Key terms and phrases

Supporting people with learning disabilities and autism can often be challenging for many reasons. From just speaking with doctors and carers, you will hear many terms and phrases that aren’t always easy to understand.

We want you to feel involved and knowledgeable when discussing care for people with learning disabilities and autism. We have tried to answer as many frequently asked questions as we can and put together this handy guide.

What is a learning disability?

Learning disability is a condition affecting a person’s intellectual ability. Someone with learning disabilities may take longer to learn or understand new things, they may need support with money management, everyday tasks, or socialising. In total, roughly 1.5 million people in the UK have a learning disability.

Learning disability is a term used for lots of different conditions and everyone with a learning disability is affected differently. People with learning disabilities may have varied levels of independence, some may live wholly independent lives. Others may need support to get and keep a job. Individuals with more complex needs such as learning disabilities combined with physical disabilities and conditions such as epilepsy or autism, may need full-time support throughout life.

What is Autism?

Autism is a lifelong neurological condition that affects how a person perceives the world around them. It is a spectrum condition, which means everybody experiences it differently and at different levels. A very small minority of people with autism have Asperger’s syndrome, a form of high functioning autism that is characterised in film – less often in real life – by genius.

What are some of the characteristics of autism?

People with autism often experience something called sensory sensitivity, this is where sounds (and even silence) can be deafening, lights can be blinding, smells can be overwhelming and touch can be painful.

They may also have difficulty recognising emotional cues, such as facial expressions and maintaining eye contact. This can sometimes give the impression that a person with autism doesn’t want to talk or are rude.

Some people with autism don’t talk at all and have other means of communicating (such as communication passports or charts). Some people are very honest or abrupt. This isn’t intended to be rude but can cause confusion or tension where understanding is lacking.

What is a communication passport?

A communication passport helps us focus on people’s communication when they use actions to communicate a message, rather than or instead of words.

How can you help a person with autism who is having a meltdown?

If you see someone, child or adult, having what appears to be a tantrum (hands over their ears or eyes, erratic movements, making noises) they may be experiencing a meltdown. This is a response to stress in the environment around them. It can be difficult for people who aren’t trained in autism awareness to understand how to help. If possible, offer the person a quiet, private space and a glass of water.

What is challenging behaviour?

Challenging behaviour affects a person’s ability to join in everyday activities and leads to restrictions on a person’s life. Often their behaviour can lead to putting themselves or other people at risk, or cause distress.

Click here for more details on identifying and managing challenging behaviour.

What is person-centred support?

Person-centred support is a way of working with a person to find out what is important and meaningful to them. This support is created collaboratively by working with the person who needs support and their circle of support.

This is known as person-centred planning and ensures that we are focusing on their needs and wishes. It’s important that we review this support regularly to check and plan what is important to and for them, now and in the future.

What is a circle of support?

This is a person-centred planning tool that includes a group of people, who will support and help a person to say what they want and plan what they want to do. This can include family, friends, social care professionals.

What is a health facilitator?

A health facilitator helps doctors and other health professionals to identify patients with learning disabilities so they have full access to health care. They also make sure that individuals with learning disabilities have a personal Health Action Plan.

What is a Health Action Plan?

A health action plan includes all of the important information about a person’s health needs and how they can be met.

What is a best interest meeting?

This is a meeting that falls under the Mental Capacity Act, all acts and decisions must be in the person’s best interest. A person’s capacity (or lack of capacity) refers specifically to their capacity to make a particular decision at the time it needs to be made.

What is a Community Care Assessment?

A community care assessment is part of the NHS & Community Care Act 1990 and is used to find out what the needs of the individual are.

Do people with learning disabilities lead “normal” lives?

Although things have moved on a long way from the days of institutionalising people from childhood, grave inequality remains. People with learning disabilities are not treated equally in our society.

Very few people with learning disabilities have jobs, are married or have children. Often they live much shorter lives than their non-learning disabled counterparts. It’s important to give the people we help opportunities to be independent and pursue the things they love. People like Stuart. Dimensions offer support for people with all levels and complexities of learning disability to lead independent lives in their local community.

Many people with learning disabilities and autism do lead normal, fulfilling lives and do want to work and volunteer. If you are wanting to know more about job opportunities for people with learning disabilities you should contact a Disability Employment Advisor.

What is a Disability Employment Advisor?

Disability Employment Advisor (DEA), are based in JobCentre Plus, they offer information, advice and practical help to people with a disability looking for work and support in work.

What is Self Directed Support?

Self directed support is a way of organising social care, to ensure that all people can take as much control as possible of their lives and their support.

What does transition mean for people with learning disabilities?

The period between 14 –25 years of age, a term to describe the change from being a teenager to becoming an adult. A transition review meeting will need to take place. This will look at the transition plan and make any changes needed. This should start in Year 9 and happen every year the young person is at school.

Click here for more details on how we help young people transition after leaving school or college.

Need more information?

We’ve tried to include as much information as necessary, so you can have a breakdown of all the key terms and phrases around care. We have also created this handy printable document which contains more key information. Ask your locality manager for help if you come across anything that you do not understand.