Sexual development of people with PMLD

Sexual development of people with a developmental level of 0 to 24 months can be divided into three phases:

First phase (0-6 months) equates to P levels P1(i)-P2(i)

• The child's experiences are at a sensory level
• The emotions are basic, such as pleasure and pain
• The child is not able to distinguish between themselves and others
• Physical touch is often a pleasant and relaxing experience, but there is no recognition of the other person's involvement

Second phase (6-12 months) equates to P levels P2(ii)-P3(i)

• The child has more interest in the world around them
• The child will use prior learning to repeat pleasant feelings
• The child will deliberately touch their genitals to experience pleasant feelings
• The child may use their own body as a source of sensation if they feel unsafe in their environment (self-stimulatory behaviour)

Third phase (12-24 months) equates to P levels P3(ii)-P5

• The child is aware that touch can be nice and they can use it to send signals to trusted individuals
• The child can show affection by touching and hugging
• The child has more differentiation in their emotions, for example joy, anger, sadness
• The child knows that some areas of their body feel nicer than others and they can use this knowledge to adapt their behaviour