Who Is Leading the Field in 2020?: AAIDD Students and Early Career Professionals.

The American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) has been a leader in the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities since its founding in 1876. Today, student and early career professionals make up approximately 8.5% of the organization, with their engagement supported by the Student and Early Career Professional Interest Network (SECP).

Getting comfortable with disability: The short- and long-term effects of a clinical encounter.

Background: Physicians report discomfort when interacting with patients with disabilities, which can negatively impact the quality of healthcare they provide.

Objective/hypothesis: An intervention structured around a formative clinical encounter was assessed for its effectiveness in changing comfort towards treating patients with disabilities. It was predicted that this encounter would have a positive short- and long-term impact on medical students.

Who thrives as a direct support professional? Personal motivation and resilience in direct support.

Direct support professionals (DSPs) are an essential part of the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). High rates of DSP turnover and vacancy have spurred much research into the occupational stress and burnout experienced by DSPs. There are, however, DSPs who remain motivated by and successful in the profession.