ABSTRACT
Learning, even learning which appears to be primarily internal, happens in a context and very few of us are lucky enough to be able to do our learning under conditions which could be said to be ideal. This may be especially true for people with profound and multiple learning difficulties. These learners may need to find, or be supported in finding, ways around various obstacles, such as sensory, perceptual or motor impairments, before learning can begin to take place. This chapter is aimed at readers who are on the teaching side of the teacher-learner relationship, whether you are a qualified practitioner working in a specifically educational institution or a committed member of the multi-disciplinary team supporting clients with profound and multiple learning difficulties in continuing to learn in the community. The purpose of this chapter is to support you in your task of creating and maintaining conditions under which effective learning is likely to take place. Part of this discussion will concern ways in which those conditions can be modified in order to support and facilitate learning for people who may be experiencing particular difficulties in this area of their lives.
