Maltreatment Education for Health Professionals

Abuse and Neglect of Children and Adults with Developmental Disabilities:
A Problem of National Significance

Course Outline

Introduction: About This Course

Module 1: Scope and Significance of the Problem

Module 2: Overview of Developmental Disabilities

Module 3: Disabilities and Communication

Module 4: Risk Factors

Module 5: Dynamics of Abuse

Module 6: Family and Cultural Issues

Module 7: Special Considerations in the Use of Medications

Module 8: Recognizing Physical and Emotional Abuse and Neglect

Module 9: Recognizing Sexual Abuse

Module 10: Assessment and Documentation

Module 11: Reporting Abuse and Neglect

Module 12: Follow-up and Treatment

Module 13: Prevention and Resources

«Back

Annotated Course Outline

Introduction: About This Course
- Program summary
- Program learning objectives
- Credits, including National Training Consortium, Local Planning Council, and other contributors
- About the Partnership for People with Disabilities
- Help section
- Bibliography
- Resources.
Module 1: Scope and Significance of the Problem
- Why healthcare professionals need to be involved in this problem
- Relationship between maltreatment and disability
- Incidence and prevalence of maltreatment in persons with developmental disabilities (DD)
- Reasons people with DD are more vulnerable to abuse and neglect than persons without disabilities
- Societal attitudes that can contribute to increased risk.
Module 2: Overview of Developmental Disabilities
- Definitions of developmental disability
- Factors that contribute to the occurrence of DD
- How developmental disabilities affect functional abilities
- Characteristics of major developmental disabilities
- The continuum of disabilities
- Resources for getting information about specific disabilities.
Module 3: Disabilities and Communication
- Ways in which developmental disabilities affect communication
- How communication affects maltreatment of persons with DD
- Use of Person First language in communicating with persons with DD
- Signs that a person is having issues with communication related to a possible disability
- How "mental age" affects communication
- Accommodations to communicating with persons with DD
- Challenging behavior and communication.
Module 4: Risk Factors
- Causes of abuse and neglect of persons with DD
- Common risk factors for children and adults for abuse and neglect
- Factors that can put persons with DD at greater risk for abuse and neglect
- Factors that put adults with DD at risk for self-neglect and financial exploitation
- Dimensions of families and of caregiving that can affect risk of maltreatment.
Module 5: Dynamics of Abuse
- Definitions of domestic violence and institutional abuse
- How abuse is related to power and control issues
- Characteristics of abusive institutional settings
- Characteristics, behaviors, and profiles of abusers
- Forms of abuse and neglect other than overt physical violence
- Abuser behaviors that may indicate potential harm to self or others.
Module 6: Family and Cultural Issues
- Impact of culture and ethnicity on perceptions of disability, caregiving, healthcare practices, and attitudes towards physical punishment
- Professional practices that honor the family’s specific culture and ethnicity
- Impact on families of living with a person with developmental disabilities
- Roles of families in providing care for persons with developmental disabilities
- Impact on siblings
- Relationship between caregiver stress and maltreatment of people with developmental disabilities
- Needs of family caregivers
- Deaf Culture
Module 7: Special Considerations in the Use of Medications
- How persons with DD may differ in their responses to medications
- Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) and signs of potential ADRs
- Medications commonly used for treatment of medical conditions among persons with DD
- Medications commonly used for treatment of psychobiological conditions for persons with DD and ADRs related to these medications
- Guidelines for prescribing psychotropic medications for persons with DD
- Guidelines for monitoring the use of psychotropic medications in persons with DD
- Strategies for managing multiple medications for persons with DD.
Module 8: Recognizing Physical and Emotional Abuse and Neglect
- Why it is harder to recognize abuse and neglect of persons with DD
- Disabilities or syndromes that can mimic signs of abuse
- Physical, behavioral, and circumstantial indicators of maltreatment
- Indicators of emotional maltreatment
- Indicators of neglect and self-neglect
- Indicators of financial exploitation.
Module 9: Recognizing Sexual Abuse
- Scope of the problem of sexual abuse of persons with DD
- What constitutes sexual abuse and exploitation of children and adults with DD
- Risk factors for sexual abuse for persons with DD
- Dynamics of sexual abuse for people with DD
- Physical, emotional, and behavioral indicators of sexual abuse of persons with DD
- Impact of sexual abuse on people with DD.
Module 10: Assessment and Documentation
- Responsibilities of healthcare professionals in assessment and documentation of possible abuse and/or neglect of persons with DD
- Appropriate documentation of maltreatment
- Confidentiality issues related to assessment and documentation of maltreatment
- Approaches and protocols for assessment of children and of adults with DD.
Module 11: Reporting and Testifying
- Legal requirements for healthcare professionals to report suspected abuse, neglect or exploitation of persons with DD
- The importance of reporting maltreatment by healthcare professionals
- What must be reported, to whom, and by when
- What records must be made available and to whom
- How healthcare professionals can deal with fears/resentment of caregivers/family members about a report
- What happens when a report is filed
- Guidelines for testifying in court
- False accusations
- Reasons healthcare professionals fail to report maltreatment.
Module 12: Follow-up and Treatment
- Follow-up and treatment needs of people with DD who experience maltreatment
- Guidelines for appropriate follow-up and medical management
- Mental health conditions commonly experienced by people with DD who have been maltreated
- Adapting mental health treatment for people with DD who have been abused or neglected
- Behavioral treatment strategies that are most effective with people with DD.
Module 13: Prevention and Resources
- Characteristics of resilient children and families
- Resiliency skills that help families cope with the demands of caring for persons with DD
- Prevention goals and strategies for people with DD and their families/caregivers
- Responsibilities of healthcare professionals to foster resiliency skills for people with DD
- Resources to prevent sexual abuse
- Strategies for prevention of maltreatment in institutions
- Positive Behavior Support; positive approaches to crisis management with people with developmental disabilities
- Resources for prevention.

«Back

Last Modified: June 25, 2007 (2:24PM)

Introduction:	About This Course
Module 1:	Scope and Significance of the Problem
Module 2:	Overview of Developmental Disabilities
Module 3:	Disabilities and Communication
Module 4:	Risk Factors
Module 5:	Dynamics of Abuse
Module 6:	Family and Cultural Issues
Module 7:	Special Considerations in the Use of Medications
Module 8:	Recognizing Physical and Emotional Abuse and Neglect
Module 9:	Recognizing Sexual Abuse
Module 10:	Assessment and Documentation
Module 11:	Reporting Abuse and Neglect
Module 12:	Follow-up and Treatment
Module 13:	Prevention and Resources