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This week is Learning Disabilities Week.
It is held every year during the third week of June, and in 2024 it will take place from June 17th to 23rd.
The event, organised by the charity Mencap, is an opportunity to raise awareness of different learning disabilities, show what life is like for people with a learning disability and celebrate what people with a learning disability bring to society.
This year’s theme is “Can you see me?”
It’s about challenging some of the barriers faced by people with learning disabilities.
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What is a learning disability?
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Image captioning, people with learning disabilities may need extra support with certain activities
Mencap said a learning disability is a reduction in intellectual ability that can cause difficulties with everyday activities such as housework, reading, socialising, work or school activities and communication, with lifelong implications.
People with learning disabilities may need extra support to learn new skills, understand complex information and interact with others.
Having a learning disability does not mean you cannot live a happy, fulfilling or successful life.
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Not all learning disabilities are the same and this will affect the level of support that someone with a learning disability will need.
Some learning disabilities may be mild and require minimal help to do certain things.
Others have moderate or severe learning disabilities. People with severe learning disabilities may require full-time carers and help with all aspects of their lives. They may also have physical disabilities.
Although people with Down’s syndrome usually have some degree of learning difficulty, it is important to remember that it is not a learning disability in itself.
What is not a learning disability?
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Image caption: Learning disabilities are not the same as learning difficulties
Mencap said the term “learning disability” was often confused with “learning difficulty”, but the two were in fact different.
Unlike learning disabilities, learning difficulties do not affect a person’s general intelligence.
People with learning disabilities may face barriers or problems processing certain types of information because of the way their brains work.
For example, someone with dyslexia has the ability to understand words and their meaning, but a learning disability makes it difficult for them to process words fluently, which can affect their ability to read, write and spell.
Other examples of learning disabilities include:
Dyspraxia – This affects a person’s movement and coordination. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) – This affects a person’s behavior and ability to concentrate and maintain attention. Dysgraphia – This affects a person’s ability to write.
An individual may have one or more learning difficulties and, as with any learning disability, the severity will vary from person to person.
It is possible to have both a learning disability and a learning difficulty at the same time.
What is it like living with a learning disability?
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Image caption: George won the 2022 BAFTA Children’s and Young People’s Film Award
TV presenter George Webster has a learning disability but he has never let it stop him from achieving his goals.
He is the first CBeebies presenter with Down’s Syndrome and is also an ambassador for Mencap.
George faced some challenges in secondary school because of his learning disability but received a lot of support.
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Image caption: George is the first CBeebies presenter with Down’s Syndrome
“I needed extra support with my lessons and exams,” he told BBC Bitesize.
“I found it difficult to answer the questions in the exam as I did not have time to write them down. So I asked my SENCO (Special Educational Needs Coordinator) for help and he gave me extra time to complete the exam, which helped me overcome this challenge.”
“What helped me overcome my challenges was my peers and the wonderful staff.”
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