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The following paper has been put together by women with learning difficulties and some non‐disabled women who support them. In their own words they speak about sexual abuse and describe the response by Powerhouse and Beverley Lewis House, which they have contributed to and benefited from.

This paper traces the impact of the Report of the Further Education Funding Council's committee on learning difficulties and/or disabilities on educational opportunities for people with learning disabilities. Based on the principle of inclusion, the Report made sixty recommendations aimed at improving the quality of further education for people with learning disabilities. While approximately one third of the proposals have now been accepted by the funding council, this paper argues that only legislative reform can achieve the recommended changes to the post‐16 curriculum and to inter‐agency working.

This article aims to propose an adaptation algorithm that combines the analytical hierarchy process (AHP), a rule-based system, and a k-means clustering algorithm. Informatic tools are very useful to enhance the learning process in the classroom. The large variety of these tools require advanced decision-making techniques to select parameters, such as student profiles and preferences, to adjust content and information display, according to specific characteristics and necessities of students. They are part of the Kamachiy–Idukay (KI), a platform to offer adaptative educational services to students with learning difficulties or disabilities.

The design and implementation of the adaptation algorithm comprises the following phases: utilization of the AHP to determine the most important student parameters, parameter to take into account in the adaptation process, such as preferences, learning styles, performance in language, attention and memory aspects and disabilities; designing the first part of the adaptation algorithm, based on a rule-based system; designing the second part of the adaptation algorithm, based on k-means clustering; integration of the adaptation algorithm to KI; and validation of the approach in a primary school in Bogotá (Colombia).

The main approach is the application of computational techniques, namely, rule-based systems and k-means clustering, plus an AHP prioritization at design time to yield a system to support the teaching–learning process for students with disabilities or learning difficulties.

The algorithm found several groups of students with specific learning difficulties that required adapted activities. The algorithm also prioritized activities according to learning style and preferences. The results of the application of this system in a real classroom yielded positive results.

The algorithm performs adaptation for students with mild disabilities or learning difficulties (language, attention and memory). The algorithm does not address severe disabilities that could greatly affect cognitive abilities.

The main contribution of this paper is an adaptation algorithm with the following distinctive characteristics, namely, designed utilizing the AHP, which ensures a proper prioritization of the student characteristics in the adaptation process, and utilizes a rule-based system to identify different adaptation scenarios and k-means clustering to group students with similar adaptation requirements.

There has been a policy for including pupils with severe, profound and multiple learning difficulties in mainstream schools in England since the 1980s. However, effective inclusive education has proved to be very difficult to achieve in practice. Currently, there is a mixed economy of special and mainstream schools offering inclusive education, and we argue that the place of education is less important than the quality of that education. Ideally, pupils with S/PMLD would be educated in their own local communities, alongside their non-disabled peers, but this situation is not yet established in English schools.

Students have learning difficulties, mainly in processes that involve attention and interpretation of written or spoken language. Technological tools allow to create computational platforms with adaptation aspects depending on the student’s characteristics. It is also important to highlight the progress of the measurement of cognitive processes such as attention through NeuroSky’s MindWave EEG sensors. This paper aims to present the results of analyzing attention levels of children with learning difficulties, based on the acquired brain waves. As a final result, an adaptive computational system that displays educational activities regarding educational profiles of children is obtained.

The Kamachiy–Idukay platform was chosen to make the validation. The platform generates the educational activities according to the students’ profile. The validation phases were identification of the test environment, the first environment required a scenario that involved students with learning difficulties, to verify the functionality of the system, when analyzing cases of the students with learning difficulties; identification of two validation criteria, type of educational activity and attention difficulties of the students; and analysis of the brain signal when children interact with the educational content.

The adaptation of contents that include music and animations generate higher levels of attention in students with difficulty. The analysis of signals from the NeuroSky sensor to determine the attentional levels in children allowed a generation of content adapted to the characteristics of the difficulty in each child.

For the validation, it was necessary at the beginning of the activity to determine the stability of the signal emitted by the NeuroSky sensor. Two cases were studied in children with difficulty and their measure of attention versus adaptive contents.

A k-means algorithm was used to establish the attention levels of the children.

Children with learning difficulties have different learning styles, which implies an adaptation of content that generates an attentional process according to their characteristics.

Evaluation content adaptation taking into account the signal brain sensor NeuroSky for learning process. The signal brain of the student when interacting with the activities is include in the student profile.

This article is based on a three‐year research project designed to improve the quality of life of people with profound and complex learning difficulties, particularly during periods of transition. Following a survey of post‐school opportunities, the project adopted an action research approach in four case study sites. The project concluded that it was important not only to support transitions but also to enable individuals to influence and direct change in their own lives. Commitment to increasing local opportunities, combined with a focus on staff development, is fundamental to enhancing the quality of the lives of people with profound and complex learning difficulties and those who support them.

Students with mathematics-related learning difficulties (MLD) experience difficulties in many areas of mathematics achievement; without intervention, these difficulties will persist. In this chapter, I first review research examined cognitive processes deficits of MLD. Because difficulties in learning mathematics are presumably due to these cognitive deficits, findings of these studies can shed light on developing effective intervention programs. Second, using Response to Intervention (RTI) as a framework to distinguish the intensity level of intervention, I review findings from existing Tier 2 and Tier 3 intervention studies and synthesize the instructional approaches used in these studies as well as the factors researchers used to intensify the intervention. Finally, Data-Based Individualization (DBI), a systematic approach to intensify intervention, commonly used at the Tier 3 level, is review. Suggestions for future research directions for intensive mathematics intervention are also provided.

This article emphasises the importance of meeting the counselling and therapy needs of people with learning difficulties who have been sexually abused, citing a case study example of the themes, issues and benefits which this way of working can generate.

The purpose of this paper is to make the case for the novel use of lesson study (LS) for assessment purposes, in addition to its typical use to develop teaching and for professional development. The specific use of LS for assessment in this paper is for pupils experiencing learning difficulties in order to enhance understanding of their needs.

The paper explains briefly the origins and principles of LS and draws on evidence from various studies for why and how it can be used for assessment purposes. The key role of formative assessment in the LS process is connected to the parallel developments of dynamic assessment and the response to instruction approach to the assessment of pupils with learning difficulties.

The paper concludes with an account of how the assessment use of LS can be translated into practical assessment procedures.

The value of the paper is in the original and explicit explanation and justification of the use of LS principles for formative assessment of pupils with learning difficulties.

The purpose of this paper is to critically explore the impact of anti-social behaviour orders (ASBOs) on young people with mild learning disabilities. In an attempt to identify why young people (under the age of 18) with learning disabilities are exposed to the criminal justice system, an emerging body of evidence is considered. The research provides an insight into some of the difficulties vulnerable young people may encounter, such as receiving unrealistic prohibitions and the lack of support provided after receiving a court order. The research also highlights the lack of professional awareness and understanding of learning disabilities and considers the level of training available to professionals. The paper closes with a discussion of the themes identified from the literature reviewed and some of the changes proposed by the coalition government regarding the future of the criminal justice system.

Although a strict systematic review of the literature was not required for the literature review, a less rigorous systematic approach was employed. When searching for literature, the general principles and guidelines of the Cochrane Collaboration were employed, this included inclusion and exclusion criteria. The eligibility criteria guided the focus of the literature review and determined the relevance of the research. During the literature review it was recognised that much of the research is discussion/review based, and currently there is a limited amount of empirical research available. An eco-systems perspective was employed to consider the connections between young people, the environment and anti-social behaviour (ASB).

The findings from the literature review, illustrate a growing body of evidence which suggests that young people with learning disabilities have been “caught up” in ASB measures. It is positive that more recently, there has been a much needed focus on early identification and diversion away from the criminal justice system, for those with mental health conditions and learning disabilities. The research findings presented by Cant and Standen, and Talbot, provide possible explanations as to why vulnerable young people are made subject to ASBOs. Indeed this lack of sufficient training has not gone unnoticed by other researchers.

Although the author is aware of the valuable insight qualitative research can provide, the methodological limitations raise questions regarding the validity of the research the author has considered, especially as most of the research the author has drawn upon is based on exploratory approaches. Nevertheless, the concurring themes drawn from the research findings raise much curiosity around the potential links between disability awareness training and the identification of young people with mild learning disabilities.

Despite the governments recent proposal to abolish the ASBO and introduce a new approach to tackling ASB, it appears unclear as to how the new measures will differ from the existing ones. The recent proposed measures are set out in the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. Although the accompanying guidance for frontline professionals clearly sets out the need for early intervention, which sits alongside a new menu of ASB powers, including the Criminal Behaviour Order (which seems very similar to the ASBO), it is disappointing that the guidance does not give any direction of how new measures will impact on young people with learning disabilities.

Although the ASBO was not initially designed to target children and young people, it is clear from the literature that certain families and young people are often singled out and labelled as “anti-social”. It is unsurprising, that children and young people from poor families, with low educational attainment, limited employment opportunities and live in the most marginalised and deprived communities are amongst those who are singled out as being particularly problematic.

The research findings have helped me to understand some of the potential difficulties vulnerable young people may encounter if they come into contact with the criminal justice system. As there appears to be a lack of empirical research available which considers the connections between learning disabilities and ASBOs, further research within this area of practice would be beneficial. The research invites an alternative perspective which adds to the existing literature.