Children and young people with Complex Learning Difficulties and Disabilities (CLDD) have co-existing and overlapping conditions which can manifest in complex learning patterns, extreme behaviours and a range of socio-medical needs which are new and unfamiliar to many educators. Their combination of issues and layered needs – mental health, relationship, behavioural, physical, medical, sensory, communication and cognitive – mean they often disengage from learning and challenge even our most experienced teachers. This book provides school practitioners and leaders with an approach and resources to engage this often disenfranchized group of children in learning. The Engagement for Learning Framework has been developed and trialled by over 100 educational settings (both special and mainstream) with learners from early years to post-16. It gives practitioners from a range of disciplines a shared means of assessing, recording and developing personalized learning pathways and demonstrating progression for these children. The focus on inquiry means that however complex a young person’s needs, educators will be able to apply the approach. This practical and engaging book provides literature, tools and case study examples outlining who children and young people with CLDD are, why their engagement for learning is important and how the Engagement for Learning Framework can be used effectively by teachers and other professionals to ensure the best possible outcomes for these children.

Learning disabilities are among the most common disabilities experienced in childhood and adulthood. Although identifying learning disabilities in a school setting is a complex process, it is particularly challenging in low- and middle-income countries that lack the appropriate resources, tools, and supports. This guide provides an introduction to learning disabilities and describes the processes and practices that are necessary for the identification process. It also describes a phased approach that countries can use to assess their current screening and evaluation services, as well as determine the steps needed to develop, strengthen, and build systems that support students with learning disabilities. This guide also provides intervention recommendations that teachers and school administrators can implement at each phase of system development. Although this guide primarily addresses learning disabilities, the practices, processes, and systems described may be also used to improve the identification of other disabilities commonly encountered in schools.

Often thought of as a predominantly ‘male’ disorder, autism has long gone unidentified, unnoticed and unsupported in girls – sometimes with devastating consequences for their social and mental well-being. As current research reveals a much more balanced male-to-female ratio in autism, this book provides crucial insight into autistic girls’ experiences, helping professionals to recognize, understand, support and teach them effectively. Drawing on the latest research findings, chapters consider why girls have historically been overlooked by traditional diagnostic approaches, identifying behaviours that may be particular to girls, and exploring the ‘camouflaging’ that can make the diagnosis of autistic girls more difficult. Chapters emphasize both the challenges and advantages of autism and take a multidisciplinary approach to encompass contributions from autistic girls and women, their family members, teachers, psychologists and other professionals. The result is an invaluable source of first-hand insights, knowledge and strategies, which will enable those living or working with girls on the autism spectrum to provide more informed and effective support. Giving voice to the experiences, concerns, needs and hopes of girls on the autism spectrum, this much-needed text will provide parents, teachers and other professionals with essential information to help them support and teach autistic girls more effectively.

Over the last four decades, breakthroughs in genetic knowledge, together with the emergence of disciplines devoted to the scientific study of developmental disorders have resulted in much greater awareness of the many different behavioural and genetic phenotypes involved. It is now evident that not only do different disorders have different causes and different manifestations, but different neurological and biochemical bases, different responses to intervention, and different life courses. Reflecting the enormous changes that have taken place in our knowledge and understanding of developmental disorders, this groundbreaking international volume brings this vast and complex field together for the first time. The Editors have collected together the world′s leading academic scholars and clinicians, to explore how current research across a range of different disciplines can inform clinical practice and help to improve the lives of individuals and their families.

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs) have emerged as a major phenomenon within the education, health, criminal justice and social care systems of many countries, with current prevalence figures suggesting that one in a hundred children and young people have FASDs. In this publication, academics, professionals and families from around the world have shared expertise and insights on FASDs. Their combined interdisciplinary perspective makes an invaluable contribution to how we understand and address the complex social, educational and health needs associated with this growing group of children and young people. Articulating fundamental knowledge, cutting edge initiatives and emerging trends in FASDs, this book provides an evidence base that will enable services to identify and respond to the need for action on FASDs. It recognises that families – natural, foster or adoptive – are at the heart of this process, and that their rich knowledge base, grounded in their lived experience, is crucial. Any education, social care, criminal justice or health professional working with children and young people with FASDs and their families will find this book a seminal and authoritative resource.

Research-based, classroom-tested Teaches children skills for long-term success Fosters social skills, proactivity, perseverance, and more The 6 Success Factors for Children with Learning Disabilities Ready-to-Use Activities to Help Kids with Learning Disabilities Succeed in School and in Life From the acclaimed Frostig Center comes a valuable resource for teachers and parents of children with learning disabilities. Based on a 20-year study, Frostig research has revealed six attributes that lead to long-term success for individuals with LD. This book helps teachers identify and encourage the growth of characteristics that will help students thrive in the classroom, at home, and in social situations. The book offers an array of classroom-tested,engaging activities—complete with reproducible worksheets—that have been proven to foster the "success attributes" in children. The six attributes identified by the Frostig Center are: Self-awareness Proactivity Perseverance Goal setting Use of social support systems Emotional coping strategies Each of the book's activities contains a lesson plan with goals, materials, and procedures, including teaching instructions and reproducible student worksheets. The book is designed to be both flexible and easy-to-use. All activities can be modified to accommodate a variety of learners. Praise for The 6 Success Factors for Children with Learning Disabilities "Provides educators, parents, and other caregivers with pragmatic and measurable strategies to foster maturity and independence…The activities demonstrate that success is not amorphous and unattainable—rather, it can be achieved by adopting an established set of behaviors, attitudes, and characteristics. [This book] will be enormously useful as you prepare your students for their journey to adulthood." —From the foreword by Richard D. Lavoie, bestselling author, It's So Much Work to be Your Friend and The Motivation Breakthrough

This report unveils proposals for the biggest programme of reform in the education and health support for children with special educational needs (SEN) and disabilities in 30 years. The Government wants to fundamentally reform the SEN system to address problems including: parents having to battle to get the support their child needs; SEN statements not joining up education, health and care support; children falling between the gaps in services or having to undergo multiple assessments; multiple layers of paperwork and bureaucracy adding delays to getting support, therapy and vital equipment; confusing and adversarial assessment process, with the perceived conflict of interest where the local authority must provide SEN support as well as assess children's needs; too many children are being over-identified as SEN, preventing them from achieving their potential because teachers have lower expectations of them. The Government proposes to: include parents in the assessment process and introduce a legal right, by 2014, to give them control of funding for the support their child needs; replace statements with a single assessment process and a combined education, health and care plan so that health and social services is included in the package of support; ensure assessment and plans run from birth to 25 years old; replace the existing complicated School Action and School Action Plus system with a simpler new school-based category to help teachers focus on raising attainment; overhaul teacher training and professional development; inject greater independence from local authorities in assessments; give parents a greater choice of school and the power to set up special free schools