ABSTRACT
There is a legion of evidence that, despite legislative measures, the majority of people with learning disabilities are still unable to realise their full potential, owing to a range of obstacles, owing to both societal attitudes and lack of support and co-ordination by statutory services. (Valuing People, White Paper, 2001). In this chapter, written in the first person, the author uses examples from her own life to justify her belief that this needs to be addressed from their birth and, indeed, throughout their lives. As the agents of primary socialisation, parents, family, friends and voluntary organisations, in conjunction with the health service and supporting services, all play key roles in setting the scene to enable a child to succeed.
Drawing on her experiences as a parent of a learning-disabled son in England, the issues she raises include:
the roles these agencies played in this for her family, alongside her own limiting preconceptions and anxieties;
the impact of family, friends, the community and Early Years practitioners on her son and herself;
experiences with general practitioners (GPs) and paediatricians, together with educational psychologists and speech therapists and school and college staff and the kind of advice, both useful and demoralising, that she received from these people. She will draw upon examples of both.
The author concludes the chapter with a discussion of the implications for the education system as well as society as a whole of what she has come to understand about ways to ensure social justice for everyone, including those who experience difficulties in learning. Implications for practice include the potential for enhanced opportunities for people with additional needs if appropriate support is available throughout their lives through informal education of those they encounter, as a complement to and extension of the formal education system. Knowledge (really) is power. Much work is required to raise awareness and address the ignorance and prejudice surrounding learning disabilities. Arming individuals with the information and giving them confidence to challenge outdated and inaccurate assumptions could accelerate a sea change. Generating societal attitude change is notoriously difficult. However, great strides in social justice have been made, largely thanks to the series of Disability Discrimination Acts (1995-2018). She uses examples of good practice she has encountered in what she calls her ‘village’ – that is, her circle of family, friends and elsewhere, to suggest how their more widespread adoption might best be effected.