eSAY National Learning Disability and Autistic Spectrum Disorder Dataset V4.0 Map

Cause of Learning Disability

Definition : The cause of a person’s learning disability may be either pre-natal (before birth), peri-natal (at or during birth) or post-natal (after birth). The learning disability may occur at any point between conception and the age of eighteen. Causes can be genetic or environmental in origin.

For a large number of people with a learning disability, the cause will remain unknown.

Purpose : Knowing the cause of a person’s learning disability can assist in developing care plans and treatment strategies to reduce the effects of the disability on the person.

Aggregate information on causes of learning disability would be useful for epidemiological studies and to assist in service development and planning.

Recording Guidance : Where an individual has an autistic spectrum disorder and does not have an associated learning disability code 00 – None should be recorded. Where a person does have a learning disability but the cause is not known, code 99 should be recorded.

Codes : adapted from ICD-10

Code	Values/Definition
00	None
01	Congenital malformations, deformities and chromosomal abnormalities A. Down Syndrome B. Fragile X Syndrome C. Neural Tube Defects D. Foetal Alcohol Syndrome E. Microcephaly F. Congenital hydrocephalus G. Prader-Willi Syndrome H. Rett Syndrome J. Other chromosomal abnormality
02	Infectious and parasitic diseases A. Meningococcal meningitis B. Other Meningococcal infections C. Congenital syphilis D. Slow virus infection of the central nervous system E. Other
03	Endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases A. Phenylketonuria B. Congenital iodine deficiency syndrome C. Other
04	Conditions originating in the peri-natal period A. Complications of pregnancy B. Complications of labour/delivery C. Placenta praevia D. Maternal infectious and parasitic diseases E. Congenital rubella syndrome F. Congenital toxoplasmosis G. Birth injury H. Other
98	Other Causes A. Toxoplasmosis B. Rubella C. Accidental Injury D. Non accidental injury E. Shaken baby syndrome F. Sensory deprivation G. Other
99	Not known

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