This is a single module and is designed to address the changing environment in the area of Intellectual Disability (‘ID’) care and support by helping to create a better-educated workforce.  The context of the course is to enable you to upskill in the specialist area of ID studies.  This will help you to understand the trend from biomedical to social theoretical frameworks, person-centred advocacy and human rights approaches, the move from congregated to community living, together with the impact of agencies such as CORU and HIQA on the quality and delivery of ID supports.

The aims of this module are to:

• Equip you with the knowledge, skills and competencies in the causes and effects of intellectual disability, together with an understanding of the roles of various professionals and support workers in responding to the needs of people with an intellectual disability
• Enable you to develop a practical understanding of quality practice which embraces a person-centred approach to planning and support.

The module objectives are to:

• Learn the current WHO definition for intellectual disability and to gain an understanding of how different levels of intellectual disabilities are assessed and supported throughout the lifespan
• Equip you with an awareness of the hurt and stigma that inappropriate labelling of people with intellectual disabilities can cause
• Create an awareness of the evolving and dynamic nature of the terminology used in the field of intellectual disability studies
• Familiarise you with differences in favoured terminology that exists between nations and states
• Familiarise you with both the social and medical models of disability
• Create an awareness of the barriers within society that lead to the disabling of individuals with intellectual disabilities
• Learn about the evolution of service provision for people with an intellectual disability
• Learn about the components of attitude
• Create an awareness of the factors that influence attitude formation towards individuals with intellectual disabilities
• Create an awareness of your own attitudes towards individuals with an intellectual disability
• Create a context within you can critically reflect upon your own attitudes and the formation of these attitudes
• Create an awareness of the link between an organisation’s attitude and the social roles and social norms that are outlined in their policy documents
• Equip you with the skills to critically evaluate an organisation’s attitude towards individuals with an intellectual disability based upon their policy documents
• Equip you with the knowledge and skills to develop effective working relationships with other members of the multi-disciplinary team (MDT)
• Equip you with the knowledge and skills to identify the human needs of individuals with intellectual disabilities and their family members
• Familiarise you with the person-centred approach to support and planning for individuals with an intellectual disability