Disability

A learning disability affects someone’s ability to learn, understand or communicate. There are different types of learning disability, from small problems through to a severe disability that may affect someone’s whole life.

Some conditions can cause learning disabilities such as:
• Cerebral palsy
• Epilepsy
• Autism
• Asperger’s syndrome

Visit the Mencap website for more information about these conditions and how they affect learning.

If you know that you have a learning disability then it’s important that your school and your teachers also know about it.  They can help you find ways of coping and also support you in your school work.  This may be giving you extra tuition or more time to complete work. They can also find ways for you to use your strengths and things that you are good at to help you in your work and learning.

It’s also really important that you have support and help at home.  It’s good if you can talk openly with your parents or carer about your difficulties and so they can help you too.  You may find your needs change as time goes on, so being able to talk about what you want and need is important to developing and fulfilling your potential.

If you haven’t been told that you have a learning disability but you think that you might have or you need extra support, you should speak up about how you feel.  If you need support the best way to get this is to tell someone you trust.  This could be a teacher, a parent or a carer. 

Dyslexia is a form or learning disability which makes it hard to read and spell.  About 10% of people have dyslexia in the UK.

If you have dyslexia you should make sure your teachers know about it. They can give you extra support to help you in your work.  If you think you may have dyslexia, you should also tell your teacher. They can give you advice about how you would get dyslexia diagnosed and what the next steps are. Having dyslexia can make learning harder, but it can be managed successfully. There is no reason that it can stop you doing whatever you want to in life. Find out more about dyslexia on the Dyslexia Action website.

Having a disability does not mean that you can’t have sex.  People who have a disability have the same feelings and needs as anyone else, and this includes wanting to have sex.

Sex is different for everyone, whether they have a disability or not.  If you are considering having sex (and remember the legal age of consent for sex is 16 years old) then you may need to check with your GP about the right choice of contraceptive for you.   Remember that having a disability does not always mean you cannot have an active and healthy sex life.  There are different ways to have sex and it is usual for people to experiment and find out what works for them. If you have any concerns about this then have a chat with a trusted adult or your GP.

For more information and practical advice about having sex when you or your partner has a disability visit The Site.