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Original poster

OK folks can someone clear this up for me please

37 replies

2shoes · 03/12/2009 21:45

I had dd's respite review this week
the delightful SW was there.
and the lady who runs the respite bit.
well I was reading the form from the last meeting and notice it said that dd has a learning disabilty......
so I said to SW " dd does not have a LD"
respite lady who has known dd for yonks said"no she doesn't"
between us we then explained to sw that although dd is delayed that is because of her CP and not because she has a LD.
SW then said "well what does her pead say"
I bit my tounge and just said " I say she hasn't got a LD"

so that was the end of it.

dd is 14 and has severe cp but I have never been told that she has a LD.
surely just the DX of CP is all the SW needed.
confused person here

OP posts:
glittery · 03/12/2009 21:53

agree its not nice having that extra tag if you dont believe its correct but if SW thinks it is will it get you any more help?

ds has a major communication difficulty in that he cant speak but is cognitively very able but people who dont know him would assume he has a LD

2ChildrenPlusLA · 03/12/2009 21:58

You know what, I struggle with this too and ds has autism.

I don't see it as a LD, I see it as his autism, but his autism causes him to be behind his peers at some things.

BUT, it would appear that he can't get a statement unless he has a LD, so I just think - whatever - he can have whatever labels he needs to get help.

Original poster
2shoes · 03/12/2009 22:03

see that is the thing, she has CP so she has a DBX and cos she is so affected having another label is silly iynwim.
also imo it might actually cause problems rather than help. the SW is very for her moving to a local college when she is 16(although her school have thier own) and I can;'t help thinking this is all part of her master plan.
at dd's school she is one of the more able. and none of her peers are classed as LD
you can see why I am confuddled

OP posts:
glittery · 03/12/2009 22:05

ah right see what you mean, is the local college cheaper by any chance?

Original poster
2shoes · 03/12/2009 22:08

of course.
dd goes to a private school........

OP posts:
donkeyderby · 03/12/2009 22:17

Will the SW contact the paed? Who will give the definitive answer as to whether she has LD (apart from you of course)? If the paed says she has, can you get them to prove it?

silverfrog · 03/12/2009 22:20

I 've just had this discussion with our LEA too.

We are in statementing process (dd1 is 5), and her proposed statement cam eback with: Dx of autism; other needs: LD.

so along with all our other amendements, I changed that bit to "LD due to autism". Hasn't got rid entirely, but like 2children, I think most of dd1's issues are down to autism. she seems cognitvely capable enough behind that. what is holding her back are her compulsions and behaviours, couple with her langugae delay. that does not add up to LD to me.

Original poster
2shoes · 03/12/2009 22:24

thant makes sense.
I usualy say she is delayed due to the cp, somehow thats eems to sum her up better iynwim

DD as you know I distrust my SW, so I wouldn't give her permision to talk to my dog(if I had one) also we don't have a pead.

OP posts:
Original poster
2shoes · 03/12/2009 22:48

just to prove my SW is a WOS
just opened an email from her.
we have had to re do the maeeting as the woman who who should hav erun it wasn't there(car crash)
so SW has made it on the first day back after xmas hols......when dd is booked in for respte!!!!!!
I have said no#
this should be fun

OP posts:
sarah293 · 04/12/2009 08:01

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BriocheDoree · 04/12/2009 08:26

I'd be pissed off if it was me. I always thought that CP tended to mean physical impairments but normal intelligence, but maybe that's just based on the few people I've known rather than what's actually the case. Seems Riven has a good point.

sarah293 · 04/12/2009 08:35

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2ChildrenPlusLA · 04/12/2009 08:59

Never could work out the difference between learning difficulty and learning disability?

Is the difference to do with whether you get DLA or not?

Does that mean that my ds with autism has a Learning Difficulty? That makes a bit more sense i.e. he has some difficulty learning some things because of his disabililty.

But on the other hand he is way advanced of his peers in all things academic, but hasn't got a clue what is going on most of the time.

MumOfThreeMonkeys · 04/12/2009 09:04

whats the difference in "learning disability" and "learning difficulty"? dd has asd and severe learning difficulty- so u would think i would know

sarah293 · 04/12/2009 09:05

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MumOfThreeMonkeys · 04/12/2009 09:11

thanx riven- the complicated world of special needs

Original poster
2shoes · 04/12/2009 09:13

riven you sum it up well,
dd understands everything and hopefully when she gets her vocca her communication will be better.

OP posts:
borderslass · 04/12/2009 09:14

son was assessed as having learning disabilty after doing an iq test earlier this year he'd always been down as learning difficulties ha will now have access to all services when he goes to adult team next year [scary thought]

MumOfThreeMonkeys · 04/12/2009 09:25

i actually thought that "learning difficulty" was the new term for "learning disability"

2ChildrenPlusLA · 04/12/2009 10:07

Thanks Riven, but it doesn't really make it any clearer for me.

Most learning difficulties with ASD can maybe overcome with an incredible amount of input, and probably far too much for anyone to fund, but ASD is a disability and will always affect learning.

so, - I'm still confused.

Is it any more clearer if a learning difficulty is caused by having lost sight? i.e. there is no learning disability, but in order to learn the child needs support....

but, - then that's the same with ASD. Oh!

My head hurts!

cyberseraphim · 04/12/2009 10:14

"In the UK, "mental handicap" had become the common medical term, replacing "mental subnormality" in Scotland and "mental deficiency" in England and Wales, until Stephen Dorrell, Secretary of State for Health for the United Kingdom from 1995-7, changed the NHS's designation to "learning disability." The new term is not yet widely understood, and is often taken to refer to problems affecting schoolwork (the American usage), which are known in the UK as "learning difficulties." British social workers may use "learning difficulty" to refer to both people with MR and those with conditions such as dyslexia.
"

I know Wikipedia has fallen out favour due to inaccuracies and other issues but I think this explains the background and the confusion ! Also explains that British social workers may have any and all of the above conditions !!

MumOfThreeMonkeys · 04/12/2009 13:36

confusion !!!

hamsterlover · 04/12/2009 14:25

I am a childrens disability social worker (should I even be admitting to this...)If a child has a diagnosis of Learning Disability then I use the term Learning Disability. If they don't but their impairment means that it is more difficult to learn, then I use the term learning difficulty. so, a diagnosis of cerebral palsy with associated learning difficulties would be the description that I would use. Also the same for autism without LD - a diagnosis of autism with associated Learning difficulty. Hope that helps.

MumOfThreeMonkeys · 04/12/2009 17:36

so what is classed as a learning disability?

sarah293 · 04/12/2009 17:45

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