'Joe is Joe, a different label is not going to make him suddenly think he is someone else' (Joe's Mum)

Quotations like this about five year old Joe are used to illustrate this text, which draws on the experience of learning disabilities in the family. Peter Burke and Katy Cigno provide helpful definitions and reflect on some preliminary, but important theoretical ideas linking to social exclusion and vulnerability. Drawing on research and experience, different aspects of family lives are illustrated in all their diversity. The implications of stressful times, major upheavals and...