ABSTRACT
Twenty-five years ago in the UK (and many other countries in the ‘developed’ world) children like Stephen and Peter would not have been in the same education system, let alone working together on a shared task. A child like Stephen may well have been in a hospital and thought of as needing medical not educational support. Few adults have, as children, had the sorts of experiences that have become commonplace for Stephen and Peter. We place demands on these children without having a clear idea of what these demands may involve or how the children will react. The process of communicating is exacting for both children.
