Dementia has been shown to be present at higher rates in adults with learning disabilities, with people with Down syndrome being at significantly increased risk of developing early onset dementia. The researchers in this Italian study were keen to look at whether approaches to dementia-derived environment, input from specialist personnel or patient-oriented intervention strategies had [read the full story…]
The authors of this study set out to look at whether trauma treatment had been successfully used with people with learning disabilities and substantially limited verbal capacities. They found no case studies in the literature. The article describes and assesses the applicability of eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR) a trauma therapy based on the [read the full story…]
The researchers in this study looked at the nature of communication skills in individuals with Cornelia de Lange syndrome (CdLS). The research team used the Pre-verbal Communication Schedule to evaluate communication skills in 14 individuals with CdLS, aged five to 14 years. They also identified a contrast group of 14 individuals with Cri du Chat [read the full story…]
Attachment theory describes the dynamics of long-term relationships. Hazan and Shaver identified four styles of attachment: secure, anxious-preoccupied, dismissive-avoidant and fearful-avoidant. This pilot study set out to look at whether adults with mild/moderate learning disabilities could accurately self-report their attachment style. The authors also wanted to look at whether there was Any relationship between attachment [read the full story…]
Hyperacusis is an extreme sensitivity to sound, which may have a psychological or organic basis. People with Williams Syndrome, a neurodevelopmental disorder, often have this sensitivity to noise. The researchers in this study looked at the extent to which such sensitivity might interfere with perception of speech in children and adults with the syndrome. All [read the full story…]
Communication is a fundamental human right, at the heart of how we interact with our environment, express choices and build relationships. People with learning disabilities often have difficulties with verbal communication and this study set out to look at the extent to which children with learning disabilities depended on manual signs during the process of [read the full story…]
This article reports the findings of an audit carried out in Surrey to look at pain recognition and management with people with learning disabilities. The authors looked at what people with learning disabilities understood and experienced when they had pain, compared to what was reported as good practice in the literature. The authors found that [read the full story…]
