Working With People With Learning Disabilities

This multi-disciplinary textbook provides a comprehensive guide for anyone working with people with learning disabilities. It considers how we can engage with people with learning disabilities and their networks of relationships. Throughout, the book demonstrates how theory can be applied to practice with a wide range of contemporary examples. Each chapter is written by a key clinician or writer in this area, incorporating the disciplines of nursing, clinical psychology, and psychotherapy. The chapters also include summaries, reflective questions and explanations of key terms to reinforce themes and topics. The authors provide practical ideas for applying theory across agency contexts including inpatient hospital settings and explore the potential opportunities and future directions for the field. This is a must-read book for students who work with people with learning disabilities including nurses, psychologists, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, psychiatrists and social workers.

The authors bring together the relevant theory for social workers, nurses, teachers and others working with people with learning disabilities. Using jargon-free explanations and case examples, they present the information needed to inform good practice.

"I wish I had this book when I started teaching! Every teacher starts out with an empty bag of tricks; it is nice to peek into someone′s bag!" —Nicole Guyon, Special Education Teacher Westerly School Department, Cranston, RI Classroom-tested strategies that help students with learning disabilities succeed! Teachers are often challenged to help students with learning disabilities reach their full academic potential. Written with humor and empathy, this engaging book offers a straightforward approach to skillful teaching of students with learning disabilities. Developed for K–12 general and special education classrooms, this resource draws on the author′s 30 years of teaching experience to help teachers gain a greater understanding of students′ learning differences and meet individual needs. Strategies are organized by skills—including reading, writing, math, organization, attention, and test-taking—helping teachers quickly identify the best techniques for assisting each student and encouraging independent learning. Readers will find: More than 100 practical strategies, interventions, and activities that build students′ academic abilities Recommendations on appropriate accommodations, assessment techniques, and family communication Support for complying with recent federal mandates related to learning disabilities, including the ADA, Section 504, and the reauthorization of IDEA 2004 Helpful guidance and stories from the author′s own classroom experiences Ready-to-use tools, forms, and guides Discover innovative, easy-to-implement teaching methods that overcome barriers to learning and help students with special needs thrive in your classroom.

Who are the people we describe as having learning or intellectual disability? Many clinical psychologists working in a mental health setting are now encountering people with learning disabilities, in some cases for the first time. This book provides the background information and understanding required to provide a basis for a truly inclusive and effective service for people with learning disability. In A Guide to Psychological Understanding of People with Learning Disabilities, Jenny Webb argues that we need a new, clinically-based definition of learning disability and an approach which integrates scientific rigour with humanistic concern for this group of people, who are so often vulnerable to misunderstanding and marginalisation. Psychological approaches need to be grounded in an understanding of historical, theoretical and ethical influences as well as a body of knowledge from other disciplines. The Eight Domains is a simple but holistic method for information gathering, while The Three Stories is an integrative model of formulation for use in relation for those people whose needs do not fit neatly into any one theory. Divided into three sections, the book explores: Understanding the context Understanding the person: eight domains Making sense: three stories. This book provides an invaluable guide for trainee clinical psychologists and their supervisors and tutors, working with adults with learning disability. It will also be valuable for clinical psychologists working in mainstream settings who may now be receiving referrals for people with learning disability and want to update their skills.

Do you want to make a positive difference to the lives of those with a learning disability? In Living Fulfilled Lives, Sue Sutton draws together skills and knowledge from different disciplines and helps make us all aware of the hopes and dreams of those with a learning disability and empower them to live the fulfilled lives they deserve.

A comprehensive and practical resource for all speech and language therapists and students, this book covers all aspects of working with this client group. Written by the author of the hugely successful "Talkabout", each section gives the reader a theoretical background of the subject under discussion, practical suggestions and formats for assessment, a guide to intervention as well as a clear and worked-out example. In addition, the author addresses staff training, group therapy, accessing the criminal justice system and working with a multi-disciplinary team.

This book is part of the highly successful Transforming Social Work Practice series and is written specifically to support students on the social work degree. Full of practical activities, case studies and opportunities for students to critically reflect and explore theory and practice. Current practice in the field was driven by the government White Paper 'Valuing People' (2001) which declared some radical aims for services with people with learning difficulties. Now somewhat compromised by the local authority austerity measures, the goals set by 'Valuing People' are nevertheless still important. This third edition seeks to confirm and strenghten social work values and priciples so that the progress and successes achieved by 'Valuing People' can continue. Case studies and activities draw out the key points and reinforce learning. Summaries of contemporary research are included, as are suggestions for further reading and coverage of current government guidance and policy documents. By examining the varied roles that a social worker might undertake in this field, the authors portray a positive picture of working with people with learning difficulties: the achievements and satisfaction, and the learning and understanding that can be gained. They also highlight the need for recognition of vulnerability, the risk of isolation, oppression and abuse, and the continuing political struggle to establish and protect the rights of the individual. Paul Williams has over 40 years' experience of working with people with learning difficulties. He was a founder member of the organisation 'Values into Action' which campaigned for rights, inclusion and community-based services for people with learning difficulties. He is co-author of books on self-advocacy and anti-oppressive practice. A former lecturer in social work at the University of Reading, he is now retired. Michelle Evans has 14 years of practice in all areas of sensory need, including Deaf/deafness, visual impairment and Deafblindness. She has a first class honours degree in social work and has worked as a care manager in adult services and a social worker in children's services. She has a particular interest in methods of social research which contribute to raising sensory awareness in social work/ care management. She lectures social work students at London South Bank University and develops and delivers sensory awareness training to practitioners and managers.

A comprehensive introduction to working with people with learning disabilities, this guide provides the theoretical understanding needed to inform good practice and to help improve the quality of life of people within this group. Using accessible language and case examples, the authors discuss both psychological and practical theories, including: * person-centred and behavioural approaches * anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive approaches * systems theory * task centred approach * role theory. Emphasising empowerment and inclusion of those with learning disabilities, they relate theory to issues such as loss and bereavement, sexuality and social stigma. They also provide guidance for practitioners on social policy and legislation and explore crisis intervention, values and ethics, advocacy and joint agency work, making this an extremely useful resource for social workers, nurses, teachers care workers and others working with people with learning disabilities.