Nothing says ‘summer’ more than ice cream. Just hearing the distinctive tones of the ice cream van evokes memories of sunny days, long holidays, relaxing in the garden, the park, or at the beach!We have an ice cream van that regularly visits our street, and a recent visit got me thinking about how our children … Continue reading How Children With Additional Needs Are Like Different Ice Creams!
Tag: acceptance
Bad Language?
I recently asked a whole bunch of parents of disabled children, and disabled people themselves, what they think of as some of the most inappropriate or downright offensive language that they have heard or experienced as a result of their own or their child’s disability. The result was a huge discussion that produced a massive … Continue reading Bad Language?
10 Top Tips For A Successful Summer Holiday!
Whisper it very quietly, but maybe, just maybe, it might be possible to have a holiday this year! After over two long years of restrictions, lockdowns, red-lists, cancellations and reschedules, this summer might be the one where some sense of holiday ‘normality’ returns!So, what do we need to do to prepare our additional needs children … Continue reading 10 Top Tips For A Successful Summer Holiday!
CODA – A Review And Study Plan
Film Title: CODAYear of Release: 2021Directed by: Sian HederCertificate: 12ARunning time: 1 hours, 51 minutes CODA movie poster BBFC certification insight: “CODA is a drama in which a young woman, who is the only hearing person in her deaf fishing family, is torn between duty to them and pursuing her dreams of becoming a singer. There is infrequent strong language ('f**k'), … Continue reading CODA – A Review And Study Plan
Embracing a valuable talent pool: the barriers and gifts of living with a disability
Guest post from Andrew Stranack, who argues that society’s continued marginalisation of disabled people means that we are missing out on a valuable talent pool. This article was originally published by Theos Think Tank on 10th March 2022, republished by kind permission, and with thanks from The Additional Needs Blogfather. One of the most inspiring articles … Continue reading Embracing a valuable talent pool: the barriers and gifts of living with a disability
Spring Is Coming: 10 Ideas To Get Out And Enjoy It!
Little by little the days are getting long, lighter, maybe even warmer… Green shoots are pushing up through the earth and there are the first flowers of the year, snowdrops and crocuses dazzling us with their beauty. Spring is coming! Crocuses and daisies on a grass field If, like me, you find winter especially hard, … Continue reading Spring Is Coming: 10 Ideas To Get Out And Enjoy It!
Mephibosheth – Lost And Found, Hurt And Helped
There are many characters in the Bible that we might, wrongly perhaps, skip over as not being particularly important; they don’t come across as heroes like Samson or Esther, they aren’t great Kings like David or Solomon, they weren’t vital to the life and story of Jesus like Mary. But some of these often-overlooked characters … Continue reading Mephibosheth – Lost And Found, Hurt And Helped
Artificial Intelligence ‘AI’ And Additional Needs
Something a little more unusual in this blog post as we’re going to be exploring how Artificial Intelligence can be a tool that we can use to help and support people, of any age with additional needs or disabilities, in our churches. A few years ago, the former UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, said…“Technology has changed … Continue reading Artificial Intelligence ‘AI’ And Additional Needs
12 New Year Resolutions For Inclusive Children’s And Youth Work
I don’t know about you, but I've tried to keep the festive season going as long as possible, hanging on to the Christmas tree until the last needle had dropped and stretching out the leftover food in as many creative ways as possible. I’m always the last in our street to be taking the plethora … Continue reading 12 New Year Resolutions For Inclusive Children’s And Youth Work
Busting Ten Autism Myths
There are an awful lots of Autism myths out there; most are ridiculous, some would actually be quite funny if they weren’t so harmful, but they do seem to somehow persist in the national consciousness. So, here’s my guide to the top ten Autism myths and how we can bust them: “We’re all ‘on the … Continue reading Busting Ten Autism Myths

