What question did this study set out to answer?

To address the educational gap in training health care professionals for caring for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

April 25, 2026

Inclusive Health Curriculum Model for Health Profession Students Learning to Care for People With Intellectual Disabilities.

Key Points

To address the educational gap in training health care professionals for caring for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Development of an interprofessional curriculum by Special Olympics International.
Implementation in 130 schools globally to educate health profession students.
Evaluation of self-reported knowledge and communication confidence improvements post-training.
Statistically significant self-reported improvements in knowledge and communication confidence among students after implementation.

Abstract

Findings from a 2021 Special Olympics International study indicated that 69% of health care professionals reported having little to no training caring for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This gap in education can lead to wide disparities in care delivery. Special Olympics International developed an interprofessional curriculum to educate health care students and professionals globally. To date, 130 schools have implemented this training for health profession students with statistically significant self-reported improvements in knowledge and communication confidence. (Am J Public Health. 2026; 116(S2):S75-S78. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2026.308423).

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Inclusive Health Curriculum Model for Health Profession Students Learning to Care for People With Intellectual Disabilities.

Key Points

Abstract

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