Learning Disability News and Research

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Better support can improve shopping experience for individuals with intellectual disabilities

Better support can greatly improve the supermarket shopping experience for people with intellectual (learning) disabilities, a study by an independent self-advocacy group reveals.

30 Sep 2015

UK's first cross sector International Dementia Conference to take place in November 2015

Taking place 3 - 4 November 2015 at Vox Birmingham, the UK's first cross sector International Dementia Conference will bring together leading figures from across the world and from a variety of different industry backgrounds to learn and share ideas on the best solutions to tackle this global issue.

7 Aug 2015

Mothers of infants with Down's syndrome need tailored breastfeeding guidance

Despite compelling evidence about the benefits of breastfeeding little is known about the breastfeeding experiences of mothers of infants with Down's syndrome. In the UK, clinical commissioning groups and practitioners have a vital role in empowering and enabling these women to access help and support as soon as the child is born.

9 Jul 2015

Inflammation plays causal role in neurologic changes associated with Lyme disease

About 15% of patients with Lyme disease develop peripheral and central nervous system involvement, often accompanied by debilitating and painful symptoms. New research indicates that inflammation plays a causal role in the array of neurologic changes associated with Lyme disease, according to a study published in The American Journal of Pathology.

17 Apr 2015

People with learning disabilities may become victim or perpetrator of crime while online

People with learning (intellectual) disabilities have historically been marginalised from mainstream society, and have had limited choice and control over their lives. While movements to achieve greater equality have had success, the rapid advancement of modern technology risks creating a new form of digital exclusion.

13 Apr 2015

Non-invasive functional neuroimaging tools help characterize how brain activity disrupted in dyslexia

A new study in Biological Psychiatry maps the circuitry of dyslexia. Dyslexia, the most commonly diagnosed learning disability in the United States, is a neurological reading disability that occurs when the regions of the brain that process written language don't function normally.

28 Aug 2014

IDEAL Group Apps4Android releases "Document Knowledge Miner"

IDEAL Group Apps4Android today announced the release of "Document Knowledge Miner," an Android application that enables individuals with print disabilities to acquire knowledge from digital documents, even if the documents were not designed with accessibility in mind.

20 Aug 2014

UK scientists unlock untapped genetic information to better understand Intellectual Disability in children

Teams of leading UK scientists have joined forces to unlock an untapped source of genetic information in a bid to better understand and treat children with Intellectual Disability. Experts from Cambridge, Cardiff, and UCL (University College London) will be given unprecedented access to genetic information on intellectual disability from NHS Regional Genetics Centres across the UK as part of a first phase study funded by the Medical Research Council and Medical Research Foundation.

24 Jun 2014

New drug for treating Rett syndrome is on the horizon

A powerful new drug which could relieve the symptoms of devastating childhood disease Rett syndrome is on the horizon thanks to a funding injection of -180,000.

10 Apr 2014

People with learning disabilities have lower life expectancy, suffer physical disabilities, chronic conditions

People with learning (intellectual) disabilities have a lower life expectancy than the general population and are more likely to suffer physical disabilities and chronic conditions.

3 Mar 2014

NeuroRehabilitation showcases different approaches to restoring mental functioning

There is a growing need for Cognitive Rehabilitation Therapy (CRT) due to the huge influx of soldiers returning from war zones with brain injuries, athletes with sports-related head injuries, and the growing population with age-related cognitive decline.

4 Feb 2014

Study: People with learning disabilities largely invisible within hospitals

Hospital patients with learning disabilities face longer waits and mismanaged treatment due to a failure to understand them by nursing staff, says a new report.

20 Jan 2014

Study explores social and emotional impact of Tourette syndrome in secondary schools

Secondary school can be a stressful enough time for any teenager, but for those living with Tourette Syndrome (TS) their neurological condition can present a whole new set of challenges.

3 Dec 2013

Young adults with ASDs have worse outcomes of employment and independent living

For young adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), making the transition from school to the first rites of independent adult life, including a first job and a home away from home, can be particularly challenging.

5 Sep 2013

Argininosuccinic aciduria (ASA) and gene therapy: an interview with Dr Julien Baruteau, UCL Institute for Women's Health, London

This rare genetic condition can theoretically affect patients at any age but symptoms are more often observed in childhood and even uncommonly during the first days of life.

2 Sep 2013

'Mental Health Pathway' for paramedics to provide appropriate care for mentally ill patients

Ruth Elliot, Senior Lecturer in the department of Mental Health and Learning Disability at the University of Huddersfield, has published an article discussing the need for a national 'Mental Health Pathway' to enable paramedics to provide the appropriate care for people who present mental health issues.

1 Aug 2013

National health and social care charity, Community Integrated Care, launches new five year strategy

National health and social care charity Community Integrated Care is proud to announce the launch of its new five year strategy, in which the organisation has committed to becoming ‘The UK’s Leading Health and Social Care Charity’.

From Community Integrated Care 29 Jul 2013

Healthcare staff should challenge their own assumptions to provide non-discriminatory care to autistic people

Healthcare staff need to challenge their own assumptions about what is 'normal' if they are to provide non-discriminatory care to autistic people, according to authors writing in the journal Learning Disability Practice.

7 Jun 2013

UCLA researchers identify abnormal brain networks in Fragile X syndrome

The genetic malady known as Fragile X syndrome is the most common cause of inherited autism and intellectual disability. Brain scientists know the gene defect that causes the syndrome and understand the damage it does in misshaping the brain's synapses - the connections between neurons. But how this abnormal shaping of synapses translates into abnormal behavior is unclear.

5 Jun 2013

Researchers establish link between abnormal structure of synapses and behavioral abnormalities of brain circuits in FXS

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is a genetic malady that is the most common inherited cause of autism and intellectual disability. Brain scientists know the gene defect that causes FXS, and the damage it does-- misshaping the brain's synapses, the connections between neurons. But how that abnormal shaping of synapses translates to abnormal behavior is unclear.

4 Jun 2013