Learning Disability affects people in different ways. The development of the brain is affected either before birth, during birth or in the early stages of childhood. This normally affects people by reduced intellectual ability, and they have difficulty with every day activities.

Over 1.5 million people in the UK have a Learning Disability. People can be diagnosed with mild, moderate, or severe Learning Disability. This is diagnosed by the person’s IQ.

Some disabilities can be diagnosed at birth, such as Downs Syndrome, but often Learning Disabilities go unrecognised until the child is older and at the stages of walking and talking, or at school. It may be recognised that a child has difficulty learning basic skills. Someone with a Learning Disability’s brain will process information differently, and there is a lower ability than expected to achieve academically.

This can be frustrating for people, as there is no cure for a Learning Disability; however there are programs available to help the person cope with their Learning Disability. Besides impacting on education, there can also be an impact on work, social activities and relationships.

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Dumfries and Galloway Advocacy Service promote the right for anyone to be heard. This includes people with Learning Disabilities. A person who has a Learning Disability may be able to express their views, but wish for an Advocate to support them. A client with a Learning Disability may not be able to express their wishes verbally, and would then require an Advocate to act on their behalf and work with the client to promote their best interests. This is known as non-instructed Advocacy.