One of the key findings of the early research into community services for people with learning disabilities who had lived in long stay institutions, was that the quality of first line management was one of the main factors affecting outcomes. This Australian study set out to look at the work of front-line managers in supported [read the full story…]
The authors of this study were interested in looking at the use of integrated sports as one strategy for promoting health and social participation of adolescents with learning disabilities. They set out to improve understanding of the factors associated with such integration by carrying out individual interviews with 40 adolescents with learning disabilities and their [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…]
Inclusion is at the heart of national policy relating to the support of people with learning disabilities, but there is little research available into the attitudes of the general public to people with learning disabilities. The researchers in this study were interested in particular in the how young people from White British and South Asian [read the full story…]
National policy in the UK regarding supporting people with learning disabilities has focused on personalising support, improving social inclusion and the removal of obstacles relating to access to education, employment, healthcare and housing. The authors of the current study suggest that there has been significant progress in these areas, but when looking at the area [read the full story…]
In 2008, the Prison Reform Trust carried out work on the issues facing people with learning disabilities in the criminal justice system, resulting in the ‘No One Knows’ report which suggested they faced ‘personal, systemic and routine’ discrimination from the point of arrest through to release from prison. One key finding was that less than [read the full story…]
Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) is a tallking therapy which aims to help people to solve problems through a systematic goal-oriented process. existing NICE guidelines recommend CBT for a number of mental health issues. A recent review of the evidence on the potential of CBT as a treatment option for people with learning disabilities (Taylor et [read the full story…]
It is clearly important to pay close attention to the emotional needs of people with learning disabilities at a time of bereavement, but this can be especially difficult to do if the bereaved person has a limited understanding of the concept of death. The researchers in this study wanted to understand how people with learning [read the full story…]
There are a number of studies that have shown increased prevalence of overweight and obesity in people with learning disabilities. This qualitative study set out to consider the underweight status. The prevalence of underweight is also relatively high in people with learning disabilities, but as the authors state, it is not clear from the literature [read the full story…]
Since the formation in 1998 of the palliative care for people with learning disabilities network, there has been some work bringing together service providers and carers to enable better co-ordination of care for the benefit of people with learning disabilities who have palliative care needs. However, there is still a lack of research into the [read the full story…]
