The following article appeared in the November 2000 edition of the DisAbility Focus newsletter . The assessment of individuals with dual disabilities who are exhibiting disturbed behaviour will be significantly enhanced by the development of new assessment protocols. General practitioners, intellectual disability and mental health professionals will be able to use protocols developed for their use under the GAP MAP project to screen for the presence of a mental disorder in adults with intellectual disability. A review of existing assessment protocols found that there is currently no overall protocol that combines the key elements of assessment for use by GPs and health practitioners. Separate protocols have been developed for GPs and for mental health and intellectual disability professionals.
Dual disability is a significant problem.
The incidence of mental illness in people with intellectual disability may be two to three times higher than in the non-disabled population. The support of individuals with dual disability can pose challenges for services and workers involved in their care. Improve the appropriateness of referrals to specialists. The GAP MAP for use by GPs is usually initiated when an adult with an intellectual disability is referred to a GP for the assessment of disturbed behaviour. The GP is guided through a series of steps to assist in assessment, diagnosis and referral.