History

Research in Learning Disabilities in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Cambridge started in the 1990s with the creation of a senior academic post in psychiatric, linked to the local learning disability services. In 1992 the Section of Developmental Psychiatry was established at Douglas House to support research in learning disabilities and child psychiatry under the leadership of Professor Ian Goodyer. Later, the Autism Research Centre was established and the three research groups now make up the Section of Developmental Psychiatry.

With the award of The Health Foundation Chair in Learning Disabilities to Tony Holland in 2002, it was possible to establish an interdisciplinary learning disability research group to further develop particular research themes and collaborations. At present, the main themes include:

Biologically-based research, for example, investigating the association between having a particular syndrome and the development of specific behavioural and/or psychiatric disorders. This includes research involving people with Prader-Willi syndrome, Down’s syndrome and Asperger’s syndrome.
Clinico-legal studies that aim to inform legislation and policy development. This has included a series of studies concerned with the Mental Capacity Act, 2005, decision-making capacity, and the involvement of people with learning disabilities as suspects, perpetrators, witnesses, or victims, in the criminal justice system.
Social sciences-based studies broadly based around the theme of ‘citizenship’. Studies include investigating advocacy in the context of the Cambridge Parliament for people with learning disabilities and the investigation of independent mental capacity advocacy in the context of the Mental Capacity Act.
Neuropsychiatric studies that include the investigation of epilepsy in people with learning disabilities and the use of brain scanning and neurophysiological techniques to study specific difficulties experienced by people with autistic spectrum conditions.

Each of these areas of study are now supported by senior academics from psychology, psychiatry, and the social and biological sciences, and joint appointments were initially made with the Babraham Institute (partners now moved to Cardiff University) and with Cambridge University’s Faculty of Social and Political Sciences. We have been founder partners in the Centre for Participation and in the Eastern Region Learning Disability Research Network.

Several of those engaged in research have an active involvement in local clinical services for people with learning disabilities, and are also involved with national and international organisations in this field. This includes, for example, voluntary organisations supporting people with specific syndromes and their families,'vulnerable' people with learning disabilities, and also scientific organisations such as the International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual Disabilities (IASSID). Tony Holland is a Vice President of IASSID. He is also Editor of the Journal of Intellectual Disability Research (JIDR), and Isabel Clare is a member of the JIDR and the Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities Editorial Boards. Our links with local statutory, private and voluntary services include the Cambridge Parliament for People with Learning Difficulties, Umbrella Autism and joint research-clinical appointments with the local Mental Health Trust and the Learning Disability Partnership.

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