Children with profound and multiple learning difficulties: laughter, capability and relating to others

Abstract

There are numerous ways in which human beings respond to humour: they smile, grin, laugh, giggle or guffaw, and their behaviour might include anything from a glint in the eye to an uncontrollable heaving of the whole body. We consider how laughter is displayed in the lives of four children with profound and multiple learning difficulties and disabilities (PMLD), and reflect on what this reveals about their capabilities and relationships. We look at examples of absurdity and incongruity as elements of humour, and we explore how these create a space for ‘relational commonality’ between people whose differences are many and profound. We suggest that laughter, and involvement in humorous interaction, enables children with PMLD to express themselves, to develop relations with others and to be seen as fully our fellow human beings.