title: Enhancing capacity to make sexuality-related decisions in people with an intellectual disability.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study was to apply an intervention to the area of sexual knowledge in order to determine if capacity to make sexuality-related decisions could be improved.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study adopted a single subject design using multiple baseline method with four adults with a moderate intellectual disability. The intervention consisted of individually tailored sex education adapted from Living Your Life (Bustard 2003). Treatment was offered to each participant twice weekly for a 10-week period on a one-to-one basis. The Sexual Consent and Education Assessment (SCEA, Kennedy 1993) was used for measurement purposes. The SCEA K-Scale (knowledge) and the S-Scale (safety practices) were administered weekly throughout the baseline, treatment and post-treatment phases of the study. Staff concerns were also assessed using the SCEA Inappropriate Sexual Behaviour Scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All four participants improved their decision-making capacity in all targeted areas as measured by improvements in K-Scale and S-Scale scores. Staff concerns were not increased as indicated by results on the Inappropriate Sexual Behaviour Scale. Six-month follow-up data for three of the participants showed maintenance of scores on the S-Scale and some decay in scores on the K-Scale from post-intervention performance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results demonstrate that tailored sexuality education can improve capacity to make sexuality-related decisions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Kerry Parents & Friends Association, Killarney, County Kerry, Ireland.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dukes
authors.forename: B E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: McGuire
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D003142:Communication; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability; D008297:Male; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D019529:Sexuality; D012919:Social Behavior; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult