There are many occasions where Jesus’ encounters with children were miraculous, including when he met children with additional/special needs or disabilities, but what about today? Do miracles involving children with additional/special needs or disabilities still occur? What do they look like? As parents or children’s workers are we right to hope, to pray, for miracles?
While Halloween is a fun time of year for many children, it can be a really difficult time for some, including many children with additional/special needs. For them it can be a confusing, anxiety inducing, or even utterly terrifying time. But it doesn’t have to be like that; if we stop for a moment to think about the things they might find hard and how to put things in place to help them, they can safely join in the fun too.
This weeks blog post is from a guest blogger, Nicky Ellis from 'Horses and Foals' https://horsesandfoals.com who writes about how horse riding therapy can help Autistic children... If your child enjoys riding a horse it’s the best therapy you can give your child to improve their skills!
For many people church as it currently exists in many, many places just doesn’t work, can’t work, won’t work. And it’s not just people on the margins of society that this is true for, it’s true for the majority of the communities in which these churches are located. It’s just even worse if you don’t happen to conform to the ‘typical’, ‘expected’ profile of church attendee; and that includes many, even most, families who have a child with additional/special needs or disabilities. Church needs a reboot before everyone can truly belong.
If a picture paints a thousand words, I wonder how many a video paints? This four-and-a-half minute video, which I recorded with Urban Saints, provides you with seven tips to help, encourage and inspire you to make your children's or youth work more accessible and inclusive, to create belonging for everyone. There are loads of links to other resources, videos and information to help you too!
Have you ever tried body surfing? Think surfing, but without a surfboard or body board, just using your own body to ride the waves. What has this got to do with additional needs parenting? Well, it all depends on the size of the waves!
Surely in this day and age there can’t be anyone who would stop children with additional needs or disabilities, and their families, from being able to access church; anyone who would exclude them from all that church offers; anyone who would prevent them from belonging to the church community, can there? But sadly, this does happen all too often and some of the people responsible might surprise you!
The road to acceptance can be a long one for parents of children with additional/special needs or disability. Some reach it quicker than others, some struggle to get there at all. There are many stops along the way where we can get ‘stuck’… Additional/Special Needs Parenting: Welcome To Holland, Not Italy
How do I include all children & young people with additional needs in my church? As many church children's and youth groups return back after the summer break this week, we explore how everyone can be included and belong.
Over a year ago I wrote a blog post about James’ favourite ‘Treat Trip’, a tour of his favourite places. Little did I know as I wrote those words that it would be almost the last time that James would go on a ‘Treat Trip’, or any kind of trip, for over a year… A year that has just come dramatically to an end!
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 