Jill Porter

First Published in 2000. Written with the newly-qualified or student teacher in mind, the nature of this highly accessible book considers the nature of learning difficulties and the impact of legislation and policy on the teaching and learning of pupils with a wide range of special educational needs in the mainstream classroom. The authors offer practical solutions to the many challenges facing teachers of inclusive settings, and individual chapters provide the reader with guidance on: meeting special needs appropriately in inclusive educational settings; effective access to the curriculum; classroom organisation and management to support pupils; staff roles and responsibilities and staff development. The writers are also sensitive to the views and experiences of pupils and how these can enhance opportunities for good quality learning. Teachers and students will find this book an essential companion.

Understanding and Responding to the Experience of Disability informs readers about current understandings of disability and ways of recognizing the needs that arise from the lived experience of impairment in schools. While most schools have clear procedures in place with respect to identifying children with special educational needs, the same is not true for disability. Moreover, research suggests that many schools have restricted understanding of this distinction, often equating disability to children with SEN and children with health conditions, thereby failing to recognize the pivotal role of impact. In this insightful text, Jill Porter argues that disability needs to be understood within the setting in which it is experienced, thereby recognizing that it is not a fixed attributable label, but one that is cultural, contextual and fluid. By providing a theoretical basis for understandings of disability around notions of impairment, experience and impact, the book combines three key components:a conceptual understanding of disability – to provide a clear value driven framework for professional responsesan empirical illustration of the development of materials to support an understanding of why the process of disability data collection cannot simply be reduced to two questions on a formembedded illustrative case study material to provide exemplars of how the materials can be contextualized and used to make adjustments to enhance the participation of all children

Understanding and Responding to the Experience of Disability informs readers about current understandings of disability and ways of recognizing the needs that arise from the lived experience of impairment in schools. While most schools have clear procedures in place with respect to identifying children with special educational needs, the same is not true for disability. Moreover, research suggests that many schools have restricted understanding of this distinction, often equating disability to children with SEN and children with health conditions, thereby failing to recognize the pivotal role of impact. In this insightful text, Jill Porter argues that disability needs to be understood within the setting in which it is experienced, thereby recognizing that it is not a fixed attributable label, but one that is cultural, contextual and fluid. By providing a theoretical basis for understandings of disability around notions of impairment, experience and impact, the book combines three key components:a conceptual understanding of disability – to provide a clear value driven framework for professional responsesan empirical illustration of the development of materials to support an understanding of why the process of disability data collection cannot simply be reduced to two questions on a formembedded illustrative case study material to provide exemplars of how the materials can be contextualized and used to make adjustments to enhance the participation of all children

`The authors provide a guide which points the reader to sources that can engage more deeply with the issues raised and, as such, is a useful resource for anyone wanting to know more about researching learning difficulties' - British Journal of Special Education 'This book is highly recommended and endorsed. It celebrates the diversity of work that is currently undertaken in the field of learning difficulties with a concern to enable people working within different spheres of activity to share something of their work to contribute to the bigger picture. 'As part of an academic, school or staff development resource library this book will aid, stimulate and focus researchers at all levels to hone their selected methods, evaluate results and critically judge qualitative and quantitative data' - Special Children `This timely book, written in a highly accessible way... provides a coherent basis for users as well as practitioners, of research involving children and young people with learning difficulties' - Ann Lewis, Professor of Special Education and Educational Psychology, University of Birmingham. This book is for researchers, teachers and other professionals working with children and people with learning difficulties. It will enable them to: - access research in learning difficulties, drawing on other disciplines - understand different types of research methodology and their strengths and limitations - examine how researchers must consider the constraints on methodology because of the characteristics of the field - and understand the particular issues of small-scale research and participatory research - explore new methodologies that are developing in the field The authors recognize that there are tensions, especially the difficulty of validating research on small varied populations in a wide range of schools, community and other settings. The book will help readers to critically evaluate the implications of research reports for their own practice. This book is for researchers, teachers and professionals: - in specialist and inclusive community and educational settings - following courses of continuing professional development - doing research (Masters and Doctorate, Education, Social Sciences, Psychology, Public Policy). It is relevant to practitioners working with people with learning difficulties across a range of settings.

First Published in 2000. Written with the newly-qualified or student teacher in mind, the nature of this highly accessible book considers the nature of learning difficulties and the impact of legislation and policy on the teaching and learning of pupils with a wide range of special educational needs in the mainstream classroom. The authors offer practical solutions to the many challenges facing teachers of inclusive settings, and individual chapters provide the reader with guidance on: meeting special needs appropriately in inclusive educational settings; effective access to the curriculum; classroom organisation and management to support pupils; staff roles and responsibilities and staff development. The writers are also sensitive to the views and experiences of pupils and how these can enhance opportunities for good quality learning. Teachers and students will find this book an essential companion.