Access to justice for victims and survivors of elder abuse

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Jill Manthorpe looks at a study on access to justice for victims of elder abuse and considers the implications for adult safeguarding practice and the implementation of Making Safeguarding Personal policy.

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Similarities found in characteristics of juvenile offenders with and without learning disabilities

Individuals more likely to be arrested or taken to ED if living indpependently or with family

This study from the Netherlands looked at whether it is possible to determine differences in personal characteristics and functioning between juvenile offenders under mandatory treatment orders who had a measured IQ of less than 70, between 70 and 85 and over 85. The authors were hoping to offer advice and guidance on ways to better [read the full story…]

Increasing demand for speech therapy for parents with learning disabilities

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We have posted previously about the evidence relating to support for parents with learning disabilities , with studies suggesting that whilst parents with learning disabilities may experience poorer psychological well-being than parents in the general population, there is evidence that improvements in psychological well-being can be made through improvements in social support. The researcher in [read the full story…]

Clozapine use in women with borderline personality disorder and mild learning disability reduced rates of self injury and use of restraint

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Clozapine is an atypical antipsychotic medication used to treat the symptoms of schizophrenia, most usually used as a treatment of last resort where people have not responded to other anti-psychotic treatments. It has a number of severe side effects including and can also cause the excessive production of saliva and weight gain.. The researchers in [read the full story…]

Adults with learning disabilities and autism had different mental health needs to those without autism

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People with learning disabilities and autism spectrum disorders may also have mental health problems. There is little in the literature on the mental health needs of such adults. The researchers in this study were interested in developing the evidence base to enable a clearer understanding of the kinds of service responses that might be needed. [read the full story…]

Childhood abuse of male offenders might suggest developmental pathway to offending

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The evidence on the relationship between sexual abuse in childhood of adult sex offenders is mixed, with some studies showing higher rates of childhood sexual abuse in sex offenders and others showing no such relationship exists. The researchers in this study looked at the sexual and physical abuse histories of a number of adults with [read the full story…]

Health surveillance insufficient to meet healthcare needs of people with Down syndrome in Finland study

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Researchers in Finland looked at medical problems in a population of people with Down syndrome and compared health surveillance to recommendations in national guidelines. They looked at case records from the specialist services in primary healthcare and disability services. They found many age-specific medical and surgical problems, including  congenital heart defects and middle ear infections [read the full story…]