Learning Disability: A Life Cycle Approach to Valuing People

What kinds of discontinuities in their life experiences do people with learning disabilities and their families face over the life-cycle? How can people with learning disabilities and their families be helped to lead more valued, healthy and socially included lives throughout the life-cycle? How best can practitioners and others support people with learning disabilities to lead valued and healthy lives? The book is intended as a reader for diploma and undergraduate students. It describes the experiences of people with learning disabilities and their families from cradle to grave, that is over the entire life-cycle. Importantly, it gives prominence to the voice of people with learning disabilities and their families. By adopting a life-cycle approach it is possible to address key questions in people's lives, and suggest how many of these can be anticipated or overcome. Lessons for health and social care practitioners are reviewed.