ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a case of a 32-year-old man with Down syndrome who has lived in a group home for the last 18 months after his mother became too ill to care for him, because of diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease. People with learning disabilities may be able to articulate less clearly what their thought processes are in the evolution of repetitive behaviours, but often describe a feeling of compulsion or a buildup of tension. Because of this and the learning disability, the use of cognitive behaviour therapy may be more difficult, especially if the concepts are not made explicitly clear and explained in easy to understand ways with plenty of visual prompts and accessible information. It may be useful to refer the person to a speech and language therapist for a communication assessment. It is important to assess his capacity to consent to medication and to have clear monitoring of side effects.
