Center for Developmental Disabilities Evaluation and Research (CDDER)

This grant-funded project developed an operational definition of “intellectual disability” to be used in health surveillance activities, as well as recommendations to ensure health surveillance activities are actually representative of this population.

Organized by the Massachusetts Department of Developmental Services (DDS) and UMMS/CDDER, this workshop brought together experienced professionals encouraging a culture of safety in caring for individuals with intellectual disability.

These preventive health screening guidelines for adults with ID help clinicians, staff, individuals, and families to understand the preventive health screenings that are recommended by age and diagnoses.

Risk Management in Developmental Disabilities (RMDD) is a series of six online training courses designed for those who provide services and support to children and adults with developmental disabilities. 

This training is the result of a partnership between AgeSpan (formerly Elder Services of Merrimac Valley [ESMV]) and the Center for Developmental Disabilities Evaluation and Research (CDDER), EK Shriver Center, UMass Chan Medical School. The specific focus is IDD and dementia; both understanding how dementia affects those with IDD and how to connect with someone who has IDD and a diagnosis of dementia.

The Massachusetts Department of Developmental Services (DDS) and CDDER are pleased to present a series of Webinars focused on Aging with Intellectual and Developmental Disability (IDD). These webinars are designed to introduce topics associated with aging and IDD, as well as provide additional resources as needed. 

Better understanding of people’s experiences with making friends, having relationships, being involved in the community, identifying what is working well, and what may get in the way, is paramount to crafting a social inclusion policy.