Emotional Development and Intellectual Disability : A guide to understanding emotional development and its implications for practice

This book makes an important contribution to a more comprehensive understanding of emotional development and its importance in understanding how best to support children and adults with intellectual disabilities.

This important book recognises the complexity and importance of emotions and emotional development in the needs and lives of people with intellectual disabilities (learning disabilities), and in their care and support. Combining research, assessment and practice, and bringing together a team of experts and advisers in the field, enables exploration of this complex topic from a number of positive perspectives, including emotional development as an adaptive behaviour, as a support need, and as a quality of life domain. With insights into the intertwined connection between the emotions and the brain, the book systematically sets out theoretical frameworks, themes of emotional development, diagnostics and support, before considering whether it is possible to provide an integrative model as a basis for theory, everyday practice and research. It is a book that is relevant to everyone working in the field of intellectual disability as a key reference for practice, education, policy-making and research.