This might seem like a very odd question to ask in the middle of the worst pandemic to engulf the human population for 100 years, but just like the Spanish Flu pandemic and all other pandemics, plagues and pestilences since the dawn of time, eventually there will be a post COVID-19 world to live in. … Continue reading Post Coronavirus: What Could The ‘New Normal’ Look Like?
Many children are worried about the Coronavirus (also known as Covid-19), and as parents, other family members, or children's and youth workers we are likely to be worried about how to keep them safe. Much of the information circulating at the moment is scary and over-hyped and sensationalised and this can really upset children, especially … Continue reading Coronavirus – Helping Children To Stay Safe
‘Wonder’ – A Review And Study Plan Use this review and study plan alongside the film 'Wonder' to understand better the world of children who are 'different', and their families. This study plan is primarily created to be used with children and young people, e.g. in a youth group setting, but could also easily be … Continue reading ‘Wonder’ – A Review And Study Plan
I am deeply saddened by the number of times that I hear about children with additional needs or disabilities, and their families, being rejected by or excluded from the very place that should be the most welcoming, most inclusive, most loving place of all… church. Stories about families being told “Please try somewhere else, this … Continue reading Would Jesus Be Welcomed At Your Church If He Arrived With Disabled Children?
I’ve shared before about using Lego to tell Bible stories… Here’s some really helpful information from my friend Lynn McCann (Included By Grace) to equip us to do this well and to start the New Year thinking creatively about how we can all use Lego to reach and teach children with additional needs…
See also:
Minecraft, Lego, And Additional Needs Children’s Work
https://theadditionalneedsblogfather.com/2017/03/09/minecraft-lego-additional-needs-childrens-work/Church Children’s Work: Do Age Groups Or Interest Groups Work Best
https://theadditionalneedsblogfather.com/2017/12/15/church-childrens-work-do-age-groups-or-interest-groups-work-best/
I’ve been doing Lego Based Therapy with autistic children in my schools for a couple of years now and often deliver training to teachers and care staff in how to run these sessions. I’ve been thinking for some time about how this might be used in a church setting as the children usually love the structure and format of the sessions and their communication skills develop really well in this context.
So what is Lego Based Therapy?
Lego Based Therapy has not been developed by Lego (who don’t endorse it) but by an autism clinic in America. It’s actually a communication, social interaction and problem solving therapy. Here is more information if you’d like to learn about it.
Over 12 weeks the children work in a group of three and take on a ‘job’ with a specific and clear role. There is the…
Engineer – this role is in…
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As Noddy Holder of ‘Slade’ yells at us from about the middle of September every year… “It’s Chriiisssttt-mmmaaaaasssss!!!” You either started wearing your Christmas jumper in October, had your decorations up in November and have already watched ‘Elf’ 12 times this season, or like many parents of children with additional needs, you feel like King … Continue reading Seven Ways To Survive Christmas With Our Own ‘Edgar the Dragons’
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
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?
“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
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)
Teaching Resources, Sensory Stories and SEND Information
The Additional Needs Blogfather 