Written question asked by Paul Robert Holmes (Liberal Democrat) on Tuesday, 8 November 2005, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 10 November 2005. It was answered by Liam Byrne (Labour) on Wednesday, 23 November 2005 on behalf of the Department of Health.

Learning Disability

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether an individual with an IQ of 70 or above meets the definition of learning disability used in Valuing People if they also have a significantly reduced ability to understand new or complex information and to learn new skills, and a reduced ability to cope independently, which started before adulthood and has a lasting effect on their development.

Answer: Considering intelligence quotient (IQ) alone is not sufficient to determine whether someone meets the definition of learning disability. An IQ slightly above 70, if associated with impaired social functioning may mean that services view someone as having a learning disability.However, an IQ substantially above 70, even if associated with impaired social functioning, would mean that someone would not be considered to have a learning disability. Valuing People covers adults with autism who also have learning disabilities. It is for local service providers to assess the individual's need, look at the balance between the determining factors and decide on the appropriate services to meet those needs.

Secondary information