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.
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
Last week on 6th June 2019 a Tweet struck me deeply; it affected me like very few Tweet’s have before, and as you can imagine for someone working in the disability field that’s saying something. It was a Tweet from Rachel Lucas of Sky News (@RachelSkyNews), who had been doing a piece about NHS inpatient care … Continue reading The Institutionalised Torture Of Our Children
Spiritual parenting can be a journey that is difficult and confusing for any parent; it can be full of setbacks and challenging questions, fraught with the danger of us saying one thing and doing another; full of unexpected surprises, as well as being a total joy and blessing for us and our child. But throw into that … Continue reading Three Spiritual Parenting Truths For Children With Additional Needs
Additional Needs parenting can be a bit like a circus sometimes, maybe more than we would like to admit! Here’s a (hopefully) light-hearted look at how at times we can play many of the familiar roles of circus performers… Circus (noun): a travelling company of acrobats, clowns, and other entertainers which gives performances, typically in a … Continue reading Why Additional/Special Needs Parenting Is Like A Circus
This question lurks in the heart of every special needs parent; it is kept down, out of sight, but every now and then when we are tired beyond our ability to cope, knocked down by another bit of bad news, yet again clearing up something we hoped we would never have to see again, or … Continue reading Is Being A Special Needs Parent Worth It?
Sex and relationships is a hot topic in youth work at the moment, and rightly so when we see the mixed messages, confusing feelings and myriad questions that young people are dealing with every day. But for young people with additional needs this topic is often one that is considered to be irrelevant for them, … Continue reading Sex and Relationships: Young People with Special/Additional Needs
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 