IntellectAbility

04/10/2026

He is not refusing. He may be anxious.

Behavior is often misunderstood in healthcare and support settings.

For people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, what looks like refusal or defiance can actually be a response to anxiety, fear, pain, confusion, or sensory overload.

When staff take a step back and look deeper, they can better understand what someone is communicating. With the right training and awareness, escalation can decrease, and support can improve.

Understanding behavior starts with listening and looking beyond the surface.

04/08/2026

About 2.6% of Americans live with an intellectual or developmental disability.

As states plan how to use funding through the Rural Health Transformation Program, people with IDD must be part of the conversation. Access to care, trained providers, and supportive services should reflect the needs of the whole population.

People with IDD deserve to be included when rural healthcare systems are being redesigned.

Let’s work together to ensure disability is part of rural health transformation!

04/07/2026

“Our platform delivers both individual-level insight and population-level intelligence.” — Dr. Craig Escudé

From early risk detection to better outcomes, this is what it means to shift from reactive care to proactive, person-centered support. IntellectAbility is helping transform how we understand and address health risks for people with IDD at both the individual and system level.

Read the full article: https://hubs.li/Q049TfNg0

04/06/2026

We’re hitting the road this April! ✈️

IntellectAbility is excited to be attending three incredible conferences this month. You can find us at the Service Providers Association for Developmental Disabilities (SPADD) Conference (April 13–14), the ANCOR Annual Conference (April 21–23), and the United Cerebral Palsy Annual Conference (April 27–29).

If you’ll be there, come say hello! We’d love to connect, share what we’ve been working on, and continue the conversation around improving health outcomes and replacing risk with wellness.

04/03/2026

1 in 39 Americans has an intellectual or developmental disability.

As rural healthcare systems are being redesigned, it’s critical that people with IDD are not left out of the conversation. Access to care, trained providers, and supportive services must be part of rural health planning.

People with IDD deserve healthcare systems that understand their needs and support their health.
Let’s work together to ensure disability is included in rural health transformation.


Learn more here: https://hubs.li/Q049mn9C0

04/02/2026

“Where you live should not determine whether you live.” — Julie Foster Hagan, during our webinar The Rural Health Transformation Program: Opportunities to Improve Healthcare for People with IDD.

This is a deeply impactful reminder that access to care should never depend on geography.

Watch the full conversation here: https://hubs.li/Q049mnwY0

04/02/2026

Thrilled to have Kibu joining the conversation! If you or your organization would like to join this effort, visit: https://replacingrisk.com/rural-health-transformation/

Rural health transformation is one of the most important policy conversations happening right now, and we want to make sure the right people are in the room.

1 in 39 Americans has an intellectual or developmental disability. When states redesign rural healthcare systems, those individuals cannot be an afterthought. Real transformation means building systems where people with IDD have access to preventive care, where rural providers are trained to support them, and where disability services & healthcare work together - rather than in separate silos.

Full inclusion drives stronger coordination, fewer preventable emergencies, and a more stable workforce. Those outcomes are only achievable when everyone is counted.

At Kibu, we stand firmly behind including people with IDD in Rural Health Transformation planning. We hope you'll join us! 💙

04/01/2026

April is World Autism Month 💙

At IntellectAbility, we believe understanding and listening are key to supporting people with autism and other intellectual and developmental disabilities. DSPs, caregivers, families, and professionals all play an important role in making sure people are heard, respected, and supported.

Throughout April, we’ll be sharing blogs, podcast episodes, and helpful resources focused on autism, health, and supporting people with IDD.

We hope you’ll follow along and join the conversation this month!

04/01/2026

🚶‍♀️💙 The IntellectAbility team stepped out to celebrate National Walking Day!

Getting active together is a great reminder that small steps can lead to big impact both for our health and the communities we serve.

Here’s to moving more, feeling better, and supporting each other every step of the way!

03/31/2026

Dental issues can lead to pain, difficulty eating, and even changes in behavior, but they’re often preventable.

Join Craig Escude and guest Allen Wong for a 45-minute discussion on the most common dental concerns for people with IDD and practical strategies supporters and medical providers can use to promote better oral health.

Thursday, April 2
1:00 PM ET
Free to attend

Dr. Wong brings decades of experience in special care dentistry, hospital dentistry, and global advocacy. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from a leading expert!

🎥 Get a preview of Dr. Wong’s insights here: https://hubs.li/Q048W1270

Register for the webinar here: https://hubs.li/Q048W2cY0

03/27/2026

🧦 Crazy socks, big hearts! Last Friday, we celebrated at IntellectAbility with fun, mismatched socks from John’s Crazy Socks, co-founded by John Lee Cronin, who has Down syndrome.

Why socks? Chromosomes look like socks under a microscope!

We wore our bright, mismatched socks and wristbands, sparked conversations, and took a group photo to show our support! 💛💙

03/25/2026

Prevention requires education, coordination, and intentional inclusion.

Register for our FREE webinar, IDD Perspectives: Dental Health and Preventive Skillsets for Supporters and Medical Providers.

Thursday, April 2nd @ 1PM EST
Register here: https://hubs.li/Q048mXYT0