The first step with this is talking to parents to see what their values are related to this topic. Some parents are very open to discuss masturbation and other parents do not want their children engaging in this at all. Whatever your beliefs on the topic, you have to respect the beliefs of the families who you are working with.

If parents are open, start discussing time and place. It is okay to masturbate in the privacy of one’s own bedroom or bathroom, but it is not okay to do this at school. Also establish times of the day where their child could be given some alone time. (We sometimes refer to it as “Me Time” or “Alone Time” or “Private Time.”) If our learners have a visual schedule, we put “alone time” on the schedule (especially when they are just learning). That way, if they engage in masturbation behavior outside of “alone time,” we can visually show them when it is supposed to occur.

We typically recommend that parents teach the actual act of masturbation. That is not our job, nor should it be. We recommend the following books as helpful guides for parents (click on individual pictures to see the links):