National Coming Out Day for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Staff Perspectives

Every year on October 11, we recognize National Coming Out Day, which celebrates coming out as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer (LGBTQ+). “Coming out” refers to the disclosure of sexuality or gender identity to friends, family, or colleagues. It is a courageous and life-changing act that allows people to live authentically as themselves. People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) come from all different backgrounds and are also diverse in their sexuality and gender identity. Emerging research shows that many people with IDD don’t accept the rigid binaries of gender or sexuality and identify themselves as part of the …

Identifying Aspiration Pneumonia

Health and Wellness

Have you ever experienced a meal where something “went down the wrong pipe”? If so, you’ve experienced what’s known as aspiration. This is a fairly common occurrence that can occasionally lead to aspiration pneumonia when someone can’t cough up whatever has entered his or her airways. Pneumonia is a breathing condition in which there is inflammation (swelling) or an infection of the lungs or large airways. Aspiration pneumonia occurs when food, saliva, liquids, or vomit is breathed into the lungs or airways leading to the lungs, instead of being swallowed into the esophagus and stomach. As you can imagine, aspirating …