Welcome to the 'Essentials of Learning Disability' learning pathways resource. Our goal is for this to be a comprehensive resource for health and social care professionals, as well as anyone who has contact with people with learning disabilities. The resource aims to establish a strong foundation for understanding the needs and experiences of people with learning disabilities by offering a series of short e-learning modules that cover a wide range of topics.
We are pleased to share the first phase of these modules, which includes 18 topics. Each module should take between 30 and 45 minutes to complete, and learners can combine modules into tailored groups to meet individual and team learning needs. You must be logged into Turas Learn to access the modules.
The modules cover societal perceptions, stigma, and health inequalities, as well as insights into communication, health conditions, and person-centred planning. They focus on person-centred and strength-based approaches to help individuals facing challenges such as transitions, relationships, and psychological well-being as they grow up and grow older. The map below shows the modules within each topic - click on the topic button to access the modules.
This resource is especially helpful for those who are new to this area and early career practitioners. Its ultimate goal is to improve the quality of life of people with learning disabilities and promote their inclusion in society.
We plan to continue to develop new modules for this resource, in collaboration with colleagues who have learning disabilities and our wider partners.
Creating Essentials of Learning Disability would not have been possible without the collaboration of our valued partners. Thank you to everyone who provided support, critical readership, and advice on content development. The full list of collaborators can be found in the Acknowledgements for Essentials of Learning Disability.
Essentials of Learning Disability was officially launched on 9th May 2024 during Learning Disability Week. The event included an introduction from MSP Maree Todd (Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport), the Include for Good Rapporteurs talking about the importance of understanding learning disability, and a brief overview of the resource from the NES team. A recording of the event is available below.