This textbook presents a practical guide for new and experienced health or social care staff, helping them promote the health and well-being of people with learning disabilities. Given the considerable demand for mandatory training on supporting people with learning disabilities, especially in England, the book provides a valuable resource for all training courses on working with people with learning disabilities. The chapters are co-written by practitioners and people with learning disabilities and their families, rooting the book in the lived experiences of those concerned. Topics covered include core elements of being happy and healthy, communication, changes in our behaviour when we are unwell, making decisions about our health, accessing health services, how we would want to be treated if we were unwell, the use of psychotropic medication, what a ‘good death’ would be, and how to keep ourselves healthy. In addition, the chapters include narrative examples concerning people with learning disabilities and their families, so as to highlight key points and share best-practice examples. The use of personal reflection is used to consider how we can ensure that people with learning disabilities receive care and support that matches what we would expect for ourselves. Core questions at the end of each chapter ask the reader to reflect on how the chapter content relates to their own work and how they will apply what they have learned. A consistent theme throughout the book is equality of opportunity for people with learning disabilities to achieve good health. There is now substantial evidence that people with learning disabilities have poorer health than the general population, are more likely to have multiple health needs, and can experience difficulties in having their illnesses diagnosed and treated promptly. This book aims to help those supporting people with learning disabilities to achieve more equal outcomes.

Supporting the Emotional Well-being of Children and Young People with Learning Disabilities is an essential and practical resource for helping children with severe and complex learning difficulties, their classmates, their teachers and the schools that they attend. The highly adaptable materials, activities and ideas presented in this book will be useful both in the classroom and in staff training to promote understanding of emotional well-being and mental health of all pupils who may need support. Fox, Laverty and Chowdhury cover a range of topics that engage with the school as a whole, inclusive classrooms and the individual student. Their frameworks and practical suggestions aid teachers to support the well-being and mental health of students in a variety of ways, with material tailored for classrooms and the individual student. Supporting the Emotional Well-being of Children and Young People with Learning Disabilities is a comprehensive resource for teachers and management in special needs schools, recognising current government policies and helping teachers to understand and appropriately engage with students as individuals and as classes.

Written by an experienced team of practitioners and scholars, this text attempts to fill the gap in texts that specifically address the needs of Learning Disabilities (LD) students in the socioemotional and mental health domains. By providing a foundational understanding of some of the salient issues facing students with learning disabilities, we hope to empower all of those who are working to ensure their success by providing the particular challenges that LD students and their families may face, and strategies and best practices for building creativity, resiliency, prosocial behavior, and positive mental health. As a practitioner and family-oriented text, this book seeks to offer a truncated review of relevant literature followed by suggestions to guide practice.

It has long been known that people with learning disabilities have poorer health than the¬ general population, but the extent of these differences becomes striking when considering the evidence of reduced life expectancy. In 2013 the Confidential Inquiry into the Premature Deaths of People with Learning Disabilities reported that men typically die 13 years younger and women 20 years younger than the general population. In 42% of cases the death was considered premature. The reasons for this lower life expectancy are varied but what we do know is this group are two and a half times more likely to have multiple health needs than other people, and often have difficulties accessing health services or receiving appropriate treatment from clinicians. As well as looking at the challenges of accessing healthcare and navigating care pathways, this -handbook presents a practical guide to the most common conditions and health needs, with chapters written by experts in those conditions and their relationship to learning disabilities. A range of issues are covered, including mental health, cancer, epilepsy, respiratory and swallowing problems, and poor sight and hearing. The book aims to increase awareness and knowledge of how these conditions and issues present themselves, as well as how they can be prevented in the first place, and best practice in assessment and treatment. It will therefore be a valuable resource for families, support workers and health professionals.

Many practitioners within health and social care come into contact with people with intellectual disabilities and want to work in ways that are beneficial to them by making reasonable adjustments in order to meet clients’ needs and expectations. Yet the health and wellbeing of people with learning disabilities continues to be a neglected area, where unnecessary suffering and premature deaths continue to prevail. This text provides a comprehensive insight into intellectual disability healthcare. It is aimed at those who are training in the field of intellectual disability nursing and also untrained practitioners who work in both health and social care settings. Divided into five sections, it explores how a wide range of biological, health, psychological and social barriers impact upon people with learning disability, and includes: Six guiding principles used to adjust, plan and develop meaningful and accessible health and social services Assessment, screening and diagnosis of intellectual disability across the life course Addressing lifelong health needs Psychological and psychotherapeutic issues, including sexuality, behavioural and mental health needs, bereavement, and ethical concerns. The changing professional roles and models of meeting the needs of people with intellectual and learning disabilities. Intellectual Disability in Health and Social Care provides a wide-ranging overview of what learning disability professionals’ roles are and provides insight into what health and social care practitioners might do to assist someone with intellectual disabilities when specific needs arise.

General Hospital Care for People with Learning Disabilities is a comprehensive resource for those health professionals in a general hospital setting who may come into contact with people with learning disabilities. The book explores the nature of learning disabilities and highlights specific healthcare needs. It takes the reader through all the key factors in the healthcare process, through pre-admission assessment, care planning, intervention and treatment, and liaison and discharge planning, while highlighting key healthcare needs at each stage. The Department of Health, the National Health Service Executive and Mencap have all reported that people with learning disabilities have increased health needs compared to the general population, yet these needs are often poorly met and people experience difficulties in accessing appropriate services. This is a timely and accessible resource for healthcare professionals in need of a general introduction to caring for people with a learning disability. Relevant to the care of both children and adults with a learning disability Use of case studies to illustrate examples of situations explored in the main text Focuses on key areas of communication, understanding behavior and the often difficult area of consent