ABSTRACT
Throughout this chapter, I am going to talk in terms of the education and teaching of children, young people and adults with profound and multiple learning difficulties. This does not mean that the chapter is irrelevant for those of you such as parents, therapists, social workers, care and respite workers, etc., who might not consider yourselves to be formally involved in the educational process. It is clear that the learning difficulties for people with PMLD are so extreme (especially if they have additional challenging behaviours) that effective education must be multi-dimensional and regarded as being for life. It is not sufficient to expect formal education to cease at 19, 29 or 39 since learning is an extremely difficult and problematic business for someone with PMLD which will take many, many years – all of their lives in fact.
