For years, supporters, clinicians, families, and service systems have faced a critical training gap: a lack of education that directly addresses how substance-use disorders (SUD) affect people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). While people with I/DD may have lower overall rates of illicit drug use, those who do use substances face significant—and often overlooked—risks.
To help address this gap, IntellectAbility served as a source expert for a new free, first-of-its-kind national course developed by the Center for Implementation and Evaluation of Education Systems (CIEES) and the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services. This training is the first in the nation dedicated entirely to the intersection of I/DD and substance-use disorders.
Grounded in IntellectAbility’s mission to Replace Risk with Health & Wellness, the self-paced course delivers accessible, evidence-informed, and person-centered guidance designed specifically for adults with I/DD who may be experiencing—or are at risk of experiencing—substance-use challenges. Learners explore how SUD can present differently in people with I/DD, why it is often missed or misunderstood, and how trauma, stigma, and bias can affect recognition and support.
The course also emphasizes practical application. Participants gain tools to recognize early warning signs, communicate respectfully, respond to behavioral changes, and provide consistent, person-centered support while honoring dignity, autonomy, and safety. It reflects the real-world challenges faced by case managers, direct support professionals, clinicians, and families alike.
Because the course is entirely free and self-paced, it removes cost and access barriers and establishes a shared foundation of knowledge across disability and health care systems. IntellectAbility is proud to have contributed clinical insight and person-centered expertise to this groundbreaking resource and encourages organizations across the I/DD field to take advantage of it.
