Understanding the Residents You Serve — Developmental Disabilities, Autism, IDD & Physical Diagnoses in ARF

You cannot provide person-centered care for a resident whose diagnosis you don't truly understand. This 2-hour course builds administrator-level clinical literacy across the full spectrum of developmental disabilities and co-occurring conditions most commonly served in California ARFs: Autism Spectrum Disorder, Intellectual Disability, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Epilepsy, Fragile X Syndrome, Prader-Willi Syndrome, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, and Traumatic Brain Injury. Administrators will learn the functional impact of each diagnosis on daily living, communication, behavior, and health — and how these characteristics interact with ARF care requirements. The course addresses identifying common stigmas and assumptions that lead to poor care, understanding the DDS Individual Program Plan (IPP) as the resident's roadmap, and recognizing how dual diagnosis (IDD + mental health, or IDD + substance use history) creates complex care needs that require tailored program responses. This is the diagnostic literacy course every ARF administrator needs but rarely receives in standard training. COK Area: Psychosocial Needs — Developmental Disabilities, Client Populations, Dignity.