Children with Learning Disabilities; Emotional Well Being and Mental Health

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Children with Learning Disabilities Emotional
Well Being and Mental Health Barbara McIntosh
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BOND Children with learning disabilities

• Children with learning disabilities are the most
  common group to receive an SEN statement.
• 1 in 5 children with learning disabilities have a
  mental health problem 6 times the incidence
  compared to children without a learning
  disability (Emerson and Hatton).
• This group are less likely to have access to
  support and specialist services.
• Children with learning disabilities were
  prioritised in Staffordshire (one of the BOND
  sites) which resulted in the production of a
  pack of resources on learning disability and
  mental health issues

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Mental health and learning disabilities The
facts

• Children with learning disabilities are
• 33 times more likely to have autism.
• 8 times more likely to have ADHD.
• 6 times more likely to have conduct disorders.
• 4 times more likely to have emotional disorders.
• 1.7 times more likely to have depression.
• (The Mental Health of Children and Adolescents
  with Learning Disabilities in Britain Emerson
  and Hatton 2007)

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Why do children with learning disabilities have a
high incidence of mental health problems?

• An intellectual disability reduces a childs
  capacity for finding creative and adaptive
  solutions to lifes challenges, which can make
  them vulnerable to developing mental health
  problems.
• A link has been shown to exist between lower
  cognitive ability and vulnerability to mental
  health problems.
• Children with learning disabilities are at risk
  of poverty and social disadvantage, and poor
  social conditions are linked to an increased risk
  of mental health issues.
• The prevalence rate of mental health problems
  (particularly anxiety and depression) for
  children on the autistic spectrum is 68. This
  may be caused by genetic predisposition.
• (National Autistic Society You Need to Know
  Report)

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School Challenges faced by children with
learning disabilities, their families and teachers

• Those with mild learning disabilities have high
  levels of school exclusion.
• Consequences of exclusion include disruption to
  the child, school and family, and the cost of
  permanent exclusion to the public purse is
  approximately 65,000.
• Over half of children with learning disabilities
  and autism have been bullied.
• 74 of children with an SEN statement find lunch
  and break times frightening.
• 60 of teachers feel they need more training to
  teach children with learning disabilities (School
  Report 2013 and Ambitious About Autism).

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Sources of help Where do parents turn to for
support with their childs mental health problems?

• As a first source of help, parents turn to a
  range of professionals for support.
• The following percentages show the most popular
  sources
• Teachers - 42
• Special Education Personnel 19
• CAMHS 17
• G.P. / primary care 16
• Paediatricians 15
• (The Mental Health of Children and Adolescents
  with Learning Disabilities in Britain 2007)

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BOND resources

• BOND, with the help of Staffordshire primary and
  secondary school staff, is producing an
  information pack which includes a range of tools
  to support staff development across the statutory
  and voluntary sectors.
• The pack includes a general introduction to
  mental health, in addition to
• Mental Health First Aid resource for those with
  learning disabilities.
• Outline for a whole school approach to auditing.
• NASS online resource / training programme for
  staff.
• The Friends for Life Resilience programme,
  adapted for children with learning disabilities.
• Resilience Framework and Boing Boing.
• Person Centred Planning Pack.
• Information from the Child Bereavement Trust,
  Relate.

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What is FRIENDS for Life?
FRIENDS for Life is an evidence based programme
that teaches children and young people techniques
to cope with anxiety and promotes resilience and
well-being. It uses a cognitive behavioural
therapy (CBT) framework incorporating attachment,
mindfulness and health behaviours in school-based
groups.
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How FRIENDS for Life works

• It enables children to learn to
• Identify anxiety increasing thoughts and to
  replace them with more helpful thoughts.
• Identify anxiety and other difficult feelings and
  learn to manage them.
• Overcome problems rather than avoid them.

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FRIENDS for Life Mnemonic
The programme builds skills using the FRIENDS
mnemonic
F. Feelings R. Remember to relax I. I can do
it. I can try my best. E. Explore solutions and
coping step plans. N. Now reward yourself.
Youve done your best. D. Do practise. S.
Smile, stay calm, talk to your support networks.
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FRIENDS for Life Programme Plan

• Introduction to feelings
• Introduction to body cues and relaxation
• Helpful (green) unhelpful (red) thoughts
• Changing unhelpful thoughts into helpful thoughts
• Introduction to coping steps plan
• Learning from role models and building support
  teams
• Using a problem solving plan
• Using FRIENDS skills to help ourselves and others
• Review and party

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What happens next

• We are in the process of preparing information to
  update our project page on the website, and are
  writing guidance for others on how to adapt the
  programme for children with learning
  disabilities. http//www.learningdisabilities.org.
  uk/our-work/health-well- being/friends-for-lif
  e/
• We are seeking funds for a proper feasibility
  study and are finalising a funding application to
  the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR)
  for the following pilot study.