The opportunities to make good or bad choices regarding children and young people with additional needs or disability exist in our church based work every week. A few months ago I wrote a blog post ‘Haircut Sir?’ that included a brief story about a youth leader being put through to my ‘phone one day whose … Continue reading Lessons From Exclusion
Sometimes, I’m really surprised by people… in a good way. Sometimes, in circumstances that could go badly wrong, you see the best of people in unexpected ways. Sometimes, angels appear where and when you least expect them to… A few days ago I needed to pay a cheque (yes, they do still exist!) into the … Continue reading This Little Light Of Mine
I will never forget the events of that sultry mid-summers day, both for the great significance of them for a young boy called Freddie, but also for how his story speaks to each of us that care for, and about, children or young people with additional needs… The day had started quite uneventfully, but as … Continue reading Swept Away, But Saved!
Have you ever built a great big tower out of Jenga blocks? Seen how high you can build it until it falls over? Great fun isn’t it! Around this time last year, I was helping out at Spring Harvest, the Christian festival that runs every Easter. My role was to support guests with additional needs … Continue reading Weak Made Strong
Heartbreakingly, 60% of children with additional needs are bullied (source: Ability Path). With some 2.5 million children and young people in the UK having an additional need of some kind, that’s 1.5 million who have experienced bullying… One is one too many, 1.5 million is an absolute outrage! When we think about childhood bullying, the … Continue reading Tuts, Looks, And Loud Comments – Let ALL The Little Children Come To Me (Part 2)
I received a message last Sunday that made my blood boil… Those of you that know me will appreciate that this doesn’t happen very often; I’m rather determined at times but rarely lose my temper. The message I received made me furious, absolutely mad as could be… Livid… I still am, and here’s why… Some … Continue reading Let ALL The Little Children Come To Me…
That moment… that moment as a children’s or youth worker when you realise during the ‘talk time’ that you’ve just lost some of your group. They were able to focus for the first three or four minutes, but now, five minutes in, you see them starting to get distracted, starting to fidget. You’ve lost contact … Continue reading Minecraft, Lego & Additional Needs Children’s Work!
Warm summers evenings… do you remember those? I remember one a while back, when running a weeknight children’s club at my home church. A beautiful evening, so I was very happy to be on the door greeting the children as they arrived, and saying hello to their parents. It was then that I saw a … Continue reading The Power Of Yes!
Last week James needed his hair cut. A simple enough task you might think, but in James’ case it is one of very many tasks that require a routine to be known, and more importantly rigorously followed, in every aspect. Firstly, there is the location; sat on the wooden bench in our hallway at home. … Continue reading Haircut Sir?
I sometimes get asked what my views are on divine healing; whether I believe that God heals people, why he might heal one person and not another, even whether I’ve ever prayed for healing for James. At a recent conference that I was speaking at, I was asked again in the context of whether it is right to pray for the healing of someone else, someone who may not have even given their consent to be prayed for, in this case a child.
A lot of questions here; big questions, big implications for them… So, here we go…
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 