Development - Learning Disability Flashcards
What is a learning disability?
General umbrella term encompassing range of different conditions affecting ability to develop new skills
What are the different types of learning disability?
Dyslexia
Difficulty reading, writing and spelling
Dysgraphia
Difficulty writing
Dyspraxia
Difficulty in physical coordination
Auditory processing disorder
Difficulty processing auditory information
Non-verbal learning disability
Difficulty processing non-verbal information e.g. body language and facial expressions
Profound and multiple learning disability
Severe difficulties across multiple areas
How is dyspraxia also known?
Developmental co-ordination disorder
Who is more affected by dyspraxia?
Boys 2x more common
How does dyspraxia present?
Delayed gross and fine motor skills
Child appears clumsy
How is severity of learning disability determined with IQ?
55-70 mild
40-55 moderate
25-40 severe
< 25 profound
What causes learning disabilities?
- Often no clear cause
- Family history
- Abuse, neglect, trauma and toxins
- Downs syndrome
- Antenatal problems
- Problems at birth
- Problems in early childhood e.g. meningitis
- Autism
- Epilepsy
What antenatal problems can cause learning difficulties?
Foetal alcohol syndrome
Maternal chickenpox
What problems at birth can cause learning difficulties?
Prematurity
Hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy
How are learning disabilities managed?
Multidisciplinary approach
- Health visitors
- Social workers
- Schools
- Educational psychologists
- Paediatricians, GPs
- Occupational therapists
- Speech and language therapists
Do learning disabilities prevent patients from having capacity?
Decision specific
May require more time, effort and decision aids but they do not inherently lack capacity due to having learning disabilities
How is capacity demonstrated?
Patient must
Understand
Retain
Weigh up
Communicate their decision
