Communication barriers are one of the reasons people with ID have poor access to healthcare services. This article describes some practical ways that physicians who practice in busy primary care clinics might facilitate better communication between themselves and their patients with ID. These strategies are suggested not as the means of obtaining perfectly accurate answers to questions every time, but as a means of building a trusting relationship between physician and patient with ID over the course of the patient’s lifespan. This relationship forms the foundation for deeper understanding of the patient and their health concerns.