One in four people live with a cognitive disorder. That’s a huge portion of society; 25% to be exact.
Despite the large number of people living this way, this population is underserved.
That’s where IBCCES steps in.
Who is IBCCES?
IBCCES stands for the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards.
What exactly does that mean?
Well, IBCCES is a social business that’s making leaps and bounds in the education, healthcare and travel space and they’re drastically improving the lives of people with cognitive disorders and their families along the way.
A social business, as defined by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus, is “a business created and designed to address a social problem”.
As a social business, the goal of IBCCES is to train professionals in healthcare, education and the travel industry so they are able to understand and meet the needs of people, especially children, with cognitive disorders.
Myron Pincomb, IBCCES board chairman, identified that individuals with cognitive disorders and their families needed better resources so he created a solution to solve this problem.
He realized that in order for families to receive the full benefits of systems like healthcare and education, awareness had to be raised about cognitive disorders and professionals would need to be trained with these specific disorders in mind in order to improve outcomes and work more cohesively with this population. For example, providing a way for parents to know whether or not the professional working with their child fully understands the child’s situation is beneficial, not only for parents seeking expert services, but also for the professional who can build upon their existing knowledge and experience.
The Experts on Autism Certification
IBCCES has become a leading force when it comes to training and certification programs that help improve the overall quality of life for individuals with cognitive disorders.
Not only has IBCCES created a standard for what it means to be a certified autism specialist, but they’ve brought together top cognitive experts, researchers from leading universities, special education directors, business leaders and mental health professionals. Forums and conferences have been created where some of the brightest minds in the industry unite and spread awareness about autism and other cognitive disorders, such as ADHD, anxiety, depression, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s.
IBCCES has established a baseline and created a credentialing space in the healthcare and education industries so that anyone from teachers, school counselors, speech language pathologists, occupational therapists, and other professionals can become certified in autism and other disorders they see every day.
Making Waves in the Travel Industry
Children with cognitive disorders and their families are hugely impacted by IBCCES’s work. It’s often a very scary task for parents of children with these disorders to plan a trip because they can’t be sure how their child will react to a new place and if that new place will know how to handle the situation effectively.
To make traveling a little easier for these families, IBCCES audits potential travel locations like resorts, cruise lines and theme parks and provides evidence-based, position-specific staff training so employees are more aware and accommodating for guests on the spectrum or with other sensory needs. These certified destinations and attractions give parents and families peace of mind and make traveling and growing through new experiences more accessible.
Providing Invaluable Value
Not only is IBCCES helping people who are living with cognitive disorders, they are also providing a valuable service to those who want to gain knowledge and understand the best ways to serve this population.
IBCCES has set an impeccable standard for cognitive disorder training and certification programs. More than that, they are improving the lives of many. If one teacher is certified that might impact a classroom of 30 students, but it will also impact the families of those students. There is a huge ripple effect taking place that will spread awareness and provide individuals who have cognitive disorders with quality care and education.
