Friday, 29 August 2025

📘 Easy Read: Mental Health, Mental Illness, Special Needs & Learning Difficulties

 


🧠 What is Mental Health?

  • Mental health is about how we think, feel, and act.

  • Good mental health helps us cope with life and enjoy it.

❗ What is Mental Illness?

  • Mental illness is when our feelings, thoughts, or behaviour cause distress or problems.

  • These are medical conditions, like depression, anxiety, or bipolar disorder.


🌟 Special Needs

  • Some people need extra help in school or life.

  • This is called having special needs.

📖 Learning Difficulties (LDs)

  • Learning difficulties affect things like reading, writing, or maths.

  • They do not mean a person is less intelligent.

  • LDs can make people feel anxious, frustrated, or left out.

♿ Disabilities

  • Disabilities can be physical, intellectual, developmental, emotional, or psychiatric.

  • They may be visible (you can see them) or invisible (hidden).


🔗 How They Connect with Mental Health

  • People with disabilities or learning difficulties may have higher risks of poor mental health.

  • This can be because of:

    • 🚪 Barriers in society (like buildings or services that are not accessible).

    • 👎 Negative attitudes (stigma, bullying, or being treated unfairly).

    • 😟 Daily challenges and stress.

    • ❌ Lack of support or services.

    • ⚠️ Higher risk of abuse or neglect.


💡 Support and Help

  • 📚 Education Plans: Schools can make Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) for extra support.

  • 👩‍⚕️ Holistic Support: Professionals can help with both learning needs and mental health.

  • 🏘️ Community Resources: Charities, support groups, and services can give advice, advocacy, and help for families.


❓ Quiz Questions (Easy Read)

  1. What does mental health mean?

  2. What is mental illness?

  3. What does “special needs” mean?

  4. What are learning difficulties?

  5. Do learning difficulties affect intelligence?

  6. Name one type of disability.

  7. Are all disabilities visible?

  8. Why might people with disabilities or learning difficulties have poor mental health?

  9. What is an IEP (Individualized Education Plan)?

  10. Name one kind of support that can help people.

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