Curriculum

Growing Older with Lifelong Intellectual Disabilities: When Dementia is Suspected or Diagnosed
Spring 2024 Series

This Project ECHO series is a free, practical, case-based education program for health care and social service providers who want to enhance their knowledge, competence, and performance related to the care of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities affected by dementia. Each ECHO session will include a short presentation by a topic expert, followed by a case study submitted in advance by an ECHO participant site, and then open discussion to learn from one another.

ECHO sessions are held every other Monday from Noon - 1:15 p.m. ET

Register for the Spring 2024 Series

April 22, 2024
Developing a Care Plan using the NTG - Early Detection and Screen for Dementia (NTG-EDSD)
Lucille Esralew, PhD
Senior Psychologist, California Department of Developmental Services
Chair, NTG Scientific/Research Consultative Panel
Co-Chair, NTG Advisory Board

May 6, 2024
Addressing Brain Health in Adults With I/DD: A Companion to the KAER Toolkit
Jennifer L. Pettis, MS, RN, CNE
Director of Strategic Alliances
Gerontological Society of America

May 20, 2024
Skills2Care-ID Program
E. Adel Herge, OTD, OTR/L, FAOTA
Program Coordinator, BS-OTD East Falls
Professor, Department of Occupational Therapy
College of Rehabilitation Sciences, Thomas Jefferson University

June 3, 2024
Professional and Personal Perspective
Joan E Medlen, MEd, RDN
Oregon WIC Training Coordinator

June 17, 2024
End-of-Life Ethical Considerations
Jeanne Kerwin, DMH, HEC-C
Co-Chair for the Ethics Consultation Service for the American Clinicians Academy on Medical Aid in Dying

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Are we required to attend every session?
A: We recommend that you register a team from your site and encourage participation for every session. Even when the topic is one that your team has mastered, your site then is in a position to share knowledge and experiences with their ECHO peers.

Q: Is the information going to be relevant to my team?
A: While other spoke sites may not have the same needs as your site, the ECHO model's “all teach - all learn” principle ensures you will have the opportunity to get information and feedback related to your specific needs. Unlike traditional webinars with a short Q&A at the end, ECHO sessions are designed to foster an interactive learning community.

Q: I have heard that there is an opportunity to share and participate in case study discussions during these sessions. How do you pick who gets to present?
A: Case study discussions are an integral part of the success of the ECHO model and provide an opportunity for us to learn from each other. The more people are willing to share their ideas and experiences, the more valuable the sessions are. Cases are not required to align with the presenter's topic - other challenging cases are welcome. The ECHO planning team is happy to help sites develop their case presentation. A link to our case discussion guide will be included in your registration confirmation.

Case-based discussions are an important element of the Project ECHO® process, enabling the chance to learn from one another through the sharing of experiences and knowledge. We encourage you to share any challenges you are experiencing or have already overcome that we could discuss as a group of experienced interdisciplinary content experts and peers who may have experienced similar situations. Cases do not need to align directly with the current session topic, however, should be related to the overall series theme.

If you are interested in sharing a case to be discussed at one of our sessions, please fill out and submit our De-Identified Case Story form.