Learning Disability News and Research

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Research sheds shed light on a common cause of miscarriage in humans

Top poker players know that the face mirrors the brain. Specialists in embryonic development wouldn’t disagree. In fact, because the same clumps of primordial cells mold the final features of both, a close look at a child’s face can often yield clues about less visible problems within the skull

20 Aug 2004

Study that shows astonishing progress in students’ reading and reading test scores

The principal of C.L. Milton Elementary School in Laredo, Texas has just announced the results of a study that shows astonishing progress in students’ reading and reading test scores.

27 Jul 2004

Report shows mixed results for lead screening rates in children

The New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer has released a report finding that certain Medicaid and Child Health Plus (CHP) managed care health plans have lead screening rates for infants and young children below the statewide average.

15 Jul 2004

Environmental risks in the development of autism and autism spectrum disorders

Funding for a new study to find out more about the role of environmental risks in the development of autism and autism spectrum disorders (ASD), has been announced by the Medical Research Council (MRC).

8 Jul 2004

Dual Purpose leaflet on Dementia and Alzheimer's disease

Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease: issues around working partnership between carers and psychiatrists is the title of the new Partners in Care campaign leaflet.

1 Jul 2004

California Attorney General says emissions plan fails to adequately protect air, public health

"Exposure to mercury can cause severe health damage, particularly to pregnant women and young children," said Lockyer. "If implemented, these rules will protect the profits of polluters at the expense of the environment, people and public health."

29 Jun 2004

Delayed brain development and its interaction with puberty key to learning difficulties

A Northwestern University study is the first to suggest that delayed brain development and its interaction with puberty may be key factors contributing to language-based learning disabilities such as dyslexia.

23 Jun 2004

Lawsuit against 3 largest U.S. canned tuna companies for failing to warn about exposure to mercury

California Attorney General Bill Lockyer today filed a lawsuit against the nation's three largest canned tuna companies for failing to warn consumers that albacore and light tuna contain mercury, known by the state to cause reproductive harm and cancer.

22 Jun 2004

Genome research sheds light on Bardet-Biedl syndrome

By comparing the genomes of an alga, a weed and humans, a team of researchers has identified a new gene behind Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS), a complex condition marked by learning disabilities, vision loss and obesity.

21 May 2004

New research finds that boys really do have more reading difficulties than girls

New research from the University of Warwick finds that boys really do have more reading difficulties than girls. The study into reading disabilities, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, confirms that boys are much more prone to having trouble than girls, and it's not simply because they're more disruptive.

12 May 2004

Fewer pregnant women in Washington are smoking

Fewer pregnant women in Washington are smoking. The percentage of women in our state who smoke during the last three months of pregnancy has dropped to 10 percent, according to new survey data released today by the Washington State Department of Health. That is the lowest rate since the department began surveying in 1998. At that time, 13 percent of pregnant women were smoking, but since then the number has steadily dropped.

12 May 2004

UK, new guides help people with learning disabilities live more independently in the community

The UK Department of Health has launched two new guides to Direct Payments to make them more accessible for people with learning disabilities. Because Direct Payments allow individuals to choose what services they want and how and when they want them it can empower people with learning disabilities to live more independently in the community.

27 Apr 2004

UK Healthcare workers have new charitable way to protect adults and children with learning disabilities from abuse

Social workers and staff in the healthcare sector are being offered an easy way to pledge money to a national charity dedicated to the protection of adults and children with learning disabilities from the risk of abuse.

26 Apr 2004

Discovery shows how single genetic mutation can cause complex disorders

Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS), characterized by obesity, learning disabilities and eye and kidney problems, is caused by genetic mutations in the BBS family of genes. Now, researchers who've long studied the condition have discovered that genetic mutations in one of those genes, called BBS4, lead to cell death by disrupting the cells' internal "highway" system.

25 Apr 2004

Some mental health and learning disability nurses are too ready to restrain patients

Some mental health and learning disability nurses are too ready to restrain patients, according to speakers at the NMC's national conference on the management of violence in health care.

22 Apr 2004

Obese mothers increase likelihood of pre-eclampsia

A research team from the University of Glasgow has been awarded nearly £129, 000 by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) to investigate the cause of pre-eclampsia (PE), a condition that kills nearly 600 babies in the UK each year.

14 Apr 2004

Japanese study raises concerns for childhood health issues

The number of children suffering from mental disorders and health problems such as allergies and asthma has risen sharply over the past decade in this country. The United States and European countries are also facing the increasingly serious problems of premature births and childhood obesity, in addition to allergic reactions. Many experts say the rise in health problems involving children is related to the use of chemicals in our daily lives and the impact of medical treatment provided to the children's mothers.

22 Mar 2004