ABSTRACT
Learning disability historically has been considered to be one of the main causes of offending, and there has been a widely held belief that offending is highly prevalent among people with learning disabilities. The evidence to support a link between learning disabilities and offending has been questioned in recent years.1 The prevalence of offending and the need for secure services set up specifically for patients with learning disabilities were recognized in the 1980s, and many such services have been developed since then.2 Forensic learning disability psychiatry is now recognized as a subspecialty of forensic psychiatry.3 The clinical features of offenders with learning disabilities, their offending pattern, their treatment needs, and the outcome of treatment are generally distinct from those of other mentally disordered offenders. Offenders with learning disabilities present special challenges in their assessment, treatment, and management.
