A person with a learning disability might experience problems carrying out activities of daily living. Perhaps they have difficulty remembering important tasks they need to do each day such as brushing their teeth, keeping themselves clean, attending appointments or paying their bills.
Often, someone with a learning disability can also present additional challenges such as physical, sensory or mental health problems. Difficulties with mobility can mean a person may struggle with simple tasks such as transferring to and from seating, walking safely between rooms or going up and downstairs. Perhaps someone may have a specific condition such as Cerebral Palsy which is a condition affecting movement and co-ordination. It may be that the person has difficulty using one or both hands which could lead them to struggle with day to day occupations such as lifting or holding objects or even being able to dress easily.
A person experiencing mental health problems may lack the motivation to participate in activities which can be detrimental to their health and wellbeing. Poor mental health can often mean someone experiences problems with social interaction, sleeping, diet or maintaining a healthy balanced lifestyle.
Sensory processing is not a term which is commonplace to many people. However, it is common for individuals with a learning disability to experience difficulties in their ability to process sensory information from the world around them that most people take for granted. The 5 senses you probably know are:
- sight
- taste (gustatory)
- smell (olfactory)
- hearing (auditory)
- touch (tactile)
However, there are 2 more unfamiliar senses ~ proprioception (using our muscles to understand where our body is in space) and vestibular (the sense of how the body moves against gravity). A person who has difficulties with their sensory processing may find some activities of daily living challenging.
