Student Confidence in Providing Healthcare to Adults With Intellectual Disability: Implications for Health Profession Curricula.
Health students who already met adults with ID through class or practice say, “I can handle this,” far more often than peers without that head start.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team asked health-profession students how ready they felt to treat adults with intellectual disability.
They used a survey. Students ticked boxes about past training, contact, and confidence.
What they found
Students who already had ID coursework or hands-on experience rated their own confidence higher.
The finding was positive and clear: prior exposure predicts comfort.
How this fits with other research
Alnahdi (2025) asked the same kind of questions to 284 working Saudi nurses and doctors. That study extends these student results into real clinics.
Brown et al. (2009) surveyed therapy students across four countries. They also saw that later-year students felt less discomfort, matching the idea that time and training build ease.
Bassette et al. (2023) moved the survey into UK schools. Teaching assistants felt more confident than teachers when supporting pupils with Down syndrome, again showing that role-specific experience matters.
Why it matters
You can’t assume new staff will feel calm around adults with ID. Slot short, planned exposures—job shadowing, micro-lectures, or guided interactions—into practicum courses and new-hire orientation. One solid hour of targeted training or a single positive contact hour can lift a learner’s confidence for the next patient or client.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Self-perceived confidence of health professions students at one university in caring for adults with intellectual disability (ID) was examined via an electronic survey using the Therapy Confidence Scale - Intellectual Disabilities (TCS-ID). A stepwise multiple regression of data collected from 232 completed surveys revealed that prior training and prior experience were predictors of TCS-ID total score. Adults with ID experience healthcare disparities due, in part, to poor provider communication and a lack of confidence. Results from this novel study suggest that opportunities for experiential learning and training with people with ID are important considerations for health professions curricula. Further research is needed for generalizability of results.
Intellectual and developmental disabilities, 2022 · doi:10.1352/1934-9556-60.5.477