These blog posts could be interesting for anyone, but especially if you are a parent/carer of a child or young person with additional needs or a disability.
“It’s just our brains are kinda different, so here’s what we’d like you to know about us…” Some school children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) helped to put a video together to explain a little about themselves, suggesting some ways to understand them better and offering some ways to help them to learn and to … Continue reading What Kids With Special Needs Want To Tell Us And How We Can Help
This week’s blog post is a guest post from Jen Kyriacou, who eloquently tells the story of a recent holiday with her family, including her disabled daughter, Lucy, and offers some helpful, heartfelt and timely guidance for everyone regarding children with disabilities and their families, with eight things we should all understand: So, after a … Continue reading Don’t Be Scared Of My Disabled Child – Guest Post
Who are you... really? Are you just our son, brother, grandson, friend? Are you just a 17-year old young man? Are you just Autistic? Or with Learning Difficulties and Epilepsy? Yes, James, you are all of these things, but are you just what people see you to be? Are you so much more than you … Continue reading Who Are You Really?
Have you ever felt like Nobi*, the mouse in The Lion King that Scar is holding up about to eat... "Life's not fair, is it? You see, I... well, I shall never be King. And you... shall never see the light of another day..." A while ago we had a really tough few days, with … Continue reading “Life’s Not Fair, Is It?” – Additional Needs Parenting And Nobi From ‘The Lion King’
There seems to be such a wide disparity of opinion and practice across church denominations, and even within church denominations, about if, when, and how, to include children, young people, and even young adults in communion, baptism, serving in church and other aspects of Christian growth and development. It's time to challenge the often unwritten … Continue reading “Amen! Thanks Batgirl!” – Children With Additional Needs: Communion, Baptism And Serving
Sometimes we find teaching hidden in hard to reach places, sometimes important teaching is in plain sight but we overlook it… That was the case for me with the story of Mary and Martha until I took a closer look and found some great teaching for us all there about life in general, as well … Continue reading What The Story Of Mary And Martha Teaches Us About Disability
What is a sensory processing disorder? Occupational Therapist Sheilagh Blyth explains… Sensory processing (sometimes called sensory integration or SI) is a term that refers to the way the body receives and interprets messages from the senses. Humans have a multitude of senses that help them to gather information about the world around them and people … Continue reading Understanding Sensory Processing Disorder/Difficulties (SPD)
For many disabled people, and often for their families and other allies too, life can feel like being a candle in a hurricane of hate. So much intolerance, vitriol and aggression to deal with every single day from a society that, generally, would rather that disabled people were not around, out of sight, disappeared. Just … Continue reading A Candle In A Hurricane Of Hate
This week I'm turning my blog over to a first-time guest post from Georgia Peach, a nineteen year old student from Bournemouth, who is about to begin a Bachelor's degree in Paramedic Science at Bristol UWE (University of the West of England) this September. Georgia eloquently shares her story of her journey with dyspraxia... The … Continue reading My Journey With Dyspraxia: A Young Persons Story
There are eight senses; five that we can all think of, sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch, as well as three that we might not know so much about, vestibular (balance and movement), proprioception (body awareness), and interoception (awareness of what's happening inside the body). This article explores the first five senses, and provides us with … Continue reading Activities To Explore Our Senses And What Jesus Teaches Us About Them
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 