Intellectual Impairment Flashcards
What is a learning disability?
reduced intellectual ability and difficulty with everyday activities which affects someone for their whole life
What are the three core criteria for a learning disability?
- lower intellectual ability
- usually IQ less than 70
- significant impairment of social or adaptive function
- onset in childhood
What is an intellectual disability?
- problems with general mental abilities that affect functioning in two areas
- intellectual functioning (learning, problem solving)
- adaptive functioning (communication, independent living)
How does the social model consider disability?
- disability is caused by the way society is organised rather than by a person’s impairment or difference
- how can society be made fairer through reasonable adjustments to make life normal for all?
How does the medical model consider disability?
- disability caused by impairments and differences
- focus of fixing impairments
- moves away from patient centred
What barriers are faced by the social model?
- segregated social provision
- inflexible organisational procedures and practices
- inaccessible information
- inaccessible buildings
- inaccessible transport
- negative cultural representations
What are the causes of learning disability?
- preconception
- heredity
- parental genotype - environmental
- maternal health
- heredity
- pre-natal
- heredity
- chromosomal genetic - environmental
- infection
- maternal health
- nutrition
- toxic agents
- heredity
- perinatal
- environmental
- prematurity
- injury
- environmental
- postnatal
- heredity
- untreated genetic disorders (PKU) - environmental
- infection
- trauma
- toxic agents
- nutrition
- sensory social deprivation
- heredity
What syndromes are associated with learning disability?
- Down’s syndrome
- Prader Willi syndrome
- autism spectrum syndrome
- fragile x syndrome
- tuberous sclerosis
- Turners syndrome
- Rett syndrom
- velocardio facial syndrome
- Williams syndrome
What is Down’s syndrome?
- neurodevelopment disorder of genetic origin
- affecting chromosome 21
- usually full trisomy of 21
- sometimes mosaicism of 21
- sometimes inherited chromosomal rearrangement of 21
- signs
- growth failure
- broad face, short nose slanting eyes
- congenital heart disease
- small arched palate, big wrinkled tongue, dental anomalies
- abnormal ears
- flat back of head
- epilepsy
- hearing impairment
- intellectual impairment
- periodontal disease
- oral hygiene and function altered
- impaired migration of gingival fibroblasts
- saliva and periodontal pathogens altered
- impaired neutrophil chemotaxis
- unregulated production of inflammatory mediators
What is Trader Willi syndrome?
- chromosome 15
- constant desire to eat food
- restricted growth
- reduced muscle tone
- learning difficulties
- behavioural problems
- temper tantrums
- stubbornness
What is autism spectrum disorder?
- complex developmental condition
- behaviourally defined
- social interactions and communication altered
- sensory differences
- continuum of minimal severe categorical diagnosis
- dental treatment challenging
- especially those with sensory atypia
- hypersensitive to bright lights, noise and touch
What is cerebral palsy?
- neurological condition affecting movement and coordination
- muscle stiffness or floppiness
- muscle weakness
- random uncontrolled body movements
- balance and coordination problems
- does not necessarily mean there is a learning disability
What barriers to learning disabilities place on access to oral healthcare?
- access
- not having a regular dentist
- difficulties getting an NHS dentist
- cost
- service delays
- transport challenges
- individual characteristics
- cognitive, physical and behavioural difficulties
- dependence upon family, carers or paid support workers
- anxiety
- pain recognition
- challenge communicating
- attitudes, skills and knowledge of staff
- professionals do not feel confident
- some unwilling to provide treatment
- transition
- child to adult services
How can getting to the dental surgery be made easier for those with learning difficulties?
- preparation
- social stories
- particularly for those with ASD
- hospital/health passport
- pre-visit
- become familiar with location
- multiple visits with slow progress
- lease with community disability nurse and team
What are visual supports used for?
- useful for patients with autism
- visual schedule outlining steps necessary for a dental visit
- can be given before appointment to reduce the element of unknown