Description
A learning disability and an intellectual disability are the same thing. This is a lifelong condition that means a young person has significantly reduced ability to understand new or complex information or to learn new skills; reduced ability to cope independently; which starts in childhood with a lasting effect on development.
Global Developmental Delay (GDD) is used to describe delay in development of a preschool child, when a child has not reached key milestones of development in a number of areas such as communication, motor skills, social interaction, processing information, and remembering skills.
If development continues to be delayed after 5 years of age, this would be suggestive of a learning/intellectual disability.
Children and young people with a learning disability can present with any of the mental health problems described in this document but their presentation will be complicated by factors such as
communication difficulties and sensory sensitivities
Examples of presenting difficulties that may be referred to the CAMHS LD team include:
- challenging behaviours (e.g. significant self-injury, harm to others)
- concerns about activity levels (over or under)
- behavioural problems that indicate mental health difficulties
- Mood e.g. low mood, persistent fluctuations
- psychosis (including diagnostic queries)
CAMHS do not conduct initial diagnostic assessments for learning disability. Paediatricians and pre-school assessment teams provide developmental assessment for pre-school children. School age assessments will involve a multidisciplinary approach taken forward within the GIRFEC framework.
CAMHS sector teams will consider referrals for young people with a mild/moderate learning disability within mainstream schools.
CAMHS LD are a specialist team working across Lothian work with children and young people (0-18 years) who have significant developmental delay or a learning disability (with or without autism) and who additionally have mental health or complex behavioural problems.
Typically children are within special schools.
Within the CAMHS LD team there is an Intensive Treatment Service providing the flexibility to work alongside parents and carers at home and across settings to implement positive behaviour support plans.
CAMHS LD may offer one or all of the following:
- individual work with the young person
- work with parents and carers
- brief intervention sessions for parents and carers of children under five years old with developmental delay
- Intensive treatment which may involve daily contact in mornings, evenings or at the weekend
- continuing consultation with other professionals and agencies.
- referral to, and liaison with, other agencies
- staff training for those working with the young person
- consultation service for professionals
Information about positive ways of managing behaviour can be found at:
www.challengingbehaviour.org.uk
Information about learning disability can be found at:
www.mencap.org.uk
The following organisations provide support and advice to carers:
www.kindred-scotland.org
www.vocal.org.uk
