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This presentation details a doctoral research project which employed qualitative methodology to explore parents' and nursery staff conceptualisations of development for children with profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD). Views were obtained from individual interviews and from two focus groups involving both sets of participants. The main themes emerging from the data indicate that how progress is perceived is very much influenced by cultural norms and by the extent to which those supporting a child adhere to a linear trajectory of progress. This then informs the strategies that are employed to promote a child's progress. Other mediating factors such as a child's aetiology and presentation are discussed. Comparison will also be made to cultural norms of disability in Japan. Further information will also be provided about a proposed cultural-transactional model of development which enables psychologists and other professionals to better comprehend the factors informing individual understandings of development for children with PMLD. This then enables professionals to identify why, at times, there may be a mismatch between parents' and education staff views and to address this explicitly. A multi-agency intervention is also detailed which enables parents and staff to work together in assessing and addressing the progress of young children with PMLD. Initial findings suggest that shared understandings of development result in parents and staff noting more specific examples of a child's progress. Biography Kirstie Rees is a Depute Principal Educational Psychologist working near Glasgow in Scotland. This involves overseeing a team that provides a psychological service to children and young people between the ages of 0-18 in nurseries and in schools. This includes providing consultation, assessment, training and intervention in areas such as autism, learning difficulties and mental health. Kirstie specialises in supporting children and young people with PMLD and their families. She has worked with schools and families to develop a meaningful curriculum for this group of learners, and to assess and address behaviours which are deemed to be challenging. Kirstie has also conducted a significant amount of research in this area; she was the lead author on the 'South Lanarkshire Framework for supporting pupils with severe and proving learning needs' (Rees, Tully and Ferguson, 2017) and has written a number of articles published in educational and psychology journals. Kirstie's recent doctoral work at Dundee University focuses on exploring parents' and education staff conceptualisations of the development of children with PMLD and the factors which influence people's beliefs about a child's progress. The research has led to a proposed model for practice and a multi-agency intervention which aims to ensure that both parents and staff notice more specific examples of a child's progress.

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The term profound/multiple disabilities (PMD) refers to conditions in which the person has a severe to profound intellectual disability plus severe physical impairments. As well, such individuals also often have co-morbid vision and/or hearing impairment and chronic health conditions, such as epilepsy. About 0.13% of the school aged population have PMD. Children with PMD often appear to be extremely unresponsive to instruction and indeed even to any type of environmental stimulation. However, children with PMD have been anecdotally reported to show subtle signs of engagement or responsiveness in relation to different activities. A major educational priority for children with PMD is to increase their levels of engagement so that they are then more likely to benefit from instruction. However, one barrier to increasing engagement is the difficulty of determining when a child with PMD is in fact sufficiently alert and engaged. Thus, a major priority for such children is to increase the amount of time that they are alert and actively engaged. This research study examined the extent to which five children with profound/multiple impairments aged 9 – 13 years were reported by carers to indicate engagement and the extent to which these reported indices of responsiveness varied in relation to differing levels of environmental stimulation. Each child was directly observed across three different environmental conditions that varied in terms of the amount and type of stimulation provided. The child's level of engagement/responsiveness under each condition from videotapes. Findings suggested a number of potential indices of engagement/responsiveness did seem to vary reliably and consistently in relation to the amount and type of environmental stimulation being provided. These results suggest that children who appear largely passive and unresponsive might show subtle signs of engagement/responsiveness in response to higher levels of environmental stimulation. The presence of these indicators might signal times when the child is actively engaged and more likely to be responsive to instruction. This project is significant because this approach could point to a reliable, yet practical and easy method for determining the individual with PMD's level of alertness and engagement. Biography Doctor Kathleen Tait is a special educator and developmental psychologist. Her area of specialization is assessment and intervention for individuals who have limited or no spoken language. Kathleen has authored 17 book chapters and over 50 journal articles. Her books are on the top ten best seller list of Oxford University Press. Her expertise stems from 25-years-experience in the United Kingdom, Brunei, Hong Kong, Mainland China, and Australia. Kathleen describes her research projects as“practical and applied”as she aims to improve the educational and functional outcomes for individuals with profound multiple disabilities, their families, teachers, and allied health professionals. Kathleen's special interests include functional assessment and the development of communication - especially in the area of prelinguistic behaviours. Kathleen has been awarded: an Australian Postgraduate Research Award at the University of Queensland; a Faculty of Excellence in Teaching Award at the University of Sydney and a Vice Chancellor Excellence in Teaching and Learning Award at Macquarie University. She has one daughter. Kathleen is currently employed as the Academic Program-Director of Post-Graduate Studies in Special Education at Macquarie University, Australia.

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