Medical students and people with disabilities: A teaching unit tor medical students exploring the impact of disability on the individual and the family

Abstract

This paper describes an innovative teaching unit developed by staff at Monash University, Australia. The unit was designed to give first-year medical students insight into the impact of a developmental disability on an individual and his/her family. The students were given opportunities to learn directly from people with disabilities, their families and professionals working with them in the community about their health, educational and social needs. The teaching unit was well received by the students and pre- and post-course questionnaires revealed that considerable attitudinal development had occurred over the 12 weeks of the course.