PODCAST · health
IDD Health Matters
by IntellectAbility
IDD Health Matters hosted by Craig Escudé, MD, FAAFP, FAADM features guests from across the globe who are leading the efforts to improve health, wellness and health equity for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Episodes
-
Ep 170: DSP Ambassador Program Empowers Disability Support Professionals to Advocate for Change
Robyn Wolfe discusses the work of ANCOR, a national association that supports providers serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She highlights ANCOR's DSP (Direct Support Professional) Ambassador Program, an initiative designed to train DSPs to share their experiences...
-
Ep 169: People First: Empowering Independence Through Direct Support
Chrystal Wheat, a direct support professional (DSP) at Able Services in Pennsylvania, shares how she entered the field by chance and now supports individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) by helping them build daily living skills, participate in community activities,...
-
Ep 168: Personal Experience, Research, and Individualized Care in IDD and Autism
In this episode of the ID Health Matters podcast, Dr. Doreen Samelson discusses her personal and professional work with people who have intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), highlighting the influence of her son's disabilities on her career and her role at Cadence/Cadillac. She...
-
Ep 167: Growing Opportunity: How Just Vertical Creates Inclusive Jobs Through Indoor Farming
This episode features Connor Tidd, co-founder and CEO of Just Vertical, a company that designs indoor vertical hydroponic farms that can grow fresh produce year-round in any climate. Connor explains how the technology supports food security, sustainable agriculture, and employment opportunities…
more -
Ep 166: From Attorney to Autism Advocate: Kimberly Jackson's Journey
Kimberly Jackson, an attorney, advocate, and mother of a daughter with autism, discusses her journey from practicing law to dedicating her career to supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. She emphasizes the lifelong nature of disability…
more -
Ep 165: The Importance of Appropriate Hospice Referrals
Dr. Galina Rader describes her journey from practicing pediatric ENT medicine in Russia to becoming a board-certified family physician and hospice specialist in the United States. The conversation focuses on the challenges of providing palliative and hospice care to people with intellectual and...
-
Ep 164: Training and Tools That Transform IDD Healthcare
Daleigh Talent, Clinical Director at IntellectAbility, describes her journey from business to nursing, her experience working in long-term care and group homes, and how tools such as the Health Risk Screening Tool help identify health risks early, support better care planning, and improve…
more -
Ep 163: Supporting Choice, Independence, and Dignity in IDD
This episode features Tammy Armstrong, a longtime professional in the intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) field with nearly 50 years of experience. She discusses her career journey from direct support work and special education to case management, adult day services leadership, and...
-
Ep 162: Trauma-Informed Care and Better Outcomes for IDD
Dr. Angeline Stanislaus, Chief Medical Officer of the Missouri Department of Mental Health, discusses the challenges and solutions for supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) who also have mental health conditions. Dr. Stanislaus explains that nearly half of...
-
Ep 161: Turning Personal Experience into Disability Health Reform
Kendra Clark, a physician assistant and disability health advocate, shares her deeply personal journey, explaining how her brother Guy survived a severe traumatic brain injury as a child and lived with significant disabilities, inspiring her lifelong commitment to caregiving and later a career in...
-
Ep 160: Jenna Bainbridge: Breaking Barriers in Broadway and Accessibility Advocacy
This IDD Health Matters podcast features Jenna Bainbridge, a Broadway actor, disability rights advocate, and founder of the nonprofit Consultability. Bainbridge discusses her experience as an ambulatory wheelchair user following a childhood spinal cord injury, explaining how disability shaped her...
-
Ep 159: Dr. Craig Escude's Mission to Better Serve People with IDD
Guest host Richard Chapman interviews Dr. Craig Escude about his career and work improving healthcare for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). He explains how he entered the field while working in Mississippi, discovered that most healthcare professionals receive little…
more -
Ep 158: The Overlooked Link Between Brain Injury and IDD
Rebeccah Wolfkiel and Jill Ferrington from the National Association of State Head Injury Administrators (NASHIA), discuss the connection between brain injuries and intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). The guests explain that many individuals receive IDD services because of brain...
-
Ep 157: Person-Centered Support in Action: Practical Tools for Better Outcomes
In this ID Health Matters podcast episode, David Toback discusses how to put person-centered thinking into daily practice when supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. He emphasizes that person-centered support means seeing individuals as whole people rather than…
more -
Ep 156: Dignity, Technology, and the Future of Disability Services
Valerie Huhn, Director of Missouri's Department of Mental Health and President of the National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services (NASDDDS), discusses her career in public service and key issues affecting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities...
-
Ep 155: Empowering Lifelong Learning for People with Disabilities
In this interview with Amy Fox, a leader in the intellectual and developmental disability (IDD) field, she discusses her work founding Learning Q, an online platform designed to make education more accessible through short, repeatable "microlearning" modules. Drawing on about 15 years of...
-
Ep 154: IDD Perspectives Webinar with Jonathon Crumley
In this IDD Perspectives webinar, the discussion focuses on improving support for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) through "person-centered thinking." Jonathon Crumley explains that current practices are rooted in a historical legacy of institutionalization, where...
-
Ep 153: Fixing Care and Workforce Challenges in Developmental Disabilities
Dr. Paca Lipovac, a longtime leader in the developmental disabilities field, shares how a personal connection—her niece's disability—drew her into a 26‑year career dedicated to improving care for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). She describes her work overseeing…
more -
Ep 152: From Overlooked to Advocate: Neil Romano's Fight for Disability Rights and Respect
Neil Romano, a disability advocate and government official, shares how his personal experiences with dyslexia and growing up alongside family members with disabilities shaped his lifelong commitment to advancing opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD)....
-
Ep 151: Improving IDD Healthcare Through Telemedicine and Specialized Training
Dr. Matthew Kaufman discusses his journey as an emergency physician who recognized significant gaps in healthcare for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), including lack of training, overreliance on emergency departments, and frequent unnecessary testing and...
-
Ep 150: Empowering Learning: Building Inclusive Skills for Adults with Disabilities
Educator and curriculum designer Kathleen Chauffe specializes in creating training programs for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). She explains how her career evolved from a passion for teaching into developing practical, accessible curricula used in adult day…
more -
Ep 149: Why 'Not Acting Right' Signals Hidden Health and Life Issues in IDD
In this IDD Perspectives webinar the focus is on understanding why individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) may appear to be "not acting right," emphasizing that such behaviors are often signals of underlying issues rather than merely behavioral or psychiatric problems....
-
Ep 148: Putting People First: The Power of Person-Centered Care
This interview features Tanya Richmond, a social worker and consultant specializing in person-centered practices, which focus on understanding individuals—especially those with intellectual, developmental, or age-related vulnerabilities—by balancing what is important to them (their preferences,...
-
Ep 147: Leading with Compassion: Building Inclusive, Person‑Centered Supports for People with IDD
Kari (Carrie) Johnston and Jodie Marotz, leaders at New Horizons and the Human Service Agency in Watertown, South Dakota, discuss their careers and the wide range of supports they provide for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), including group homes, community living,...
-
Ep 146: Dental Care Without Borders: Reaching Refugees and People with Disabilities
Dr. Aws Faidy, a general dentist from northern Iraq, discusses his work providing oral health care and education to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs), refugees, and internally displaced persons (IDPs). Dr. Faidy explains how he conducts community-based dental…
more -
Ep 145: Personal Experience Driving Better, More Equitable Health Care for People With IDD
Jim Laughman is a behavioral health managed care leader whose work focuses on Medicaid populations, including people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), serious mental illness, and dual diagnoses. Laughman explains how his organization provides care coordination in states like...
-
Ep 144: From Immigrant Health to Disability Justice: Dr. Lauren Clark on Advancing Health Equity
Dr. Lauren Clark, a nurse, researcher, and professor at UCLA, discusses her career journey and work in developmental disability and health equity. Dr. Clark explains how her early research with immigrant communities and her personal experience as a parent of two children with developmental...
-
Ep 143: Improving Community‑Based Support Through Person‑Centered Quality Practices
Marion Olivier works with Qlarant to improve the quality of community‑based services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities by partnering with states to conduct quality reviews, interviews, data collection, reporting, training, and ongoing technical assistance. She explains...
-
Ep 142: Charting the LifeCourse: Empowering Individuals with IDD and Families Across the Lifespan
Sheli Reynolds, a longtime professional and family advocate in the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), discusses her work at a University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities and the creation of the Charting the LifeCourse Framework. Drawing on both her...
-
Ep 141: Mercer University Launches Comprehensive Health Center to Advance Care for Adults with IDD
This interview features Dr. Jonathan Smith, who discusses the launch of a new, mission‑driven health center under Mercer University focused on providing comprehensive, integrated care for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in Georgia. Dr. Smith explains that the center...
-
Ep 140: Tennessee Leads with Innovative, Person‑Centered Support for People with IDD
Brad Turner, Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Disabilities and Aging, discusses how his personal experience as a parent of a daughter with cerebral palsy shapes his leadership and commitment to improving supports for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). He...
-
Ep 139: From Misdiagnosis to Advocacy: Jacqueline Cuevas Finds Her Voice
Jacqueline Cuevas shares her journey as a self‑advocate living with Functional Neurological Disorder (previously known as psychogenic non‑epileptic seizures), a condition triggered by trauma and often misunderstood by medical professionals. Beginning with unexplained episodes at age 16, she spent...
-
Ep 138: Josh Muñoz on Supporting Independent Living for People with IDD
Associate Director of Public Policy at First Place AZ, Josh Muñoz discusses his work supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) through independent living, tailored supports, and intentional community integration. He shares his journey from studying psychology to...
-
Ep 137: Ley Linder on Medical, Environmental, and Emotional Roots of Behavior
In this episode Ley Linder discusses his work supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Linder emphasizes that challenging behaviors are often rooted in medical issues, environmental stressors, lack of choice, or learned patterns—not simply characteristics of...
-
Ep 136: Finding Joy and Purpose in Caregiving: Kathy Parry's Story
Kathy Parry shares her journey as a mother of four whose youngest daughter, Merritt, was born with a severe mitochondrial disorder and ultimately lived 20 years despite an initial two‑year prognosis. She describes navigating an uncertain medical landscape, advocating persistently for her child…
more -
Ep 135: Auburn Nursing Leaders Transform IDD Care Training With Innovative Education
Dr. Rachael Sweeney and Dr. Amy Curtis from Auburn University's College of Nursing, discuss their work improving health care education for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). They describe the lack of training nurses typically receive in communicating with and caring…
more -
Ep 134: Expanding Autism Understanding and Equity in Healthcare
Dr. Kristen Sohl, a pediatrician and founder of Echo Autism Communities, discusses Project ECHO—a model that connects specialists with generalists via virtual sessions to improve care for people in rural and underserved areas—and explains how it has expanded in Missouri to support fields like...
-
Ep 133: Danielle Terrell on Advocacy, Care, and Global Impact in IDD Support
In this episode, Danielle Terrell discusses her personal and professional journey working with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Danielle describes how her background in psychology, early community experiences, and roles as a direct support professional, ABA...
-
Ep 132: David Toback Shows How Person‑Centered Support Truly Transforms IDD Care
This episode features a conversation with David Toback about supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). David describes his journey beginning in 2006 working in mental health and IDD, later contributing heavily to Georgia's transition from institutional care to...
-
Ep 131: Liz Zaso on Advocacy, Inclusion, and Empowering People with IDD
In this episode, care manager Liz Zaso shares how growing up in a family deeply involved in supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities shaped her passion for the field. Influenced by her parents' careers, her cousin with cerebral palsy, and early experiences with…
more -
Ep 130: Improving Medication Safety With Tech‑Driven Innovation Featuring Brian Connery
Brian Connery, Vice President of Sales at On Health, explains how their electronic medication administration record (EMAR) system and connected "med box" hardware aim to reduce medication errors and simplify workflows for direct support professionals (DSPs). Connery describes the company's...
-
Ep 129: Rethinking Meds for People with IDD
This IDD Health Matters episode features Adam Chittam, a pharmacist specializing in long-term care for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Chittam explains that his organization, Tarrytown XPO Care Pharmacy, uniquely serves only the IDD population, which often…
more -
Ep 128: From LVN to Telehealth Advocate: Kaylee Graham's Mission to Improve IDD Care
Kaylee Graham, a nurse specializing in care for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), shares her journey from starting as an LVN in Texas to her current role at StationMD, where she supports IDD populations through specialized telehealth services. She emphasizes the...
-
Ep 127: From Policy to Personal: Dr. Laura Brackin's Journey in Disability Advocacy
Dr. Laura Brackin shares her professional journey from special education to leadership roles in advocacy, policy, and state services, emphasizing the shift toward community integration over institutional care. Laura recounts a deeply personal experience with her grandson Jude, who was born with...
-
Ep 126: Expanding Psychiatric Training to Improve Care for People with IDD
Dr. Jodi Tate is a psychiatrist from Iowa who specializes in working with adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and mental health challenges. Dr. Tate shares her journey into this field, emphasizing the lack of formal training for healthcare providers in treating…
more -
Ep 125: Steve Gonyea's Mission to Reform Disability and Foster Care Systems
Steve Gonyea, an advocate and foster parent from New York, shares his journey from seeking help for his son with autism and other disabilities to becoming a statewide leader in disability advocacy. Initially struggling to find proper diagnoses and services, Steve began helping other families and...
-
Ep 124: Bridging Technology and Care to Empower People With IDD
Nick Alexander shares his journey from industrial engineering in regulated industries to innovating healthcare technology. Nick explains how his company, Never Alone, focuses on improving independence and social connection for seniors and individuals with intellectual and developmental…
more -
Ep 123: Jackie Kancir Pushes Policy and Integration for People with Profound Autism
Jackie Kancir, a lifelong patient and policy advocate and current Policy Director for the National Council on Severe Autism, discusses her work to improve health equity and services for individuals with profound autism and intellectual disabilities. Speaking at the American Academy of…
more -
Ep 122: Nick Wood Highlights Workforce Challenges and Managed Care Evolution for Better IDD Services
Nick Wood, speaking at the Kansas InterHab conference, discusses the role of InterHab as a statewide trade association supporting providers for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). He emphasizes the benefits of collaboration, communication, and training among member...
-
Ep 121: Mary Kay Rizzolo Champions Strengths-Based Accreditation for People with IDD
In this episode of IDD Health Matters, Dr. Craig Escudé interviews Mary Kay Rizzolo, CEO of the Council on Quality and Leadership (CQL), an international accreditation body focused on improving services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Mary Kay discusses…
more
We're indexing this podcast's transcripts for the first time — this can take a minute or two. We'll show results as soon as they're ready.
No matches for "" in this podcast's transcripts.
No topics indexed yet for this podcast.
Loading reviews...
ABOUT THIS SHOW
IDD Health Matters hosted by Craig Escudé, MD, FAAFP, FAADM features guests from across the globe who are leading the efforts to improve health, wellness and health equity for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
HOSTED BY
IntellectAbility
Loading similar podcasts...
Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does IDD Health Matters have?
IDD Health Matters currently has 169 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is IDD Health Matters about?
IDD Health Matters hosted by Craig Escudé, MD, FAAFP, FAADM features guests from across the globe who are leading the efforts to improve health, wellness and health equity for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
How often does IDD Health Matters release new episodes?
IDD Health Matters publishes regularly with 169 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to IDD Health Matters?
You can listen to IDD Health Matters on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts IDD Health Matters?
IDD Health Matters is created and hosted by IntellectAbility.
URL copied to clipboard!