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
“In many ways it was an ordinary day like any other, but it turned into the most extraordinary, transforming, wonderful day of my life. A day I will never forget, a day filled with friendship, faith and an amazing encounter; a day where my life was changed forever. Many years ago, when I was a … Continue reading They Carried Me There, But I Walked Home!
Every parent wants their child to have friends, good friends that like them and care for them, friends that they can trust and build healthy relationships with. But what about when our child is disabled, different or diverse? A mother from Neptune Beach Florida, USA, spoke about the overwhelming response she has received after Tweeting … Continue reading Would Someone Be Friends With My Autistic Boy?
The heartbreaking abuse of many Autistic children, and children with Intellectual (Learning) Disability or other additional needs, is happening in the mental health system every day. It is one of the greatest fears of every parent that a change of circumstances could see any one of our children suddenly entering this system. Miriam speaks eloquently and passionately for us all… I join her in refusing to accept this abuse of our children and in continuing to campaign for this torture to end…
There are some blogs that tear me apart to write. This is one of them.
Today a government report was published with the title “The detention of young people with learning disabilities and/or autism.” You can read the report in full here: https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/jt201920/jtselect/jtrights/121/121.pdf
I read about it in the press today and cried. My own child has autism and learning disabilities. He’s non verbal, epileptic and he is doubly incontinent. I am not ashamed or embarrassed to say that at times his care needs are extreme and I struggle. Reading the introduction Members of Parliament wrote to their own report was like reading a diary and a glimpse into a future that could so easily happen to my family. Could this be your story?
“Too often the pathway to detention is predictable. It begins from before diagnosis. A family grows worried about their child. They raise concerns with the…
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In Mark’s Gospel we meet a boy who is described as having an evil spirit. Reading the account, it is possible that this boy had Epilepsy, and perhaps other additional needs too. So often we read the stories of the encounters that Jesus had with people through the words of first or second hand witnesses to … Continue reading Jesus Heals A Boy With Epilepsy: The Story From The Boy’s Perspective
“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
So many great words have been spoken, or written, down through the years; so many that have stood the test of time and are still used today to inspire, to encourage or to teach. Is it possible that there are three words that are greater than all of the others, and if so who said … Continue reading Why The Greatest Three Words Ever Spoken Are Also The Most Inclusive
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
When I'm running 'All Inclusive?' training, I often mention the extra information that is available on video to supplement the person-to-person training content, or to give participants the opportunity to review some of what we've covered together. In this blog, I'm bringing a few of those video's together into one place, so that everyone can … Continue reading ‘All Inclusive?’ – The Video Collection
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?
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 