ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book explores the impact of national and local policy on the educational experiences of children and young people with special educational needs, focusing on England and Wales and on Scotland. It traces the impact of Conservative policymaking of the 1980s and 1990s on the thinking of the 1970s and looks forward to future developments in the twenty-first century. The book investigates teachers' perceptions of the nature of learning difficulties in mathematics. It provides people with insight into the conditions which may be necessary for integration to work successfully, and the different expectations which may be held by policy-makers and practitioners. The book explores the way in which mainstream schools are responding to children with emotional and behavioural difficulties in the context of an increasingly competitive climate.
