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?
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)
Working with the Methodist Church, Count Everyone In, and through Urban Saints and the Additional Needs Alliance, we've created a document to help churches support children, young people and young adults with additional needs to belong in every church. What should church be like for children, young people and young adults with additional needs and … Continue reading 10 Ways To Belong – A Resource For Every Church
Intergenerational, all-age, all-together, call it what you like this can mean different things to different people depending on our context, our setting, even our age! But what does this mean in the context of additional needs inclusion? Well, again it can mean something different to everyone you ask, but here are a few different ways … Continue reading All-Age Intergenerational Inclusion
It’s festival season, a time of year when across the country people are heading to events themed around everything from music to food, cars, sports or lifestyles. There are, of course, lots of Christian festivals and summer camps held at this time of year too, but how can these festivals be inclusive for children and … Continue reading Inclusive Festivals And Summer Camps
This question lurks in the heart of every special needs parent; it is kept down, out of sight, but every now and then when we are tired beyond our ability to cope, knocked down by another bit of bad news, yet again clearing up something we hoped we would never have to see again, or … Continue reading Is Being A Special Needs Parent Worth It?
Delightful Handmade Dog Products and Gifts
An additional needs Dad and Son baking adventure...
Special Education Teaching Resources, Sensory Stories and SEND Information
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