When I woke up this morning, the first thing that struck me was that I had absolutely no idea what the date was or even what day of the week it was. No clue. Next I realised that I’ve experienced that feeling every day over the past few weeks during lockdown, as I’m sure many … Continue reading Lockdown Groundhog Day
There are a range of things that have suddenly appeared and taken over our lives in the past few months, 'Coronavirus', 'COVID-19', 'Social-Distancing', 'Lockdown', 'PPE' and more, and there is so much uncertainty as to if, when and how it's all going to end. But in these strange times that we live in, especially as … Continue reading It’s Time To Start Planning For A Return To Children’s, Youth & Families Work
As one of the most important times in the Christian calendar, Easter is a key teaching time for parents, as well as children's and youth workers. A time to remember, be thankful, and to celebrate what Jesus has done for us all. But the big story of Easter can be difficult for some children and … Continue reading Sensory Easter Story
‘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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“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)
We have at least eight senses; five that we can all think of, sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch, as well as at least three ‘mystery’ senses that we might not know so much about, including vestibular (balance and movement), proprioception (body awareness), and interoception (awareness of what’s happening inside the body). This article explores these … Continue reading Making Sense Of Our Three ‘Mystery’ Senses!
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
Teaching Resources, Sensory Stories and SEND Information
The Additional Needs Blogfather 