Technology: Apps for learning disability assessments

Based on the prevalence rates published by Public Health England in 2016, and population data from the Office for National Statistics (2019), the estimated prevalence of learning disabilities in children in the UK is 2.5% and 2.16% in adults.¹

Adults with a learning disability (LD) are 10 times more likely to have an eye or vision problem.² For children with LD, this increases to a staggering 28 times. By contrast, sight problems are comparatively rare in the general paediatric population.³

While children in full-time education in England are entitled to regular NHS sight tests, there is strong evidence that children and young people with learning disabilities have problems accessing community eye care services.^3-5 In part, this is linked with a perceived lack of practitioner confidence and limited access to ‘specialist’ skills and equipment. The emphasis here is on the word ‘perceived’.