Learning Disability News and Research

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Youth with disabilities have greater risk for peer harassment via technology

New research from the University of New Hampshire finds that while youths with disabilities, mental health diagnoses and special education services experience peer harassment or bullying at similar rates as other youth, understanding differences in how they experience it may lead to solutions that minimize risk to all youth.

23 Jan 2019

Study provides evidence of link between autism and homelessness

The first peer-reviewed study into autism and homelessness has been published, in the journal Autism.

13 Jun 2018

Learning disabilities diagnosed in childhood linked to adult-age mental health problems

Recently published research shows that learning disabilities diagnosed in childhood are associated with adult-age mental health problems, delays or difficulties in attaining an educational degree, and unemployment.

8 Jun 2018

Seasonal allergy symptoms can be misunderstood for learning disabilities in young children

Seasonal allergies can be a nuisance for children as well as adults. And in some young children, the symptoms of seasonal allergies can be mistaken for inattentiveness or learning disabilities.

7 May 2018

Study finds link between social communication difficulties and suicidal thoughts, self-harm

Children who have difficulties with social communication have a higher risk of self-harm with suicidal intent by the age of 16 years compared to those without, reports a new study published in the May 2018 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

2 May 2018

Glucose metabolism is key to neural network development, finds study

A new study has found that glucose metabolism is critical for the development of neural networks in the brain.

13 Apr 2018

Dyslexia could be the result of eye spots that confuse the brain finds study

Latest research shows that dyslexia may be the cause of inability to spot clearly. A study with a small number of participants has revealed that most persons with dyslexia have dominant spots in both their eyes that cause them to see blurred images leading to their confusion with letters and reading, spelling and writing.

19 Oct 2017

Nurses needed across Northamptonshire

Since 2010, the number of NHS mental health nurses in England has dropped by 15%. The nursing shortage is partly caused by an ageing workforce that is not being replaced quickly enough. In 2013, more than 32% of mental health nurses were over 50.

27 Jul 2017

Repeated exposure to anesthesia early in life impairs visual recognition memory

Repeated exposure to a common anesthesia drug early in life results in visual recognition memory impairment, which emerges after the first year of life and may persist long-term, according to a study from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and published online May 31 in the British Journal of Anaesthesia.

31 May 2017

Researchers discover genetic bases of Opitz C syndrome

Opitz C syndrome is a genetic disease that causes severe disabilities in patients and has been diagnosed in three people in the Iberian Peninsula, and sixty people in the world.

10 Mar 2017

Simple picture book could help people with learning disabilities better understand and manage epilepsy

A severe lack of understanding and research into the needs of people with learning disabilities and epilepsy is placing them at risk say experts from the University of Hertfordshire.

7 Dec 2016

Experts to examine impact of live music on health and morbidity in children with learning disabilities

Experts in the fields of music, education, neurology, psychiatry and psychology will gather at a conference at the Royal Society of Medicine in London on Monday 28 November to examine the current evidence for the value and impact of music interventions, especially live music, on health and morbidity in children with learning disabilities.

15 Nov 2016

Researchers to explore movement signatures for detecting learning disability in children with autism

An Indiana University physicist and neuroscientist who studies how physical movement can be used to detect autism in children and adults has received support from the National Science Foundation.

11 Nov 2016

Study highlights role of BCL11A gene in intellectual disability syndrome

Scientists at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute and Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics have found a gene responsible for an intellectual disability disorder and proven how it works.

21 Jul 2016

Ideagen to help mental health and community trust meet paperless NHS targets and reduce reliance on off-site storage suppliers

Software firm Ideagen is to work with South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust to reduce the volume of paper patient records in line with the NHS’s £4bn drive for paperless health services.

8 Jul 2016

New genetic test provides rapid diagnosis of mitochondrial disease

Newcastle researchers have developed a genetic test providing a rapid diagnosis of mitochondrial disorders to identify the first patients with inherited mutations in a new disease gene.

7 Jul 2016

SeeAbility calls for free eye tests for people with learning disabilities in England

In a report launched in parliament tomorrow (Tuesday 5th July) national disability charity SeeAbility will say NHS England’s national sight testing and funding system is letting down the one million people with learning disabilities in England.

4 Jul 2016

CUMC researchers identify new neurodevelopmental syndrome

A multicenter research team led by Columbia University Medical Center has discovered a new neurodevelopmental syndrome and the genetic mutations that cause it. The discovery is an important step toward creating targeted therapies for individuals with this syndrome, which causes severe developmental delays, abnormal muscle tone, seizures, and eye complications.

22 Apr 2016

Coronary heart disease, cancer less likely among people with learning disabilities

Coronary heart disease and cancer rates among people with learning disabilities are nearly a third lower than the general population, says new research.

13 Apr 2016

Sleep clinics can improve sleep routines in parents of children with challenging behaviour

Sleep clinics aimed at parents of children with challenging behaviour can improve the chances of a peaceful night, a team of specialists has concluded.

30 Sep 2015