Inclusion advice: Moderate learning difficulties

To what extent students with moderate learning difficulties (MLD) should be included in the mainstream secondary setting is a question that touches on ideology and politics and will rapidly divide an audience.

MLD refers to students whose attainment is significantly below the expected levels for most curriculum areas despite appropriate interventions.

The needs of these students cannot be met without additional strategies and levels of differentiation above that which is classed as normal for their peers.

MLD students are often known by their special need name, such as autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language difficulties, Down Syndrome etc.

Including MLD in the mainstream is really hard – it requires time, thought and knowledge. Many secondary teachers simply do not have the training to be able to teach a student who is learning significantly below the national average. This article lays out a number of common difficulties encountered with trying to integrate MLD students and some recommendations to support their inclusion.