Referral

Referral to a community paediatric team or learning disability services (depending on local arrangement) is advised when the learning disability is first identified, to help plan for education and specialist care. Psychiatrists specializing in learning disability may be skilled in investigating and treating epilepsy as well as psychiatric illness.

Referral for specialist support is also indicated:

• where there are significant changes in behaviour, which persist for longer than one month
• where there is significant weight change which persists for longer than one month, to exclude emotional or psychiatric disorder
• following the death of a carer or close relative, because there is increased risk of pathological grief.

For further information about learning disability, see Once a Day NHS Executive guidelines for primary healthcare teams, March 1999. Department of Health, PO Box 410, Wetherby LS23 7LN.

Last edited: 14/11/2003

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