Behind closed doors, individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities are being mistreated and abused everyday. Despite the world's evolution in awareness and legal protection, abuse still happens everyday, especially to those who are more vulnerable. “People with developmental disabilities are more likely to experience multiple forms of maltreatment and by multiple predators” (Cotter, 2014). It is a sad truth, which is why this article will highlight the importance of understanding abuse and maltreatment and how important it is for you, the general public, to be aware of this issue. 

Make sure to learn about any medications the individual may be on and what kind of effects it may have in their day to day life. You can best combat any negative effects if you know what’s causing them. Ensure the individual is being active, both physically and socially. If the individual is capable, teach them how to take public transit, encourage them to join Special Olympics or a day program if there are any available in your area. Bring them with you grocery shopping, teach them about healthier alternatives with their food choices and teach them step by step how to make some of their favorite foods. Don’t rush into things, if the individual enjoys toast and jam, teach them how to make it. You don’t need to help them cook anything complex, simplicity is the best way to start and then grow from there. If your individual is happy, then you’ve succeeded in supporting their mental health. You’ve succeeded in supporting their health in general. 

Our role is to support our individual, and there’s plenty of ways to do just that. It may seem like a lot of work, but it truly isn’t. Support is about having the compassion and drive to want to make a change in someone’s life and helping them to reach their full potential. We need to use the tools and information at our disposal and learn what’s best for each individual. Given the right tools and support, everyone can succeed, disability or not. Always remember to ‘see the person, not the disability.'

There’s lots of significance to being physically active and having a strong body but people associate being active with exercise, playing sports and lifting weights but you can also pair it with being active in the community. Being physically active correlates with being socially active, they go hand in hand. 

Physical health is indeed important for all individuals but it doesn’t mean you need to engage in vigorous cardio, weight lifting and running. It's about balance. Both having a good physical as well as nutritional health.

It’s important to understand nature vs nurture, as there are genetic factors as well as environmental factors which may affect the growth of individuals with special needs.

Do you have a loved one, a friend, or someone you care for who has an intellectual or developmental disability? Are you struggling to best support them as they transition to young adulthood? It can be difficult, there’s a lot of things to keep note of as we grow. This blog is here to help you. We’ll be going over how to best support your individual to have a healthier lifestyle. General health is all about balance, having good physical, emotional and social health. We will also be discussing outside variables which can affect an individual and strategies to help you through supporting an individual.