These posts have some link to films or media, either as inspiration for the blog, or as a source of study material.
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
Some of the most widely loved and memorable animated movies ever made have been created and distributed by Disney and Pixar, now part of the same media company. Many of these movie classics include characters who have, or may possibly have, additional/special needs or disabilities of some kind. Some of these characters, and their stories, … Continue reading Just Keep Swimming: Disabled Characters In Disney Pixar Films
When I woke up this morning, the first thing that struck me was that I had absolutely no idea what the date was or even what day of the week it was. No clue. Next I realised that I’ve experienced that feeling every day over the past few weeks during lockdown, as I’m sure many … Continue reading Lockdown Groundhog Day
‘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!
Teaching Resources, Sensory Stories and SEND Information
The Additional Needs Blogfather 