New initiative focuses on health care for people with intellectual and development disabilities

It all started with a manikin. 

When training her Yale School of Nursing (YSN) students in clinical skills, Christine Rodriguez will often use the human-shaped models in simulated health care procedures. But she noticed that, when it came to some physical attributes, the manikins tended to look the same.

“For diversifying manikins, most vendors use medium, dark, and light skin tones,” said Rodriguez, associate dean of nursing impact and assistant professor of the clinical track. “But you’re not really seeing a lot of different physical representations.” 

Specifically, she wanted a manikin that would help train students in caring for patients with disabilities. Rodriguez started looking for one, and that’s when she met Gwen – a hyper-realistic silicone manikin made from a 3D body scan of a seven-year-old girl with Down syndrome. 

“It’s the first hyper-realistic manikin that actually has a clinical presentation of someone who has Down syndrome,” Rodriguez said. “Moreover, the anatomical structures allow for training in difficult intubation, helping nurse practitioners develop skill and confidence in airway management for children with Down syndrome.”

Rodriguez knew that bringing such models to the school would be valuable to students. But she didn’t want to stop there. Inspired by Gwen the manikin, and with the support of colleagues, she put together a proposal to better integrate intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) health care education across the entire YSN curriculum. That idea is now becoming a reality, thanks to a $7.7 million gift from Susanna Peyton ’83 M.S.N. and John Campbell ’80 M.A., ’84 Ph.D.

The new Initiative for Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities will provide an interdisciplinary educational experience for advanced practice nursing and midwifery students to strengthen their skills and competencies in treating and caring for patientswith IDD and their families.

For decades, Peyton and Campbell have supported IDD education at the nursing schooland other institutions. This new initiative is part of the couple’s previously established endowed fund.

“For me, interest in intellectual and developmental disability, including autism, began in a job which led me to choose nursing as a career,” Peyton said. “It grew with the arrival of our first child. His medical journey introduced us to the topic of health care excellence up close and personal. We can all agree that excellence in health care for persons with a diagnosis of IDD is not optional. But professional training is needed to guide providers of the future. We are delighted to join YSN’s effort to make this happen.”

Through the initiative, the school will be developing and launching a new master’s level IDD concentration, including two new courses focused solely on IDD. The school will also incorporate IDD content into all current YSN specialties. 

“I’ve worked with the population and am aware of what happens within health care curricula,” said Rodriguez, who will be spearheading the new initiative. “There’s a significant gap. So often in our trainings, we don’t get any content specifically related to folks who have intellectual and developmental disabilities.”

For Rodriguez, the initiative hits close to home. “We understand the stigma that often surrounds IDD,” she said. “As a family, we’ve had to confront those difficult questions: What does this mean for our son? How do we ensure his safety in a world that may not always get it?”

In addition to the new curriculum, the school will leverage its existing simulation-based education to help students practice and hone their clinical skills, from routine procedures to critical emergencies, without the risk of harm to real patients with IDD. Gwen, the school’s hyper-realistic manikin, will be available for simulations in all specialties. 

The school will also establish clinical partnerships with preceptors, or mentors who are licensed   physicians and nurses practicing in hospitals, clinics, and private practices, who have expertise in treating and diagnosing patients with IDD, as well as nurture partnerships with community-based organizations and nonprofits such as the local Special Olympics.

The goal, Rodriguez says, is to center cultural sensitivity in YSN’s nursing education — and improve the overall quality of care for people with IDD across their lifespans.

“When I think of person-centered care, it truly means putting the individual at the heart of everything,” she said. “It’s about meeting people where they are but also empowering them with the agency to make informed choices. Together, we collaborate on the path forward, but ultimately you lead the way. My role is to support, guide, and share the knowledge so you can say, ‘This is what I believe is right for me.’”

In addition to updating the curriculum and clinical practice, the initiative will also host a speaker series with experts in the field, as well as support faculty members and students to attend webinars and conferences on the latest trends and guidelines, host a symposium on caring for people with IDD, and launch an online continuing nurse education course for registered health care professionals outside of the YSN community. 

“In collaboration with our community partners and experts in the field, we will be developing the optimal methods, means, and curriculum for educating nurses on how to better understand and respond to the health care needs of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities,” said YSN Dean Azita Emami. “I’m proud that YSN will now be a national leader in creating and providing this specialized nursing education.”