In September of 1950, a support organization was developed for the intellectual and disabled population. Over the years, the name of the group has transitioned into what is now know as the Arc. The Arc was founded with the hopes of promoting the general welfare of mentally retarded individuals. It aimed to further the advancement of research and therapy, to develop a better understanding of disabilities, to further education and training of professionals, to aid parents, to gather and disseminate information and to develop integrated programs for the communities developmentally disabled members (The Arc, 2018). The Arc has over 700 state and local chapters with many in our local community.
The target Arc population may suffer from multiple health issues, with diabetes being amongst the more common. People with intellectual disability (ID) experience poor health outcomes, whether or not they have diabetes. A health teaching need is evident in this population, they tend to have higher health needs than the general population and those needs are often unrecognized and/or unmet. The develop mentally disabled
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Conceptual skills, such as language and literacy; money, time, and number concepts; and self-direction are affected. Social skill delays include lack of interpersonal skills, social responsibility, self-esteem, gullibility, naïveté (i.e., wariness), social problem solving, and the ability to follow rules, obey laws, and avoid being victimized. Also, practical skills are affected which include activities of daily living (personal care), occupational skills, healthcare, travel/transportation, schedules/routines, safety, use of money, and use of the