For many teenagers who come out as gay, working out how to start their first same-sex relationship can be a difficult process to navigate. For young people with an intellectual disability, it is even harder.

One mother and her teenage son are trying to make this experience easier for young people in New South Wales by starting up the state's first LGBTQI social club for 16 to 26 year olds with intellectual disabilities.

Mary McMahon said it was obvious from a young age that her son Charitha was attracted to men.

"Charitha from the age of about 12 was looking at pictures of boys in shops - jeans shops or whatever - and saying 'ooh he looks very dashing,' and we noticed he didn't say the same thing about the pictures of the girls in jeans shops," she said.

"So fairly soon we thought that Charitha was probably inclined to being gay and when he was about 15 he came out and said 'Mum, I'm gay and I'd like a boyfriend'."

Finding an appropriate partner for the now 18-year-old Charitha was easier said than done.

He has a condition called global developmental delay, which means he is significantly intellectually disabled.

Ms McMahon said she was disappointed in the lack of support services for her son.

"Even within various gay organisations, there wasn't anything specifically for people with intellectual disabilities," she said.

"But having spent the last 15 years working through schools and other organisations for Charitha I wasn't really surprised."

Relationships and sexuality counsellor Liz Dore said it is a badly needed service.

"Being gay is hard for anyone initially, and particularly for people with intellectual disability and autism because it's not often presented in a way that they understand, and also, they're a vulnerable group," she said.

"My concern is that there are people out there who might not be as brave as them and who might still be in the closet, who prey on people that are disadvantaged."

Through a small funding grant from the Run Project at My Choice Matters, which is part of the NSW Council for Intellectual Disability, Ms McMahon and Charitha are setting up a social group in Sydney called the Rainbow Bridge Social Club.

It will be the first service of its kind in New South Wales.

Ms Dore said she will be providing support and information for the young people and their parents.

"I've been a relationships and sexuality counsellor for over 10 years and the majority of referrals to me are when something goes wrong," she said.

"So it could be that somebody's been sexually abused due to them being vulnerable, or it could be that someone just doesn't know approach people and has done something quite silly.

"I'd rather educate them when they're young about the dating process, about making friends, about the rules around consent and about looking out for people that might be wanting to take advantage of them." she said.

Ms McMahon is currently providing information about the Rainbow Bridge Social Club to local schools and disability support groups.

She said the first meeting will be in January.

"I guess in the future we'll have not just a dance or party but we'll look at other social events like going to the pictures, or having picnics or whatever. Whatever it takes to make friendships flourish," she said.

"We're also hoping to find some cafes who would be willing to provide a safe place for couples maybe to come and have a coffee - probably with some support person with them, at least initially - so that they can have what everyone else in the community takes for granted."