Communication Matters: Three Scoping Studies about the Experiences of Children with Learning Difficulties, and their Families, in Scotland

In 2018 Salvesen Mindroom Centre commissioned the Childhood and Youth Studies Research Group (University of Edinburgh) to conduct scoping studies on three key issues for children with learning difficulties and their families:
• How professionals manage parental requests for particular therapies for children with learning difficulties
• Information needs of parents and carers of children with learning difficulties
• Positive experiences of mainstream schooling
The three areas were explored through conversations with professionals, parents and carers and children.1 Each area was investigated separately: there was no overlap between the people taking part in each study.
This report presents the key themes for each of the three studies and the commonalities across them. These are exploratory studies aiming to identify gaps in knowledge and key questions for future research.