Presenters: Shelby Olesovsky, Alisha Walji
People with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) face more health challenges and often miss out on regular, preventive care. The IDD Health Check is designed to support better preventive care and catch health issues earlier. In this session, we’ll discuss why regular health checks matter for people with IDD, common barriers to the health check, and ways to overcome them. Practical tips will be provided for identifying patients with IDD in your practice, working effectively as a team to make health checks accessible, and using communication tools to prepare for the health check. We’ll also share perspectives from people with lived experience, who will discuss why these health checks are important and what makes the process easier for them.
After this session, you will be able to:
- Explain why annual health checks are essential for people with IDD.
- Apply the IDD Health Check tool to conduct a comprehensive preventive exam.
- Use communication tools to help patients and caregivers prepare effectively for the health check.