“Phew! Wot A Scorcher!” screams the newspaper headlines as the temperature rises to new record levels once again, but for families with children with additional needs, the screams are all too real as they and their children struggle to cope with the heat.
So, here’s some links to places that families of children with additional needs can go to get some help and advice as we all try to support our children in a heatwave…
Mummy Est.2014
This is a great website for families of children with additional needs, and a recent blog post is packed with helpful tips to cope with the heat.
Heatwave with kids: Ways to handle a heatwave
https://mummyest2014.wordpress.com/2022/07/16/heatwave-with-kids-ways-to-handle-to-heatwave/
Red Cross
Always a useful resource for health and safety tips, the Red Cross website has a great article with seven things to remember in a heatwave.
Heatwave UK: Top tips for keeping cool
https://www.redcross.org.uk/stories/health-and-social-care/first-aid/beat-the-hot-weather-top-tips-for-staying-cool
BBC News
The Disability area of the BBC News website is always worth a look, and it currently has a really helpful article about cooling solutions for disabled people of any age, including children.
Disability and the heatwave: Cooling solutions and disability as weather alert goes red
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/disability-62136032
UK Gov
There is lots of advice coming from the Government at the moment about the heatwave, but this article from the Education Hub also offers some helpful info about what to look out for if our children are overheating.
Advice for schools and other education settings during a heatwave
https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2022/07/14/advice-for-schools-and-other-education-settings-during-a-heatwave/
The SEN Resources Blog
Another useful website for families and carers to explore anyway, but the SEN Resources Blog also has this useful article to help keep our children cool during the heatwave.
How To Keep Kids Cool During The Heatwave
https://senresourcesblog.com/2022/07/16/how-to-keep-kids-cool-during-the-heatwave/
And finally… here’s some resources from Twinkl to help to explain about the heatwave to your additional needs children…
Twinkl
Lots of resources including visuals to help you to explain about the heatwave to your child
https://www.twinkl.co.uk/search?q=heatwave&c=244&r=parent
I hope this provides you with a head start as you look to keep your child with additional needs safe and cool during the heatwave, and as you help them to understand more about the heatwave too.
Keep safe!
Mark Arnold
Image and text © Mark Arnold/The Additional Needs Blogfather
See also:
10 Top Tips For A Successful Summer Holiday
https://theadditionalneedsblogfather.com/2022/04/28/10-top-tips-summer-holiday/
10 Travel Tips For Days Out With Children With Additional Needs
https://theadditionalneedsblogfather.com/2022/04/13/10-travel-tips/
The Additional Needs Blogfather 
Great list of places to check out. It’s definitely a new experience trying to navigate two sen children through this.
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