These posts have some link to films or media, either as inspiration for the blog, or as a source of study material.
This week, the BBC announced a new presenter for their premier younger children’s media channel, CBeebies. What made this announcement newsworthy, and why in particular it matters to this blog, is that 20-year-old George Webster has Down’s Syndrome. George isn’t the first BBC presenter to have a disability or difference; former CBeebies presenter Cerrie Burnell, … Continue reading George Webster And CBeebies: Why Disability Representation Matters
As the dust settles from another successful Paralympic Games, what is the ongoing reality for disabled people in the UK? We asked Sam Milne, a wheelchair basketball player with Leicester Cobras, and who featured in the recent BBC News broadcast about the Paralympics legacy and the ‘WeThe15’ campaign representing the 15% of the world's population … Continue reading Samantha Milne – Crusader, Wheelchair Basketball Player, Superhero
Film Title: The Walk That Made Me Year of Release: 2021 Written by: Chris Packham for BBC Certificate: N/A Running time: 59 minutes No longer available on BBC iPlayer, but can still be found on YouTube here: The Walk That Made Me BBC iPlayer summary: “Chris Packham explores his past as he walks a familiar path in the Hampshire countryside. … Continue reading The Walk That Made Me – A Review And Study Plan
As lockdown restrictions gradually ease, in line with Government guidance, churches across all four nations of the United Kingdom are beginning to put serious thought into what this means for the opening of church buildings and the resumption of in-building activity, including children’s and youth work.Over the past year, some children’s and youth work has … Continue reading Ohana Means Family. Family Means No One Gets Left Behind Or Forgotten.
Use this review and study plan alongside the film ‘The Witches’ to understand better the themes of pain, loss and loneliness of becoming an orphan, hard lessons about fairness, and the finding of a friend. The battle between ‘good’ and ‘evil’ flows through the film, with blurred edges as ‘good’ and ‘alternative’ collide. Other themes … Continue reading ‘The Witches’ – A Review And Study Plan
‘Wonder’ – A Review And Study Plan Use this review and study plan alongside the film 'Wonder' to understand better the world of children who are 'different', and their families. This study plan is primarily created to be used with children and young people, e.g. in a youth group setting, but could also easily be … Continue reading ‘Wonder’ – A Review And Study Plan
As Noddy Holder of ‘Slade’ yells at us from about the middle of September every year… “It’s Chriiisssttt-mmmaaaaasssss!!!” You either started wearing your Christmas jumper in October, had your decorations up in November and have already watched ‘Elf’ 12 times this season, or like many parents of children with additional needs, you feel like King … Continue reading Seven Ways To Survive Christmas With Our Own ‘Edgar the Dragons’
In FLOAT, a father discovers that his son is different from other kids in the most unusual way. To keep them both safe from judgement, Dad covers him and keeps him out of sight— but when his son’s ability becomes public, Dad must decide whether to run and hide or to accept his son as … Continue reading Why Disney Pixar’s New Animated Short ‘Float’ Is About Autism
By now there is a good chance that you will already have seen the John Lewis/Waitrose Christmas 2019 advert, featuring the adorable Edgar the dragon who struggles to fit in, as well as his friend Ava. I don’t know about you, but as I watched it for the first time, through the tears, it reminded … Continue reading Why Children With Additional Needs Are Like Edgar The Dragon
A question I get asked loads of times is this; “How can I explain additional/special needs to children?” The answer depends on the context, as there are different ways that this can be responded to, determined by who the answer is meant for. Are we responding to a question from a child with additional needs … Continue reading Answering Children’s Questions About Additional Needs – With Help From Winnie-the-Pooh!
Delightful Handmade Dog Products and Gifts
An additional needs Dad and Son baking adventure...
Special Education Teaching Resources, Sensory Stories and SEND Information
The Additional Needs Blogfather 