Mental Challenged Support Group

Hello all. My husband's coworker came to me looking for answers, so I am now coming to you. She has an 11 year old daughter who is MMR. Their neighbor is having some work done on their house, so there is a construction crew there. Yesterday, the 11 year old walked over to the men and took her pants off. This is not the kind of behavior that she has ever exhibited. When questioned about the incident, the daughter said something to the affect that her brain told her to do one thing and her head told her to do another. The coworker is simply wondering if this is something of the norm for 11 year old adolescents with MMR and what she can do to address the problem. I have some background with children with MRDD, which is why she came to me. I told her that she should not be overly concerned. I explained that her daughter is going into puberty. (She recently began menstration). She was confused by her daughter's comment. I suggested that she means that her body is experiencing this sexual drive bc of the puberty and is telling her to do such things as pull her pants down, even though, in her mind, she knows that she shouldn't. My suggestion was to just speak with her about how to appropriately deal with the puberty issues, emphasizing the importance of privacy. Any ideas or suggestions? Thanks in advance!
Posted on 09/20/09, 04:09 pm