We have been supporting people with mental health conditions and learning disabilities since 1989 and now also provide a support service to people in their own homes and local community.
People with a learning disability represent a very diverse group. A learning disability affects the way a person understands information and how they communicate. Around 1.5m people in the UK have a learning disability. It is characterised by a reduced intellectual ability.
This means they can have difficulty:
- learning new skills
- understanding new or complex information
- coping independently
- difficulty with everyday activities such as household tasks or socialising
Some people with a learning disability also have other physical and emotional conditions and may receive more than one diagnosis. This could have an impact on the kind of support they and their families need in their day-to-day life.
A learning disability can be mild, moderate or severe. Some people with a mild learning disability can talk easily and look after themselves, but take a bit longer than usual to learn new skills. Others may not be able to communicate at all and have more than one disability. Some people with a learning disability may demonstrate extreme behaviour, which is often referred to as challenging behaviour.
Having a learning disability is not the same as having a mental health issue such as depression or psychosis. Anyone can be affected by mental health problems at any time in their life and in many cases these can be overcome with treatment. People with learning disabilities are at risk of developing mental health issues during their life and should receive the treatment they need.
For more information visit:
http://www.learningdisability.co.uk/
Learning Difficulty
The main difference between a learning difficulty and learning disability is a learning difficulty does not affect general intelligence (IQ), whereas a learning disability is linked to an overall cognitive impairment. An individual may often have more than one specific learning difficulty (for example, dyslexia and dyspraxia are often encountered together) and other conditions may also be experienced alongside each other.
Some examples of specific learning difficulties are:
- Dyspraxia
- Dyslexia
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
For more information see:
http://www.learningdisabilities.org.uk/help-information/learning-disability-a-z/l/204300/
