What is Learning Disability?
This guidance refers to a number of different conditions and syndromes, some of which cause both mental and physical disability. This guidance covers the mental impairment aspect of the overall disability only. Appropriate guidance must be referred to where there is also any physical impairment.
This guidance does not include specific disorders relating to, for example reading and writing (dyslexia) or maths (dyscalculia) which are unlikely to result in significant needs with self care activities.
Learning disability includes the presence of:
- A significantly reduced ability to, understand new or complex information and learn new skills (impaired intelligence) with
- A reduced ability to cope independently (impaired social functioning)
- Which started before adulthood with a lasting effect on development
Learning disability has replaced the terms "mental sub normality" and "mental retardation" in the UK although "mental retardation" is still used in the USA and in disease classifications (ICD 10 and DSM 1V).
Educationalists use the term "Special Needs" or "Learning Difficulties" as an alternative to learning disability.
Learning disability has multiple causes.
- Mild learning disability is usually due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors and in many cases represents the lower end of the distribution curve of intelligence.
- Severe learning disability is commonly due to specific genetic or physical abnormalities. The commonest causes are cerebral palsy, Downs Syndrome and Fragile X syndrome.
Specific causes include:
- Genetic factors
- Chromosome abnormalities e.g. Fragile X syndrome and Downs Syndrome
- Metabolic disorders e.g. Phenylketonuria and Tay Sachs disease
- Brain malformations e.g. hydrocephalus
- Antenatal and perinatal damage e.g. rubella syndrome, toxaemia and birth asphyxia [lack of oxygen to the brain]
- Postnatal damage e.g. accidental or non-accidental injury and infections
- as meningitis
In England it is estimated that there are 1.2 million people with mild or moderate learning disability and about 120,000 adults with severe or profound learning disability.
Amended October 2012
