AADMD Board Member Spotlight
Pictured: Justin Steinberg, MA and AADMD logo
Get to know the tireless board members who keep the AADMD going!
Meet Justin Steinberg
Occupation: Research assistant at the Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics
Board position: Self-advocates representative
Number of years on board: 3 years
What’s your favorite part about working with people with IDD?
I can relate to some of the challenges that they face, having IDD myself. Being able to connect with them on a personal level is just really, really great.
Pictured: Team members wearing green jerseys holding up their medals
What’s your origin story? How did you get into IDD?
I have ID being on the autism spectrum. I was actually initially misdiagnosed with a severe intellectual disability, and the person who told my parents said that I wouldn't be able to go to school. I proved them wrong. I graduated from high school in 2008, with a 3.8 GPA. I went on to get an Associates Degree in Special Education from a Foothill College with about a 3.7 GPA. Then I transferred to San Francisco State where I graduated with my Bachelor's Degree in History, Cum Laude. Then, I got my Master's Degree in Special Education, with a 3.7 GPA, and the Graduate Student Award for distinguished achievement. So, whoever told me I wouldn't be able to go to school can just kick rocks.
Do you have any recent projects you would like to highlight?
I do want to share some projects at some point. But I want to wait until I'm given the all clear.
What’s your best health care advice for people with disabilities?
Treat people with disabilities as a person.
Ask how they prefer to communicate.
Always try and include the person with disabilities as much as possible, even if you do need to ask their caregiver for some extra bits of information.
Try and avoid using skills that break pain when possible, because some people with IDD will struggle with that, because I think it's an abstract concept.
What is your best advice to someone who wants to study IDD healthcare.
I think my best advice is to definitely get involved volunteering with Special Olympics and their Healthy Athletes Programs. That's the best way you can get some in person experience at competitions. I do think we need more curriculum addressing how to care for people with ID in the different medical schools. If you're a medical student, definitely get involved with the AADMD student chapter.
How did you get involved with AADMD?
I think it started during the pandemic when I met Dr. Allen Wong and had the opportunity to speak to some medical students about how to best care for people with IDD and also as an athlete leader. Through my connections with special education, I I think I was then recruited to join the AADMD board.
Pictured: Justin playing floor hockey
Anything Else?
I just want to say that I've been a special Olympics athlete for almost about almost 21 years and in 2019 I was inducted into the San Jose Sports Hall of Fame as the special Olympics athlete of the year. I love sports. My favorites are fleck, football, floor hockey, basketball, swimming track and field and softball.