Learning Disability Awareness (1-3 days)

The complexity of Learning Disability is extensive and there is a lot of confusion and misunderstanding about the term.

This course offers insight into the issues relating to Learning Disabilities including causation, the different named syndromes and the difficulties encountered by many labelled as having a ‘Learning Disability’.

Attitudes, assumptions and current practice are examined and the course reflects a Person Centred value base.

Learning objectives:

By the end of the course learners should understand:
 
• What is meant by the term ‘Learning Disability’
• How this is different to ‘Mental Health’
• How this is different to a Learning Difficulty e.g. Dyslexia
• What leads to someone having a Learning Disability-common causation
• A Medical perspective-the main syndromes and their features
• How medication is used
• How people with Learning Disabilities have been regarded in society up until relatively recently
• What it was like living in an Institution and the features of Institutional care
• The impact of Institutional living on the individual
• Abuse and neglect that occurred
• The move towards the Community:
        -Nerje
        -Wolfensberger
        -O Brien
• What is meant by Social Role Valorisation, Normalisation and Ordinary Living
• The current Legislative and Practice framework
• The standards that are now expected and who sets them
• What is meant by ‘Person Centred’ approaches
• How to support the human rights of people with learning Disabilities:
        -Dignity
        -Respect
        -Value
        -Inclusion
        -Choices
        -Independence
        -Involvement
        -Privacy
        -Self direction
        etc.
• People are ‘People First’ and to different degrees have the same range of needs as everyone else.
• What happens if the Learning Disability is so severe that the person is not able to direct their lives:
        -The MCA
        -The role of advocates
        -Advocacy movements
        etc
• How the families of those with Learning Disabilities can be unhelpful in terms of ‘empowering’ service users
• How to work with the families of those with Learning Disabilities*

Training methods:

• Tutor presentations
• Chalk & Talk
• OHP/PowerPoint
• Group work
• Handouts
• Word shower method

* We provide a course specifically dealing with this issue.

CP57/4.9