Healthcare Needs in IDD

Hours: 0.75

Course Code: REL-IDD-0-RHN

Direct support professionals, or DSPs, play an important role in supporting the healthcare needs of people with IDD. DSPs are often the first to see signs of illness or other health problems. As a DSP, you must know the signs of common problems and how to recognize when people you support need medical attention. Recognizing and responding to problems early can prevent them from getting worse.
The goal of this course is to introduce DSPs in IDD settings to basic healthcare needs.

Course Description

Direct support professionals, or DSPs, play an important role in supporting the healthcare needs of people with IDD. DSPs are often the first to see signs of illness or other health problems. As a DSP, you must know the signs of common problems and how to recognize when people you support need medical attention. Recognizing and responding to problems early can prevent them from getting worse.

The goal of this course is to introduce DSPs in IDD settings to basic healthcare needs.

Certificates

Certificates provided by accrediting body (2 Match)

National Alliance for Direct Support Professional Frontline Supervisor Training

0.75 HOURS

National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals

0.75 HOURS

This activity is approved for 0.75 contact hours.

Course Details

Course Code: REL-IDD-0-RHN

Hours: 0.75

Type: Online Course

Content Expiration Date: 9/30/2026

Learning Objectives:
Recognize signs and symptoms of healthcare needs for people with IDD.
Identify appropriate responses to healthcare needs.

Outline:
Section 1: Introduction

About This Course

Learning Objectives

Section 2: Recognizing Healthcare Needs

Something Isn’t Right

Recognizing Healthcare Needs

Understanding Baseline

Gathering Information

Responding to Healthcare Needs

Using Judgment

What Happens to Donna?

Signs of Healthcare Needs

Behavior Changes

Signs of Pain

Physical Signs

Vital Signs

Review

Summary

Section 3: Common Healthcare Needs

Health Needs in IDD

Aspiration

Dehydration

Constipation

Nail and Foot Problems

Dental Problems

Skin Problems

Seizures

Concussion

Medical Emergencies

Review

Summary

Section 4: Conclusion

Summary

Course Contributors

References

Congratulations!

Instructor: Katy Kunst, MBA, QIDP

Katy Kunst received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and her Master of Business Administration from Elon University. She has 15 years of experience serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their supporters, including roles as direct support professional, program director, and training facilitator. She has created and facilitated training on topics including non-violent crisis interventions, person-centered planning, cultural competence, quality service delivery, regulatory compliance, and a variety of topics related to IDD services.

Expert Reviewer: Rebecca Smallwood, MBA, RN

Rebecca Smallwood, MBA, RN, has experience across multiple healthcare settings including: rural and urban acute care hospitals, public health, ambulatory surgery, higher education, and commercial healthcare learning organizations. Her roles have included: medical/surgical, ED, and OR Staff and Charge Nurse; Director of School Health Services/School Nurse; Public Health Epidemiology and Bioterrorism Preparedness Specialist; Infection Control Practitioner; Quality Management Specialist; Organizational Development Specialist and Educator. Prior to joining Relias as an acute care SME Writer in 2017 and Curriculum Designer in 2021, she provided consultation to Swank Healthcare and was the Director of Education Services for Health.edu, a division of Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. Rebecca earned a diploma in nursing from Methodist Hospital School of Nursing in Lubbock, Texas in 1989 and an MBA from Wayland Baptist University in 2010 with an emphasis in healthcare administration.

Target Audience:
The target audience for this course is: Direct Support Professionals; in the following settings: Intellectual Developmental Disabilities.

Relias will be transparent in disclosing if any commercial support, sponsorship or co-providership is present prior to the learner completing the course.

Course Delivery Method and Format
Asynchronous/Online Distance Learning; please see certificate details for specifics on delivery format.
Relias has a grievance policy in place to facilitate reports of dissatisfaction. Relias will make every effort to resolve each grievance in a mutually satisfactory manner. In order to report a complaint or grievance please contact Relias.
If you require special accommodations to complete this module, please contact Relias Support by completing the web form (https://www.relias.com/help) or by using the chat functionality.
All courses offered by Relias, LLC are developed from a foundation of diversity, inclusiveness, and a multicultural perspective. Knowledge, values and awareness related to cultural competency are infused throughout the course content.
Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, service mark, manufacturer or otherwise does not constitute or imply any endorsement, recommendation, or favoring of, or affiliation with, Relias, LLC.
All characteristics and organizations referenced in the following training are fictional. Any resemblance to any actual organizations or persons living or dead, is purely coincidental.
To earn continuing education credit for this course you must achieve a passing score of 80% on the post-test and complete the course evaluation.

Accommodations
If you require special accommodations to complete this module, please contact Relias Customer Support here.

Healthcare Needs in IDD

$ 19.95 Paid $19.95 $19.95

National Alliance for Direct Support Professional Frontline Supervisor Training

National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals

$ 19.95 Paid $19.95

$19.95