The use of information technology (IT) is now a fundamental part of education. An earlier study of the use of IT by students with learning disabilities in the USA (Wehmeyer et al 2004) found that they were less likely to have access to and benefit from technology than their non disabled peers. This USA survey [read the full story…]
Emerson et al’s seminal definition of challenging behaviour identified not only its interactional nature, but also pointed out that people with such issues in their life were at risk of being denied access to regular community activities. The researchers in this study were interested in the gap that they believe exists between what we understand [read the full story…]
We have posted before about concerns about the lack of understanding of the operation of the Mental Capacity Act in learning disability services . This report from the Care Quality Commission suggests that those working in the NHS may have similar issues. The report’s authors recommend that the NHS needs better training and more awareness of [read the full story…]
Part of a broader programme of work looking at the contribution of learning disabilities nursing, the UK Modernising Learning Disabilities Nursing Review was commissioned and led by the Chief Nursing Officer for Scotland on behalf of the chief nursing officers across the UK to consider the current and future contribution of learning disabilities nursing to [read the full story…]
Community based studies have suggested that self injury in people with learning disabilities occurs in approximately 3% of adults living in community settings, show self-injury, often as a chronic condition for those with severe self injury. For some individuals, protective devices have been used, including padding, helmets, gloves and arm splints. In this case study, [read the full story…]
Mealtimes are important occasions for many people with learning disabilities, offering opportunities for social interaction as well as nourishment, they can also carry significant health risks. There has been a good deal of research on dysphagia. or difficulty in swallowing, but the authors of this study were keen to explore the range of difficulties that [read the full story…]
There have been a number of initiatives in recent years to improve the quality of information available for people with learning disabilities regarding sexual health. The researchers in this study were interested in looking at interventions specifically designed for people with mild to moderate learning disabilities. They were specifically interested on the impact of a [read the full story…]
Access to good healthcare is a fundamental right and there is good evidence that this is not always the case for people with learning disabilities. We have posted many times about the problems people face, most recently drawing attention to the Mencap report on the lack of progress in many parts of the NHS in [read the full story…]
We have posted previously about the management of diabetes in people with learning disabilities, as the prevalence of diabetes is relatively high in this group. It is only relatively recently however, that researchers have begun to explore how people experience having diabetes and how they manage the condition. This small qualitative study involved 17 people [read the full story…]
The researchers in this study were interested in looking at differences in physiological arousal between infants and toddlers with fragile X syndrome and those with typical development. They looked at physiological predictors early in development to autism severity later in development in fragile X syndrome. Participants were 31 male children with fragile X syndrome aged [read the full story…]
