Anxiety and Learning Disabilities
Anxiety is a mental health condition that affects a large number of people with learning disabilities. Some difficulties related to anxiety include restlessness, fatigue, irritability, lack of concentration and/or sleep problems, but these difficulties may not always present themselves (or may vary depending on the individual). Anxiety can therefore often impact an individual's quality of life. Like people without learning disabilities, children with learning disabilities may maintain their anxiety through avoiding specific objects/situations that cause them to feel anxious, which prevents them from facing their fears and working on reducing their anxiety. For these reasons, it is important that anxiety is identified and difficulties are improved as early as possible, before anxiety increases and leads to further problems with day to day life.
Despite the high prevalence of anxiety in children with learning disabilities and the impact on quality of life, there are few evidence-based interventions that are suitable for these individuals. We believe that children with learning disabilities and their families should not be denied the opportunity to develop personalised strategies to help reduce anxiety during frequently encountered activities and situations.
About the Study
The LADDERS Study is a randomised controlled trial to evaluate a specially adapted, parent-mediated anxiety programme for children age 4-15 with learning disabilities. The programme is called LADDERS. In LADDERS, parents work with a therapist online to understand how anxiety presents for their child and develop and individualised programme to gradually reduce the anxiety their child is experiencing. The programme also considers each child's communication, sensory, and emotional regulation needs.
In the study, families will be allocated to either receive LADDERS alongside their usual care or continue with their usual care alone. We will follow families in both groups over time, which will allow us to assess if LADDERS makes a difference. It will also allow us to learn more about the support that children and families currently receive as part of usual care.
The study was developed in collaboration with families, clinicians, researchers, and organisations supporting people with learning disabilities and autism including PAMIS and Autistica.