Introduction to Learning Disability and Mental Health.

Handout 1.

My name is Miss Sara Jane Gorman I am a Visiting Literature for Learning Disability and Mental Health for the University Of Wolverhampton Walsall. I have disabilities and health problems myself. I have set up this study for all levels of Learning Disability nursing 1st year, 2^nd year, 3^rd year and trained Learning disability nurses.

Learning disability can start before, during and after birth. Learning disabilities can be caused by genetics, injury to foetus, medical problems during pregnancy or prenatal exposure to drugs, alcohol, nicotine or other toxic; substances, lead poisoning, premature birth, low weigh birth, trauma or poor nutrition from pregnancy. More information about the causes of learning disabilities WWW.mencap.org.uk The Mother can become unwell during in pregnancy, there can be problems during the birth that not enough oxygen gets to the brain, the unborn baby developing certain genes, the parents passing certain genes to the unborn baby that gives them a learning disability, illnesses such as Meningitis or injury in early childhood. More information on WWW.nhs.uk

There are at least 1 in 5m people who have learning disabilities in the UK. There could be at least 350.000 who have severe learning disabilities, the figures are increasing. Learning disabilities can be mild, moderate or severe.

Hand 2.        The benefit cuts.

This has become a worried because it’s costing Britain a lot of money but then not because a lot of places that help and support people with disabilities, health problems and the elderly the government seem to make cuts on, which is more of a worry that these people are getting either very little help or no help at all.

I have a huge concern on what people with disabilities, health problems and the elderly are going through with the cuts this day and age. The benefit cuts seem to have a huge affect on the lives of people with disabilities and health problems.

The problem seems to be that there are too much people on the benefit system now that there are too many people who don’t have good reasons to be on benefits as well as the people who do.

 Nine times out of the ten the people who want to work are the ones who have good reasons for being on the benefit system yet and a lot of the people who don’t have a good reason don’t want to work but I won’t say all.

 I feel it’s very wrong that the wrong people are getting punished, which are mostly the people with disabilities and health problems. It seems as if society sees vulnerable people as hard work, that we cost too much money, we are useless and helpless. It’s wrong to treat us as if we are to blame for giving ourselves disabilities and health problems in the eyes of society. We shouldn’t have been born to start with. This way society puts too much negatively into our head to make us believe we are hopeless and useless but we are not we just need the right help and support to get by in life.

 This report needs to be seen more than just an awareness and study but these matters should be taken up with the British government to set up a system to find out who has a good enough reason to be on benefits and who hasn’t.

 Most people who have good enough reasons to be on the benefit system suffer enough in stress as it is within their own disabilities and health problems.

 Throughout this year I have raised awareness to the 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd year students on the benefit cuts but I feel now because a lot of people with disabilities and health problems have died because in some peoples’ cases, they haven’t had any money or not enough money to feed themselves, other people have not been getting any or enough help and support to a point they have taken their own lives.

 This is why I feel the government needs to take these matters more than seriously.  There needs to be a stop to this now, fair enough to save money but not to take it off those who need it most. This has become a huge risk to vulnerable lives. Anyone would think we have purposely planned to have disabilities and health problems to make life hard for others. Does anyone think we would choose to have disabilities and health problems? I certainly wouldn’t, I have learned to live with it but I don’t like it and I don’t think anyone else like myself would make that choose do.

 Would you choose to have disabilities and health problems if you could? I would have thought not. I would be shocked to hear anyone to say yes they would have disabilities and health problems if they had a choice to.

Here are some matters that I have raised with my students which do need to be raised with the government. People who have had their benefits cuts should be having health check- ups while waiting for their appeals. We need to be checking to see whether or not the government are doing away with appeals. People hate depending on food banks. Places like DWP and Altos signing them off fit for work by forcing people into jobs they can’t manage were their health and safety is at risk without support. A lot of people suffer from such mental health problems like Anxiety and Depression and risk of taking their own lives, the stress of the benefit cuts is more risks to their health. Many people have found when they have tried to get support from a lot of services that can’t help them due to the funding, which now always seems to be the case. This even worse when people have had their benefits cut. Now the more people hear it the more they start to think it’s an excuse not to help them. The government needs to be aware of how serious these matters are affecting peoples’ lives. Everyone’s situation is different some are likely to need more support than others.  

http://irishpost.co.uk/family-still-coming-to-terms-with-fathers-suicide-after-flawed-fit-to-work-dwp-assessment/

http://wp.me/p4Sru1-3Jd

. http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/dad-two-killed-himself-because-1844633

Handout 4.      About disabilities and health problems.

If someone has a mild brain damage on the left hand side of the brain, it normally causes them to face big barriers in their lives.

A learning disability is a condition that can be known as a learning disability caused by physical disabilities which means the person wouldn’t be able to cope with physical skills without the right support. The person could be a very slow learner through school years but catch up through work years. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/max-baumbach/i-have-adhd-my-study-drug-problem-isnt-the-same-as-yours_b_7718532.html

 A learning disability is also linked to Mental disabilities where the person may not be able cope with learning at school and even a job in an office for example without the right support. In any case learning disabilities can slow down the brain a lot of people would need support in school, college, and university within the workplace, in their own home and etc. It can affect how a person learns day to day, how a person copes to be independent. Making decisions and feeling controlled by others (PCP.) (Person Centered Planning.)(Many people with the right support do achieve skills. (PCP.)  (Person Centered Planning.)

     Handout 5.     Understanding disabilities.

In the past Dyslexia has been known as word blind, which cause problems with reading, writing and memory but it doesn’t mean the person can’t read and write. Dysgraphia is known as a handwriting disability, the person may face motor skills problems such as finding it hard to tie their shoe laces but it could be Dyspraxia as well. Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, ADD, ADHD and Dysgraphia are not much different kinds of disabilities one another yet it’s possible you can have all of them, either one of them or some of them. Some peoples’ learning disabilities may slow them down for them to be slow learners. Motor skills problems could mean either the person has Dyspraxia or Dysgraphia or even both, which is classed as a hide physical disability which could be classed as learning difficulty.

Dyslexia, Dyspraxia and Dysgraphia.

Issues in emotional disturbance can be caused from different disabilities and linked on mental health problems such as Anxiety and Depression. ADHD for example is class as a mental health problems as well as a learning disability. ADHD can make the person easily upset, uptight, may be moody and emotional at anytime, anyplace or anywhere with or without a reason just like Anxiety and Depression.

 In the sense of ADHD being a learning disability is that it can affect a person’s ability to learn for example; they very often have problems coping with too many things at once, which can be concentration as well as coordination, which other things could link in Dyspraxia, Dyslexia or and Dysgraphia. http://www.adhdawarenessmonth.org/

  Poor motor skills, poor coronation, most people can be clumsy and immature movement. Some people may find it hard to tie their shoes or and they may put their shoes on the wrong feet. Some people may find it hard to do up zips or and buttons. Some people may find it hard to skip or and clap to rhythm. Some people may find it hard to throw or and catch a ball. Most people may find it hard to do things in a limit of time. There might be a limit of things most people can do.

 Most people such as myself are better off learning on one to one to make sure things are done to time also to make sure task or job is completed but that’s not always possible due to funding as the case is these days.

 Lack in development milestones leg; (motor language.) Some people make find it hard to understand prepositions words such as up, down, under, forward and backwards. Some people might find it hard to understand undermined hand preference. Some people may have poor handwriting possibly due to Dysgraphia.

Hyperactivity and impulsive is likely to come into ADHD.  Concept of body image, General awkwardness, Poor visual motor skills, slow at complimenting work, Poor organizing skills that could cause by Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Dysgraphia, ADHD or and even all.  Some people do have poor short and long term memory.  http://blog.scope.org.uk/2015/09/29/i-have-dyspraxia-but-rude-people-tell-me-im-drunk-endtheawkward/?utm_content=buffer37ae2&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer 

Some people may have poor concentration due to such disabilities as Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Dysgraphia, ADHD or and etc. Some people may find it hard to explain things like shape, size, colour or and etc. Some people may get mixed up with ps and qs bs and ds.

 Some people may not be good at sport due to coronation, grip problem. Some people may be easily furstraighted possibly due to Anxiety or and possibly ADHD.

 Dyslexia.

Most people can be gifted such as having talents such as people with Dyslexia. Some people may grip the pen too tightly, which may cause their handwriting to be untidy. Most people may avoid most tasks in fear of failing mainly they have had other people their live who haven’t had any faith in them. Most people may find it hard to achieve success on a time scale.

 For some people the brain work too fast for their pen to write or the other way round for some where mistakes are not always notice but other times they get stuck what to write, which come into Dyslexia.

 Visual problems could be things like Dyslexia, memory problems, seeing and writing things the wrong way round, misreading and misunderstanding information, missing words and information when writing.  Most people may find it hard to take in information which is where easy read comes in. Visual impairment such as Dyslexia may affect a person’s memory, they may have spelling problems, they may miss words out in writing, they may misread for example they may not notice most mistakes they make in their work. Some people can talk too lond while they are saying and thinking out and what they are writing in order to remember what they need to put down which can be a form of Dyslexia. Work can be unfinished for most people if they have been rushed to do. Most people find it hard to be organized. Most people find it hard to think about things in order.

Some people have a short term memory span.  Some people have poor listening skills. Some people find it hard to follow directions and instructions which can vary from person to person. (Accessible information) (Easy read.) Most people may find it hard to leave a space between words typing; writing and talking some people can vary. A lot of people find it easy to give up if they feel others don’t have any faith in them, others can misunderstand them as thick and lazy, they are not, they are just slow learners that’s all, they just need the right support.  Some people may find it hard to put pen to paper.  For example; some people may have a talent in some kind of sport. See the positive of the person as well as the negative.

Some people may find it hard to remember the days of the week, months of the year and etc. Some people may find it hard to remember times tables. Some people may have poor time keep or and some may have problems tell the time.

Language barrier.

  A learning disability can affect the way the person understands information.

People with disabilities and health problems don’t like words like handicap, retardation and Chronic medical.

Handout 6 -7 Impulsive behavior.

Emotion is a way a person feels towards life. In the case of people with disabilities and health problems it’s been hard enough as it is the fact we have had to face having disabilities and health problems without society treating us as if we are to blame for the way we are.

As it is with Mental Health problems such as Anxiety and Depression people have a hard job believing the positive in their live as it is. Many of us are slow learners but we get there slowly. People have mental Health problems such as Anxiety and Depression can cause people to be emotional and sensitive to life.

Some people may suffer from behavior problems such as Anxiety, ADHD many get up tight easily over certain situations.

 People with most forms of Autism can be unaware of the feelings of others. Some people with some forms of Autism may find it hard to accept change.

 More about learning disability.

Hearing impairment for example; deafness Sign language is a good form of communication for you to learn. If they suffer from deafness they may talk too loud unaware others can hear them. Deafwebsites.com

Some people have a lack of social skills finding it hard to make friendships, relationships and get along with people, which make them very lonely people. A lack of communication and understanding can lose people a lot of friendships, which they can't help because some disabilities and health problems can cause them to communicate in a different way that most people don't understand. They may even say something that the person has the right to be defended but totally unaware how they have made themselves come across, if anything it may be have not turned out the way the person planned it to be or and they may have said the opposite to what they planned to. For some people, I can be the same for what's in head to say doesn't always come of my month correctly.

Speech or language impairment.     

Some people may have slow speech development. Most people may find it hard to understand they are saying, therefore a lot of people may lose patience’s with them by cutting then off the phone or even telling to go wherever they are talking to them. There are very few people who may understand all or  even some of what they say meaning those who may well have the patience’s to listen to them. The person may not be able to get a word in edgewise because they person rightly wants to make sure they have their say because there have been others who haven’t had the patience’s to listen to them.

 People with speech problems can find it hard to get along with people too because a lot of people understandably can't understand what the person is saying but it's not their fault either. It's down to the other person understand that the person as a speech problem, which is wrong of person is talking to them when they can hear them. Many people misunderstand them for being drunk even. Making take the mickey of the way it sounds when people have got speech problems even people like myself who have the odd st udder problem.   

People with speech problems very often find it easier to communicate by internet, emails and text, the only disadvantage.  When something is important sometimes it takes longer for people to reply mainly with email but then it's understood that people can't be in their offices 24.7.