A flexible core curriculum that can be used by organizations working in IDD health, integrated into academic credit-bearing courses, or incorporated into a service learning project.
The Golisano Institute for Developmental Disability Nursing, in collaboration with Special Olympics International (SOI) and a range of Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) developed an online Inclusive Health Fundamentals (formerly Interprofessional Competency-Based Intellectual Developmental Disability Core Curriculum) program for the IDD workforce to increase their competence and confidence in caring for people with IDD.
Scientific evidence and the lived experience of people with IDD reveal a gap in healthcare professionals’ knowledge, competence, and confidence across allied healthcare, nursing, and medicine. There is an urgent need to prioritize the preparation of these healthcare professionals and other audiences with the knowledge, skills, and competencies they require to meet the needs of this population. The program was developed to foster health equity and promote inclusion and quality of life for persons with IDD.
The SMEs developed five high-impact online modules for the pilot phase of this project. These modules were delivered to a range of students in higher education universities and colleges across the United States and Ireland.
Findings demonstrate that this program was positively received by participants with increases in personal knowledge of IDD, overall confidence in communicating with people with IDD and behavioral intentions towards people with IDD.