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
A book to help children’s, youth, and families’ workers, as well as families themselves, to understand more about Autism, how to identify and remove the barriers that Autistic children and young people can often experience in church, and how together we can create inclusion, belonging, and spiritual development for all. The journey of writing this … Continue reading My New Book: ‘How To Include Autistic Children And Young People in Church’
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
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
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
'Invited to Belong' - a new additional needs training resource developed by Urban Saints in partnership with Youthscape - launched at the National Youth Ministry Weekend in Birmingham, November 2021. Additional Needs Ministry Director, Mark Arnold, presented the resource, alongside Jemimah Allen from Youthscape and then free copies of 'Invited to Belong' were given to … Continue reading Invited To Belong
They have done it again! Watching the John Lewis Christmas 2021 advert had me welling up in tears as I saw, once again, a story of inclusion unfolding before me. Like in 2019 with the story of Edgar the dragon and his friend Ava, the new advert showcases how to be inclusive of someone who … Continue reading How The John Lewis Christmas 2021 Advert Showcases Inclusion (Again!)
One in five of the 13 million children and young people in the UK have additional needs of some kind, that’s approximately 2.5 million children and young people, yet many people, including lots of professionals, people running children's and youth work, and more, struggle to understand the best ways to be inclusive when engaging with … Continue reading Want To Be Inclusive? Just ASK!
This week, the BBC announced a new presenter for their premier younger children’s media channel, CBeebies. What made this announcement newsworthy, and why in particular it matters to this blog, is that 20-year-old George Webster has Down’s Syndrome. George isn’t the first BBC presenter to have a disability or difference; former CBeebies presenter Cerrie Burnell, … Continue reading George Webster And CBeebies: Why Disability Representation Matters
As part of its ongoing research partnership with Pears Foundation, the Disabled Children's Partnership (DCP) of which I'm a member, surveyed roughly 300 parents in June 2021 in our final survey as part of the series. I had the privilege of being one of those parents. The findings, released today, reveal that whilst the rest … Continue reading Left Behind – Children With Additional Needs As We Emerge From The COVID-19 Pandemic
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 