Mental Health Services for Children and Adolescents with Learning Disabilities

Abstract

The artwork in this booklet was produced by people with neurodevelopmental disorders who required hospital treatment at the Bethlem Royal Hospital, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. It has been reproduced with their permission. Art can be an important communicative and therapeutic tool for people who find verbal communication difficult. All of the artists wished to remain anonymous except for Victor who produced the art on pages 2, 30, 36, 42, 46 and 52. About Us Educational opportunities for medical students, core trainees and higher psychiatric trainees in neurodevelopmental psychiatry are delivered through the Behavioural and Developmental Psychiatry Clinical Academic Group (B&D CAG) at the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM). We provide mental health services for adults with neurodevelopmental disorders and for those who require enhanced risk management or secure inpatient services, working with people nationally and internationally. Editors Simon Bonell MRCPsych Dr Bonell recently completed his higher psychiatric training in the psychiatry of learning disabilities with SLaM. During the production of this booklet he moved to take up a substantive consultant post in Plymouth.

Child and Caregiver Issues In the Treatment of Attention Deficit–Hyperactivity Disorder: Education, Adherence and Treatment Choice

“…For these reasons, when developing clinical services for children and adolescents with ADHD, a multidisciplinary team is usually required. The aim of multidisciplinary assessments is to undertake comprehensive and detailed evaluations of the individual from a wide range of biological, psychological, educational, developmental and social perspectives [2,10]. In addition, inadequate diagnosis or supervision of treatments and inadequacy of services has been future science group related to cessation of treatment in young people with ADHD (see later).…”

Facilitating Pathways

“…Examples are genetic counsel ing, dietary advice, and the use of preconceptional folic acid to reduce the risk of neural tube defect, and immunization to prevent congenital rubella (Bernard 2002). A genetic cause has been identified in some dis orders associated with mental retardation, for exam ple, fragile X and Down syndrome.…”

Current and Proposed Special Educational Legislation

“…Whether the resources released by simplifying procedures and by the extra investment being made in SEN will be sufficient remains uncertain. For children with learning and developmental disabilities, the demand for specialist mental health involvement, where such services exist, usually outstrips resources (Bernard, 1999). Tensions and delays that arise because of waiting times can have adverse effects on children when needs are left unmet for too long.…”