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The resource package has been developed for use by the adults in autistic young people’s lives, including parents, carers, and professionals from across a range of sectors such as teachers, youth workers, health workers, support workers, community workers and counsellors. The activities it contains are designed for use with autistic young people aged 12 to 25 years, but they may also be appropriate for use with young people and older people with other diverse learning needs.
Starting the Conversation is suitable for use in schools and community settings. It can also be adapted for use in therapeutic contexts.
Starting the Conversation aims to support parents, carers, teachers and workers to develop the capacity of the autistic young people in their lives to:
understand the characteristics of respectful relationships
identify and understand the characteristics of unhealthy relationships
critique the messages about gender, sex, relationships, power and aggression that are conveyed through pornography – and also through a range of other media and in other places in society
develop knowledge, attitudes and practical skills that support healthy, respectful relationships.
As well as a 285 page facilitator manual, the Starting the Conversation package contains activity materials for use with young people and a range of supporting materials. The activity materials include cards which we recommend you print and laminate, and a series of short videos which have been embedded into a slideshow with discussion questions.
The Starting the Conversation manual includes six parts:
Part 1: Introduction - information about Starting the Conversation and how to use it.
Part 2: Understanding the issues - important information about autism, young people and pornography.
Part 3: Principles that underpin Starting the Conversation - important information about the principles that inform this resource.
Part 4: Facilitators’ notes - information to support you to use the activities with young people.
Part 5: Activity materials - the cards you will need to deliver the activities with young people.
Part 6: Supporting resources - additional materials to support the effective use of Starting the Conversation, including resources to help equip facilitators and evaluation tools.
This resource was developed as part of a project called Porn Is Not the Norm, which aims to equip autistic young people, their parents, carers, teachers and workers to safely navigate the impacts of pornography. To learn more about the project and the resources we've developed to support conversations about pornography, visit notthenorm.com.au