Ease offers online classes & educational opportunities
for Empowerment, Advocacy & Sexuality Education
Everyone deserves to be in a happy & healthy relationship.
We celebrate the love story of Hava & Paul.
Education about Relationships & Sex gives people with Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities the ability to make informed & healthy choices, advocate for themselves, prevent abuse, enjoy healthy relationships & see themselves as sexual beings.
Students receive age-appropriate & medically accurate information using a variety of modalities.
Ease was honored to be a funded Innovation Partner of the Disability-inclusive Sexual Health Network and SexEdVA at James Madison University.
About Ease
Empowerment, Advocacy
& Sexuality Education
Ease offers online sex ed classes for teens and adults with Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities.
We teach online classes for Teens & Adults. Ease teaches to the actual age of the person. We adapt the material so everyone is able to access the class information using visuals, handouts, videos, scenarios, discussions & music.
In addition, Ease leads Parent Workshops on How to Talk with Your Child) of any age) About Relationships & Sex Ed, teaches classes in private schools, provides group home & public school education & behavior support, Staff training, Professional Development opportunities, educational support for those entangled in the Criminal Justice System/Jail Diversion Programs & more!
Who We Are
Arlene Lechner, M.Ed
Ease co-founder & Human Sexuality Educator in Burke, VA. Arlene worked in the Inclusion & Disability Services Department at the Pozez JCC of Northern Virginia, and formerly was the Program Coordinator for social skills classes, adaptive sports & Assistant Director of Camp Kesher, a camp for ages 13+ with I/DD. Arlene was the Behavior Specialist for the Pilot Program of Inclusive Pathways to Success. She has a certificate in Sex Ed & Disability from Mercy University. Arlene has a BA in Human Development from Hofstra University & a Masters in Special Education from George Mason University.
Melissa Hochberg, M.Ed
Ease co-founder and Human Sexuality Educator in Fairfax, VA. Melissa is the Resource Specialist at the Pozez JCC of Northern Virginia, working in the Inclusion & Disability Services Department & facilitated the Going Places! social clubs for teens & adults with Autism. Melissa has a BS in Speech Communication & Linguistics from SUNY Oneonta & a Masters in Special Education from the University of Virginia.
Arlene & Melissa are Mental Health First Aid certified & Human Sexuality Educators through Elevatus Training.
Testimonials
"He seems to understand the content that we have talked about. Thank you for developing a class with such useful and important info, that is presented in a way that he understands!"
"You both do such a wonderful job in pacing and presenting this information!"
"Thank you for teaching this class. I have all the handouts in a notebook. I'm proud to have completed the class."
"Thank you. The judge and the prosecutor very much appreciated your letter and it is being taken into consideration with everything that has happened. Our family thanks you."
"I wish I had learned all of this information earlier. Ya know, guys need to know about the female body parts, too. We all have body parts and we should learn about all of it."
"I asked my son if he knew what he knew today, would he have made the choices he made then. The answer was a resounding NO (because of all he learned from Ease).
"With respect to your course, he clearly realized noticeable improvement in his understanding of and appreciation for the opposite sex and gender issues in general. Clearly the best money we’ve ever spent on him."
"I believe this class is having a positive impact. My son continues to think about the nature of his personal relationship and is starting to speak up."
"I never have to remind him about class. He goes to his desk eager to get started. I think this class will help better prepare him for dealing with co-workers and managers. Thanks so much for offering this."
"Thank you for teaching my adult child these important topics. I know he needs this information and I had no idea how to broach these topics."
"I just wanted to say thank you for a great class. The topics aren’t the easiest to teach so kudos to you both for making it very straightforward."
"Thank you Melissa and Arlene for keeping us updated. I can already see the positive impact this class is having on my daughter. This is helping her navigate “steps up and down” in relationships, too."
"We're happy to have our teen son participate in the Human Sexuality 101 class. There's so much to learn and we're learning along with him. Thank you."
"I really appreciate my son being able to participate in this class. Every time I see the handouts for the week, I think how perfect this class is for him and how much he needs to know this material!"
"I am so glad that you are addressing pornography in class - yet another issue that I know is important, but that I have no idea how to discuss with my son!"
"This class has made me a better person. I wish I had known this information earlier in my relationship."
"I'm indecisive and want to be more decisive. I'll use the decision making blueprint to make decisions now."
"I was pulled out of Family Life Education in school and sent to Home Ec instead. I didn't learn any of this in school."
"Relationships are always evolving and I wish I would have known that. This class is very important and informative."