South asian needs unmet by services

Services for young people with learning difficulties are often
not meeting the needs of those from a south Asian background
according to a new study.

More than a quarter of young people in the study had received no
post-school provision. They were at home all day, often with little
stimulation.

Many parents spoke little English and had difficulties accessing
the support that is available.

The Aasha project, funded by the Diana Princess of Wales
Memorial Fund, found that most of the 95 young people identified
themselves primarily according to their ethnicity. Many strongly
resisted any suggestion that they had a disability or learning
difficulty. They also saw their own identity as being closely
linked to their family.

Service providers need to understand that their goal for people
with learning difficulties of independence from the family might
not always be appropriate to young people from south Asian
cultures, says the project.

– Copies of the Aasha study are available from Skill, 020
7450 0648, e-mail
sue@skill.or.guk