Learning disabilities Flashcards
How many people in the UK have a learning disability?
around 1.5 million
How many people in the UK have a diagnosis of a severe learning disability?
around 350,000
What are the diagnostic criteria for a learning disability (Public Health England, 2016)?
a significantly reduced ability to understand new or complex information and to learn new skills - impaired intelligence
a reduced ability to cope independently - impaired social functioning
these will have started before adulthood, with a lasting effect on development
According to Morgan (2016), people with learning disabilities have difficulties with which type of behaviour?
adaptive behaviour
this might involve difficulties with forward planning, executive thinking, prioritisation and problem solving
short-term memory is likely to be poorer than average
Learning disabilities are divided into which four categories?
mild, moderate, severe, profound
What is the typical IQ range for people with a mild learning disability?
50-69
What is the typical IQ range for people with a moderate learning disability?
35-49
What is the typical IQ range for people with a severe learning disability?
20-34
What is the typical IQ range for people with a profound learning disability?
> 20
What are the typical abilities of people with a mild learning disability?
may live independently
may be employed
may have children
may be in relationships
may need minimal support
may have some academic ability – may have attended mainstream school
able to have conversations - may be concrete/repetitive
able to carry out activities of daily living - may need some support
may have some additional health needs
life expectancy 62 (LeDeR, 2019)
What are the typical abilities of people with a moderate learning disability?
may need some support in aspects of life (e.g. finances, accessing health care)
likely to be able to manage and complete daily tasks (e.g. personal care, meal preparation)
may attend mainstream school but will need support
some communication - may be concrete/repetitive
will have additional health needs
life expectancy 63 (LeDeR, 2019)
What are the typical abilities of people with a severe learning disability?
likely to have high support and care needs
likely to require support with a range of daily activities
may have behaviours that challenge
may have some verbal communication - unlikely to be able to communicate verbally
limited receptive ability
may have sensory needs.
life expectancy 57 (LeDeR, 2019)
What are the typical abilities of people with a profound learning disability?
likely to need 24-hour care and support
likely to require support with all aspects of daily living
likely to have physical disabilities as well as a learning disability
likely to have neurological conditions
likely to have sensory impairments
communicates needs through non-verbal methods - unlikely to be able to communicate verbally
limited receptive ability
life expectancy 45 (LeDeR, 2019)
How is a learning disability diagnosed?
specialist and detailed neurodevelopmental history taking
genetic testing
sometimes the use of screening assessment tools
In 2018, how many adults in the UK had a learning disability?
1,130,000
England - 951,000
Wales - 54,000
Northern Ireland - 31,000
What is the definition of a learning disability according to the Department of Health and Social Care (2001, p. 14)?
significant reduced ability to understand new or complex information, to learn new skills (impaired intelligence), with a reduced ability to cope independently (impaired social functioning), which started before adulthood
What is the definition of a learning disability according to Mencap (2020, p. 1)?
a reduced intellectual ability and difficulty with everyday activities (e.g. household tasks, socialising or managing money), which affects someone for their whole life
What is global developmental delay (GDD)?
a person displays significant developmental delays across several areas of development
e.g. gross and fine motor skills, speech and language and social, emotional and behavioural
What is a profound and multiple learning disability (PMLD)?
a person has a severe learning disability in addition to disabilities that significantly affect their independence and ability to communicate
e.g. severe difficulties seeing, hearing, speaking and moving
they may have complex health and social care needs due to these or other conditions
What percentage of people with a learning disability live as part of a couple (Mencap, 2018)?
3% (in comparison to 70% of the general adult population in England)
What percentage of adults with a learning disability have mental health problems (Mencap, 2018)?
40% (more than double the rate in the general population)
In 2018, how many people in the UK had a learning disability (Mencap, 2018)?
1.4 million
What percentage of UK sports clubs lack appropriate equipment for people with a disability (Mencap, 2018)?
64%