Learning disabilities
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Follow the links below to find trusted information about learning disabilities.
Last reviewed: May 2018
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Kids' Health - Topics - Learning disabilities
Not eating well, not getting enough sleep, feeling unhappy or scared, having problems with family or friends are some of the reasons why a kid can be having problems learning.
Read more on Women's and Children's Health Network website
Brain Foundation | Dyslexia
Dyslexia Dyslexia Read more at Virtual Medical Centre Description Dyslexia is a learning disability that affects approximately 10 per cent of the population
Read more on Brain Foundation website
Dyslexia (childhood learning disability) information | myVMC
Dyslexia or developmental reading disorder is a common reading disability. Dyslexic children are unable to process and interpret symbols like letters.
Read more on myVMC – Virtual Medical Centre website
Dyslexia in children and teenagers | Raising Children Network
Dyslexia is a learning disability. Children with dyslexia have trouble with reading. If your child has dyslexia, support can help him achieve and succeed.
Read more on Raising Children Network website
Children with disability and learning | Raising Children Network
Everyday play and communication can help your child with disability learn new things. You can spark your child’s learning by tuning into her interests.
Read more on Raising Children Network website
Intellectual disability | Sydney Children's Hospitals Network
What is intellectual disability? A child with an intellectual disability learns and develops more slowly than other children
Read more on Sydney Children's Hospitals Network website
Intellectual Disability | Novita
Intellectual disability is the most commonly recorded disability, occurring in about 3% of the population in Australia
Read more on Novita Children's Services website
Sex Safe and Fun | Family Planning NSW
Sex Safe and Fun is a resource to support people with intellectual disability to learn about safe sex messages. It provides a factual and balanced view of the rights and responsibilities associated with a range of sexual activities. There are key messages about consent, enjoyment, intimacy, privacy and safety.
Read more on Family Planning NSW website
Parenting and Child Health - Health Topics - Intellectual disability
Children develop and learn at different rates and in different ways. However, some children will learn at a much slower rate than other children of the same age. This may be due to an intellectual disability.
Read more on Women's and Children's Health Network website
Teaching skills to kids with disability | Raising Children Network
Children with disability can find it hard to learn everyday skills. Here are practical strategies for teaching skills to your child with disability.
Read more on Raising Children Network website
Top results
Antipsychotic medication versus placebo for people with both schizophrenia and learning disability | Cochrane
People who are diagnosed with both learning disability and schizophrenia are generally treated with antipsychotic medication. This review highlights the limited evidence available for the use of this treatment in cases where people have received such a dual diagnosis.
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
More research is needed for people with learning disabilities and challenging behaviour | Cochrane
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
Antipsychotic medication for challenging behaviour in people with learning disability | Cochrane
The term 'challenging behaviour', in the absence of psychiatric disorder, encompasses a wide range of behaviours that may be harmful to people or property, may be difficult to manage and may limit access to community facilities. Antipsychotic medications have been used to modify such behaviours in people with learning disability, but there is no randomised controlled trial-based information that suggests antipsychotic medication is either helpful or harmful for adults with learning disability and challenging behaviour.
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
Interventions for learning disabled sex offenders | Cochrane
Sex offending is of increasing public concern with calls for longer terms of imprisonment and closer supervision of such offenders in the community. Currently a variety of treatment approaches are used including medication and talking therapies, though little is known about their success rates. The small group of sex offenders with learning disabilities pose a particular challenge as talking therapies need to be modified to account for the offender's limited understanding. We could find no randomised controlled trial evidence to guide us in the treatment of learning disabled sex offenders.
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
Risperidone for ADHD in people with intellectual disabilities | Cochrane
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is more common in people with intellectual disability than in the general population. As in the general population, ADHD adversely affects the ability to learn and is associated with behavioural disturbance, and therefore any intervention to reduce these symptoms is important.
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) for children with specific learning disorders | Cochrane
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
Parent training support for intellectually disabled parents | Cochrane
Parents with intellectual or learning disabilities may need support to provide adequate care for their children and prevent problems that can arise in children's welfare or development. Parent training programmes may help them to learn the parenting skills they need.This review found three randomised controlled trials that met the inclusion criteria. The quality of the evidence in the studies is moderate to low. One study found improvement in mother-child interaction compared with the control group, whilst the second found improvement in safe home practices, recognition of child illness and safe use of medicines. The third study found improvement in child care and safety. More research is needed to assess the effects of these interventions before conclusions can be drawn.
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
Amfetamine for ADHD in people with intellectual disabilities | Cochrane
Some people with intellectual disability (ID; also known as mental retardation) may also have attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Most of the research into treatment of ADHD with amfetamine has been performed in people who do not have ID. The objective of this review was to assess whether amfetamine is effective in treating ADHD in people who also have an intellectual disability. We found only one study, which examined this question in a small group of participants. This did not find an effect, but we do not think this is enough evidence to draw conclusions about whether or not amfetamine is effective. More research in this area is urgently needed.
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
Prescribing psychotropic drugs to adults with an intellectual disability | Issue 4 | Volume 39 | Australian Prescriber
Mental illness is common in people with intellectual disability. They may also have physical health problems which can affect their mental state.
Read more on Australian Prescriber website
Menstrual issues for women with intellectual disability | Issue 2 | Volume 39 | Australian Prescriber
The approach to menstrual management in girls with intellectual disabilities should be the same as it is for other girls.
Read more on Australian Prescriber website
