ABSTRACT
Although the term profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD) has now been in use for many years, it is still necessary to define what is meant by it for a particular purpose or document. In many schools for pupils with severe learning difficulties (SLD), the proportion of pupils with PMLD has increased in relation to the total school roll (Male, 1996). Over time, the criteria for placing pupils into this category may have changed. On the one hand, advances in medical science ensure the survival of children with very extensive disabilities, thereby increasing the number of profoundly disabled pupils in schools (Carpenter, 1994a). Some pupils who would, in the past, have been regarded as having PMLD, are now perceived to be more intellectually able in comparison with other pupils. They may be regarded as having multiple disabilities but not profound intellectual impairment. Consequently, the pupils who are now referred to as having PMLD may well be more disabled than would have been the case in previous decades. If this is the case, the task for teachers of pupils with PMLD is now even more challenging.
