Several students from UMSSW joined nursing and medical students to enhance their skills for affirming health care practice with people who have intellectual and developmental disabilities.
On Friday, April 26, several students from the University of Maryland School of Social Work (UMSSW) joined students from the University of Maryland School of Nursing and the University of Maryland School of Medicine to learn and enhance their skills for inclusive and affirming health care practice with people who have intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Students received training from community partners at Special Olympics International and Special Olympics Maryland and had the opportunity to engage in a simulation with a standardized patient who has an intellectual disability (ID). As part of the training, students also had the opportunity to learn from health messengers who have ID and hear more about their experiences, both positive and negative, within the health care system.
We hope that this event will be part of many that we participate in here at UMSSW to ensure that students are prepared for neurodiversity-affirming social work practice. This event was hosted through the School of Nursing and supported by a seed grant from the UMB Center for Interprofessional Education.