Learning disabilities

About learning disabilities

A learning disability affects the way a person understands information and how they communicate. This means they can have problems:

• understanding new or complex information
• learning new skills
• coping independently

Severity of learning disability

A learning disability can be mild, moderate or severe.

Some people with a mild learning disability can talk easily and look after themselves but may need a bit longer than usual to learn new skills.

Other people may not be able to communicate at all and have other disabilities as well.

Some adults with a learning disability are able to live independently. While others need help with everyday tasks, such as washing and dressing, for their whole lives.

It depends on the person's abilities and the level of care and support they receive.

Children and young people with a learning disability may also have special educational needs (SEN).

Support for learning disabilities and family carers

Some learning disabilities are diagnosed at birth, such as Down's syndrome.

Others might not be discovered until the child is old enough to talk or walk.

Once your child is diagnosed with a learning disability, your GP can refer you for any specialist support you may need.

You'll begin to get to know the team of professionals who will be involved in your or your child's care.

The right support from professionals can help people with a learning disability live as full and independent a life as possible. 

Professionals who offer support include:

• GPs
• paediatricians (doctors who specialise in treating children)
• speech and language therapists
• physiotherapists
• educational and clinical psychologists
• social care

Assessment and treatment services

Assessment and treatment services are provided at the three learning disability hospitals in Northern Ireland:

• Lakeview, Londonderry
• Longstone, Armagh
• Muckamore Abbey, Antrim

There is an assessment and treatment service for children at the Iveagh Centre in Belfast.

For advice, speak to your social worker or GP.

You can find out about health and social care needs assessments in your area.

• Health services

Learning disability support services

In Northern Ireland, people with learning disabilities are supported to live as independently as possible.

The services and support offered will depend on individual circumstances and will require an assessment of individual needs.

Trusts offer services such as assessment and treatment, community living, respite and day opportunities.

• Belfast Health and Social Care Trust 
• Northern Health and Social Care Trust 
• Southern Health and Social Care Trust 
• South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust 
• Western Health and Social Care Trust

Causes of learning disabilities

A learning disability happens when a person's brain development is affected, either before they're born, during their birth or in early childhood.

This can be caused by things such as:

• the mother becoming ill in pregnancy
• problems during the birth that stop enough oxygen getting to the brain
• the unborn baby inheriting certain genes from its parents that make having a learning disability more likely – known as inherited learning disability
• illness, such as meningitis, or injury in early childhood

Sometimes there's no known cause for a learning disability.

Some conditions are associated with having a learning disability because people with these conditions are more likely to have one.

For example, everyone with Down's syndrome has some kind of learning disability, and so do many people with cerebral palsy.

People with autism and people with epilepsy may also have a learning disability.

Profound and multiple learning disability (PMLD)

A profound and multiple learning disability (PMLD) is when a person has a severe learning disability and other disabilities that significantly affect their ability to communicate and be independent.

Someone with PMLD may have severe problems seeing, hearing, speaking and moving. They may have complex health and social care needs due to these or other conditions.

People with PMLD need a carer or carers to help them with most areas of everyday life, such as eating, washing and going to the toilet.

With support, many people can learn to communicate in different ways, be involved in decisions about themselves, do things they enjoy and achieve more independence.

• How to care for children with complex needs

You can also find out more about all aspects of being a carer, including practical support, financial matters and looking after your own wellbeing in the social care and support guide.

More useful links

• Learning disabilities
• How to use your health services
• Care and support
• Arranging health and social care