Clinicians and Service Providers
Primary Care
In close collaboration with the Developmental Disabilities Primary Care Program, H-CARDD developed a Toolkit for Implementing Health Checks for Adults with Developmental Disabilities. This toolkit provides primary care providers with tools and resources to support the provision of health checks for patients with developmental disabilities.
Implementing Health Checks for Adults with Developmental Disabilities: A Toolkit for Primary Care Providers. (Full toolkit)
See also: Caring for your adult patients with developmental disabilities: Tools for completing a DD health check. Brief guide
Emergency Care
The toolkit Improving Emergency Care for Adults with Developmental Disabilities is a resource developed by H-CARDD in collaboration with three emergency care teams in Ontario. In this toolkit we share implementation tools with emergency providers who are interested in improving the care provided to patients with developmental disabilities.
Improving Emergency Care for Adults with Developmental Disabilities: A Toolkit for Providers. (Full Toolkit)
You may also want to check similar resources for physicians created by The Queensland Centre for Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Australia.
The Developmental Disabilities Primary Care Program
The Developmental Disabilities Primary Care Program at Surrey Place (Toronto) has brought together clinicians with expertise in the care of adults with developmental disabilities (DD) to improve primary care and quality of life for these persons. They developed tools for primary care providers, including physical health tools, health watch tables, a behavioral and mental health toolbox, and general information about caring for individuals with developmental disabilities.
See all tools developed by the Developmental Disabilities Primary Care Program.
Curriculum of Caring
The Curriculum of Caring, developed at McMaster University, is aimed at helping health care professionals effectively care for people affected by developmental disabilities. It has been developed for health care learners and practitioners through many partnerships and in collaboration with individuals with developmental disabilities. It features:
- Voices of experience: People affected by disabilities and caregivers sharing their perspectives and wisdom
- Clinical skills primer with video illustrations of how to interview with care
- Links to resources
Best Practice Series
The Best Practices Series includes videos on improving primary care, mental health care and emergency care for adults with developmental disabilities. The videos demonstrate common practice errors followed by strategies to improve medical encounters.
Communicating with Patients with DD
People with developmental disabilities may have more difficulties communicating their needs or remembering specific details about the health care visit. You can use one of a few communication tools available on our website.
Find them on our page for people with developmental disabilities or in our toolkits in primary care and emergency care