Tools for IDD Community Members
Explore the categories below for practical resources, guidance, and information to help support adults with IDD in a health care setting.
Communicate CARE—Be Clear, Attentive, Responsive, and Engaging
Information on best practices for clinicians to prepare for appointments and to communicate using a person-centered approach to shared decision-making with the patient.
Decision-Making: Promoting Capabilities
Provides practical steps to help clinicians respect the decision-making rights of people with IDD.
Informed Consent
Informed consent requires a clinician to furnish a patient with information sufficient to allow the patient to understand and give approval for a proposed medical treatment or medical procedure.
Psychological Assessment
This tool answers commonly asked questions about obtaining a psychological assessment when there is a suspected or confirmed intellectual or developmental disability, which includes autism spectrum disorder.
Physical Health
Adults with IDD often have complex or difficult-to-treat medical conditions. Many individuals have difficulties expressing their symptoms. While these tools are for the clinician, they may be helpful for families and support persons to read through.
Health Watch Tables
Provides health information for specific syndromes with an established underlying cause and with identified health concerns.
Epilepsy
These tools and information sheets have been created and compiled for families/support persons of adults with IDD who have concerns about seizures.
SHARE Transition Plan (Surrey Place)
This is a guide for clinicians to discuss transition to adulthood with young people with IDD and their families. It covers five key areas important for planning a transition from child to adult services. The guide may be useful for families and youth to read through in order to better understand the health care transition process.
Health Care Transfer Plan (Surrey Place)
While this form is for the clinician, it may be helpful for families and support persons to read through. Pediatric clinicians and family physicians can use this form to proactively plan a transfer from child to adult care with their patients with IDD and their families.
Initial Management of a Behavioral Crisis
Behavioral crises can arise from complex circumstances. This tool presents a systematic assessment of contributing factors, such as Health issues, Environment and supports, Lived experiences, and Psychiatric disorders (HELP). While this tool is for clinicians, it may be helpful for families and support persons to read through.
Emergency Room Stabilization Protocol
The aim of the protocol is to give ER staff a quick reference guide and resources to consider when they are providing treatment to someone with IDD. Please feel free to share this protocol with your ER department.