The Grief and Bereavement Experiences of Children with Intellectual Disabilities

This presentation will provide the latest research updates on how children with intellectual disabilities (ID) experience and cope with the loss of a significant person in their lives. Attendees will learn practical implications for supporting grieving children during these challenging times.

Presenter: Arlen Gaines, PhD, MSW, LCSW-C, LICSW, APHSW-C

Bio: Arlen Gaines is the Director of Social Services with JSSA Hospice in Rockville, Maryland, where she leads the social work, chaplain, and volunteer teams, as well as the bereavement program. After close to 20 years of hospice social work, she developed a specialization in supporting individuals with developmental disabilities in their grief. She is the co-author of the award-winning I Have a Question series, which addresses complicated topics for children, inclusive of those with developmental disabilities, such as I Have a Question about Death, and I Have a Question about Cancer. She holds a PhD in Palliative Care from th…