The Specialist Service for Children with Learning Disabilities (SSCLD) works with children and young people with moderate, severe and profound learning disabilities.
Valuing People (DOH) defines ‘learning disability’ to include the presence of:
- A significantly reduced ability to understand new or complex information, to learn new skills (impaired intelligence), with;
- A reduced ability to cope independently (impaired social functioning);
- Which started before adulthood, with a lasting effect on development.
Moderate, severe and profound learning disability is defined by the World Health Organisation as an IQ of 50 or less. It is important to acknowledge, however, that IQ describes only one aspect of a child or young person and does not ‘capture’ the whole child.
A child also falls roughly into the Moderate Learning Disability category if they are achieving at below half of the expectations for their chronological age.
End of Year 2 (aged 6/7 years)
- Level 2 – in line with national average
- Level 1 – below expectation
End of Year 6 (aged 10/11years)
- Level 4 – in line with national average
- Level 3 – below expectation
End of Year 9 (aged 13/14 years)
- Level 5/6 – in line with national average
- Level 4 – below expectation
Example: If a child is 12 but is functioning below the age of 6 (achieving below level 2) we would consider this child to fall into the Moderate Learning Disability category.
Children with mild learning disability should in the first instance be referred to the CAMHS team.