Hi, I’m Shelly – a Real Talk Comic Book

Shelly is an adult now, but her family still isn’t sure if she’s ready to date. It’s frustrating. On the other hand, she’s figured out what resources work best for her to learn about dating, love, and sex. She’s also figured out places to meet new people, and how to feel pleasure by herself.

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What we Talk About and Why

How and Where to Meet New People

  • How some people move from that initial meeting to dating.
  • How some people move from casual dating to longer term commitments.
  • How people break up. How people recover from break ups.


Many people we support are interested in meeting people for friendship and dating. They may have limited opportunities to socialize, and limited information about where & when people tend to meet and mingle. This sometimes leads to things like asking strangers on the bus out on a date. They may have little context for how relationships progress and change. This sometimes leads to things like planning a wedding right after getting someone’s phone number.

In our videos, people of all abilities discuss where they met their partners, and how their relationships progressed over time. This gives a bit more nuanced information about dating than we get to see in a typical TV sitcom or romantic comedy film.



Where to Get Information About Sex

Sex education happens to everybody every day, whether we like it or not. We are bombarded with images, messages, and ideas about sex from our televisions, billboards, iPods, computers, and magazines. This ‘education’ is factually unreliable, and it often reinforces a particular value set. Some people are objectified. Others are ridiculed or erased. This ‘education’ is also a one-way monologue. It’s not a dialogue. There isn’t room for questioning or reflection.

In the midst of all this, we could all use someone reliable and trustworthy to talk to about sexuality. For people with cognitive disabilities, picking the right person or resource is important. Our videos discuss what qualities to look for in a confidante. We also list services that provide accurate, agenda-free sexual health information. You can also find this information on our Resources page.

We also discuss who NOT to talk to about sex. (Strangers are usually a bad choice, for example.)


Pleasure and Sensuality




