BALTIMORE — The Special Olympics teamed up with the University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON) to help students learn the best way to interact with patients who have intellectual and developmental disabilities.
A collaborative effort looking to change the future of interaction between medical, nursing and social work professionals when it comes to giving care to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities or IDD.
"We hear so many times that professionals or students don't understand how to communicate effectively with people with IDD,” said Anne Williams who is the Special Olympics International Vice President for Health services and education.
Giving the students practical experience before they enter their profession.
"A healthcare interview with a neurotypical person may only take a few minutes but that's not the case always. People with anxiety, people with disabilities, they may need more time,” said Rebecca Weston who is a professor at the University of Maryland School of Nursing.
Students in groups of three or four go into a room with a Special Olympics athlete. The athletes are hired to serve as a standardized patient, paired with an existing patient who plays the role of a family member.
"Their condition is a headache when they go in and our students are asking them what's the condition at the same time asking other things asking the social history and asking alleviating factors and aggravating factors," said Weston.
Two of the students in their third semester at the School of Nursing said this interaction has changed their approach.
"Sometimes we do have to tailor the way we that we ask questions to them to their level of understanding and just being patient with them and providing them that space to communicate with us freely,” said Katia Calixmejia who is in her 3rd semester at UMSON.
"Looking at like verbal and nonverbal cues of a patient and giving them once again the time and being very patient and using common words not so much medical jargon that,” said Haley Perlstein who is also in her 3rd semester at UMSON.
After the simulation, students received feedback. While this is the pilot program, the Special Olympics is looking to move this to other universities across the united states and the world.
