REAL MEN, REAL WOMEN, REAL LIVES - GENDER ISSUES IN LEARNING-DISABILITIES AND CHALLENGING BEHAVIOR

This article seeks to define gender issues and explores the significan ce of these issues for challenging behaviour in the field of learning disability. It is argued that lack of awareness about these issues con tributes to the development of challenging behaviour and to difficulti es in identifying the needs expressed through these behaviours, whatev er their origin. Specific areas examined include models of residential provision for adults, prioritisation of service activities, attributi on processes (needs identification), and the sexuality of people with learning disabilities. In each area issues are raised and the implicat ions for service practice defined.