Enhancing Wellbeing and Independence for Young People with Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties

This unique resource book explores what wellbeing, community participation and independence mean to young people with profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD). Bringing together results of an extensive survey of more than 100 schools that teach young people with PMLD, the authors present many innovative ways in which schools are working to ensure young people with PMLD have lives of value that are as rich and meaningful as possible.

Organised into three cohesive parts, this book provides a comprehensive insight into established theories and current perspectives on wellbeing and independence for people with PMLD before exploring the results from the Lives Lived Well survey and other international research, and then it helpfully illustrates best practice in action with a close look at an established, very successful specialist school.

This book can be used as a guide, resource and inspiration for adults sharing their lives with young people with PMLD – whether practitioners or parents – and concludes by asking what we can learn from these young people to support us all in living life to the full.

Andrew Colley is former Senior Lecturer in Special Education at the University of East London, UK. He has master’s degrees in special education from the Universities of Birmingham and Cambridge and has taught young people with profound and multiple learning difficulties at schools in Essex and Cambridgeshire.

Julie Tilbury is Lead Teacher for children with profound and multiple learning difficulties at Chailey Heritage School in East Sussex, UK, and has worked in special schools for 30□ years. She has a master’s degree in special education from the University of Birmingham and is studying for an EdD at the University of Buckingham.