Background The use of social media is becoming increasingly important in establishing social identity, with individuals receiving often instant feedback online. In terms of social identity theory, it has been argued that the label of learning disability can become a person’s primary identity and impact on the interactions the person has with others, often shaping [read the full story…]
Background In 2010, Emerson and Baines in a search of the literature on healthcare issues for people with learning disabilities identified at least one study where increased rates had been reported. In 2011, we reported on a US study which found in one cohort, significantly higher prevalence of diabetes in adults with ‘cognitive limitations’ when [read the full story…]
Almost ten years ago, following the publication of the Valuing People White Paper, the Department of Health published the Green Light Toolkit. The toolkit was originally developed to help local people think about existing services for people with learning disabilities and additional mental health needs. Last month saw the publication of a new version of [read the full story…]
The British Crime Survey suggests that 9 out of ten disabled people have been the victims of disability hate crime, but Mencap’s Don’t Stand By report suggested that only around 3% of incidents are recorded by the police as hate crimes with only 1% leading to convictions. The researchers in this three-year project set out [read the full story…]
Fear and anxiety about medical procedures can be a barrier to accessing healthcare for people with learning disabilities. In particular, fear of needles can mean that blood tests may not be able to be taken and this can prove a significant clinical challenge. The researchers in this case study used a changing criterion design, they [read the full story…]
Self-injurious behaviour (SIB) usually directly results in physical harm to an individual. Examples include hand biting, head slapping, picking at skin, gouging or striking the body or eating inedible material. Some researchers have begun to include stereotypy or repetitive movements in a definition of self-injurious behaviour, even if they do not result on tissue damage.. [read the full story…]
The abusive practices by staff at Winterbourne View has led to a number of investigations, reports and recommendations, including serious case review. The need for change in was set out in the Department of Health’s publication of the final report on Winterbourne view – ‘Transforming Care: A national response to Winterbourne View‘ In the West [read the full story…]
There is a body of literature looking at parental stress for parents of children with disabilities, but the researchers in this Canadian study were interested in looking specifically at a comparison of parental stress for parents of children with foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) and those with children with autism spectrum disorder. They reported the [read the full story…]
Community Treatments Orders (CTOs) were introduced to enable people who had been detained under certain sections of the Mental Health Act 1983 to be discharged from the hospital and treated in the community. The supervising doctor however retains the power to recall that person to hospital if necessary The majority of studies into the use [read the full story…]
Given that autism spectrum disorders are characterised by deficits in social reciprocity and communication, there is a school of thought that suggests that exploiting the emotional aspects of human-dog relationships may hold potential to overcome some difficulties of people with ASD to relate and interact effectively with others. The authors of this review set out [read the full story…]
