Published online by Cambridge University Press: 26 February 2016
Thank you for inviting me to deliver the Des English Memorial Lecture for the second time – it's becoming a bit of a habit!
Having taken the opportunity to read several of the Des English lectures that have been published over the years, it appears that the tradition of this lecture is often to provide some commentary on changes that have occurred during the career of the person delivering the address, in relation to the field of special education. There is more than a little reminiscing and nostalgia in Des English lectures and a great many references to ‘journeys’ by various Des English presenters suggesting a sense of progress or at least progression over time.