Developing romantic and sexual relationships: Exploring the lived experiences of people with complex communication needs

This research investigates the lived experiences of people with complex communication needs in developing romantic and sexual relationships. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities (2013) asserts people with disabilities have equal rights to others to participate in social relationships and acknowledges the additional barriers they face. Often the disability sector focuses on daily living skills and employment out-comes, neglecting sexuality and intimacy needs (Valvano et al., 2014). Research acknowledges that people with congenital disabilities need a whole of life approach to exploring sexuality and intimate relationships (Wiegerink, Roebroeck, Bender, Stam, & Cohen-Kettenis, 2011). Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) litera-ture discusses many of the identified issues, yet has a strong focus on sexual abuse protection (Collier, McGhie-Richmond, Odette, & Pyne, 2006; Light & McNaughton, 2015), and also calls for improved sex education and on-going relationship support (Collier et al., 2006). A recent systematic review ascertained that little is known about the lived experiences of people with complex communication needs in developing romantic or sexual relationships (Sellwood, Raghavendra, & Jewell, 2017).