Learning difficulties constitute the lived experiences of children and adults with unique dispositions and cognitive profiles who find themselves in learning environments that offer both opportunities and challenges. Young people and adults with learning difficulties go to schools, attend clinics and pursue further education. In this issue of the Australian Journal of Learning Difficulties, these different contexts provide the backdrop for an exploration of the nature and impact of learning difficulties and disabilities. The challenges experienced by the individuals discussed in this issue include reading difficulties, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder, non-verbal learning disability and Down syndrome. The learning contexts involved include mainstream primary schools and high schools, special education schools and university. The authors contributing to this issue have been particularly interested in the interaction between the individuals and the learning contexts in which they find themselves, and have explored, through surveys and case studies, how individuals might experience these contexts and be supported in their learning. Lim, Arciuli, and Munro (2017, this issue) have investigated the impact of an established literacy intervention programme, Multilit, on the reading strategies of five students with Down syndrome. The importance of students with Down syndrome acquiring functional literacy skills cannot be overstated, and this study provides a useful and ecologically valid contribution to research in this area. The investigators used a case study approach to identify changes in the reading skills of the students, aged 11– 15 years, by analysing reading errors and tracking reading fluency. The context of this study was particularly interesting; the authors chose to investigate the reading skills of the students in the naturalistic context of shared parent–child story reading. The possible contribution of the Mulitlit intervention to changes in error type and increased reading fluency is considered. It is very important that researchers and practitioners come to understand the range of challenges faced by individual learners in school, vocational education and university settings. Non-verbal learning disability confers one such challenge. Non-verbal learning disability is much less commonly diagnosed than dyslexia or language impairment, although it can also impact significantly on learning to read and general classroom functioning. In a comprehensive exploration, Brenchley and Costello (2018, this issue) use a case study approach to highlight how this condition affects students in the context of their school experiences. The features and presentation of non-verbal learning disabilities are explained, and their impact on classroom and social functioning teased out. The impact of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder on adolescent boys in the classroom is explored by Gibbs (2017, this issue). The article is again based on a small, case study approach, involving a group of secondary students enrolled at an AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF LEARNING DIFFICULTIES

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社论

学习困难构成了具有独特性格和认知特征的儿童和成人的生活经历，他们发现自己处于提供机会和挑战的学习环境中。有学习困难的年轻人和成年人上学、上诊所和继续深造。在本期澳大利亚学习困难杂志中，这些不同的背景为探索学习困难和残疾的性质和影响提供了背景。本期讨论的个人所经历的挑战包括阅读困难、注意力缺陷多动障碍、非语言学习障碍和唐氏综合症。所涉及的学习环境包括主流小学和高中、特殊教育学校和大学。为这个问题做出贡献的作者对个人与他们所处的学习环境之间的相互作用特别感兴趣，并通过调查和案例研究探索了个人如何体验这些环境并在他们的学习中得到支持。Lim、Arciuli 和 Munro（2017 年，本期）调查了一项既定的识字干预计划 Multilit 对五名唐氏综合症学生阅读策略的影响。唐氏综合症学生获得功能性读写技能的重要性怎么强调都不为过，这项研究为该领域的研究提供了有用且生态有效的贡献。调查人员使用案例研究方法来确定 11-15 岁学生的阅读技能变化，通过分析阅读错误和跟踪阅读流畅度。这项研究的背景特别有趣。作者选择在共享亲子故事阅读的自然主义背景下调查学生的阅读技巧。考虑了 Mulitlit 干预对改变错误类型和提高阅读流畅度的可能贡献。研究人员和从业人员了解个别学习者在学校、职业教育和大学环境中面临的挑战范围非常重要。非语言学习障碍带来了这样一种挑战。与阅读障碍或语言障碍相比，非语言学习障碍的诊断率要低得多，尽管它也会对阅读学习和一般课堂功能产生重大影响。在全面探索中，Brenchley 和 Costello（2018 年，本期）使用案例研究方法来强调这种情况如何影响学生在学校经历的背景下。解释了非语言学习障碍的特征和表现，并梳理了它们对课堂和社会功能的影响。Gibbs（2017，本期）探讨了注意力缺陷/多动障碍对课堂上青春期男孩的影响。这篇文章再次基于一个小型案例研究方法，涉及一组在澳大利亚学习困难杂志上注册的中学生 以及它们对课堂和社会功能的影响。Gibbs（2017，本期）探讨了注意力缺陷/多动障碍对课堂上青春期男孩的影响。这篇文章再次基于一个小型案例研究方法，涉及一组在澳大利亚学习困难杂志上注册的中学生 以及它们对课堂和社会功能的影响。Gibbs（2017，本期）探讨了注意力缺陷/多动障碍对课堂上青春期男孩的影响。这篇文章再次基于一个小型案例研究方法，涉及一组在澳大利亚学习困难杂志上注册的中学生