Treating the whole person: a counseling, psychology and support model for learners with learning difficulty and disabilities

Concerned about traditional practice that attempted to manage the challenging behavior of learners with learning difficulty and disabilities (LLDD) in learning and social environments, I questioned the extent to which they could manage themselves. From 265 students, 15 males, median age of 19, were invited to participate in 12 weekly one-hour focus groups’ discussions specific to the challenging behavior of three case study students drawn from the 15; they also participated in 12 weekly one-hour interviews that addressed challenging behavior. Thematic analysis yielded five themes related to different versions of LLDD either acting responsibly or irresponsibly: I’ve got a problem, I told staff, I can’t, I’m disabled, and I’m not normal. Discursive analysis highlighted five variable communicative and behavior patterns: conditioned-response, role specific, inner-conflicted, retreating, and higher order in response to current practice, and students use defensive disability language, defensive positional stances, and power plays (PPs) to assert power over practitioners; yet, when invited to transition from one identity to another one, LLDD proved able to manage their challenging behavior responsibly.