This is how it started
SelkoSeks is a sexuality themed picture bank. These communication pictures serve health care professionals and people who need pictures to assist in their communication with their family. Two professionals, Henna and Fanni, were looking for descriptive communication pictures throughout the internet without finding anything. The illustrations that they were able to find were very normative and that’s how SelkoSeks was founded.
HENNA SUIKKI – FOUNDER OF SELKOSEKS
Terapiaperhonen Oy, Finland, Savonlinna / Mikkeli
henna@selkoseks.fi
As an occupational therapist I have had to use aids to communicate with customers, especially those with neurological conditions. I specialize in brain damage rehabilitation and I have been working with customers with aphasia for almost 10 years. As an occupational therapist, I focus on helping others get back to normal life after injury and help answer questions about relationships and sexuality. Getting injured or ill is always a big crisis in life, especially when you’re not able to communicate through speech. As a sexologist, I work with people with autism and aphasia. Pictures about sex and sexuality are rarely available and simply don’t provide a broad variety to work with.
FANNI KEVÄTNIEMI – FOUNDER OF SELKOSEKS
I have been working a little under 10 years with customers who have disorders of the Autism Spectrum and intellectual disabilities. The pictures are useful in my day-to-day work as I assist my customers with everyday visual communication. I’m familiar with communicating via pictures in different situations and I have used descriptive illustrations in supporting a person’s processing skills, timetables, books, communication boards, instructions, social stories, lists etc. Because sexuality is a part of life it is a very important part of discussions as well. I started with drawing stick figures when pictures were not available. The illustrations should be realistic, sensitive and taking diversity into account.
In Co-operation
SelkoSeks has been developed in co-operation with Terapiaperhonen Oy. Professionals in Terapiaperhonen help in rehabilitation by offering occupational therapy, physical therapy and sexual therapy in Savonlinna and Mikkeli, Finland.
