ABSTRACT
This chapter is concerned with the educational needs of children with severe learning difficulties, some of whom may have autism and/or additional physical and sensory impairments. It should be stressed that children with autism do not necessarily have severe learning difficulties although Frith (1989) reports that three out of four autistic children will show evidence of ‘mental retardation’. Severe learning difficulties was the Warnock Report's (DES, 1978) preferred description of children previously referred to as mentally handicapped; a term which itself had replaced a number of others all of which had negative connotations. Before 1971, these children were excluded from the educational system in Britain and were the responsibility of the Health service, whether in residential institutions or living at home and attending one of the training centres which had been developed during the post-war period. In 1971 they became the responsibility of the Education service and the training centres became schools. This change was partly the result of pressure from parents’ organisations but other significant factors in the change were research findings which demonstrated that these children were by no means incapable of learning. There thus began a period of development in educational provision, continually increasing aspirations for the goals of their education and for the normalisation of their experience and participation in the community. These developments were further promoted by the provision of courses of initial and in-service teacher education.
