FAQs, fact sheets and reading lists
New series of fact sheets
Frequently asked questions about learning disabilities
Older fact sheets you can download
Reading lists from Current Awareness Service
New series of fact sheets
Advocacy
The White Paper "Valuing People" states that advocacy is an important way for people with a learning disability to have more choice and control in their lives.
Advocacy is varied in the ways in which it works, but operates on certain basic principles and approaches.
Advocacy can take a number of forms, but independent advocacy such as citizen advocacy, peer advocacy and self-advocacy should be differentiated from the roles played by family and professional carers.
The government would like everybody with a learning disability who wants advocacy to have access to it. The Mental Capacity Act 2005 has introduced a new kind of advocate.
Download our fact sheet about advocacy: pdf format Word format
Chemical restraint
Chemical restraint is the use of medication for the purpose of alleviating or managing the symptoms or behaviours associated with an underlying psychological condition.
Download our fact sheet about chemical restraint: pdf format Word format
Learning disabilities
Learning disability is a label which is convenient for certain purposes, but people with learning disabilities are always people first.
Different ways of defining and classifying learning disability are used, but all are open to some interpretation.
There are few official statistics for numbers of people with a learning disability, and our knowledge is based on studies of prevalence.
The causes of learning disabilities are not fully classified, but are mainly environmental or genetic factors, or chromosomal abnormalities.
Support for people with learning disabilities has moved away from the medical model to a social model based on inclusion and integration.
Download our fact sheet about learning disabilities: pdf format Word format
Seclusion
BILD continues to receive a consistently high number of requests for information and advice about the use of seclusion.
Seclusion is defined as "separating an adult or child against their will, restricting their freedom of movement and forcing them to spend time alone”.
Download our fact sheet about seclusion: pdf format Word format
Self injurious behaviour
Self-injurious behaviour (SIB) has been defined as “Any behaviour, initiated by the individual, which directly results in physical harm to that individual. Physical harm will be considered to include bruising, laceration, bleeding, bone fractures and breakages and other tissue damage” (Murphy and Wilson, 1985).
Download our fact sheet about self injurious behaviour: pdf format Word format
BILD has made every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information
contained
within its fact sheets, but cannot be held liable for any actions taken based on
the information provided.
FAQs
What are the causes of learning disability?
What principles underpin care and support?
What do we mean by challenging behaviour?
Why are people with learning disabilities at greater risk of mental health problems?
What is Person Centred Planning?
What is Normalisation?
I have heard the terms profound, severe, moderate and mild learning disability.
What do these mean?
What are the causes of learning disability?
There are many reasons why learning disability occurs. Impairments which cause or contribute to learning disability can happen before, during or after birth.
What principles underpin care and support?
In working with and supporting people with learning disabilities, there are certain basic principles and values that sum up everything we believe and guide everything we do.
What do we mean by challenging behaviour?
We use the term challenging behaviour to emphasise that the behaviour is a challenge to us and the situation or circumstances a person finds himself or herself in.
Why are people with learning disabilities at greater risk of mental health problems?
The risk of mental ill health is greater among people with learning disabilities than among the general population.
What is Person Centred Planning?
Person Centred Planning is at the heart of the Government’s strategy for people with learning disabilities. Using Person Centred Planning is a way of ensuring everything we do is based upon what is important to a person from their own perspective.
What is Normalisation?
Normalisation is a set of principles that underlie the idea that people with a learning disability should live in ordinary places, doing ordinary things, with ordinary people: essentially experiencing the ‘normal’ patterns of everyday life.
I have heard the terms profound, severe, moderate and
mild learning disability.
What do these mean?
The words, mild, moderate, severe and profound are used to describe the degree of learning disability that a person has. One way to establish the ‘degree’ of learning disability is to use the measure of IQ. This measure suggests .....
Older factsheets
Free fact sheets for you to view and download:
Communication Word format pdf format
Direct payments Word format pdf format
Human Rights Act Word format pdf format
Intensive interaction Word format pdf format
Partnership boards Word format pdf format
Person centred planning Word format pdf format
Physical interventions Word format pdf format
Quality Word format pdf format
BILD has made every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information
contained
within its factsheets, but cannot be held liable for any actions taken based on
the information provided.
Page ref: '05faqs' Owned by: enquiries@bild.org.uk Last updated: 25/01/2008