Services provided by the Ministries of Health towards meeting the needs of persons with different LD
- Ivy Ching Ying Chong
- Dec 6, 2019
- 3 min read
A learning disorder is "a substantially reduced ability to understand new and nuanced knowledge, to acquire new skills (intelligence impairment) and lead to the socially functioning problem. Thus, special services are needed for them to meet their needs.
Q1, What are the common health problems among individuals with LD?
Health problem of an individual with LD
People with learning disabilities will have difficulties with information retrieval, time measurement, conceptualization, self-care and related tasks necessary to maintain functional skills. Commonly, the boy has a higher risk to have a learning disability compared to a girl. With some reason, many of them have no health checks every year, as a result, they have a higher risk of exposure to a number of diseases.
The common health issues that suffered by the people with learning disabilities are:
overweight or obesity: Children and adults with handicaps are less likely than children and adults without handicaps to be healthy and more likely to be overweight. Children and adults with learning disabilities are less healthier than children and adults without learning disabilities due to fewer activities.
Diabetes: the higher rate of diabetes due to a greater incidence of obesity, less activity and poorer diet
Epilepsy respiratory disease: based on the severity of the disability
Sensory problem: some people with learning disabilities have difficulties seeing and a similar proportion has problems hearing
Heart disease: also called cardiovascular disease. People with Down Syndrome have a high risk of the ventricular septal defect ( hole in the wall separating 2 lower chambers of the heart) and atrial septal defect (hole between the upper filling chamber of the heart).
Mental health problem: Due to social isolation, family or social pressure.
Injury: including unintentional injury, homicide and suicide.
Q2, How to detect LD?
Detection of Learning Disabilities
Most children often find it difficult to read, write or perform their learning activities. However, this does not mean that they have learning disabilities. A child with learning disabilities often has many similar signs and over time they do not go away or improve. Moreover, individuals differ in symptoms of learning disabilities.
Awareness of the warning signs for learning disabilities and early childhood support can be important for the life of a child. The earlier a learning disability is detected, the better chance a child will have of succeeding in school and in life, thus families are advised to know the warning signs of and learning disability from pre-school times. In order to understand children whether have learning disabilities, parents and teachers should carefully observe, exam or history taking. The most common symptoms of learning disability are having language and reading problems.
Besides that, they are also other early warning signs
Picture from LD Online. (n.d.). Early warning signs of learning disabilities. Retrieved from http://www.ldonline.org/article/226/
The are several assessment tools for detecting learning disability.
Under 7 card, a booklet that record history-birth and development
School report, report on the degree of school performance
Behaviour assessment: using Stress and depression tools
Physical examination
General examination: check whether have abnormal features
Vision test: by using the Snellen chart, Gardner Sheridan chart
Hearing test: by an audiometer
Q3, What are the services provided by the health department?
Services
In Malaysia, there are developmental, behavioural screening and assessment in Health department to identify early developmental impairment, cerebral palsy, mental disability, hearing impairment, vision impairment, Autism, ADHD, mental health problems, and other problems.
Moreover, there also has a Quality Assurance Program for primary one student as early detection. For example, the Ministry of Health (MOH) responsible to screen every child on visits as well as parents and other professionals’ request (referrals). Then provide suitable treatment or rehabilitation for them.
Beside that. MOH helps the Ministry of Education (MOE) to recognize a child with special needs. The Ministry of Education would be advised on the appropriate service for the child. MOH provides advice on its role in special needs programs as part of an interdisciplinary team. Finally, referral of them or placement of special need child in a preschool, NGO or any level of education (Amar-Singh HSS, 2013).
Reference
Mencap. (n.d.). Commonly associated health conditions. Retrieved from https://www.mencap.org.uk/learning-disability-explained/research-and-statistics/commonly-associated-health-conditions
Intellectual Disability and Health. (n.d.). The health needs of people with learning disabilities: issues and solutions. Retrieved from http://www.intellectualdisability.info/how-to-guides/articles/the-health-needs-of-people-with-learning-disabilities-issues-and-solutions
Amar-Singh HSS. (2013). Screening & Diagnosing Learning Disabilities Screening & Diagnosing Learning Disabilities. SUHAKAM.
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