People with Down syndrome often have orofacial difficulties (a term that relates to the mouth and face) which can affect speech, swallowing and dental health. The Journal of Disability and Oral Health has recently published two reviews looking at this issue. The first looked at Orofacial regulation therapy (OFRT), developed in the 1970s by Castillo-Morales, [read the full story…]
There is a wide literature on support for people with learning disabilities and challenging behaviour, and studies looking at staff attitudes and attributions form a part of this. These studies have looked at inconsistencies in responses, the impact of specific attributions on helping behaviour etc. The authors of this current study acknowledge the contribution of [read the full story…]
In recent years, a number of studies have begun to explore bereavement and grief in people with learning disabilities. Hollins and Esterhuyzen (1997) for example in the late 1990s reported the results of a matched control group study into the reaction of people with learning disabilities to bereavement, which found highly significant differences significant differences [read the full story…]
People with learning disabilities may face a number of challenges in the area of sexuality, including lack of access to information, fewer sexual experiences, negative attitudes and more experience of sexual abuse. To begin to address some of these issues, a number of sex education programmes have been developed by professionals. This study from the [read the full story…]
Talk to any manager who leads a team supporting people with learning disabilities and ask about what are the key features impacting on performance and the conversation will turn to team culture. However, clearly defining culture in way that is amenable to study in research has a number of difficulties and so whilst it recurs [read the full story…]
As you know, here at Elf towers our aim is to bring you the published evidence in supporting people with learning disabilities, but occasionally we will also draw your attention to practice tools and resources that we think might help improving people’s lives. Today, we wanted to draw your attention to some materials produced in Essex [read the full story…]
Over recent years, media and research have highlighted the large number of offenders in prison who have an intellectual or developmental disability. The Prison Reform Trust (2007), estimated this to be 20-30% of all current offenders in prison (although todays numbers may be even higher!), and that this group of individuals are more likely to [read the full story…]
The authors of this study, based at the South London and Maudsley Trust, were interested in the way in which leave for patients in secure settings is managed and in particular ways in which the risks associated with managing leave could be assessed. They point out that the number of patients who breach leave conditions [read the full story…]
Measurement of quality of life for people who may not be able to verbally express their feelings remains a major challenge for providers of services to people with learning disabilities. Scores from self-reports of people with learning disabilities able to respond to questionnaires do not always match scores obtained from family members or support staff. [read the full story…]
We know that people with learning disabilities have a higher risk of a range of health conditions. Studies in the UK have shown that they have a shorter life expectancy with increased risk of early death compared to the general population, and health screening by GPs has shown significantly high levels of unmet physical and [read the full story…]
