : Special Education; Intellectual Disability; Sexuality; Sexual Education.

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