PwLD Experiences of RSE in ALDs
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Understanding the Experience of Relationship and Sexual Education (RSE) for People with Learning Disability (PwLD) in Adult Learning Disability Services (ALDs)
IRAS ID
338025
Contact name
Elysia Walker
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Teesside University
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 2 months, 26 days
Research summary
Summary of Research
People with Learning Disability (PwLD) are at higher risk of having unsafe romantic and intimate relationships and at higher risk of abuse due to lack of accessible and high-quality sexual education (Baines et al., 2018). Those supporting PwLD often adopt a protective stance, denying PwLD access to intimate relationships and reporting discomfort and insecurity in discussing such topics (Deffew et al., 2021). While services have sought to identify and rectify barriers to facilitating romantic and intimate relationships for PwLD, little research has explored the experience of receiving interventions relating to such interventions from the perspective of PwLD. Research has largely explored the experience of such interventions from the perspective of those delivering it, or has focused on assessing sexual health knowledge as opposed to the experience of receiving Relationship and Sex Education (RSE; de Wit et al., 2022). However, the experience of a targeted intervention from a community mental health team is likely to differ from that of other sources of education due to a combination of underlying concerns underpinning the referral, and the intervention itself being problem-focused (McDaniels et al., 2016).The current research seeks to capture the feelings and perceptions of PwLD receiving Relationship and Sexual Education (RSE) to aid in the development and delivery of future interventions. To address this, the current study will use semi-structured interviews with PwLD who have experienced RSE-based interventions within Community Learning Disabilities Teams in the North East of England. The data will be analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA; Smith, 1996). It is hoped this will inform future intervention delivery and allow PwLD to have voice within the existing literature.
Summary of Results
Analysis identified four key themes. First, participants described ‘Looking back on learning that never happened’, highlighting a retrospective awareness of missed learning opportunities and the emotional impact of discovering essential knowledge too late. Second, participants described ‘Learning as a gateway to autonomy’, enabling greater control over their bodies and relationships, and allowing participants to re-evaluate past experiences through a more informed and empowered lens. Third, relational dynamics emerged as central to engagement, with participants describing ‘It’s not what they say it’s how they are’. Finally, effective learning was closely linked to the adaptation of materials and methods to suit individual needs, with participants valuing ‘Learning at my level’.Findings highlight the profound emotional and psychological dimensions of relationships and sex education, revealing how structural barriers had previously shaped participants’ self-understanding and access to knowledge. Interventions were experienced not only as educational but as empowering and emotionally reparative, supporting autonomy, identity, and narrative meaning-making. Crucially, relational safety, rooted in trust and familiarity, emerged as essential for meaningful engagement.
These findings underscore the need for timely, inclusive, and emotionally attuned relationships and sex education that affirms the rights and experiences of people with intellectual disabilities, and they point to the value of relational, trauma-informed, and co-produced approaches in future practice and research.
REC name
North West - Preston Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
24/NW/0200
Date of REC Opinion
7 Aug 2024
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion