Learning Disabilities and Autism Research Group

About the Learning Disabilities and Autism Research Group

We are a network of academics and clinicians with a common interest in supporting academic work linked to improving care for people with learning disabilities and or autism.

Recent success includes the collaborative partnership which has taken over the National Learning Disability and Autism Programme (LeDeR) to reduce health inequalities and premature mortality amongst people with a learning disabilities and autistic people.

Further collaboration has led to a project exploring health inequality for people with learning disability from minority ethnic population groups https://www.uclan.ac.uk/research/activity/ethnicity-and-difference-in-he...

Dr Amy Russell was the key note speaker at the at the 50th Annual Scientific Conference at UCLan. She presented her work on 'How to do things differently' for the care of people with learning disability https://sapc.ac.uk/profile/dr-amy-m-russell-0.

Members of the SIG have distinct expertise in the specific needs of people with Learning Disabilities, the primary care context in which most care is delivered, and the methodological challenges of driving improvement in Learning Disability care through excellence in research.

Previous reports include an evaluation of the impact of the introduction of an NHS initiative to improve care for people with LD (the LD DES), led by Professor Chauhan

The group has also supported the development of national audit standards for learning disabilities.

The Annual 2021 LeDeR report into the avoidable deaths of people with learning disabilities can be accessed here https://www.kcl.ac.uk/news/2021-leder-report-into-the-avoidable-deaths-o....

Join us

The group meets annually at the SAPC national Conference, and through electronic contact through the year. To find out more, and to join the group please contact the SIG lead,  Professor Umesh Chauhan.