Joanna Moyle and Neil James discuss how to support an adult with a learning disability and autism in an assessment and treatment service

Healthcare and other services have a legal duty to ensure that people with learning disabilities and autism are treated with the same standard of care as any other patients. This article is based on a case study involving a person with a learning disability, autism and challenging behaviour. It discusses the reasonable adjustments staff in an acute assessment and treatment service made to the patient’s environment and treatment to improve care. As a result of these changes, the intensity and frequency of the patient’s challenging behaviour was reduced. The aim of the article is to share best practice so that staff working in other support settings can consider how to adapt their working environments to meet individuals’ needs.