Summary
Contents
This book is a quick and accessible reference guide to the key concepts that social work students and professionals need to understand to be effective. The authors place practice at the center of the text, and include a host of case examples to bring the concepts to life.
Examining the essential topics of the social work curriculum, the concepts covered relate to practice, theory, policy and personal challenges. Further reading is included in each entry, so that the reader can explore what they have learned in more detail.
This book will be an invaluable resource for social work students during their studies and on their practice placement. It will also be useful for qualified social workers, who want to continue their professional education.
Learning Disability
Learning Disability
Definition
Learning disability (LD) is the term used in many UK services to describe a condition recognised by the World Health Organization (WHO) as – intellectual disability. The WHO's International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) formerly known as ICD-10 defines intellectual disability as:
… a significantly reduced ability to understand new or complex information and to learn and apply new skills (impaired intelligence). This results in a reduced ability to cope independently (impaired social functioning), and begins before adulthood, with a lasting effect on development. (WHO 2011)
In the UK, the Department of Health used the same definition in the White Paper, Valuing People (VP) (2001). Learning disability is typically measured in the first instance by testing the individual's intelligence quotient (IQ). The ...