ABSTRACT
If teachers from an SLD school are asked to talk about the difficulties or frustrations of working with pupils with Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties (PMLDs), they will frequently say that one major problem is the apparent lack of progress. The difficulties created by the failure of some people with PMLDs to show measurable progress on conventional assessments is not limited to the field of education; for the idea that progress is essential not just to education but to a worthwhile human life is very deeply rooted in late 20th century Britain. Checklists, especially checklists which are intended to be directly related to the curriculum sequence, are probably the most commonly used method of assessing the progress of children with PMLDs. Psychometric tests consist of a number of test items administered under standardised conditions. They are intended to measure, not progress, but general levels of mental functioning.
