Many professionals working with individuals with disabilities are familiar with discrimination training. This type of training helps individuals distinguish between different stimuli. For example, teaching someone to recognize letters in their name or identify animals involves discrimination training.
This concept can also be applied to more complex areas, such as recognizing age groups (e.g., baby vs. adult, toddler vs. teenager).
Why is this important? Being able to estimate someone’s age is crucial for safe dating and relationships. Consider these scenarios:
- Scenario: An 18-year-old with a disability begins texting a 14-year-old without realizing their age.
- Potential Consequence: The 14-year-old’s parent reports them to the police, potentially leading to a criminal record or even placement on a sex offender registry.
- Solution: Teach the individual that dating minors can lead to legal trouble. Use discrimination training to help them recognize who might be underage.
- Scenario: A 28-year-old with a disability has consensual sex with a 16-year-old without knowing their age. Later, they argue, and the 16-year-old reports them.
- Potential Consequence: The 28-year-old could be charged with statutory rape, as the 16-year-old is legally a minor.
- Solution: Educate the individual on the “age of consent” and the legal risks of relationships with minors. By incorporating discrimination training, individuals with disabilities can better understand age differences and avoid serious legal consequences.
Tricky Situations with Age Discrimination
- Visual Clues Aren’t Always Reliable
- You can teach age discrimination using general clues, such as grey hair often indicating an older adult or braces usually meaning someone is a teenager. However, these clues aren’t foolproof—some 40-year-olds have braces, and some 20-year-olds have grey hair.
- Solution: Start with clear and obvious examples to help individuals learn the concept. Then, introduce multiple examples to show exceptions to the rule.
- Different Words for the Same Age Group
- Age groups often have multiple names. For example, a toddler might also be called a “kid,” “kiddo,” or “preschooler.”
- Solution: When teaching age discrimination, include different terms that refer to the same age group. If you start with “kid,” also teach that “kiddo” and “preschooler” mean the same thing.
- Visual Cues Can Be Misleading
- Judging someone’s age based only on how they look can lead to mistakes because appearances can be deceiving.
- Solution: Teach individuals to ask for someone’s age when in doubt. Role-play scenarios to practice how and when to ask appropriately.
- People Can Lie About Their Age
- Even if someone asks another person their age, that person might not tell the truth.
- Solution: Teach individuals why someone might lie about their age and how to spot signs of dishonesty. Encourage critical thinking and awareness when interacting with new people.
Check out this free resource about discrimination training when teaching about age groups and ages.
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Discrimination-Training-Ages-13178190
