In this episode, care manager Liz Zaso shares how growing up in a family deeply involved in supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities shaped her passion for the field. Influenced by her parents' careers, her cousin with cerebral palsy, and early experiences with inclusion, Liz discusses the importance of training direct support professionals, advocating for equitable health care, and empowering individuals by focusing on their strengths. She highlights ongoing systemic challenges, including staffing shortages and inadequate provider education, while also celebrating the progress made in inclusion and global awareness. Liz offers examples from her career—such as supporting individuals pursuing meaningful goals—and emphasizes the need for community integration, advocacy, and positivity. The episode also acknowledges her nomination for the Annie Sullivan League Award, recognizing her dedication to improving the lives of people with IDD.

Brian Connery, Vice President of Sales at On Health, explains how their electronic medication administration record (EMAR) system and connected "med box" hardware aim to reduce medication errors and simplify workflows for direct support professionals (DSPs). Connery describes the company's person‑centered, collaborative design approach, shaped by a founding story involving a family tragedy related to medication mismanagement. He also shares his personal journey from DSP to leadership roles across provider agencies and state services, highlighting the meaningful, community‑driven nature of the intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) field. Connery closes by offering three recommendations for improving supports in IDD—innovation through technology access, reducing silos via collaboration and data sharing, and ongoing education paired with shared responsibility—emphasizing that progress requires collective effort across providers, vendors, and advocates.

This IDD Health Matters episode features Adam Chittam, a pharmacist specializing in long-term care for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Chittam explains that his organization, Tarrytown XPO Care Pharmacy, uniquely serves only the IDD population, which often faces complex medication regimens and polypharmacy—commonly 13–15 medications compared to four in the general population. He highlights the risks of drug interactions, the challenges of managing side effects, and the importance of avoiding unnecessary medications by addressing underlying causes of behaviors rather than attributing them solely to disability. Cheatham emphasizes education for caregivers, proper medication administration through compliance packaging, and the critical role pharmacists play in clinical teams to ensure safety and improve outcomes. He concludes by advocating for consistency, awareness of side effects, and engagement in this rewarding field.