Issue 1

I am delighted to be able to bring you such a rich and diverse range of articles for this very first AHEAD Journal. We plan to publish two editions a year. I hope you will find it useful and stimulating – do feel free to share it amongst your colleagues and networks. I hope it might also inspire you to write something for a future edition of the Journal yourself. Contact our Sub-editor Lorraine Gallagher for details on how to submit an article lorraine.gallagher@ahead.ie  We would also welcome your feedback on the Journal and suggestion for other topics you would like to see covered.

We start the Journal with two articles on universal design for learning which give some welcome definitions and ideas on how to move forward. You might then want to consider attending the AHEAD conference in March which explores the UDL framework.

Supporting students with mental health difficulties is high on the agenda for practitioners and Emma Farrell’s research aims to give insight from the student’s point of view.

It’s good to have employer input and James Quinn’s experience leads into Mary Quirk and Fiona Ring’s article on the support the WAM programme has given to employers and students in getting into work.

But the seeds of success are sown early and Patricia McCarthy’s work highlights the importance of providing real choices for disabled pupils at secondary level.

I do hope you enjoy a good read, and along with all my AHEAD colleagues, I wish you a Merry Christmas and happy holiday season and successful new year in 2015.

Barbara Waters, Editor

December 2014