Periods
Intermediate concepts

Using a pad

Teaching your child how to use pads to manage their period can raise a lot of concerns for parents and carers.

Introduction

You may be worried about:

how your child will react to the feel of having a pad in their underwear
if your child will be able to understand how to use a pad correctly
if your child will be able to change their pad independently and hygienically
if they will need assistance to change their pad at school

These are all normal and valid concerns that are shared by a lot of parents. Encouragingly, we know that early preparation, education and practice can help children with intellectual disability and/or autism spectrum disorder to successfully manage their period both independently or with the support of others.