Parents with learning difficulties

Learning curves. The assessment of parents with a learning disability: a manual for practitioners

Penny Morgan and Andy Goff. 2004. Published by Norfolk Area Child Protection Committee, NCC Social Services Department, The Pineapple, 63 Bracondale, Norwich NR1 2SQ. Cost: £5 plus £3 P&P. Cheques payable to `Norfolk County Council'. Enquiries to paul.shreeve@norfolk.gov.uk

Kathy Saunders, disabled parent and Disabled Parents Network contact in Norfolk, UK, reviews Learning curves by Penny Morgan and Andy Goff.

Learning curves aims to promote an awareness of the key issues involved when assessing families where a parent may have a learning disability. It reflects an understanding that appropriate support for learning disabled parents is fundamental in achieving the safety and welfare of their children.

Both Penny Morgan, a clinical psychologist, and Andy Goff, a children's services assessment manager, are involved with assessments at first hand. They note that changing values within society, as reflected in recent laws, require a continual re-evaluation of the professional stance.

The authors do not flinch from acknowledging that parents with learning disabilities represent a sizeable population whose needs are `neither adequately nor coherently' addressed. They reflect that parents in this group are more likely to have to raise their families under conditions of poverty, inadequate housing, harassment and unstable relationships, while also being more susceptible to the stress created by those conditions and having poorer coping skills. They observe that poor childhood life experience and a lack of good parental role models for many people with learning disabilities is linked with potential problems in developing secure child-parent relationships.

The authors present an intensely critical analysis of the `support gap' in which current service delivery serves to undermine rather than enable parents with learning disability, including the presumption of incompetence, a deficiency perspective and system abuse, organisational barriers, crisis driven support and `blaming the victim'. They highlight more appropriate responses such as needs-led support, early identification and, especially, a time perspective which recognises that a range of teaching and support techniques over an extended period of time is often needed.

Other sections explain legal considerations, statutory provision and the role of other professionals. Positive interventions, strategies for teaching basic skills, and a resume of the main theoretical approaches to parent-child attachment are described.

The underlying constructive philosophy of this manual is clear and is a welcome advance in the perception of parental learning disability by childcare professionals.

Kathy Saunders

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