Health U.: A Nutrition Curriculum for Teenagers with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (MA UCEDD/LEND)

May 23, 2013

Faculty, staff, and trainees at the UMass Medical School/E.K. Shriver Center LEND and UCEDD programs have published a curriculum, Health U.: A Nutrition Curriculum for Teenagers with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, designed to teach youth with intellectual/developmental disabilities about healthy eating/healthy lifestyles.

The curriculum was developed as part of foundation- and NIH-sponsored research and has been refined through its implementation with students in educational settings. The curriculum includes 10 lessons, each of which provides a short discussion where new concepts are introduced, an activity that includes hands-on learning, time to engage in movement/physical activity, and a "taste test." Each lesson also includes a "Take Home Ideas" sheet for students to share what they learned with their parents/guardians. The curriculum includes a large online appendix of materials and resources that can be downloaded for each lesson.

The curriculum can be purchased on Amazon at www.tinyurl.com/HealthUCurriculum.