People with learning disabilities need more emotional and practical support to make and keep friendships

Friends1

Friendships and relationships are usually the things that most people will say are important to them in describing their quality of life. Many people with learning disabilities however have very limited opportunities to meet and make friends. The people in their social networks may be family members, or people who are paid to support them. [read the full story…]

Mothers of adolescents with learning disabilities confident in dealing with sexuality of offspring but express concerns

The recent focus on mindfulness should not be limited to the general population or a privileged few but accessible and relevant to parents of children with disability

Sexuality in adults with learning disabilities is a subject that has only relatively recently been tackled in the literature. The researchers in this study were interested in sexuality in adolescents, and wanted to look at the attitudes and behaviours of mothers of adolescents and consider whether or not the presence of learning disability might affect [read the full story…]

Small practical steps may offer best way to reach consensus on relationship and sexuality education for people with learning disabilities

Flipchart_women1

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…]

Awareness of sexuality as part of identity has not changed restrictive attitudes in services for people with learning disabilities

Couple_hug2

This review of the literature set out to summarise the current status of knowledge and clinical practice in the area of relationships and sexuality for people with learning disabilities, which the review authors describe as an area that is complex and challenging. Services for people with learning disabilities have undergone a move towards personalisation, person-centred [read the full story…]

Women with learning disabilities had limited knowledge of same sex relationships and held traditional gender beliefs

Womens_Group

There is limited research into homosexuality and people with learning disabilities (see for example Norah Fry Centre project. What literature there is has identified low levels of knowledge, homophobic attitudes and negative experiences. The researchers in this study looked at attitudes towards homosexuality and gender role beliefs in a group 27 of women with learning [read the full story…]