When Dementia Looks Different: Transitions for Older Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

• By: Kristina Gasiewski, OTR/L, MEd, BCBA Laura Nagy, MS, CCC-SLP Lara Redcay, MEd, BCBA Amanda Duffy, MEd, BCBA, LBS Melmark
• January 5th, 2026
• assessment and screening, caregiver support, dementia, early detection, environmental adaptations, intellectual and developmental disabilities, quality of life, transition planning, Winter 2026 Issue
• 171    0

Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are living longer lives then they have ever before (Bishop et al., 2015). Increased longevity means an increase in age-related changes and disorders such as dementia. Strydom et al. (2009) found that individuals with IDD are two to...

Advocating for Empowerment: Navigating End-of-Life Care for the Aging Autistic Population

• By: Amanda L. Duffy, MEd, BCBA, LBS Kristina Gasiewski, MOTR/L, MEd, BCBA Lara Redcay, MEd, BCBA Melmark Pennsylvania
• October 4th, 2024
• aging, communication, Fall 2024 Issue, hospice, interdisciplinary team
• 1810    0

While history began documenting autism in children in the early 1900s, it was not until later in the century that autism became recognized as a distinct circumstance. The first generation of children diagnosed with autism is just now moving into older age. With aging brings social, physical, and...