Learning Aim A: P1,M1 and D1
Examine reasons why individuals may experience additional needs
P1 Explain diagnostic procedures to determine additional needs for one child and one adult
with different additional needs.
A.M1 Assess the requirements of one child and one adult with different additional needs.
A.D1 Evaluate the significance to the individuals, their families and society of a diagnosis of
additional needs.
The phrase "additional needs" refers to and denotes the requirement for "extra support or
services so that they can participate fully" in activities and daily life (Australian Department of
Health, 2010). A service user with an additional need often finds it more difficult to participate
,in social events or carry out everyday responsibilities like personal care because they have more
complex and specialised demands than service users without any additional needs. When it
comes to daily tasks like cooking or writing, service-users with additional needs often need
assistance because they find it more difficult to perform them because of their needs.
A learning disability was previously known as a mental handicap or intellectual disability,
however after more research and service-users showing their discomfort with the diagnosis of a
mental handicap, the name of the diagnosis was changed to a learning disability. A learning
disability is “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” (NHS, 2018). A service-user who is considered to have a learning
disability will typically have a poorer cognitive function and therefore have less ability to
understand, learn, and complete various activities that service-users without a learning
disability would not struggle with. Furthermore, learning disabilities will either be classified as
mild, moderate, severe or profound depending on the impact it has on an individual's life as
well as the support required by health and social care professionals.
A mild learning disability is defined as when an individual may be able to communicate their
needs, but may struggle to process or explain new information. Therefore, they may require
more time to fully understand complex ideas or may need information to be repeated multiple
times for them to be able to fully understand it. A service-user with a mild learning disability
may “usually able to hold a conversation, and communicate most of their needs and wishes”
(NHSGGC, 2019), they are often independent and will have basic skills to function in society,
however, due to the more minimal impact on their life, mild learning disabilities are likely to go
undiagnosed in individuals. Typically Dyslexia can be classed as a mild learning disability as it
has limited impact on an individual and allows them to remain largely independent, however
there can be severe cases of Dyslexia as all individuals may experience the condition in different
ways.
Service-users with a moderate learning disability are likely to have additional needs compared
to those without as they may have a larger struggle with language as well as understanding new
concepts. Individuals may “need some support with caring for themselves, but many will be able
to carry out day to day tasks with support” (NHSGGC, 2019) and therefore will be able to
maintain some of their independence in their daily life. They may have slightly limited verbal
communication and therefore may need support from health and social care to find an effective
way to communicate their needs. For example, Autism may be a moderate learning disability
for certain individuals, however, as it is a spectrum, service-users will experience different
symptoms and severities of Autism despite having the same diagnosis.
,Individuals with a severe learning disability will have a variety of additional needs and
subsequently will require more support from health and social care services to maintain their
health and wellbeing. They will need a “high level of support” (NHSGGC, 2019) to maintain their
daily life, however, may be able to maintain independence with regards to their personal care.
Service-users with severe learning disabilities may often struggle with areas other than their
intellectual development as they may have additional medical or mobility needs which must be
considered by health and social care professionals when working together. Severe learning
disabilities may include Down’s Syndrome as it can have both physical and mental symptoms
which would lead to an individual experiencing additional needs and requiring a higher level of
support due to their likely limited, or impaired, abilities.
Individuals often experience conditions differently and may often have different additional
needs that arise from their condition. For example, conditions such as Autism are often seen as
being on a spectrum and can therefore have various impacts on each individual as some
individuals may have difficulty getting a bus, however others may have no problem, despite
having the same condition and the same severity of disability. Due to many individuals
experiencing disabilities in different ways, they will therefore require personalised care to
ensure that all of their needs are met and they are able to continue engaging in activities and
remain as independent as possible. Furthermore, one type of learning disability is not typically
generalised and therefore classed by its severity due to each individual experiencing the
disability in different ways and therefore having a varying level of severity due to their personal
experience.
A diagnosis can be defined as “a judgment about what a particular illness or problem is, made
after examining it” (Cambridge Dictionary, 2019) and is typically based on the results of a
diagnostic assessment which aims to highlight and identify any problems or symptoms
experienced by an individual. Symptoms are any subjective evidence of disease which are used
to identify and diagnose conditions to ensure that service-users can receive adequate
treatment to promote their health and wellbeing. During a diagnostic assessment, an individual
concerns will be identified, their medical history and current living conditions may be assessed
and they will often received either a mental or physical examination to determine the nature of
a condition. Diagnostic procedures help to determine what type of illness/disability a service-
user may be experiencing and are created to summarise all areas of health to ensure a holistic
approach is provided and all possible causes are explored. After a service-user has experienced
a diagnostic assessment, a healthcare professional will come to a conclusion with regards to
their health and will be able to identify any of their additional support needs that must be met.
Many different disabilities will have a slightly differing diagnostic assessment procedure that is
specifically tested to highlight any problems with regards to a certain condition such as
Dyslexia.
, If an individual is believed to have Dyslexia, an assessment will be arranged with a qualified
specialist teacher who has an Assessment Practice Certificate that allows them to formally
identify and diagnose Dyslexia. During the assessment, an individual's “literacy and numeracy,
as well as memory and processing skills,” (Pearson, 2019) will be assessed to identify if there is
an additional need and if there is, in which area it has the most effect. As Dyslexia can have a
wide range of symptoms depending on the individual, often further tests with be ordered to
determine the level of additional support required by an individual and how services should
best provide that support. Furthermore, specialists may often become involved to help identify
strategies that can be put in place to best support individuals and therefore allow them to feel
confident and secure with their professional support.
However, a diagnostic procedure testing for Dyslexia may not identify Dyslexia as the cause of
symptoms but may identify that a problem has child with their vision or hearing which will
enable them to get the required support and adaptations such as a hearing aid or glasses,
which would reduce their symptoms. When an individual is diagnosed with Dyslexia, there are
no levels of severity that they are diagnosed with and instead all cases of Dyslexia are put into
the same category. There are no cures for Dyslexia but it can be managed. And in order to help
individuals manage their Dyslexia, health and social care professionals will support them to
read and write in a way that meets their needs. Causes of Dyslexia are unknown, however it is
hereditary which suggests that there is a genetic marker for the disorder that is passed on
between generations. As with most learning disabilities, there are a range of severities which
can also be dependent on how quickly it is diagnosed. To be able to diagnose health conditions,
professionals like an educational psychologist and or a certified assessor are required to have
different qualifications and credentials for each condition as each diagnosis will require
different skills which can be obtained by taking on further studies, such as a Postgraduate
Diploma in Learning Disabilities to diagnose Dyslexia.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is commonly identified by parents or teachers
due to the behaviours being easier to identify over long periods of time spent with an
individual. “A Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL/6-18) is used to confirm diagnosis” (Pearson,
2016) by a Doctor or Psychologists with either a relevant Medicine or Psychology degree, when
an individual has displayed symptoms over a long period of time and the condition is suspected
by professionals or the individuals family. For a Psychologist, they would need a degree in
clinical psychology in order to make a diagnosis. When a child between the ages of 6 and 18 is
undergoing a diagnostic assessment, a marking scheme is used to rate and plot the child’s
behaviour over a certain period of time; this information contributes to the decision made by
specialists as to whether or not an individual has ADHD.
Examine reasons why individuals may experience additional needs
P1 Explain diagnostic procedures to determine additional needs for one child and one adult
with different additional needs.
A.M1 Assess the requirements of one child and one adult with different additional needs.
A.D1 Evaluate the significance to the individuals, their families and society of a diagnosis of
additional needs.
The phrase "additional needs" refers to and denotes the requirement for "extra support or
services so that they can participate fully" in activities and daily life (Australian Department of
Health, 2010). A service user with an additional need often finds it more difficult to participate
,in social events or carry out everyday responsibilities like personal care because they have more
complex and specialised demands than service users without any additional needs. When it
comes to daily tasks like cooking or writing, service-users with additional needs often need
assistance because they find it more difficult to perform them because of their needs.
A learning disability was previously known as a mental handicap or intellectual disability,
however after more research and service-users showing their discomfort with the diagnosis of a
mental handicap, the name of the diagnosis was changed to a learning disability. A learning
disability is “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” (NHS, 2018). A service-user who is considered to have a learning
disability will typically have a poorer cognitive function and therefore have less ability to
understand, learn, and complete various activities that service-users without a learning
disability would not struggle with. Furthermore, learning disabilities will either be classified as
mild, moderate, severe or profound depending on the impact it has on an individual's life as
well as the support required by health and social care professionals.
A mild learning disability is defined as when an individual may be able to communicate their
needs, but may struggle to process or explain new information. Therefore, they may require
more time to fully understand complex ideas or may need information to be repeated multiple
times for them to be able to fully understand it. A service-user with a mild learning disability
may “usually able to hold a conversation, and communicate most of their needs and wishes”
(NHSGGC, 2019), they are often independent and will have basic skills to function in society,
however, due to the more minimal impact on their life, mild learning disabilities are likely to go
undiagnosed in individuals. Typically Dyslexia can be classed as a mild learning disability as it
has limited impact on an individual and allows them to remain largely independent, however
there can be severe cases of Dyslexia as all individuals may experience the condition in different
ways.
Service-users with a moderate learning disability are likely to have additional needs compared
to those without as they may have a larger struggle with language as well as understanding new
concepts. Individuals may “need some support with caring for themselves, but many will be able
to carry out day to day tasks with support” (NHSGGC, 2019) and therefore will be able to
maintain some of their independence in their daily life. They may have slightly limited verbal
communication and therefore may need support from health and social care to find an effective
way to communicate their needs. For example, Autism may be a moderate learning disability
for certain individuals, however, as it is a spectrum, service-users will experience different
symptoms and severities of Autism despite having the same diagnosis.
,Individuals with a severe learning disability will have a variety of additional needs and
subsequently will require more support from health and social care services to maintain their
health and wellbeing. They will need a “high level of support” (NHSGGC, 2019) to maintain their
daily life, however, may be able to maintain independence with regards to their personal care.
Service-users with severe learning disabilities may often struggle with areas other than their
intellectual development as they may have additional medical or mobility needs which must be
considered by health and social care professionals when working together. Severe learning
disabilities may include Down’s Syndrome as it can have both physical and mental symptoms
which would lead to an individual experiencing additional needs and requiring a higher level of
support due to their likely limited, or impaired, abilities.
Individuals often experience conditions differently and may often have different additional
needs that arise from their condition. For example, conditions such as Autism are often seen as
being on a spectrum and can therefore have various impacts on each individual as some
individuals may have difficulty getting a bus, however others may have no problem, despite
having the same condition and the same severity of disability. Due to many individuals
experiencing disabilities in different ways, they will therefore require personalised care to
ensure that all of their needs are met and they are able to continue engaging in activities and
remain as independent as possible. Furthermore, one type of learning disability is not typically
generalised and therefore classed by its severity due to each individual experiencing the
disability in different ways and therefore having a varying level of severity due to their personal
experience.
A diagnosis can be defined as “a judgment about what a particular illness or problem is, made
after examining it” (Cambridge Dictionary, 2019) and is typically based on the results of a
diagnostic assessment which aims to highlight and identify any problems or symptoms
experienced by an individual. Symptoms are any subjective evidence of disease which are used
to identify and diagnose conditions to ensure that service-users can receive adequate
treatment to promote their health and wellbeing. During a diagnostic assessment, an individual
concerns will be identified, their medical history and current living conditions may be assessed
and they will often received either a mental or physical examination to determine the nature of
a condition. Diagnostic procedures help to determine what type of illness/disability a service-
user may be experiencing and are created to summarise all areas of health to ensure a holistic
approach is provided and all possible causes are explored. After a service-user has experienced
a diagnostic assessment, a healthcare professional will come to a conclusion with regards to
their health and will be able to identify any of their additional support needs that must be met.
Many different disabilities will have a slightly differing diagnostic assessment procedure that is
specifically tested to highlight any problems with regards to a certain condition such as
Dyslexia.
, If an individual is believed to have Dyslexia, an assessment will be arranged with a qualified
specialist teacher who has an Assessment Practice Certificate that allows them to formally
identify and diagnose Dyslexia. During the assessment, an individual's “literacy and numeracy,
as well as memory and processing skills,” (Pearson, 2019) will be assessed to identify if there is
an additional need and if there is, in which area it has the most effect. As Dyslexia can have a
wide range of symptoms depending on the individual, often further tests with be ordered to
determine the level of additional support required by an individual and how services should
best provide that support. Furthermore, specialists may often become involved to help identify
strategies that can be put in place to best support individuals and therefore allow them to feel
confident and secure with their professional support.
However, a diagnostic procedure testing for Dyslexia may not identify Dyslexia as the cause of
symptoms but may identify that a problem has child with their vision or hearing which will
enable them to get the required support and adaptations such as a hearing aid or glasses,
which would reduce their symptoms. When an individual is diagnosed with Dyslexia, there are
no levels of severity that they are diagnosed with and instead all cases of Dyslexia are put into
the same category. There are no cures for Dyslexia but it can be managed. And in order to help
individuals manage their Dyslexia, health and social care professionals will support them to
read and write in a way that meets their needs. Causes of Dyslexia are unknown, however it is
hereditary which suggests that there is a genetic marker for the disorder that is passed on
between generations. As with most learning disabilities, there are a range of severities which
can also be dependent on how quickly it is diagnosed. To be able to diagnose health conditions,
professionals like an educational psychologist and or a certified assessor are required to have
different qualifications and credentials for each condition as each diagnosis will require
different skills which can be obtained by taking on further studies, such as a Postgraduate
Diploma in Learning Disabilities to diagnose Dyslexia.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is commonly identified by parents or teachers
due to the behaviours being easier to identify over long periods of time spent with an
individual. “A Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL/6-18) is used to confirm diagnosis” (Pearson,
2016) by a Doctor or Psychologists with either a relevant Medicine or Psychology degree, when
an individual has displayed symptoms over a long period of time and the condition is suspected
by professionals or the individuals family. For a Psychologist, they would need a degree in
clinical psychology in order to make a diagnosis. When a child between the ages of 6 and 18 is
undergoing a diagnostic assessment, a marking scheme is used to rate and plot the child’s
behaviour over a certain period of time; this information contributes to the decision made by
specialists as to whether or not an individual has ADHD.
