Severe learning disabilities

During National Learning Disability Week, Mencap launched its Breaking Point campaign to get more short breaks for family carers. Mencap's survey showed that 6 out of 10 carers of people with severe or profound learning disabilities surveyed by Mencap were getting no short break service. Many local authorities do not see these families as a priority. Mencap wants spending in this area to be closely checked. As part of a campaign, people emailed their MP. So far, more than 1,000 people have emailed their MP. [Journal abstract]

This review explores some of the key issues relevant to children and adults who have dysphagia, or eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties, and a learning disability. It explores the methods for attempting to identify this area of difficulty effectively, and reflects on some of the other issues that may affect management, such as carer support and training and use of appropriate communication strategies to support and enable participation from the client with learning disability.

This briefing paper provides information for family carers who are supporting a teenager or young adult with severe learning disabilities and behaviour described as challenging, who is approaching transition to adult services. It aims to help carers understand what expect from local services, to help identify what 'good' services look like, to help them ask for the support they and their family need and to help them work in partnership with the professionals.

Background  This study was designed to test the hypothesis that carer attributions for aggressive behaviour vary according to a service user's severity of intellectual disability.

People with severe learning disabilities sometimes use behaviour that is said to be challenging, in order to communicate. This film illustrates that, with good support, people with challenging behaviour and severe learning disabilities can be enabled to enjoy independent, fulfilling lives. It explains why some people display challenging behaviour, and it shows how consistent, personalised support can reduce or prevent it. We see how vital it is to support family carers properly, and why people with challenging behaviour should not be excluded from services.

Services for people with learning difficulties are facing new challenges. These lie not only in the care of severely learning disabled clients, but also in the care of older people with a learning difficulty who develop dementia and support for their families, formal carers and friends.

Investigates the legal and practical issues surrounding the proposals to allow carers of people with severe dementia or profound learning difficulties to access 'indirect payments' through and expansion of the direct payments scheme. This would allow individuals who might not be able to access payments themselves to benefit from the flexibility and choice of direct payments.

This film focuses on the work of Nicola James, a social worker for Surrey County Council. Nicola works with disabled young adults and their carers. She introduces us to Caroline Hunter, who cares for her son, who is autistic and has severe learning disabilities. Nicola’s work with the Hunter family demonstrates how considering the needs of both the service user and the carer can have a positive impact on the whole family.

The author argues that more people with learning disabilities and their carers would opt for individual budgets if they were given better support to make them work. Two short case studies are presented where parents explain how individual budgets have proved successful for their sons, each of who have complex learning disabilities.