SEND & LGBTQ: How to help SEND youngsters understand LGBTQ+

Here you’ll find books, videos and links to help children and young people, especially those with SEND, to understand LGBTQ+ identities (as featured at SAYiT conference on SEND & LGBTQ+).

The book list has recommended developmental ages so that you can find the perfect books for your needs.

Resources for SEND & LGBTQ+ themes

This guide has dozens of books, most sorted by development age of pupils that they are suitable for. This makes the lists helpful for primary school staff but also special school staff who work with pupils who, may be 15 years old but are developmentally much younger (e.g. due to a severe learning difficulty).

Choose whether you want the download in pdf or Word:

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LGBTQ+ YouTubers, some who have SEND:

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Are there any good SEND + LGBTQ TikToks?

No. Not really. TikTok videos are too short and don’t make great resources for LGBTQ+ awareness. TikTok also has a lot of rubbish to wade through, including on the #LGBTQ hashtag.

If you really must use TikTok to reach a student, then search for the #comingout hash tag as this is a ‘least dreadful’ place to start. Even still, a lot of the videos appear staged and it’s hard to know how authentic they are.

Talking about LGBTQ with autistic young people

Check out the LGBTQ+ YouTubers download: You’ll find tips to help you discuss LGBTQ+ with young people on the autistic spectrum.

Many autistic students use YouTube anyway. So, you are using a resource that they are likely to engage with. The key difference is that you are curating the content to eliminate unhelpful content.

Tips in the YouTube download include:

• Preparation
• Filtering systems
• Talking about bullying
• Talking about comments and trolls
• Swearing

What do the letters mean in LGBTQ+?

• Lesbian: I am a woman who is attracted to other women.
• Gay: I am a man who is attracted to other men.
• Bisexual: I am attracted to both men and women.
• Transgender: My gender identity is different to the one I was given at birth.
• Queer: An umbrella term that covers all of the sexualities and genders in LGBTQ+.
• Questioning: I’m not yet sure about my sexuality or gender identity.
• Intersex: My body isn’t definitely male or female perhaps because of my private parts or chromosomes.
• Asexual: I’m not sexually attracted to people of anyone.
• Aromantic: I’m not romantically attracted to anyone (I may also be asexual).
• Pansexual: I’m attracted to people of all sexes and genders.

The Genderbread Person

This great visual resource helps youngsters understand identity, sexual orientation, sex as well as sexual attraction.

You’ll find the genderbread person here or via www.itspronouncedmetrosexual.com/edugraphics.

Find out more about LGBTQ+ or SEND…

Talking to trans people: Ten Terms you need to Know

Nine Successful People who are Autistic Role Models

• To ask questions or get support, please get in touch.