Introduction
Around 1.5 million people in the UK have a learning disability. A learning disability happens when a person’s brain development is affected, either before they are born, during their birth or in early childhood. It means that people may need more support to:
- understand new or complex information,
- learn new skills, and
- cope with daily life
Different people will face different challenges. Some people can talk easily and look after themselves but take a bit longer than usual to learn new skills, others may need significant adjustments and support to communicate and fulfill their basic needs. They may also face additional challenges such as cerebral palsy, epilepsy and autism.
Sources of support
Beginning with GPs, support from other professionals, such as paediatricians, speech and language therapists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, social workers and educational and clinical psychologists is available to help people with learning disabilities live as full and independent a life as possible.
How can I get help
Further information regarding help available can be obtained from our Learning Disabilities section of the website.
More Information
For more information about learning disabilities please visit
