Josephine Guzmán explores how attitudes of, and toward, people with a South Asian background may affect their use of learning disability care services

According to the 2012 UK census, 6.6% of the population of London have a South Asian background. As this article explains, attitudes to, and care of, people with learning disabilities in this population often depend on its members’ beliefs about health and abilities to communicate with practitioners. Care can also be affected by prejudice and misconceptions among service providers.

In the South Asian community, people with learning disabilities are often isolated and stigmatised, and many families have feelings of shame or guilt, that lead to delays in presentation, diagnoses and care provision.

The article concludes by suggesting that employment of liaison workers from South Asian backgrounds could help families seek assistance and services, and ensure that their children with learning disabilities develop the social skills they need to cope with adult life in the UK.