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This study explores how capable young children are of thinking about a potential future that uses DNA screening to assess an individual's likelihood of experiencing learning or behaviour difficulties. Puppets and a scenario-based approach were used to ask children aged 4–10 (n = 165) whether they thought DNA screening might be helpful or harmful. A content analysis derived six categories: (1) 'Worried about being – and being seen as – different'; (2) 'Beliefs about the origins of learning and behaviour'; (3) 'Testing is harmful'; (4) 'Testing could help'; (5) 'How soon is too soon for testing?'; and (6) 'What's the point?'. Findings indicate young children, as key stakeholders, can make useful contributions to public debate in this important and controversial area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

UK government policies over several decades have sought to actively encourage disabled people to take up paid employment, most recently by focusing on the 'gap' between employment rates of disabled and non-disabled people. These policies implicitly assume a clear distinction between people who are and are not disabled, linked to medically-oriented, hierarchical notions of deservingness. They also assume that people who need support will self-identify. This article explores factors that undermine those assumptions or expose their contradictory effects. It presents findings from qualitative research with people with mild learning difficulties, discussing their perceptions of disability and how they negotiated an ever-shifting balance of consequences of identifying as disabled or disclosing needs, linked to risks and experiences of prejudice, discrimination and exclusion. Government policy to support disabled people into paid work suggests that it is obvious who is and who is not disabled. This research looks at what disability means for people with mild learning difficulties who are looking for paid work. People with mild learning difficulties sometimes view themselves as disabled but sometimes refuse that label, even when they accept that they need support. The research participants gave a wide range of reasons for accepting or rejecting the label of disability. They showed how they balanced hopes for support against fears of rejection or abuse, based on their personal experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supporting children and young people's mental health and well‐being is central to UK Government policy, with statistics suggesting post‐16 students and those with learning difficulties are vulnerable. This case study explored how practitioners at a special school for students with severe and profound and multiple learning difficulties promote post‐16 students' mental health and well‐being. Data were drawn from four semi‐structured interviews and a follow‐up focus group. The thematic analysis identified a whole‐team approach to supporting mental health and promoting student well‐being, through staff knowledge and interpersonal skills, particularly related to communication and ability to build trusting relationships, providing experiences and preparing students for adulthood. Consideration was also given to facilitators and barriers to promoting such provision for students. The emotional needs audit from the Human Givens Institute (2006) could provide a framework for practitioners in special schools to promote mental health and well‐being, enabling practical and tangible strategies for intervention and support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accessible Summary: This research explored the experience of four fathers of autistic children who also have learning disabilities.Fathers' experiences as carers are increasingly recognised in the literature; however, the studies of parental experience tend to centre mothers. The current research builds upon the recent and important focus upon fathers' experiences.The fathers in this study sometimes felt helpless and unable to fulfil the traditional role as protectors and providers, but they also had strong feelings of closeness with their children and developed new identities through the challenges and joys they experienced alongside their children. Background: This small study explores the lived experience of four UK‐based fathers (one black British, one white Polish and two white British) caring for at least one child with a dual diagnosis of learning disability and autism. The key aim was to get as close as possible to understanding the experience of these fathers in their role as carers. Methods: The study makes use of interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) as an approach to gathering (via interview) and making sense of the fathers' experiences. Findings and discussion: We co‐constructed three themes following analysis of the interview transcripts: "fatherhood: not doing enough, not doing it right"; "crossing worlds: relearning how to communicate and reclaiming fatherhood"; and "uncertain futures." We found that, for these fathers, the experiences of anxiety and helplessness were balanced with the appreciation of their value as protectors, their shifting sense of identity and of their closeness with their children. Relationships were central throughout. Conclusions: The exploration of fathers' experiences helps to highlight the less‐measurable, nuanced aspects of the joys and challenges of caring for children with dual diagnoses of learning disability and autism which might be used to enhance the support provided and to inform new approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Schools of Nursing have witnessed an increase in the number of nursing students who struggle with learning difficulties. Support and accommodations are available in academic settings. Because nursing is a practice profession students also learn in clinical settings, which may not have similar support and accommodations. The compatibility of the clinical setting for the education of students with learning difficulties has not been studied. Staff nurses responsible for the clinical education of students and new nurses receive little preparation for their role as educator, and may not feel supported to meet the needs of those with learning difficulties. This is part one in a series of articles about the clinical education of nursing students with learning difficulties. This paper provides a framework and literature review for the development of a study (part 2) exploring the issue from the perspective of the nurse preceptors who educate students and new graduates with learning difficulties. Highlights • There is an increase in the number of students in school of nursing with learning difficulties. • The literature on nursing students with learning difficulties can be understood from the perspectives of nursing schools, faculty, and students. • Nurse educators have a role in preparing the learning environments for students with learning difficulties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing ethnic diversity in the UK has highlighted the importance of supporting primary school pupils with English as an Additional Language (EAL), some of whom also have special educational needs (SEN). However, there is relatively little research carried out in the UK on children with both EAL needs and SEN. This paper presents the results of a study which aimed to explore the strategies used to teach and support pupils with the dual needs in four schools in North-West England. It reports research carried out with eight EAL pupils with speech, language, and communication needs (SLCN) and four pupils with learning difficulties (LD), and explores the different strategies staff used to support these pupils. The results showed that the two groups varied in the extent to which staff differentiated pedagogical strategies. The paper concludes by pointing to the need for further training and greater collaboration between the fields of EAL and SEN in research and educational practice. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper reports the part findings of an evaluation of a dual-screen installation entitled ‘Resistance: Which Way the Future?’ by the writer and director Liz Crow. Central to the installation is the experience of disabled people during the Holocaust period, the values underpinning this neglected period of history and how this relates to understanding the experiences of disabled people today. Simultaneously, this paper raises issue with a previous comment which suggested that disabled people and eugenics are a form of ‘emotive rhetoric’. On the contrary, this paper asserts that the link between eugenics and disability cannot be overstated, and is a significant moment in history where the lived experiences of disabled people – people described as having ‘learning difficulties’, surviving artefacts, and recorded testimonies – have still yet to be explored. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background The role of the support worker in self-advocacy groups for people with intellectual disability is pivotal in setting the scene for empowerment. However, despite the growing importance of the role, it has attracted very little scrutiny. Method The study developed an inclusive team approach working alongside researchers labelled with learning difficulties. Emphasis was placed on making all aspects of the research cycle accessible to the team. A variety of qualitative methods were used. Results Despite supporters' allegiances to disability equality and their emphasis on reflexivity, many crucial aspects of organizational practice and support remained hidden. However, an emerging shared narrative about the potential of people first implied the possibility of increased collaboration. This was evidenced in some of the groups. Conclusions Where problematic practice was discussed, supporters were open to developing alternative approaches. Acknowledging members contributions alongside the work of their supporters helped nurture more collaborative relationships. Accessible Abstract A lot of accessible methods were used to find out what was happening. Much support work is hidden away and not listed by organisations. The supporter role is very complex where supporters are managed by members. Supporters may find ways to hold on to power even when they say they try not to. There were some good ways seen for members and supporters to work together fairly. The writer talks about working in a team with researchers with learning difficulties. The study concludes that we can all learn from each other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to discuss how adult support and protection (ASP) work might support or further damage an adult's strengths, skills and sense of self. There is a particular focus on adults who require some support with decision-making. Design/methodology/approach – Forum theatre and other creative techniques were used to discuss ASP with 42 people who access support. A range of advice for practitioners was generated, a portion of which is reported here. The research design was participatory, with ten people who access support being members of the research team. Findings – ASP work can support or undermine an adult's strengths, skills and sense of self, depending on the way it is performed. Three inter-locking themes are presented to illustrate this finding. First, participants thought it might be intimidating to be "singled out", and wished to be understood in the context of their relationships. Second, ASP was thought likely to be experienced as a judgement on the person and their problem-solving skills. Third, people wanted to be "really listened to" and acknowledged as a person with preferences and strengths. Practical implications – It is important for practitioners to be mindful of the process of ASP work, as well as of its outcomes. Ways must be found to keep the person central, and to maintain and develop their strengths and sense of self. Originality/value – The perspectives of adults actually or potentially affected by ASP have been under-researched. This study adds substantially to the available evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

No One Knows (Prison Reform Trust, 2008) is concerned with people with learning disabilities and difficulties who come into contact with the police and who enter the criminal justice system. The terms ‘learning disabilities’ and ‘learning difficulties’ are often used interchangeably to describe people with an intellectual disability, excluding those who, for example, have dyslexia. No One Knows, however, has adopted a more inclusive approach, and has included in its remit offenders with learning disabilities as defined by the World Health Organisation as well as those with a broader range of learning difficulties. Although there is some disagreement on prevalence, it is clear that a large number of people with learning disabilities and difficulties are caught up in the criminal justice system. Once in the criminal justice system, people with learning disabilities and difficulties, because of their impairments, struggle to cope. At worst this can affect their right to a fair hearing in court and, if they are sentenced to custody, may mean longer in prison. UK criminal justice agencies do not recognise, let alone meet, the particular needs of people who have learning disabilities or difficulties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the processes involved in a participatory inclusive research project in Liverpool and Merseyside, UK. The project involved 25 people with learning difficulties - the Heritage Forum - visiting 13 cultural and heritage sites on more than 50 occasions across a 15-month period. The research provides a much needed resource at a time when there is a lack of provision for, and research into, the intellectual accessibility of cultural and heritage sites in the UK and globally. This paper details the research approach taken by the Heritage Forum, providing a flexible protocol about ways of working with groups and individuals with learning difficulties. It also reports on the Heritage Forum's general findings about the cultural and heritage sites, providing some initial guidance about how to best include this diverse population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objectives: Down Syndrome (DS) is associated with a high incidence of hearing loss. The majority of hearing loss is conductive, but between 4 and 20% is sensorineural, which in the main is mild or moderate and is managed with conventional behind-the-ear hearing aids. Cochlear implantation is an elective invasive procedure, performed to provide some form of hearing rehabilitation in individuals with severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss, and initially candidacy criteria were strict—excluding patients with additional disabilities. With good results and expanding experience, more candidates with additional disabilities are now being implanted. A survey of UK and Ireland Cochlear Implant Programmes sought to identify the number of individuals with DS who have been implanted with a cochlear implant (CI) and to provide relevant information on outcomes of implantation in these individuals. Methods: E-mail survey of all programmes within the British Cochlear Implant Group (BCIG). Postal questionnaire to programmes identified to have implanted a child with Down Syndrome, with data collection on pre-operative assessment, surgical and post-operative outcomes. Case series review. Results: Three of 23 BCIG programmes have implanted a child with Down Syndrome. Four children have received implants. No intraoperative or post-operative surgical complications were encountered. All children had middle ear disease, but no problems with implantation were associated with their middle ear condition. All children remain implant users, 12 months to 4 years post-implantation. Conclusion: Cochlear implantation is an option for a child with Down Syndrome and associated severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss. Clinicians caring for these children and their families should consider referral for assessment by a Cochlear Implant Programme. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Recent policy on inclusion has had an impact on the development of museum galleries and related educational provision. Museums are used as learning organisations and, as such, need to consider how to create an inclusive environment. However, inclusive provision for people with learning difficulties in museums tends to be isolated and small scale, lacking the formal structure found within schools. While much can be learnt from the development and evaluation of practice in schools, there is little research or published literature that explores the inclusion of people with learning difficulties in museums. This article, by Hannah Shepherd, Exhibition Co-ordinator at Freeman College in Sheffield, analyses an example of a specific exhibit within a gallery development. This example reflects an approach that uses guidance from the literature to create a more inclusive experience for visitors, particularly those with learning difficulties. A case is made for the use of consultation and partnership to develop inclusive museum provision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, Phyllis Jones of the Department of Special Education at the University of South Florida and Elizabeth West from the University of Washington explore key issues in respect to teacher education for teachers who teach pupils with severe and profound learning difficulties in the USA. Issues relating to quantity and quality of teachers are discussed in the context of policy and practice in the USA. Reflections related to teacher education delivery in the USA, in terms of case-based learning and distance education, for example, and the content of teacher education courses, for example, in terms of helping teachers to understand the needs of pupils with learning difficulties and the promotion of evidence-based practices, are discussed. Phyllis Jones and Elizabeth West suggest that their reflections can contribute to continuing discussions about teacher education in the UK for teachers who work with pupils with severe and profound learning difficulties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accessible summary • This paper looks back at the education of people with learning difficulties from 1900 to 1970 who are blind or have very little sight. • The information was taken from printed documents and from six detailed interviews with people with learning difficulties who are blind or have very little sight. • The paper shows that people with learning difficulties who were blind or had very little sight often had no education at all and that the education they did receive did not usually meet their needs. • People with learning difficulties were sometimes placed in schools for children who were blind or had very little sight where they were bullied and abused. • It is hoped that this paper will add to the growing history of people with learning difficulties which is based on their own experiences. • The information in this paper is taken from a large study on the history of education of people who are blind or have very little sight in Britain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

No One Knows is a major initiative by the UK Prison Reform Trust which highlights the plight and predicament of prisoners with learning disabilities and of those with less severe degrees of learning difficulties. This major initiative has been sponsored by the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund and has yielded a number of pivotal recommendations which are already being explored actively by the Department of Health (England) and the Prison Health Service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whilst the UK's National Health Service (NHS) offers a solid structure of service provision for people with learning disabilities, sexuality issues are often overlooked. This paper offers an examination of how it may be possible that gay men with learning disabilities (GMLD) experience a complex set of increased difficulties in forming a functioning identity. A clinical case example is presented which allows the implications of below average functioning and stereotyping by the majority group to be explored. To conclude, suggestions are made regarding how practitioners could offer the best psychological service to gay men with learning disabilities. It is hoped practitioners will be more proactive and creative in helping gay men with learning disabilities explore their sexuality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parents with learning difficulties face a high risk of losing their children. This fact holds in all countries with a well-developed child protection system. International research shows rates for the removal of children from such families varying from study to study and country to country in a range between 30 and 80%. In the UK, the evidence suggests that 40–60% of children are taken into alternative care. These bare facts reveal nothing of the process that generates them. This paper looks at how one family came to be counted among these statistics. Using material drawn from court files, social worker statements, expert reports and personal interviews, collected as part of an ongoing research study funded by the Nuffield Foundation, it documents the conflicting accounts from which a dominant story of parenting failure was finally translated into one of success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: People with learning difficulties are nutritionally vulnerable for many reasons. There is a need for a nutrition screening tool (NST) to enable carers to identify those at nutritional risk. However, a validated NST for clients with learning difficulties does not exist. Aim: To assess the reliability and validity of a NST being used in a long-stay hospital in North Staffordshire for people with learning difficulties. The NST investigates three areas of risk: nutritional adequacy (food groups), weight and nutrition-related problems such as dysphagia or gastrointestinal disorders. Method: Thirty-six subjects were randomly selected. The reliability of the NST was assessed by three nurses familiar with the participants. Each subject was independently screened using the NST. Validity was assessed by forming an expert panel of three dietitians. Each participant's nutritional status for each of the three risk areas was assessed independently by the dietitians using their own methods. A comparison of the majority opinion of the dietitians with that of the nurses gave an indication of validity. Results: Reliability was analysed using variance component models and indices of agreement. There was good agreement between nurses in the assessment of risk relating to nutrition adequacy (r=0.658), moderate agreement in the assessment of nutrition-related problems (r=0.576), but only fair agreement in the assessment of weight-related risk (r=0.263). Validity was assessed using Cohen's kappa statistic. There was good agreement between the majority opinions of the nurses and dietitians for the assessment of nutritional adequacy-related risk (r=0.708) and for nutrition-related problems (r=0.691), but only fair agreement for weight (r=0.300). Conclusion: Use of the NST in the area of nutrition adequacy gave good repeatability and validity. Similarly, there was good validity in the area of nutrition-related problems. The NST was not satisfactory in assessing weight-related... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As one of the Government's top 30 priorities, the Public Service Agreement on Socially Excluded Adults is an extremely powerful lever for improving the lives of some of the most disadvantaged in our society. But its easily understood aim -- ensuring a home and a job for the most at-risk adults -- belies the complexity involved in making this PSA happen. From local area agreements to problems in gathering evidence about excluded groups, this article details the mechanisms involved, the obstacles to be overcome, and the benefits that the success of this PSA will bring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

No One Knows is concerned about people with learning disabilities and difficulties who get into trouble with the police and who enter the criminal justice system. The terms 'learning difficulties' and 'learning difficulties' are often used interchangeably to describe people with an intellectual disability, excluding those who, for example, have dyslexia or Asperger syndrome. No One Knows, however, has adopted a more inclusive approach and has included in its remit offenders with learning disabilities as defined by the World Health Organization as well as those with a broader range of learning difficulties. Although there is some discrepancy on prevalence, it is clear that high numbers of people with learning disabilities and difficulties are caught up in the criminal justice system. Once in the criminal justice system it is unlikely that an individual with learning disabilities or difficulties will be identified or that their support needs will be met. This causes difficulties for the individual concerned and for the staff who work with them, who receive little or no training for working with this group of people. The question of whether people with learning disabilities (meaning intellectual disabilities) should be diverted from the criminal justice system is considered.