Articles in Learning Disability

Articles in Autism

President Trump wearing a dark jacket and light blue tie speaking with his hands spread in front of him. In the background is seen Robert F Kennedy Jr.

President Trump’s Claims About Leucovorin & Autism

Ben Clark

President Trump has claimed that a particular medication called Leucovorin is a “gamechanger” in autism treatment, and that “it could help make our kids healthy again”. This is entirely false. Leucovorin is a useful medicine to treat a highly specific condition found in some autistic children, but it is not a treatment for autism, and it does not have a significant positive impact on the symptoms of autism.

BuDS advises that the parents of autistic children, and autistic people themselves, take no notice of Trump’s announcement. It is simply not true.

This is twice in one week that we have been forced to correct dangerous misinformation from the US President and his coterie.

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Ten and twenty pound notes spread out with coins on top of them

Card Only Payments May Discriminate Against Disabled People

Ben Clark

Since the beginning of the Covid 19 pandemic, many shops, services, and businesses have started accepting only debit or credit card payments. This was originally done to reduce the small risk of passing on the virus by handling coins and notes.

However, many businesses quickly realised that not accepting cash has other advantages for them, such as cutting staff time, reducing theft risks, and reducing bank charges. For this reason, many shops and businesses have decided to stay ‘card only’ and not accept cash payments.

However, only accepting card payments may be discriminating against some disabled people who are unable to use cards because of their disability.

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The Neurodiversity In Business Community Partner logo. It is a purple circle with a series of coloured arches around an image of a brain. The words "Neurodiversity in Business" are in the purple circle. The words "community partner" are in a blue banner across the lower portion of the circle.

BuDS Joins Neurodiversity in Business (NiB)

Ben Clark

Buckinghamshire Disability Service (BuDS) has become a Community Partner of Neurodiversity in Business (NiB), the voluntary industry forum supporting the participation of neurodivergent individuals in the workforce.

NiB draws on the cumulative knowledge of neurodivergency experts like BuDS and leading companies to share best practices and improve the employment and experience of neurodiverse people. 

Neurodivergency is a term used to describe a range of neurological conditions including autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyscalculia and Tourettes.

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A young white man in a wheelchair looking at his mobile phone at a desk. Also visible is his laptop, papers, and a cup of coffee

Disabled Young People’s Transition From Education To Work: The Employment Workstream of the SEND Transitions Service

Ben Clark

The BuDS SEND Transitions Service is a three-year project funded by The Rothschild Foundation. The purpose of the SEND Transitions Service is to improve the experience of disabled children and young people moving through key transitions within school education and from school education into work or further/higher education.

The SEND Transitions Service is made up of workstreams from a number of BuDS projects, principally Fair4All Education and Reach4Work. This page explains the Employment workstream, which is within the BuDS Reach4Work project.

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My Journey Into Learning Disability Nursing

Ben Clark

Written by Ann H

Disclaimer: this is a personal blog by a BuDS member. The views expressed are personal and don’t necessarily represent those of BuDS or our Trustees.

Background

It was the summer of 1975. I had left school and was waiting to go the local technical college to do my A Levels. I was bored and lonely. I lived in an isolated vicarage, in a rural location. I had no friends in the village as I had not gone to the local school. There were few bus services. To make matters worse my grandma who lived with us, had had a fall and was now permanently in a long stay Care of the Elderly unit.

My long-term plans were sorted as long as I got the required exam results. At that time to get into a London Teaching Hospital, you needed to apply years in advance. I had secured a place to do general training at Guy’s in August 1977. I was born there, and mum did her training there, so there was an important family link.

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LD Project Visits Social Link High Wycombe

Ben Clark

A small group of BuDS volunteers who are passionate about neurodiversity and learning disability issues came up with some ideas of what we could do to mark Learning Disability week this year. In the end, it was agreed that we would visit a couple of local services to showcase what they offer to people with a learning disability. The purpose of our visits was to find out what the services had to offer before the Covid-19 pandemic began, what happened during the early days of the pandemic, and how the service has evolved and changed since. Below is the second of our reports.

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April Update – Neurodiversity and Learning Disability

Freya Clark

What is the Neurodiversity and Learning Disability Project?

It has long been recognised that people with Neurodiversity and Learning Disability often struggle to get their health and social care needs met. Which in turn may impact severely on people’s health and social life, which will ultimately effect their quality of life. This new project within BuDS helps to address some of these issues.

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