My name is Tania Tirraoro, founder and co-director of Special Needs Jungle Ltd. We registered SNJ as a non-profit organisation in August 2014.
I am a journalist, author and parent of two young adults with autism, ADHD and Ehlers Danlos syndrome. I also have EDS, often needing to use a wheelchair, and was diagnosed as autistic age the age of 46.
I started this blog back in 2008, to help other parents, who like us, were entering the jungle of special needs education. It's a scary, stressful place. I now live in Surrey, but my northern, single-parent, working-class girl roots formed my character. I firmly believe the weakest among us should be supported and not vilified, victimised or abandoned and I am driven by the need for fairness and justice.

I worked in broadcast news for a decade before we had our children. Going back to work full-time wasn't feasible because we knew instinctively that they were not "your average bears". But it was a journey, and one that many others will recognise, to discover why that was, what it was that was different and how to find the help they needed. There was little help from schools; not because they didn't want to, but because they didn't have the knowledge or the resources.
I realised if I wanted my children to get what they needed, I had to put in the work to do it. I also built up a good relationship with our SENCo who provided me with as much information as I needed, without overstepping the boundaries of what she was "permitted" to do by the council. I wrote long documents, supported by medical and educational reports and, eventually, they landed with fees paid, and an amazing independent specialist school. When they left, they had armfuls of top qualifications and lifelong friends.
My eldest is now a gainfully-employed university graduate with two sons of his own. My youngest is currently living supported in an annexe at home, still thinking about her future direction. PDA, the profile of autism she has, doesn’t stop being PDA when you get to adulthood.
But still, many years and a system change after we began our route through the jungle, it's more difficult than ever for families to get the support their children need. It shouldn't be like this but so far, the new SEND system has caused chaos, pain and confusion for many families.
I hope parents can use this website, now registered as a non-profit, to find useful information and resources and that you will feel able to share your own experiences and resources with you. I hope professionals using it will get an insight into the lives of families and be inspired to learn more about supporting children with SEND.
Bio
- Post-graduate qualified broadcast and magazine journalist, having worked in local, national and international radio and television as a reporter, producer and presenter
- Published author
- Qualified EFL teacher (TESOL)
- Founder & co-director of Special Needs Jungle Ltd
- Member (via SNJ) of DfE Ministerial Advisory Group
- Co-founder of SEND Community Alliance campaign collaborative
- Member of SEND Universal Services Advisory Board
- Member of Ofsted SEND Stakeholder Advisory Group
- Member (via SCA) of Special Education Consortium
- Member of Advisory Group for Royal Holloway University of London Gene and Cell Therapy Centre
- Member of Editorial Board, Gene Therapy Journal
Follow Tania on Twitter
Read Tania's posts
- The Great Christmas Giveaway 2023 for SEND families and SENCOs. NOMINATE NOW!It’s HERE! Today we’re launching our Christmas GIVEAWAY — to donate Amazon vouchers worth £20 each to families of children…Continue reading »
- Ombudsman report says councils are “standing in the way of support” by failing to offer personal budgets during the EHCP processIf your child has an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), were you offered a personal budget? Were you told…Continue reading »
- 10 reasons the Change Programme might fail, by experts from across the SEND sectorThe SEND Improvement Plan was published earlier this year. We’ve covered this many times but today we’re going to look…Continue reading »
- For children with SEND and their parents, a compassionate teacher is keyI recently wrote a post following a case, supported by the EHRC, of a family who were determined to prove…Continue reading »
- No targets for SEND cuts? Tell us your experiencesWhile the Department for Education is busy “monitoring critics of government policy” (how do they have time for anything else?)…Continue reading »
- EXCLUSIVE: DfE answers further questions on “targets” for EHCP cuts, removing children from specialist provision and plans to boost SEND in schoolsAfter our articles on Matt’s discovery of the apparent 20% cuts targeted for EHCPs for local authorities in the Government’s…Continue reading »
- Dame Christine Lenehan: a career advocating for disabled children’s rightsEarlier this week, I attended the valedictory lecture in London for Dame Christine Lenehan, the long-time Director of the Council…Continue reading »
- SEND Minister denies the Government is aiming to cut EHCPs by 20% with an emphatic, but unconvincing, explanationThe new SEND Minister, David Johnston, has denied the Government is working towards cuts of 20% in EHCPs for local…Continue reading »
- A new SEND minister NOW? Disabled children deserve better than to be a government testing ground for ambitious MPsIt’s not even the start of the school year and I’m already furious. Why, you ask? Apart from the fact…Continue reading »
- Exclusion must be a last resort says EHRC as they support a family to justice over their disabled child’s treatmentShould headteachers and school governors undergo mandatory training in the Equality Act 2010 and, specifically, disability discrimination? I’d like to…Continue reading »
- 84% of Ombudsman complaints about Education and Children’s Services upheldOnce again, families’ complaints about English councils’ education and children’s services were overwhelmingly upheld by the Local Government and Social…Continue reading »
- SNJ in Conversation with Labour’s SEND spokesperson Helen Hayes MP: What are their thoughts on fixing SEND?As thoughts begin to turn to the next election, we thought it was about time to find out what the…Continue reading »
- Join us this week at The Schools Week Festival of Education and at nasen live!A quick post to let you know about two brilliant events we’re involved with this week: The Schools Week Festival…Continue reading »
- 63% of teachers say their school’s insufficient support for children with SEND is a barrier to pupil learningA new survey of 6,000 teachers and senior leaders across England shows supporting children with SEND is one of the…Continue reading »
- SEND 2023: Numbers increase, and is SEN (No idea what type) the new Moderate Learning Difficulties?The SEND stats for 2023 have been published and the numbers both of children on SEN Support and those with…Continue reading »
- How well is the Government respecting children with SEND’s right to education?The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (UN Committee) is this year examining the UK on its obligations…Continue reading »
- SNJ in Conversation with Carrie Grant: Supporting children at the intersection of SEND, Race and Gender Identitywith Carrie Grant and Renata Blower Carrie Grant is a well-known figure for her work on TV and as a…Continue reading »
- SNJ WEBINAR: SEND Minister Claire Coutinho discusses the SEND Improvement Plan. Register now!We have another fabulous webinar lined up for you — with Education Minister, Claire Coutinho, who has responsibility for SEND.…Continue reading »
- WEBINAR RECORDING: Will the SEND Improvement Plan fix provision for disabled children and young people?On March 15 2023, Special Needs Jungle held a webinar exploring the Department for Education's long-awaited SEND Improvement Plan, something…Continue reading »
- Can you legislate for love? The Government’s plans for children’s social care aims toAmbitiously titled “Children's social care: Stable Homes, Built on Love” the Department for Education has published its response and an implementation…Continue reading »
- Don’t make it harder to get EHCPs warns Equality and Human Rights Commission as DfE considers “raising the bar”As education ministers review the upcoming “SEND Improvement Plan” it’s to be hoped they have found time to read this…Continue reading »
- The Great Christmas Giveaway 2023 for SEND families and SENCOs. NOMINATE NOW!It’s HERE! Today we’re launching our Christmas GIVEAWAY — to donate Amazon vouchers worth £20 each to families of children…Continue reading »
- Chaos, mistrust, poor inclusion, and no communication: How Kent’s SEND provision has failed its disabled children and their familiesWith Matt Keer Dear God, Kent, how can you fail children and young people with disabilities and their parents so…Continue reading »
- Ofsted and ONS offer further evidence that lack of funding, training and specialists damages children with SENDWith Matt Keer Ofsted has found increasing numbers of primary school children with SEND are being referred to alternative provision,…Continue reading »
- No specialists = No support: The future for children with SEND is bleak without a trained workforce to support themSNJ is among 114 SEND-related organisations and professional bodies calling for urgent action over gaps in the provision of specialist…Continue reading »
- With no ministerial oversight for months, has the SEND Review lost legitimacy? Here’s what needs to happen nowAnother day, another new SEND Minister – although at the time of writing their identity remains a mystery. It’s become…Continue reading »
- Is NHS England breaking a promise to roll out eye care for disabled children in all special schools?with Aylee Richmond, National Eye Care Information Officer, SeeAbility A few years ago I woke up with vision loss in…Continue reading »
- An Employment Passport to young people with additional needs into paid workwith Richard Lamplough, My Employment Passport This autumn, thousands of parents will be waving off or delivering their young people…Continue reading »
- Top tips for introducing a School Dog to help your studentswith Cherryl Drabble, SEND educator Support and animals can have a very beneficial effect on children with additional needs or…Continue reading »
- Special Needs Jungle’s #SENDReview Consultation responseA short post to share with you the SNJ SEND Review Green paper consultation response. It was quite a mammoth…Continue reading »
- Legal action launched against #SENDReview Consultation, over “misleading” disability discrimination Tribunal questionIt’s all happening isn’t it? As Nadhim Zahawi scarpers to No11 (don’t let the door to Sanctuary Buildings hit you…Continue reading »
- WEBINAR RECORDING: Will Quince MP answers YOUR questions on the #SENDReview Green PaperIf you missed, or indeed want to rewatch, our joint webinar with Children and Families Minister Will Quince on the…Continue reading »
- SNJ in Conversation podcast: Will Quince in our hot seat discussing the #SENDReview Green PaperYesterday, Renata and I sat down virtually with Will Quince MP, Minister for Children and Families for an episode of…Continue reading »
- #SENDReview Green Paper second WEBINAR: Ask the Minister, Will Quince. Registration open!Many of you will have attended or watched our first webinar with Children and Families Minister, Will Quince MP in…Continue reading »
- The legal implications of the #SENDReview: WEBINAR RECORDINGIf you didn't manage to get to our webinar about the legal implications of the SEND Review Green Paper, fear…Continue reading »
- And yet another SEND consultation, this time: EHCP Annual review timescalesConsultations are, it seems, like buses. You wait two years for one, then three come along at once. Or, in…Continue reading »
- WEBINAR: #SENDReview Legal Roundtable. What are the legal implications of SEND Green Paper?We've been debating all the merits and otherwise of the SEND Review Green Paper for some time now. But what…Continue reading »
- What’s in the Children’s social care review for disabled children?Children who are looked after by the state (CLA) are undeniably among the most vulnerable in the country, and those…Continue reading »
- #SENDReview: Downgrading SENCO training is a mistake but protected time must be mandatorywith Tristan Middleton, University of Gloucestershire & chair, LLSCIC. Under the SEND Code of Practice, SENCOs must be gain a…Continue reading »
- #SENDReview: What is excellent SEND provision from early years to adulthood?So what’s in chapter 3? From the title, you can assume it’s about provision – specifically SEND provision one would imagine.…Continue reading »
- #SENDReview: Defining Alternative Provision and… how about an apology?As we all know by now, the SEND Review was published on Tuesday 29th March 2022. The consultation runs for 13 weeks…Continue reading »
- Schools White Paper: what are the implications for SEND?The Government’s Schools White Paper (herein SWP for short) has just been published, the day before the long-awaited SEND Green Paper…Continue reading »
- The law on educational provision to support Ukrainian children with SEN and disabilities arriving in Englandwith Ali Fiddy, Chief Executive of IPSEA Background image: UNICEF Ukraine from Kyiv, Ukraine, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons…Continue reading »
- LAs: SEND failings are everyone’s fault but ours and it’s too easy to get an EHCPwith comment from Matt Keer and Ali Fiddy Reports about SEND come and go. Some barely make a mark, some…Continue reading »
- Schools need support to implement vital lessons about better SEND teaching, learned from Covidwith Sharon Smith, SEN Policy Research Forum The pandemic illuminated the yawning gap between schools that put high value on…Continue reading »
- Lockdown stresses worse in parents and their children with intellectual disabilities. Things haven’t improved sincewith Dr Hope Christie, Edinburgh University While much of the country is going about their business as if the pandemic…Continue reading »
- An essential Guide to SEND Transportwith SEND Advocate Diana Read ** Please note, school transport guidance was updated in June 2023. We have an updated…Continue reading »
- Eliza’s searingly-honest film about teenage mental health and how the right help is hard to findWith Eliza Gardner, teenage mental health campaigner Children's Mental Health Week gives rise to grimmer statistics every year and of…Continue reading »
- £93 million more in SEND funding for respite, supported internships and making LAs do what they’re supposed toWe seem to have a tale of two governments at the moment or perhaps we are flipping between parallel universes.…Continue reading »
- Why it’s vital for Deaf children’s futures that British Sign Language becomes lawwith Mike Hobday, Director of Policy & Campaigns, National Deaf Children’s Society signing images: british-sign.co.uk I learned the British Sign…Continue reading »
- School Attendance? What if your disabled child isn’t allowed in?with Anna C, parent of a child with complex needs The Government has just launched a consultation seeking views on…Continue reading »
- Why the SEND Review MUST extend EHCPs to disabled students in higher educationWe’ve been calling for Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) to cover all young disabled people in education up to…Continue reading »
- The Great Christmas Giveaway 2023 for SEND families and SENCOs. NOMINATE NOW!It’s HERE! Today we’re launching our Christmas GIVEAWAY — to donate Amazon vouchers worth £20 each to families of children…Continue reading »
- Ombudsman report says councils are “standing in the way of support” by failing to offer personal budgets during the EHCP processIf your child has an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), were you offered a personal budget? Were you told…Continue reading »
- 10 reasons the Change Programme might fail, by experts from across the SEND sectorThe SEND Improvement Plan was published earlier this year. We’ve covered this many times but today we’re going to look…Continue reading »
- For children with SEND and their parents, a compassionate teacher is keyI recently wrote a post following a case, supported by the EHRC, of a family who were determined to prove…Continue reading »
- No targets for SEND cuts? Tell us your experiencesWhile the Department for Education is busy “monitoring critics of government policy” (how do they have time for anything else?)…Continue reading »
- EXCLUSIVE: DfE answers further questions on “targets” for EHCP cuts, removing children from specialist provision and plans to boost SEND in schoolsAfter our articles on Matt’s discovery of the apparent 20% cuts targeted for EHCPs for local authorities in the Government’s…Continue reading »
- Dame Christine Lenehan: a career advocating for disabled children’s rightsEarlier this week, I attended the valedictory lecture in London for Dame Christine Lenehan, the long-time Director of the Council…Continue reading »
- SEND Minister denies the Government is aiming to cut EHCPs by 20% with an emphatic, but unconvincing, explanationThe new SEND Minister, David Johnston, has denied the Government is working towards cuts of 20% in EHCPs for local…Continue reading »
- A new SEND minister NOW? Disabled children deserve better than to be a government testing ground for ambitious MPsIt’s not even the start of the school year and I’m already furious. Why, you ask? Apart from the fact…Continue reading »
- Exclusion must be a last resort says EHRC as they support a family to justice over their disabled child’s treatmentShould headteachers and school governors undergo mandatory training in the Equality Act 2010 and, specifically, disability discrimination? I’d like to…Continue reading »
- 84% of Ombudsman complaints about Education and Children’s Services upheldOnce again, families’ complaints about English councils’ education and children’s services were overwhelmingly upheld by the Local Government and Social…Continue reading »
- SNJ in Conversation with Labour’s SEND spokesperson Helen Hayes MP: What are their thoughts on fixing SEND?As thoughts begin to turn to the next election, we thought it was about time to find out what the…Continue reading »
- Join us this week at The Schools Week Festival of Education and at nasen live!A quick post to let you know about two brilliant events we’re involved with this week: The Schools Week Festival…Continue reading »
- 63% of teachers say their school’s insufficient support for children with SEND is a barrier to pupil learningA new survey of 6,000 teachers and senior leaders across England shows supporting children with SEND is one of the…Continue reading »
- SEND 2023: Numbers increase, and is SEN (No idea what type) the new Moderate Learning Difficulties?The SEND stats for 2023 have been published and the numbers both of children on SEN Support and those with…Continue reading »
- How well is the Government respecting children with SEND’s right to education?The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (UN Committee) is this year examining the UK on its obligations…Continue reading »
- SNJ in Conversation with Carrie Grant: Supporting children at the intersection of SEND, Race and Gender Identitywith Carrie Grant and Renata Blower Carrie Grant is a well-known figure for her work on TV and as a…Continue reading »
- SNJ WEBINAR: SEND Minister Claire Coutinho discusses the SEND Improvement Plan. Register now!We have another fabulous webinar lined up for you — with Education Minister, Claire Coutinho, who has responsibility for SEND.…Continue reading »
- WEBINAR RECORDING: Will the SEND Improvement Plan fix provision for disabled children and young people?On March 15 2023, Special Needs Jungle held a webinar exploring the Department for Education's long-awaited SEND Improvement Plan, something…Continue reading »
- Can you legislate for love? The Government’s plans for children’s social care aims toAmbitiously titled “Children's social care: Stable Homes, Built on Love” the Department for Education has published its response and an implementation…Continue reading »
- Don’t make it harder to get EHCPs warns Equality and Human Rights Commission as DfE considers “raising the bar”As education ministers review the upcoming “SEND Improvement Plan” it’s to be hoped they have found time to read this…Continue reading »
- Supporting SEND pupils and their families: 20 free top tips for instant impactOur SEND parent community is wise and knowledgeable, and we like to tap them for their views now and again.…Continue reading »
- Chaos, mistrust, poor inclusion, and no communication: How Kent’s SEND provision has failed its disabled children and their familiesWith Matt Keer Dear God, Kent, how can you fail children and young people with disabilities and their parents so…Continue reading »
- Ofsted and ONS offer further evidence that lack of funding, training and specialists damages children with SENDWith Matt Keer Ofsted has found increasing numbers of primary school children with SEND are being referred to alternative provision,…Continue reading »
- No specialists = No support: The future for children with SEND is bleak without a trained workforce to support themSNJ is among 114 SEND-related organisations and professional bodies calling for urgent action over gaps in the provision of specialist…Continue reading »
- With no ministerial oversight for months, has the SEND Review lost legitimacy? Here’s what needs to happen nowAnother day, another new SEND Minister – although at the time of writing their identity remains a mystery. It’s become…Continue reading »
- Is NHS England breaking a promise to roll out eye care for disabled children in all special schools?with Aylee Richmond, National Eye Care Information Officer, SeeAbility A few years ago I woke up with vision loss in…Continue reading »
- An Employment Passport to young people with additional needs into paid workwith Richard Lamplough, My Employment Passport This autumn, thousands of parents will be waving off or delivering their young people…Continue reading »
- Top tips for introducing a School Dog to help your studentswith Cherryl Drabble, SEND educator Support and animals can have a very beneficial effect on children with additional needs or…Continue reading »
- Special Needs Jungle’s #SENDReview Consultation responseA short post to share with you the SNJ SEND Review Green paper consultation response. It was quite a mammoth…Continue reading »
- Legal action launched against #SENDReview Consultation, over “misleading” disability discrimination Tribunal questionIt’s all happening isn’t it? As Nadhim Zahawi scarpers to No11 (don’t let the door to Sanctuary Buildings hit you…Continue reading »
- WEBINAR RECORDING: Will Quince MP answers YOUR questions on the #SENDReview Green PaperIf you missed, or indeed want to rewatch, our joint webinar with Children and Families Minister Will Quince on the…Continue reading »
- SNJ in Conversation podcast: Will Quince in our hot seat discussing the #SENDReview Green PaperYesterday, Renata and I sat down virtually with Will Quince MP, Minister for Children and Families for an episode of…Continue reading »
- #SENDReview Green Paper second WEBINAR: Ask the Minister, Will Quince. Registration open!Many of you will have attended or watched our first webinar with Children and Families Minister, Will Quince MP in…Continue reading »
- The legal implications of the #SENDReview: WEBINAR RECORDINGIf you didn't manage to get to our webinar about the legal implications of the SEND Review Green Paper, fear…Continue reading »
- And yet another SEND consultation, this time: EHCP Annual review timescalesConsultations are, it seems, like buses. You wait two years for one, then three come along at once. Or, in…Continue reading »
- WEBINAR: #SENDReview Legal Roundtable. What are the legal implications of SEND Green Paper?We've been debating all the merits and otherwise of the SEND Review Green Paper for some time now. But what…Continue reading »
- What’s in the Children’s social care review for disabled children?Children who are looked after by the state (CLA) are undeniably among the most vulnerable in the country, and those…Continue reading »
- #SENDReview: Downgrading SENCO training is a mistake but protected time must be mandatorywith Tristan Middleton, University of Gloucestershire & chair, LLSCIC. Under the SEND Code of Practice, SENCOs must be gain a…Continue reading »
- #SENDReview: What is excellent SEND provision from early years to adulthood?So what’s in chapter 3? From the title, you can assume it’s about provision – specifically SEND provision one would imagine.…Continue reading »
- #SENDReview: Defining Alternative Provision and… how about an apology?As we all know by now, the SEND Review was published on Tuesday 29th March 2022. The consultation runs for 13 weeks…Continue reading »
- Schools White Paper: what are the implications for SEND?The Government’s Schools White Paper (herein SWP for short) has just been published, the day before the long-awaited SEND Green Paper…Continue reading »
- The law on educational provision to support Ukrainian children with SEN and disabilities arriving in Englandwith Ali Fiddy, Chief Executive of IPSEA Background image: UNICEF Ukraine from Kyiv, Ukraine, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons…Continue reading »
- LAs: SEND failings are everyone’s fault but ours and it’s too easy to get an EHCPwith comment from Matt Keer and Ali Fiddy Reports about SEND come and go. Some barely make a mark, some…Continue reading »
- Schools need support to implement vital lessons about better SEND teaching, learned from Covidwith Sharon Smith, SEN Policy Research Forum The pandemic illuminated the yawning gap between schools that put high value on…Continue reading »
- Lockdown stresses worse in parents and their children with intellectual disabilities. Things haven’t improved sincewith Dr Hope Christie, Edinburgh University While much of the country is going about their business as if the pandemic…Continue reading »
- An essential Guide to SEND Transportwith SEND Advocate Diana Read ** Please note, school transport guidance was updated in June 2023. We have an updated…Continue reading »
- Eliza’s searingly-honest film about teenage mental health and how the right help is hard to findWith Eliza Gardner, teenage mental health campaigner Children's Mental Health Week gives rise to grimmer statistics every year and of…Continue reading »
- £93 million more in SEND funding for respite, supported internships and making LAs do what they’re supposed toWe seem to have a tale of two governments at the moment or perhaps we are flipping between parallel universes.…Continue reading »
- Why it’s vital for Deaf children’s futures that British Sign Language becomes lawwith Mike Hobday, Director of Policy & Campaigns, National Deaf Children’s Society signing images: british-sign.co.uk I learned the British Sign…Continue reading »
- School Attendance? What if your disabled child isn’t allowed in?with Anna C, parent of a child with complex needs The Government has just launched a consultation seeking views on…Continue reading »
- Why the SEND Review MUST extend EHCPs to disabled students in higher educationWe’ve been calling for Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) to cover all young disabled people in education up to…Continue reading »
- Sensory, inclusive, accessible theatre fun for allWith Sara Cole, Artistic Director, Head2Head Theatre Most people love the pantomime at Christmas. But when you have learning disabilities…Continue reading »
- The great SNJ Christmas cheer GIVEAWAY!It's been another hard year for the SEND community and we're far from calm waters yet. We would like to…Continue reading »
- Ombudsman calls for wider powers to investigate SEND and exclusions in all schoolsThe Local Government Ombudsman has recommended extending its jurisdiction to cover how schools deliver provision to all children with SEND,…Continue reading »
- Ask, Listen, Act, so disabled learners’ two years of pandemic misery is never repeatedWith Dr Emma Ashworth (she/her) PhD AFHEA CPsychol, Lecturer in Psychology, Disability Coordinator, School of Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University For…Continue reading »
- Supported Internships help disabled young people feel valued and socially includedWith Jill Hanson, Debs Robinson and Geri Codina One of the biggest concerns for parents as their young people approach…Continue reading »
- It’s not just SEND teacher training that’s needed. How we educate all children is brokenwith Susan Lenihan, educator and parent of children with SEND After the recent BBC programme, Don't Exclude Me, Joanne Lewis,…Continue reading »
- Coproduction is an illusion for parents and SENCOswith Professor Adam Boddison Many parents of children with SEND will have come across the term "Coproduction". It means having…Continue reading »
- Shameful: Birmingham’s SEND has failed a generation of disabled childrenThe Department for Education has issued a Statutory Direction to Birmingham City Council over the rotten state of its SEND…Continue reading »
- BBC’s Don’t Exclude Me (pt 2): Resorting to restraint shows desperate need for better SEND trainingwith Joanne Lewis parent & ADHD Superpower founder Last week on SNJ, parent of autistic children and ... Joanne Lewis…Continue reading »
- Dear Will Quince, welcome to SEND…here’s 10 of your top prioritiesDear Will Quince Welcome to SEND. You will no doubt be feeling a little overwhelmed at the moment. And if…Continue reading »
- Dear Boris, you must act now to help disabled children #LetUsLearnTooOn Monday, we ran an article coinciding with the launch of the #LetUsLearnToo video. The campaign is urging the SEND…Continue reading »
- What schools need to know to support learners with hypermobility and Ehlers-Danlos syndromewith Jane Green Ehlers Danlos syndrome comes in many guises and as such, it often takes a long…Continue reading »
- Ofsted / CQC: SEND was bad before the pandemic, it’s worse nowOfsted and the Care Quality Commission have published a joint report after a series of interim “listening and learning” visits…Continue reading »
- LA fails disabled young man repeatedly over a decade. Are stronger deterrents needed?The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman is this week issuing two separate reports into the way the London Borough…Continue reading »
- How to help our children: 10 top tips from parents for SEND Case OfficersRecently, I wrote an article based on positive things schools/teachers had done to help your child, based on parental contributions…Continue reading »
- Free course: Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN) in children with mental health difficultiesWith Melanie Cross, Royal College of Speech & Language Therapists One of the most common elements of additional needs is…Continue reading »
- Will the DfE learn lessons about supporting disabled learners before the next big crisis?What would your concerns be if a teacher commented that a pupil was unprepared, failed to assess past actions, and…Continue reading »
- Exemplary Practice: How a Circle of Friends and other easy adjustments change lives for disabled childrenOn SNJ, we aim to highlight injustice and call out unlawful behaviour. But among the doom, there is also a…Continue reading »
- Ofsted asks: How well do mainstream schools support SEND?with Matt Keer Ofsted has published a new piece of research entitled “Supporting SEND”. It’s a limited, qualitative piece of…Continue reading »
- Is Excluded being Expelled? The DfE is sneaking in outdated language, hoping it’ll catch on** Update** As a result of the advocacy on this issue, the SEND Minister, Vicky Ford, has replied to the…Continue reading »
- Let’s MOVE! Supporting disabled children to get their movement skills back on trackwith Charlotte Peck of Enham Trust and Move Europe During the pandemic, thousands of disabled children and young people who…Continue reading »
- Coping with uncertainty: Supporting teens who “learn differently”*With Clare Ward, Speech and Language Therapist/ CBT Practitioner, and James Galpin, Developmental Psychologist *This post is in partnership with…Continue reading »
- Top tips to get your disabled child confidently back into post-pandemic lifewith Rajvinder Singh Gill, Head of Wellbeing at St Piers School, Young Epilepsy With most children back at school, attention…Continue reading »
- The audiobook service that’s free for disabled people, with 3,000 books for children and young peopleWhile children are always encouraged to read books, for many diving into a good story or even a school text…Continue reading »
- Helping autistic learners recover from pandemic educational losseswith Louise Bull from the Autism Education Trust Today is the start of Autism Awareness Week 2021, with the focus…Continue reading »
- How we fired up our disabled children’s home learning with the specialist kit they needIt looks like many more children with SEND have been able to go back to school this month, latest government…Continue reading »
- This Education Policy Institute research proves why every teacher MUST be a teacher of SENDThe thing about SEND research, is that to the families it's about, it's not news at all. Of course, decision-makers…Continue reading »
- The ABC of the LGSCO: How to complain to the Ombudsman over SEND failureswith the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman What can you do if you believe the local authority (LA) has…Continue reading »
- Why Person-Centred Planning is vital for better lives for children and adults with disabilitieswith Linda Jordan of NDTi We have probably all heard of person-centred planning and that it's a jolly good idea…Continue reading »
- #ProvisionDenied Return to School SEND Legal Webinar *recording + questions answered*Our webinar earlier this week in the wake of our #ProvisionDenied report was hugely informative and we'd like to say…Continue reading »
- Free back-to-school legal WEBINAR! What to do if your child’s SEND education rights are denied when schools fully-reopenWEBINAR: What to do if your child's SEND education rights are denied when schools fully-reopen When: Monday March 1st What…Continue reading »
- SNJ’s 10-point “Grab & Go” version of the DfE’s Back-to-School Guidance for SEND learnersWith the news that it's "everyone* in school/college" from March 8th, until at least lockdown 4, the Department for Education…Continue reading »
- Ombudsman responds to our #ProvisionDenied report with news of a COVID teamLast Friday we published our report #ProvisionDenied, that showed children and young people with SEND have had their needs and…Continue reading »
- Can you help Josh fix children’s social care? His review is calling for your adviceLast month, the long-awaited review of children's social care was launched. It is being led by 'social entrepreneur', Josh McAlister,…Continue reading »
- Ofsted: Two-thirds of disabled children “disengaged” from remote learning, while less than half of schools offer extra helpUPDATE 2 March 2021: Ofsted has published further information and a video, which is embedded below New research from Ofsted…Continue reading »
- Neurodevelopmental Neurodiversity Network: A collaboration to advance understanding of neurodevelopment and neurodiversityA short while ago I happened upon a website for something called the Neurodevelopmental Neurodiversity Network, which being autistic myself,…Continue reading »
- How the National Tutoring Programme can be a powerful tool to help SEND pupils during lockdownwith Robbie Coleman, Secretariat Director, National Tutoring Programme. You are almost certain to have heard of the National Tutoring Programme, set…Continue reading »
- Lockdown 3: What does it mean for the rights of children with SEND?with Hayley Mason, SNJ SEND legal columnist So here we are again, the whole country in full lockdown and back…Continue reading »
- How has coronavirus affected your child’s access to speech and language therapy?with Caroline Wright, Policy Adviser at the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists In the first lockdown, thousands of…Continue reading »
- Who deserves a special SNJ thank you message for helping your disabled child through 2020?It's close to the end of the year... and what an indescribable year it has been! Many of us have…Continue reading »
- £300 million for SEND school places. But how does it improve inclusion and equality?At the end of yesterday’s Treasury spending review document, the catchily entitled “SR20”, Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, said it, “ensured that the…Continue reading »
- How is Ofsted supporting & evaluating SEND provision during the pandemic?The education fo children with SEND (or lack of it) during the pandemic has been on our minds all year.…Continue reading »
- We need more awareness that pandemic life is far from an equal experience"It's life, Jim, but not as we know it"... the Star Trek (mis)quote sums up 2020 for most people. Even…Continue reading »
- Ofsted: Disabled children “seriously affected in both care and education” during pandemicOfsted’s second report looking at how the pandemic has impacted children’s education and wellbeing has added more weight to existing…Continue reading »
- Coronavirus Lockdown 2.0: What does it mean for disabled children?Welcome to Coronavirus Lockdown 2.0. I don't know about you, but 2020 has seemed like a nightmare you can't quite…Continue reading »
- Missing the mark: Anxiety and avoidance, illustrated.with Eliza Fricker, SEND parent and illustrator Twitter, eh? Sometimes it makes you grind your teeth, or it can offer…Continue reading »
- SNJ in Conversation: Teaching Assistants, their role and how schools can use them effectivelyFor children with special educational needs, a skilled teaching assistant can be the difference between them being able to progress…Continue reading »
- More than one in three disabled pupils experience bullying in mainstream school, plus other concerning SEND statsI've had a peruse through a new publication from the Department for Education, about the experiences of pupils and their…Continue reading »
- Joining the dots of neurodiversity with Suzy RowlandWe haven't done a book giveaway for a while, so today we're offering a copy of SEND parent, Suzy Rowland's…Continue reading »
- SNJ in Conversation: SEND law now and EOTAS, Part TwoToday we're releasing the second part of the really informative episode of SNJ in Conversation with SEND lawyers, Hayley Mason…Continue reading »
- SEND Law right now. And why you mustn’t confuse EOTAS with home educationWhat's the difference between Education Otherwise Than At School (EOTAS) and Home Education? If you're thinking about educating your child…Continue reading »
- Family Fund grants: the who, what and how to applywith Jim Paterson, The Family Fund Earlier in the year, the government announced it was giving an additional £10 million…Continue reading »
- Coronavirus guidance: What mainstream settings should do to ensure the inclusion of disabled childrenwith Lorraine Petersen OBE, Educational Consultant Trying to keep up with the government's latest coronavirus education guidance can seem like…Continue reading »
- The scandal of the children with complex needs told they’re not welcome back at schoolWhile schools opened to welcome children back last week, we have been hearing disturbing reports who have complex medical needs…Continue reading »
- Left stranded: the impact of coronavirus on autistic people and families in the UKwith Jane Harris, Director of External Affairs at the National Autistic Society Coronavirus has had a negative impact on every…Continue reading »
- Does the government really want to support disabled young people to go to university?** The rules referred to in this post have changed yet again. Read our new post here to find out…Continue reading »
- Explaining the inexplicable: why the government won the SEND coronavirus judicial review (round one)Earlier this month, the High Court heard the case of a family who brought a judicial review against the government,…Continue reading »
- SNJ In Conversation: SEND training for SENCOs and school leaders with Anne Heavey and Hannah MoloneyToday's SNJ in Conversation is offering tips for everyone interested in improving SEND teaching. While schools are still on their…Continue reading »
- SNJ in Conversation: Oak Academy’s improving SEND offerOne of the few positives of the pandemic and lockdown, was the creation of the Oak Academy resource, an online…Continue reading »
- Autistic children unlawfully denied care assessments: Your parent carer group can help further researchwith Professor Luke Clements and Dr Ana Laura Aiello Has your autistic child had a social care assessment of their…Continue reading »
- DfE on SEND failures inquiry: We’ll get back to you later (and it’s not our fault)Clean hands it seems, are not just for the pandemic. The Department for Education has them over any failures in…Continue reading »
- Identifying SEND in the Early Years: Partnership and collaboration is keywith Dr Helen Curran senior lecturer in SEN at Bath Spa University, The earlier a special educational need is identified…Continue reading »
- SEND Inspections on repeat, with families’ experience “essential” to new frameworkWe’ve been waiting a while for confirmation about what’s happening when the current cycle of Ofsted/CQC SEND inspections of all…Continue reading »
- Keeping children with SEND from getting ‘lost in digital space’with CEO of Internet Matters Carolyn Bunting. For children with access to the internet, lockdown saw a sky-rocketing of the…Continue reading »
- SEND in schools 2019-2020: It’s just so depressingThe school census figures for SEND have just been published for 2019-2020. Before we get to that, I want to…Continue reading »
- SNJ In Conversation with Dame Christine Lenehan, Director of the Council for Disabled ChildrenOne of the (numerous) problems many parents find when their child is having an education, health and care needs assessment,…Continue reading »
- SEND risk assessments and preparing for a return to school (or not)*August update: EHCPs are now back in full force and all children are expected back in school in September. However,…Continue reading »
- Lockdown gave me time to really appreciate my amazing children with SENDWhile people are emerging out of lockdown, and some children are returning to school, other families remain carefully shielding. While…Continue reading »
- SNJ Survey: Tell us about your disabled child’s education during CoronavirusWe've decided to create a quick survey to find out how families have been getting on while home educating and…Continue reading »
- SNJ In Conversation: Awesome and Autistic in a post-pandemic worldwith Renata Blower and Siena Castellon Today we're bringing you another episode of SNJ In Conversation and again you can…Continue reading »
- Coronavirus: Managing risk to get our special school ready for reintegrationwith Ian Thorsteinsson, Principal, Gretton School, Cambridge The Government has confirmed it is pressing ahead with its plans to reopen…Continue reading »
- What’s wrong with Oak Academy’s specialist curriculum?with Karen Wespieser, curriculum lead for specialist content at Oak Academy A couple of weeks ago a group of volunteer…Continue reading »
- Coronavirus: EHCP laws temporarily “relaxed” as LAs told to just do their bestand SEN Lawyer, Hayley Mason, SNJ Legal Columnist The Government yesterday announced temporary amendments to the SEND regulations around legal…Continue reading »
- How is the coronavirus lockdown affecting the mental health of children with SEND?With so many children with SEND finding school an anxiety-inducing experience, has home learning during the coronavirus lockdown helped, or…Continue reading »
- My trans-daughter, an unexpected giftwith Caroline Watson & Hannah Watson Today we have a subject that we haven't covered before on SNJ: Having a…Continue reading »
- How has special education needs evolved in the 40 years since the Warnock Report?with Professor Geoff Lindsay, Centre for Educational Development, Appraisal and Research (CEDAR), University of Warwick Everyone in the SEND sector…Continue reading »
- The curious decision to keep disabled children at school despite the Coronavirus crisisAs you will have heard, yesterday the Government finally announced it was closing all schools as the Coronavirus crisis spreads.…Continue reading »
- #Coronavirus, EHCPs and the law: ask education lawyer Hayley MasonIn these unprecedented days, there is a lot of uncertainty, not least about education. What happens to legally-backed provision when…Continue reading »
- The one where the SEND system is a success: The astonishing views of the DfEAs we reported yesterday, the inquiry by the Commons Public Accounts Committee on funding for special educational needs and disabilities…Continue reading »
- Budget 2020: Show us the money for SEND!with Matt Keer, SNJ columnist & SEND funding guru It’s budget day this week and we think it’s imperative the…Continue reading »
- Can a new Parliamentary Group keep the pressure on to #fixSEND?As a limping, wounded SEND system drags itself into the third month of the new decade, we are still waiting…Continue reading »
- New children’s minister Vicky Ford MUST sign off on continued Ofsted/CQC SEND inspectionsFirst thing's first, congratulations to Vicky Ford, MP for Chelmsford in Essex, who has been appointed to be the new…Continue reading »
- Special needs parenting: Love, determination and furyThe first time I held my eldest as a newborn, it hit me that my needs would never come first…Continue reading »
- Ofsted’s grim verdict on SEND in EnglandOfsted's annual report, late because of the election, has a great deal to say about SEND and not much of…Continue reading »
- Ofsted explains its new way of reporting on SEND provision in educationwith Nick Whittaker, Specialist Adviser, SEND, Ofsted In one of my roles, I work alongside other SEND representatives on Ofsted's…Continue reading »
- New Autism Toolkit launched to get support for children #RightFromTheStartA few months ago, we ran a story about the development of a new toolkit called for #RightFromTheStart to assist…Continue reading »
- What the Personal Wheelchair Budget means for disabled people in Englandwith Clare Dangerfield, Campaigning and Public Affairs Manager, Newlife charity If you or your child uses a wheelchair, you will…Continue reading »
- Challenging opaque, illegal social care plans for disabled adultsWith Belinda Schweher, CEO, social care legal charity CASCAIDr Anyone who's tried to get social care help for a young…Continue reading »
- The 2019 SEND Advocates’ Stampede? Seems to me nowThat the dreams we had beforeAre all dead, nothing moreThan confetti on the floorIt's the end…Continue reading »
- Join us in the fight ahead to defend the rights of disabled childrenOur hearts may be as heavy today as they were on Friday morning. But there is no more time to…Continue reading »
- Review: Controlling pain with the PainPodSome time ago, Renata and I were asked to review* a device called a PainPod that claims to control pain,…Continue reading »
- Our LA left us feeling so abused
we escaped to Scotland for a better life with our SEND sonwith Harminder Samra, SEND parent Just over two years ago we ran an article by Harminder Samra, the mother of…Continue reading »
- Exemplary Practice: Why this special school is PROUD of its pupil voicewith Mary Isherwood OBE, Headteacher Camberwell Park Specialist Support School, Moston, Manchester There's so much bad, stressful or just plain…Continue reading »
- What’s a PRU to you? Busting the myths about alternative provisionwith David Mills, Executive Vice Principal, Phoenix Park Academy & Sevenhills Academy When a child is admitted to a pupil…Continue reading »
- SEND Tribunal trial extended – but it needs more than just time to be a successPlans have been announced to extend the current trial that gives the SEND Tribunal powers to make non-binding directions for…Continue reading »
- Launching the SEND Community Alliance: An independent campaign groupwith SNJ's Renata Blower, Gill Doherty (SEND Action) and Nadia Turki & Poppy Rose (SEND National Crisis) An exciting announcement…Continue reading »
- When is a significant injustice to a disabled child, not
a significant injustice?with Claire Ryan Every week the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) publishes the latest set of decisions for…Continue reading »
- SNJ Webinar: Successful strategies for EHCP AppealsToday we're announcing our first SNJ webinar! Expert lawyer and SNJ columnist, Hayley Mason of SEN Legal will be explaining…Continue reading »
- Exemplary Practice: Creating a positive future of meaningful work for young people with SENDwith Matt Silver, Head Teacher, Shaftesbury High School, Harrow Recently I put out a call for positive stories of great…Continue reading »
- Ofsted finds home education is most often not a choice – and off-rolling is a key culpritMore evidence that inclusion isn’t working has come from Ofsted, which has published research to show home education is often…Continue reading »
- The DfE wants to stop LAs filling SEND funding gapswith Gillian Doherty, SEND Action Last week, the High Court found against campaign group, SEND Action in their judicial review…Continue reading »
- A setback at the High Court, but parents’ SEND Action goes onToday on SNJ we want to pay tribute to the SEND Action parent campaigners who took the Government to the…Continue reading »
- Disabled children “increasingly failed” as nearly 9 in 10 EHCP Ombudsman complaints upheldThe Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, says 87%, or 9 in 10, of complaints about the Education, Health and…Continue reading »
- It’s back! Put your burning questions about SEND to the Department for EducationIt's back! Once again we are giving you the chance to ask the Department for Education the questions you want…Continue reading »
- Public Accounts Committee launches SEND Inquiry (yes another one)Another day, another SEND inquiry. It seems that inquiries into SEND are like buses. None for ages then three come…Continue reading »
- We won a legal point on unlawful exclusion and cleared my disabled son’s nameAdoptive parents expect their new child may deal with issues such as attachment, after living through prior traumatic circumstances, both…Continue reading »
- A free SEND legal advice clinic to guide you through the jungleWhen you find yourself at the start - or even stuck in the middle - of trying to secure the…Continue reading »
- SEND audited: Is the system affordable? What’s the alternative?with contributions from Matt Keer, SNJ Columnist Just last week, Matt mentioned the upcoming report from the National Audit Office…Continue reading »
- The Government must act on legal ruling against discrimination of disabled childrenWith Jane Harris, Director of External Affairs at National Autistic Society Last year we covered a landmark legal ruling that…Continue reading »
- Will the SEND Inquiry report be drowned in the maelstrom of Brexit? UPDATEDI wrote this post yesterday in the wake of the leak of Government schools funding. This evening, Boris Johnson has…Continue reading »
- SEND Transport: Consultation and Missed opportunitiesYou may have seen recently that the government launched a consultation into revised statutory guidance for local authorities on home…Continue reading »
- Join the SNJ Squad as a “Patron” and get exclusive content!Running SNJ takes time and money. As volunteers, we don't mind spending time making the site as useful as possible,…Continue reading »
- Join the SNJ Squad as a “Patron” and get exclusive content!Tell me more... We’ll never charge for you to read articles on SNJ so everyone can access information whatever their…Continue reading »
- Know your child’s rights to social care supportwith Liz Walker, Care Services Emergency Care Co-ordinator and Safeguarding Lead for Newlife the Charity for Disabled Children Social care…Continue reading »
- All rise! SEND figures go up in 2019For the third year running, the number of pupils with special educational needs (SEND) in schools has increased. In January…Continue reading »
- Judge: A remarkable achievement for parents to take the government to courtThe judgement in the Judicial Review of a group of parents against the government over SEND funding, has been reserved…Continue reading »
- The government’s legal day of reckoning looms, as families challenge over SEND failuresWhile most of the country’s politicians are fixated on Brexit and BoJo, vulnerable children have been left to bump along…Continue reading »
- England’s children urgently need a new, accountable, speech and language strategyWith Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists chief executive, Kamini Gadhok MBE, and Caroline Wright, policy adviser for children…Continue reading »
- The First Breath, How my baby had surgery in the wombwith Olivia Gordon Parents of children with disabilities are known for their generosity in sharing their knowledge to help others.…Continue reading »
- Come and meet the Special Needs Jungle team at The Autism Show this Friday and Saturday!This is just a quick reminder for you. The Special Needs Jungle team is at The Autism Show this Friday…Continue reading »
- People power! Parents and disabled children march to end the #SENDcrisisWhat a day it was! On Thursday 30th May 2019, up and down the country, parents, children, young people, professionals…Continue reading »
- Today we make history, taking to the streets in protest to end the #SENDNationalCrisisToday families of children with SEND—and the children and young people themselves too—are making history. Up and down the country…Continue reading »
- Legal bid to change the way “school refusers” are treatedWe’re seeing increasing numbers of parents feeling forced to crowdfund to help secure justice for special educational needs educational issues…Continue reading »
- SEND inquiry takedown: Parents Vs DfEThere have been close to 700 pieces of evidence (and counting) sent in to the SEND Inquiry. Tomorrow, the Department…Continue reading »
- The SEND crib sheet: How you can help school help your disabled childBack when my youngest was in mainstream, he didn’t yet have statutory support. Although the infant feeder school would have…Continue reading »
- Mum’s brilliant home education helped me thrive as an autistic studentYou may have noticed we've been featuring more young people recently. It's a deliberate move to broaden the the conversation…Continue reading »
- Scrap league tables and boost SEND training to beat off-rollingNo sooner had the Exclusions Review announced that off-rolling of pupils is “rare”, Ofsted comes along with research that indicates…Continue reading »
- The Exclusions Review tries hard but falls short of a fix"Schools must be places that are welcoming and respectful, where every child has the opportunity to succeed. To ensure this…Continue reading »
- Are EHCP Annual Reviews being unlawfully delayed by too-busy LAs?When my sons had their first annual review after their Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), it happened roughly on…Continue reading »
- Restrictive Interventions: We need to change the way we thinkWith Elly Chapple, parent of a disabled daughter Elly Chapple is back with a hugely important topic. We’ve recently been…Continue reading »
- SEND National Crisis: Marching for our disabled children’s futureWe’ve written many posts here on SNJ about the funding crisis. Renata and I also joined the NEU organised event…Continue reading »
- Parents warn Ofsted it’s missing chances to boost inclusionA few weeks ago, we ran an open letter from a SEND parent, Claire Ryan, to Ofsted’s Chief Inspector, Amanda…Continue reading »
- SEND inspections: what do Ofsted and CQC inspectors really think?There have been a few happenings recently that I have intended to write about but meetings and other commitments, plus…Continue reading »
- Visit The Autism Show 2019 (and meet SNJ too!)We’re excited to be able to be at The Autism Show, the national event for autism, in London this year!…Continue reading »
- Creating a PDA coping system, after CAMHS’ strategies failed my sonWe’re hearing much more in the last few years about Pathological Demand Avoidance, a condition on the autism spectrum, although…Continue reading »
- See Us, Hear Us: Supporting siblings of seriously ill childrenAs many parents who read our articles can tell you, when a child has a serious illness, their normal family…Continue reading »
- SEND parents tell Ofsted its new draft inspection framework lets vulnerable learners downParents of disabled children have voiced their anger over Ofsted's new draft education Inspection Framework for England, that's under consultation…Continue reading »
- The power of pacing: Managing energy with a rare disease or chronic illnessIt’s Rare Disease Day, something we traditionally mark, with both Renata's and my own family being affected by rare conditions…Continue reading »
- Ready for school? The importance of Early Years learningThe issue of children arriving at school without being able to speak in full sentences and lacking basic age-appropriate skills…Continue reading »
- Keeping up with the politics of SENDOh it’s all going on in the world of politics isn’t it? Labour Party defections, Brexit shenanigans… it’s almost as…Continue reading »
- The thorny issue of attendance awards and children with SENDIf your child has a SEND or a medical condition, it's very likely they will need time out of school…Continue reading »
- The Deafblind world: The ‘Shoeness’ of a ShoeImagine a world you can neither see nor hear, yet you must find a way to grow and thrive within…Continue reading »
- Help get support right from the start for autistic childrenLast week, I attended the first meeting for a new Reference Group "Right from the Start" established by the charity,…Continue reading »
- SEND parents of school refusers criminalised instead of supportedwith Rona Epstein, University of Coventry, Coventry Law School University researchers have discovered that most of the children of parents…Continue reading »
- SEND children are being “traumatised” by not getting the help they need in schoolsWatching the parliament TV broadcasts of the SEN Inquiry has been an interesting affair, but yesterday’s brought tears of outrage…Continue reading »
- The SENCo – parent relationship: Making it work to benefit the SEND childSNJ is read by lots of SENCos and other school staff, which is pretty amazing, considering it started out as…Continue reading »
- Plans and promises: Will the new NHS really be brighter for disabled children?Earlier this week the NHS’s Long Term Plan was published. It’s a pretty big document and, as I’ve been away,…Continue reading »
- I think my child has a special educational need. What can I do?So often on SNJ we talk about the difficulties faced when getting SEND help. But if you're new to the…Continue reading »
- A new SEND future promised…but councils are still parent-blamingWhen I wrote the Sunday article, the LGA report had not yet been released, but perusing it since has brought…Continue reading »
- Early Christmas for SEND, or Scrooge dressed up as Santa?The Department for Education has announced a £350 million funding package to support children with complex needs and disabilities, along…Continue reading »
- Using the Monitoring Officer to hold councils to account for housing, education and social servicesIf you're wondering how you could to hold your local authority to account for not obeying the law or refusing…Continue reading »
- The struggle in SEND hurts us all. It’s a sign of society gone wrongYesterday I was interviewed by BBC TV news about the Ofsted Annual report. It’s not an unusual occurrence, being contacted…Continue reading »
- ATU Autism scandal: PDA Society calls for Rescue Mission. You can helpIf you've been following the horrific stories of young people with autism who are locked away or who have died…Continue reading »
- Will teachers strike over cuts to SEND and schools? Education union leaders tell us ‘Enough is enough’Earlier this week an estimated one-thousand parents, teachers and teaching unions took part in a march and rally, through the…Continue reading »
- Half-a-billion pound funding gap for SEND says Local Government AssociationCouncils are facing a projected shortfall in SEND funding in England of £536 million for this year, according to the…Continue reading »
- Reviews: Maths for SpLD, + 101 inclusive Science and Computing lessonsA new giveaway today – in fact, TWO! Two SEN books for one for maths, and one covering science and…Continue reading »
- Are Early Years funding changes destroying nursery SEND provision?There have been a number of surveys recently about funding for council-run nurseries, with fears that their SEND provision is…Continue reading »
- Making secondary schools more inclusive. What’s your experience?We've heard a lot about inclusive schools and how many parents have struggled to find one for their child. It's…Continue reading »
- United voices making a stand for our SEND childrenIt's been a huge week for SEND so far. Not only have there been stories across mainstream media, including this…Continue reading »
- End of austerity? Not for children, 120 children’s organisations tell the governmentSpecial Needs Jungle has joined more than 120 national organisations demanding that the Government stop ignoring compelling evidence that essential…Continue reading »
- Updated EHCP Flow charts and a brand new one for the Annual Review!The EHCP process flow charts that we collaborated with the Department for Education on in 2014 had become out of…Continue reading »
- Does your school’s website break the law?An interesting, if limited, study has been published by the government. entitled "Mental health and wellbeing provision in schools, Review of published policies…Continue reading »
- SEND emergency! SNJ joins the campaign of the UK’s biggest teaching union to fight the cutsThe pressure is mounting on Damian Hinds, the Education Secretary to act now to solve the crisis in SEND funding.…Continue reading »
- Help SEND parents legally challenge the government over national funding crisisThe Department for Education has been put on notice: parents have had enough of government and local authorities speaking with…Continue reading »
- UK holiday attractions: Gold stars or banana skins for accessibility?Now that we’ve saved goodbye to the summer holidays, I was interested to know which UK attractions parents of disabled…Continue reading »
- Help! I’m a parent carer and I’m on my VERY last nerve!With contributions from Angel Kelly, SNJ Mental Health Editor It’s not just tough physically being a parent of a disabled…Continue reading »
- SEND System ‘in crisis’ say Head TeachersThe National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) has branded England's SEND, 'a system in crisis'. From over 600 responses to…Continue reading »
- SEND Update: Good intentions…and complaints for young people with SENDA brief update today. Despite it being the middle of summer, the Department for Education is still pumping out information that…Continue reading »
- Against Human Rights: Landmark ruling against school exclusion for behaviour related to autismThousands of children with disabilities will now be properly protected from discrimination in schools after a landmark ruling found the…Continue reading »
- How SEND parent support in England is changing, by Christine LenehanFor the first four years of the reformed SEND system in England, families had available to them a free Independent…Continue reading »
- SEND 2018: More children with SEND, but it’s worse if you’re poorIt’s the end of July so it must be time for the annual SEND figures – the government statistics that…Continue reading »
- Parents’ top tips for summer serendipity with your disabled childAh, the school summer holidays, don’t you just love them? Six, long, glorious weeks of unstructured days stretching out before…Continue reading »
- Exclusions 2018: Children with SEND six times more likely to be excludedPupils with SEND are up to six times more likely to be permanently excluded from school according to new government…Continue reading »
- £1.5 billion funding gap for disabled children’s services in the UKAs if we're not already drowning in enough bad news about how disabled children and their families are bearing the…Continue reading »
- SEND Inquiry: The Baroness, Brian, the man in the middle and much more..The first hearings into the SEND inquiry were held before the Education Select Committee this week. Three esteemed witnesses were…Continue reading »
- Challenge to the law that doesn’t protect disabled children from exclusionParents of an autistic teenager are going to the Upper Tribunal today to appeal a decision that they say discriminates…Continue reading »
- Survey: Parents have lost confidence in their disabled children’s health and social care servicesParent-carers’ confidence in the quality of disabled children’s health and social care services is at an all-time low with almost…Continue reading »
- Disabled Person’s Trusts: When making a will is not enoughBefore you have children, we have a reasonable expectation that they will grow up, leave home and live their own…Continue reading »
- Shocking rise in autistic pupils being excluded from England’s schoolsWe've seen for some time the rise in children with special educational needs and disabilities, particularly autism, who end up…Continue reading »
- Finding support for raising girls on the autistic spectrumWe've written before about girls on the autistic spectrum a few times before and, of course, I am one myself…Continue reading »
- £50 million extra for SEND school places and facilities. But will it help inclusion?As you will have seen from Matt's article last week about the number of Education, Health and Care Plans being…Continue reading »
- Book review: How to raise a happy autistic childThere are a plethora of books about autism, written by academics or by parents telling their personal story in the…Continue reading »
- 70% of children with Pathological Demand Avoidance missing out on educationPathological Demand Avoidance (PDA), a profile of the autistic spectrum, has been increasingly recognised in the medical profession in recent…Continue reading »
- SEND update: Parental support and EHCP transfer miraclesTime for a quick update on what's happening in the world of SEND for you today. A while ago, we…Continue reading »
- The legal loophole that’s stopping young disabled people from getting to schoolFor local authorities, school transport is one of the most expensive part of providing support for children with disabilities. Often…Continue reading »
- National SEND Inquiry: House of Commons Education Committee calls for evidenceThe House of Commons Education Committee has launched an inquiry into support for children and young people with special educational needs…Continue reading »
- Struggling for work-life balance as a mum with a disabled child – and a career I loveWorking and parenthood is the biggest balancing act for so many families. That goes double when your child has a…Continue reading »
- FestABLE, the accessible SEND conference with families at its heartEver looked at all these SEND conferences that get held around the country and wondered why they always seem to…Continue reading »
- Happy 10th birthday SNJ! SEND then and now…Happy birthday to us! 10 years ago today, I started writing down some information about how I had successfully got…Continue reading »
- My autistic son is desperate for a friend, but other kids won’t accept his differencesIf, like me, you were a bit 'different' at school, you'll know the loneliness of being the last one picked,…Continue reading »
- The logic of autism: Fighting fear by studying my son’s ASDOften, parents who have a child with autism are driven to learn more about the condition in a more academic…Continue reading »
- Moving on from #Bercow10: What next for Speech and Language Therapy?Recently, a review was published by the children's communications charity, I CAN and Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists to…Continue reading »
- While you’re reviewing “Children in Need”, can you fix SEND too please?Recently, the government announced a multi-pronged review to, "transform education for children with additional needs and ambitious plans to improve…Continue reading »
- Review: 101 Inclusive and SEN Maths and English LessonsJessica Kingsley have published two easy-to-use SEN lesson books, 101 Inclusive & SEN English lessons and the same title for…Continue reading »
- One parent’s seven steps to success for her autistic son’s EHCPWe have another useful post for you today. Many parents find it difficult to navigate the SEND system and we…Continue reading »
- Abigail’s rare childhood disease that she won’t outgrowIt's Rare Disease Day this week and evey year we like to highlight the day, on 28th February, by telling…Continue reading »
- The DfE replies: Accountability in SENDThis is our final instalment of the answers supplied by the Department for Education to your questions. We grouped your…Continue reading »
- The DfE replies: EHCP issuesToday is the second instalment of your answers to the questions you put to the Department for Education last year.…Continue reading »
- The Department for Education replies. 1: SEND ProvisionLast year, the Department for Education offered to answer SNJ readers' questions about SEND. It's not the first time they've done…Continue reading »
- The stories that prove dyslexia is a superpower!We have a book review today about dyslexia written by children with dyslexia. The author, Margaret Rooke, whose daughter is…Continue reading »
- The DfE on the EHCP transfer deadline. Plus all change for national SEND support servicesFollowing Matt's post last week about Transfer Deadlines and zombie statements, we got in touch with the Department for Education…Continue reading »
- Reforms, what reforms? Lancashire fails SEND children and mistreats parentsJust over a year ago, I wrote about the dreadful SEND inspection report for Surrey from Ofsted/CQC, as part of…Continue reading »
- SEND on the rocks: Can a new minister rescue the reforms from certain disaster?It's all change at the Department for Education. Not only was Justine Greening knocked off her stool as Education Secretary…Continue reading »
- Good news to inspire your SEND parenting in 2018We hear all the time about the bad things that are happening in the world of special educational needs and…Continue reading »
- SNJ in 2017: Revealing the truth & explaining the facts about SEND2017 has been, I'm sorry to say, a year of almost unrelenting misery for families of children with special educational…Continue reading »
- Merry Christmas from SNJ: Here’s some brilliant SEND videos you won’t want to miss!It's our last post before we take a break for Christmas. It's an opportunity for me to bring you three…Continue reading »
- Shining a light on the stars of speech, language and communication**update: Closing date now 25th January! ** Get nominating!** As we have the past two years, we are again helping…Continue reading »
- Seven tips for a calm Christmas for children with special needsKids love Christmas, don’t they? You’d think so, but for many children with autism or other disabilities, it’s often edged…Continue reading »
- Parliament autism group calls for more autism training, speedier support, more understandingA couple of months ago, accompanied by my younger child, I attended the All Party Parliamentary Group on Autism in…Continue reading »
- NHS liaison: The Designated Clinical /Medical Officer for SENDAs some of you may know, I have been doing my bit to help improve local SEND where I live…Continue reading »
- What causes autism… what doesn’t?If your child has been diagnosed with autism and you’re wondering what could have caused it, I would strongly recommend…Continue reading »
- Our Ofsted/CQC Facebook chat: What you asked and they answeredOur Facebook chat last week had a pretty overwhelming response, thank you to everyone who participated. We had a bit…Continue reading »
- The SEND system is fractured, if not broken. Three new reports prove it.SEND reports are like buses. Nothing for ages, then one, two and now three come along at once, this latest…Continue reading »
- Ofsted SEND Facebook chat to be hosted by Special Needs Jungle!As you may have seen at the end of our post on the Ofsted/CQC one year on report, we're delighted…Continue reading »
- Ofsted and CQC report on one year of SEND inspections. It isn’t pretty.Yesterday we ran a disturbing survey saying two-thirds of school leaders didn’t feel they were sufficiently supported to give the…Continue reading »
- Two-thirds of England’s schools lack support for best outcomes for SEND pupilsA survey of more than 1,000 school leaders has revealed that more than two-thirds (68%) say they lack the support…Continue reading »
- Schools breaking the law on helping children with medical conditionsA report published by Young Epilepsy says one in three schools in England are effectively breaking the law by not…Continue reading »
- What does it take to get a disabled child to preschool?In our summer SEND blogger showcase, we featured Alex Davey's blog, The Long Chain. Alex has three children, the middle of…Continue reading »
- Why sixty minutes of low-sensory shopping will be bliss for my autistic son and me.I bet many, many parents of children on the autism spectrum can relate to the hideousness of having your child…Continue reading »
- Our wish for a mainstream school turned into a nightmareWe really want to be able to bring you stories of great experiences of the SEND system by families. Sadly,…Continue reading »
- Put your question about SEND to the Department for Education (2017)Renata and I recently visited the Department for Education and met with the Director of SEND, Ann Gross and Dan…Continue reading »
- Steph’s chronicle of her family’s journey through SEND, cancer and lossRenata and I first met Steph Nimmo back in 2013 at the Department for Education when a group of SEND bloggers…Continue reading »
- UK government is failing disabled children says United NationsIt’s pretty shameful really, what the UN said about the UK’s treatment of people with disabilities. Last week, as part of…Continue reading »
- The worrying trend of social care tactics to target SEND ‘problem parents’Recently on SNJ's Facebook page, someone accused us of being too hard on local authorities who were 'trying their best'.…Continue reading »
- SEND Blogger showcase 4: Rainbows, Broccoli and WristbandsAnd now, what better day to bring you our final fabulous SEND Blogger showcase of this summer than on the…Continue reading »
- Home to school transport policies “inaccurate and inadequate”So many families of disabled children rely on home to school transport. Whether it's a shared taxi, minibus or a…Continue reading »
- Bring your child’s teacher to Whole School SEND’s second summit for free!Earlier this year, we ran a ticket giveaway for pairs of parents and teachers for the Whole School SEND Summit,…Continue reading »
- SEND Blogger Showcase 3: Life and ASC & A Wheelie Great AdventureWelcome to the third in our SEND blogger spotlights! Today we feature two more bloggers, Helen, who blogs about life…Continue reading »
- IAS Service: Supporting families of children with SENDWhen you need help or advice as a parent about your child or adolescent's education or difficulties with special educational…Continue reading »
- SEND Blogger showcase 2: Mum On A Mission & Our Altered LifeToday we have the second in our August SEND blogger showcase and we're so delighted to be able to share…Continue reading »
- Would you want your child to be on a national GP autism register?Would you want your autistic child (or yourself if you're autistic) to be on a national autism register? The National…Continue reading »
- SEND blogger showcase: itmustbemum & The Long ChainWhen I started out blogging here on SNJ, before social sharing was a 'thing', there really wasn't anyone else out…Continue reading »
- Choosing a mainstream school for my disabled childThe issue of the type of placement for a child with special educational needs or disabilities can be a thorny…Continue reading »
- SEND in England, 2017: More in Independents, fewer in AcademiesAnother day another set of figures to wade through... this time though, it's the annual school SEND figures from the…Continue reading »
- Horror stories: Recent SEND research for your summer readingDear reader, I am sorry, but I have failed you. A clutch of research reports about SEND have been recently…Continue reading »
- End of school SEND report: Must try harderIt's the end of the school year and children are arriving home up and down the land with their school…Continue reading »
- Going to Uni: The Disabled Students Allowance assessmentIt’s all change for us this September at home, as Youngest heads off to start a three year BSc at…Continue reading »
- How I became a better child physio after parenting my sick newbornWe love sharing good practice with you that can help both parents and professionals offer improve the lives of children…Continue reading »
- The Secret Life of Holly, from the Disabled Children’s PartnershipIn England today, there is an unacceptable gap between the quality of life and opportunities available for disabled children, when…Continue reading »
- Exploring Autism and Music, a chance to listen, learn and participateResearch into different aspects of autism can reveal many unexpected and interesting findings, which can sometimes help to improve the lives…Continue reading »
- Helping carers and disabled children with QigongWe are all living in stressful times. World events, both near and far, can leave us feeling anxious, fearful and…Continue reading »
- How do you help a disadvantaged child build confidence and find success? [Conference]Aside from having a special educational need or disability, one of the biggest barriers to success at school is your…Continue reading »
- SEND 2017, the state of the special educational needs system revealedThe annual figures for special educational needs came out yesterday and I spent the day poring over them and making…Continue reading »
- The SNJ #GE2017 Manifesto for Special Educational Needs and DisabilityYou can’t have failed to notice that, here in the UK, we’re hurtling towards the snap general election called for…Continue reading »
- Tackling the lack of diversity in books for deaf childrenIt's Deaf Awareness Week and a new book has been published, written to boost deaf awareness and tackle the lack of…Continue reading »
- The frustration and heartbreak of Pathological Demand AvoidanceWe've covered Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA), which is a condition on the autistic spectrum, a few times on SNJ and…Continue reading »
- Good mental health support needs one thing: proper fundingIt’s Mental Health Awareness Week. Depression is the leading cause of ill health and disability worldwide. According to the latest…Continue reading »
- SEND, support staff and challenging behaviour in schools.You may remember that we had Tess Philbert on the site not so long ago, talking about person-centred planning. Tess is…Continue reading »
- Your views invited to help set the agenda for Whole School SENDLast month Barney and I participated in the Whole School SEND Summit, spreading our message in a roundtable at the…Continue reading »
- Explaining new funding rules for early years children with SENDFunding is always a hot topic in local authorities and schools and nowhere more so than in special educational needs. From…Continue reading »
- Special needs lawyer calls for election pledge to solve SEND disarrayA young lawyer specialising in special educational needs, who himself has SpLD, has warned the parties in the upcoming election urgent…Continue reading »
- Holly’s autism film starring role helped raise her classmates’ awarenessLast week, I said Autism Awareness had graduated from a day to a week. Dear reader, I was wrong. It's…Continue reading »
- Children with SEND risk rejection by mainstream schools over funding gapPupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are at risk of being turned away by mainstream schools due to…Continue reading »
- Is autism a difference or a disorder? The truth is in-betweenI don't think anyone is unaware of the word 'autism' these days. The problem still lies in understanding how vast a…Continue reading »
- Supporting families to participate in making person-centred decisionsOne of the big things that was supported to be improved for disabled children and families was person-centred planning. De-jargonned,…Continue reading »
- What’s in a name: Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome gets an important makeoverIt's rare for a medical condition to have its sub-types reclassified. It happened to autism a couple of years ago…Continue reading »
- All about ALLFIE and its campaign for truly inclusive educationMy sons' headteacher at their independent special(ist) school, once said to me that inclusion was about being included in society…Continue reading »
- How a parent held her council to account for its SEND failuresToday's parent story is a classic case of a local authority's disregard of the SEND reforms: poor communication and lack…Continue reading »
- £215 million cash boost for local areas to improve SEND facilitiesThe Department for Education has today announced £215 million funding for SEND. It's to be split between almost every English…Continue reading »
- The SEND Superheroes ready to spruce up your school’s provisionI started Special Needs Jungle with the intention of spreading knowledge to parents about how to get themselves organised and…Continue reading »
- The heartache that lives alongside our son’s very rare diseaseRare Disease Day is almost upon us and we have the third of our parent posts today about their lives…Continue reading »
- Finding my son near death started our rare journey to his genetic diagnosisIt's bad enough when your child has a severe illness, but when you discover it's a condition few have heard…Continue reading »
- YouGov survey: Teachers blame “parental pressure” for misdiagnosis of SENA YouGov poll of more than 800 teachers across the UK, has shockingly revealed what is potentially one of the…Continue reading »
- Post 19: Education, health, care and training support for disabled young peopleA quick post today to let you know about guidance the Department for Education has published for 19-25 year olds…Continue reading »
- A 16 year quest to diagnose our rare bendy daughterIt's often difficult to cope and find support when your child has an uncommon or rare condition. Often, there is…Continue reading »
- Whole School SEND Summit: learn, contribute & share good practiceThe changes to the special educational needs system in England are over two years old but many parents have seen…Continue reading »
- Parents of children with learning disabilities lonely, distressed and under pressureIt can be hard to cope with having a child with a disability. It can be particularly hard on relationships.…Continue reading »
- Interweb Safety Day: The stuff you don’t know as parents but shouldThe interweb is a big and scary place, and that’s just for the grown-ups. While we think our kids may…Continue reading »
- Using Minecraft to engage children with science learningMinecraft is beloved of thousands of teens and pre-teens across the country, but it seems to have a particular fascination…Continue reading »
- The Care Act when transitioning from children’s to adult social careOne of the biggest concerns for parents of disabled young people who are about to pass 18, is the move…Continue reading »
- How satisfied are pupils, parents and teachers about SEND in schools?At the end of last week, a couple of surveys were published by the Department for Education. One was a…Continue reading »
- Will more cash guide the battered ship of SEND reform to calmer seas?Just a quick post after Matt's epic blog yesterday on SEND Inspectors (we have been asked for a right of…Continue reading »
- A new year, a new leaf? What’s your SEND wish for 2017?And so, we leave behind the detritus of 2016 with its never-ending celebrity deaths, seismic political upheaval and general air of…Continue reading »
- SNJ’s Christmas SEND wish-list for Santa and a few thanks too…Dear Santa Please bring us some very special gifts this year. We'd like every child with SEN or disabilities to be…Continue reading »
- Tips for keeping up your child’s literacy over the holidaysIt's always a tricky one, especially if your son or daughter has made good progress with literacy during the preceding…Continue reading »
- Shining a light on great practice in SLT and communicationIlluminating great practice for children and young people with SEND is something we love to do at SNJ. Last year…Continue reading »
- Surrey gets a spanking from Ofsted in its SEND inspectionSo the chickens have come home to roost, hopefully. The SEND Ofsted/CQC Inspectors have given Surrey a right kicking, and…Continue reading »
- Adelle’s dyslexia helped her find her strengths as a GB athleteLife for any child with dyslexia can be challenging, especially at school. If they are lucky, they end up in…Continue reading »
- Talking about alcohol with your special needs teenMy boys are both at the age where they are discovering many aspects of adult life, including alcohol. They now go…Continue reading »
- New format for SNJ’s SEND system Flow ChartsJust a quick post today to let you know about a new format for our very popular SEND system flow charts.…Continue reading »
- Future in Mind? Progress on child mental health plan a national disgraceA shocker of a report was published yesterday into the progress on the funding boost to mental health services for…Continue reading »
- Can you help harness parental knowledge about genetic intellectual disability?When I was at the Cambridge Rare Disease Network Summit the other week, I saw a very interesting presentation that…Continue reading »
- The Scott Schools and Colleges SEND report: It’s really rather depressingLee Scott is a very nice man. Earlier this year, at the request of the then Education Secretary, Nicky Morgan,…Continue reading »
- Parent pens The Children’s Guide to AutismNote: The book giveaway is now finished (Nov 2016) It's a while since we brought you a giveaway, so today here's…Continue reading »
- #CRDN2016 Looking to the future where patients and carers are always involved in their careI spent yesterday in Cambridge at the Cambridge Rare Disease Network Summit 2016. CDRN is run by the amazing Kay Parkinson, who…Continue reading »
- Testing for children with SEND: The Rochford ReviewThe final report of The Rochford Review of statutory assessment arrangements for pupils working below the standard of national curriculum tests…Continue reading »
- Why sharing best practice in autism benefits everyoneI'm always on the look out for best practice examples to bring to you on SNJ, whether you are a…Continue reading »
- We challenged our son’s school over disability discriminationDepressingly, I'm hearing just as many, if not more, cases of families being forced to go to the First Tier…Continue reading »
- Amplify your experience of rare disease with Rare Barometer VoicesWhen there are few specialists and no medical pathways to help your child's condition, you can feel like a pinprick in the priority…Continue reading »
- Why did my PDA son have to fail in five schools before I was listened to?Back in 2012, SNJ ran a parent story from a mum, Debs, who had been having lots of difficulty finding…Continue reading »
- Autism Hero Awards: A win for SNJ!Those of you on Facebook or Twitter may have spotted a few of these pictures but for those of you…Continue reading »
- The advocate leading a summit to make patient and medical collaboration less ‘rare’In the most devastating, impossible-to-imagine grief of the death of loved ones – especially your children - it would not be…Continue reading »
- What parents wish teachers knew about their autistic childTeaching children with autism is one of the biggest worries faced by many teachers and even Special Needs Coordinators (SENCos)…Continue reading »
- The special education conundrum: When parents fund an independent special school placeWhen is a child with special educational needs, just not special enough? It's when the local authority decides the child's…Continue reading »
- Hey mum, you’re autistic too! Me, my kids and my adult autism diagnosisI’ve been sent a few books lately about diagnosing Autism / Asperger’s in girls and women. If you’re a regular…Continue reading »
- SEND reforms a botch job? Another report shows families are being failedThe SEND reforms are failing to meet the needs of autistic children, according to a new report from the National…Continue reading »
- What’s WRONG with her? A rare special needs parent’s dilemmaMany of us know what it's like to be questioned intrusively by complete strangers because of our child's disability - whether…Continue reading »
- Showcasing Rare Diseases in BirminghamA shout-out for a an event for rare disease patient groups and for professionals interested in the field. Findacure Midlands Networking…Continue reading »
- Our magical mystery tour helped our autistic son deal with anxietyHow many of us have stayed home rather than face the potential ordeal of your autistic child having a melt-down…Continue reading »
- How Yoga can help your special needs childWe've run a couple of posts on SNJ from Lorraine Senior about Reflexology for children with special needs. They were really appreciated…Continue reading »
- What if my SEND teenager doesn’t get the grades they need for their chosen course?I wrote recently about how Son1 made a silver lining out of the clouds created by the grades in his disappointing…Continue reading »
- More EHCP research: DfE sends “Experience” survey to familiesFrom today many parents of children with special educational and young people who have Education, Health and Care Plans will…Continue reading »
- How my ASD son turned exam result dark clouds into bright silver liningsAt the end of summer last year, the AS results day to be precise, we were in a bit of…Continue reading »
- Special Educational Needs finally to be part of England’s core teacher trainingSome good news to report, at last: Earlier this year, we told you about The Carter Review of Initial Teacher…Continue reading »
- Government promises more apprenticeships for young people with SENDNot so long ago, I wrote a post about apprenticeships for young people with learning disabilities and how Education, Health…Continue reading »
- Using an online EHCP: A parent’s storyEarlier this year, we hosted a post about ‘One page profiles and EHC plans the Wiki way’. It's been very popular…Continue reading »
- Take part in DfE focus groups on Preparing for AdulthoodA quick post today with an opportunity for parents interested in the Preparing for Adulthood agenda for young people with…Continue reading »
- How will #Brexit affect children and young people with Disabilities?I was going to start this piece with "As the dust settles after the #Brexit vote...", but every day the…Continue reading »
- What parents told the government’s review into the SEND reformsLast week, a group of eight parents, including me and Renata, went along to the Department of Education in London…Continue reading »
- The parent “battle” for SEND ProvisionThe BS Tweets story did rather set the SEND world alight with many posts from blogs and articles in the…Continue reading »
- CALL TO ACTION: Let’s work together to stop SEND Tribunal nightmaresMoving the Baker Small Twitter-storm along... Special Needs Jungle would like to use the momentum we have gathered to create…Continue reading »
- Why an unfortunate series of tweets must be a SEND game-changerIf you were browsing Twitter at the weekend, you may have happened upon a series of most startling and revealing…Continue reading »
- Share your experiences of the reforms for Nicky Morgan’s SEND reviewIn just over a week's time, I'm taking a group of parents to the Department for Education to meet former…Continue reading »
- Head Teachers: Children with SEND are being failed by budget cutsIf you switched on BBC2 this morning (June 2nd 2016), you would have found me, Renata and some of our…Continue reading »
- The rare disease game-changers showing how SEND co-production can workLast week I attended the European Conference on Rare Disease being held in Edinburgh*. It was three days of listening to…Continue reading »
- EHCP Journeys and SEND reviewsThe Department for Education recently published some "user experience" research into the SEND reforms to help local areas with gathering…Continue reading »
- How do Apprenticeships support young people with SEN?Only 6% of people with learning difficulties are currently in employment. No, I didn't make that shocking figure up, it…Continue reading »
- Undiagnosed and raising awareness to patients, professionals and parliamentI've been to a couple of events in the last week or so around Undiagnosed Children's Day. As going anywhere…Continue reading »
- SNJ’s new service: EHCP Transfer Clinic!Last week, we relaunched our Ask IPSEA legal question and answer service. But wha if your question isn't legal in…Continue reading »
- It’s back! ASK IPSEA on SNJ is relaunched- let the questioning commence!Exciting news today - the relaunch of our ASK IPSEA feature! [caption id="attachment_13634" align="alignright" width="231"] Julie Moktadir[/caption] We had to…Continue reading »
- Dear son, happy 16th. Here are my invisible shoesWe started the week with a heart-felt letter from a mum about her disabled child. Just as I was thinking I…Continue reading »
- So what? I can’t always swim against the tide with my ASD sonToday we have a lovely guest post from a mum, Michelle Myers, who writes a blog called A Slice of…Continue reading »
- Believe me: it’s not awareness that’s the problem with autismSo here we are again, Autism Awareness Week. Every year people go to great lengths to fundraise, stage events, write…Continue reading »
- Urgent action needed to train all teachers in AutismLast week, the National Autistic Society and Ambitious about Autism sent an open letter to the Education Secretary, Nicky Morgan,…Continue reading »
- Post-16 SEND education? It’s a postcode lotteryFor most adolescents, moving into adulthood is a natural progression and the move from school to a job or to…Continue reading »
- Parents making high-level progress on the SEND health agendaIt’s been a busy week hasn’t it? The budget revealed further cuts in the offing for disabled people – although…Continue reading »
- SEND accountability: What you told the Ofsted consultationLate last week, Ofsted released its report on responses from parents, carers and practitioners - anyone with an interest -…Continue reading »
- Help Hayley raise awareness this World Down syndrome Day #WDSD16Today, we're helping campaigner, Downs Side Up blogger & our SNJ columnist, Hayley Goleniowska, support Down's syndrome Awareness week. She's…Continue reading »
- Ten Top tips for when your child is diagnosed with a rare diseaseWhere were you when you you were told that your child had a medical diagnosis? Like many major events in…Continue reading »
- Birmingham Children’s Hospital puts the fun in fundraising in its fabulous Rare Disease Day event!I had a brilliant time in Birmingham yesterday at the Children's Hospital where they held a vibrant and fun-filled Rare…Continue reading »
- Facts and stats: the differing views of SEND reform successLate last week, the DfE published its latest newsletter about the special educational needs and disability reforms. The issue was…Continue reading »
- One Page Profiles and EHC plans the Wiki wayLast year, I was introduced to an exciting new concept for "living" One Page Profiles - using video and other…Continue reading »
- Birmingham Children’s Hospital leads the way with the UK’s first holistic paediatric Rare Disease CentreHow many of us spend significant amounts of our time taking our children to medical appointments, often many miles from…Continue reading »
- Hands off! SNJ learns new council funding to boost SEND implementation isn’t ring-fencedThe government announced recently that £80 million was to be given to improve the implementation of the SEND reforms. £38.5…Continue reading »
- Help me get supermarkets to stock nappies big enough for BrodyWhen your child has a disability that has made potty training an impossibility, you are left with a growing dilemma…Continue reading »
- How has living with autism changed since the first boy was diagnosed?A story on the BBC website caught my eye the other day about the boy who was the first child…Continue reading »
- NAS chief tells SNJ why it’s time to end the autism diagnosis crisisLast year, the National Autistic Society launched a campaign aimed at ending the often seemingly endless wait for a diagnosis…Continue reading »
- The DfE answers your Top 10 questions on the changes in SEN and disability education: Part 2So, today we have part two of the answers to the Top 10 questions submitted by you, through SNJ, to…Continue reading »
- The DfE answers your Top 10 questions on the changes in SEN and disability education: Part 1For our first post of 2016, it's right back into the thick of it. Last year we asked you to…Continue reading »
- What we said, where we’ve been, what we made in 2015!As promised, we've rounded up some of our articles from the year by type, which will help many of our…Continue reading »
- Merry Christmas from Special Needs JungleWe've had a busy year at SNJ in 2015 and we just wanted to wish you all a happy Christmas…Continue reading »
- One family’s wild ride in the pursuit of post-16 provisionOne of our favourite things at SNJ is to share parents' experiences of their family's experiences of the conditions that…Continue reading »
- Will these figures make councils think twice before forcing parents to the SEND Tribunal?At the end of last week, the government published the detailed statistics from the Special Educational Needs & Disability Tribunal…Continue reading »
- What parent carers told the Minister at his SEND reform stock-taking sessionEarlier this week I attended a round-table event at the Department for Education hosted by the SEND Minister, Ed Timpson.…Continue reading »
- Disabled Students Allowance cuts: Is it time to extend the EHCP to universities?What do you call it when someone says one thing but their actions show they really mean something quite different?…Continue reading »
- Patient Solidarity Day 2015We should all have access to the healthcare we need: good quality, affordable care without fear of discrimination. This…Continue reading »
- Don’t let over 16s fall through the EHCP information cracks[caption id="attachment_12537" align="alignright" width="350"] Luca, who's 18 today and in Surrey Youth Music Theatre[/caption] Today is Son1's (Luca) 18th birthday!…Continue reading »
- Some Sunday wisdom from Maya AngelouIt is time for parents to teach young people early on that in diversity there is beauty and there is…Continue reading »
- #WiseWords: Strong souls come from sufferingOut of suffering have emerged the strongest souls The most massive characters are seared with scars. ~Khalil Gibran~Continue reading »
- Have your say to lift the barriers to play for children with complex disabilitiesSense, the charity that helps people who are deafblind or who have sensory impairments, are running a public inquiry into the provision of…Continue reading »
- An SNJ Infographic of the latest SEND statistics 2015Last week the DfE released its annual "Special educational needs: an analysis and summary of data sources". It was late…Continue reading »
- Best Practice: a parent’s view of a good EHCP Transition experienceMany families have not had a great experience so far with the transition of their child from a Statement to…Continue reading »
- Ask the DfE: Put your SEND queries directly to the man at the ministryWe have something special for you today - a chance to ask the questions you want about SEND to the…Continue reading »
- Selective Mutism: When anxiety shuts down the power to speakIn the past, our youngest has struggled with selective mutism, as part of their autism. Anxiety and sensory overload can…Continue reading »
- Mental Capacity and young people with SEND: A quick primerEarlier this week I attended the SEND seminar of the law firm, Boyes Turner who represent families having difficulties getting…Continue reading »
- The what, when and how of Independent Support for the EHCP processWe haven't carried an article about Independent Support for a while and now we have one today and another coming…Continue reading »
- Inspirational SEND education events and a speech that says it allYesterday Angela and I went to two events in London that underlined the fight that families still face to get…Continue reading »
- Driver Youth Trust report: SEND reforms led to “Fragmented provision, chaos and confusion”Later on today, Angela and I will be attending the Westminster launch of "Joining the Dots" a report out today…Continue reading »
- Consultation on SEND Accountability launched. We look at the big pictureSo finally, what we have been waiting for – the public consultation for setting up a system of accountability for…Continue reading »
- Help your child relax with a ‘positive touch’ reflexology routineWe're really pleased to have another post from reflexologist, Lorraine Senior who you can find today and tomorrow at the…Continue reading »
- Who’s looking at your kids’ photos online -and not in a good way?A story in the Independent newspaper has make me lurch up from my sickbed to highlight something I have known…Continue reading »
- What you told us about your EHCP experiences. Now tell us how it should be!A few weeks ago we asked you to send us your EHCP transfer or application experiences, however it's been, to help…Continue reading »
- Why childhood eye tests can be the key to discovering special educational needsAround a fifth of young people with sight loss also have additional special educational needs or disabilities, and a further…Continue reading »
- How a charity is helping disabled children with reading challenges learn to love booksWe all know that reading to our children is vitally important and helps get them started in reading for themselves.…Continue reading »
- Top tips for Crowdfunding for your support group or charityI've just attended a workshop on Crowdfunding held by the Findacure Foundation. The workshop was specifically aimed at rare disease…Continue reading »
- The EHCP #1YearOn – views, recommendations and a chance to have your sayThe National Autistic Society has published a fairly damning report saying that less than a quarter of parents surveyed are satisfied…Continue reading »
- SEND reforms #1YearOn only 6% of deaf children see support improvementWe don't like being negative at SNJ. We really want to be able to write about good practice, great resources…Continue reading »
- The pioneering STARS putting patients at the heart of healthcareLong ago, when my both my kids were under three and I was still perfecting the art of smiling while…Continue reading »
- How Sir Stelios is offering entrepreneurs with disabilities a chance for a £50k business boostIt's always been tougher for young people with disabilities to get ahead, whether it's through college, into a job or…Continue reading »
- SEND reforms: Transformation or Missed Opportunity?A research paper discussing the 2014 special educational needs reforms in England, has raised serious questions about the legislation's ability to improve inclusion…Continue reading »
- Dropping SEN figures and the ‘waiting room’ category: the DfE repliesA couple of weeks ago, we reported on the latest SEN figures for England that were released by the Department for…Continue reading »
- £35 million cuts to children’s Mental Health services: Speak up to stop CAMHS cuts!In January 2015, the government pledged £1.25 billion funding for improving children's mental health services. A Children's Mental Health Taskforce was…Continue reading »
- SEN figures show 2.5% drop in children with special educational needs in EnglandJust as we agreed to go down to two posts a week over summer (with a week off in August),…Continue reading »
- 10 tips for geneticists from parents of children with undiagnosed and rare diseasesOne of the biggest problems experienced by parents of children with long-term medical conditions is communicating and maintaining relationships with…Continue reading »
- SEN Assessments and Outcomes: What and whenI had a very busy day on Tuesday at the 25th Anniversary conference of national and international charity, Genetic Alliance UK.…Continue reading »
- Tania’s 13 top tips for surviving the EHCP processI started this blog back in 2008 to record the method I used to apply and gain a statement of…Continue reading »
- Six top tips for using – and managing – your SEND Local OfferHave you checked our your area's Local Offer website recently? Some look pretty good, while some are definitely still a…Continue reading »
- A Right Not a Fight: why young people with learning difficulties are demonstrating for education equalityWe've recently featured some posts from Kathryn Rudd OBE, Principal of the National Star College and Chair of Natspec regarding…Continue reading »
- That’s the sound…a SEND parent’s poem. And show us YOUR talent too!That's the sound - Tania Tirraoro ThumpThat's the sound of your bodyHitting the floor as you trip once againOver nothingIt's…Continue reading »
- Volunteers’ Week: Thanks to our volunteer writers and looking for more help!As it's Volunteers' Week, I'd just like to take a moment to thank everyone who has volunteered their time to…Continue reading »
- Introducing the SNJ collaboration with patientINFORMSome exciting news today! You know when you're looking online for information such as medical articles or research and you…Continue reading »
- Parents must advocate for each other to make the new SEND system workI was invited to speak at a conference last weekend called #RoadMapforLife at Swiss Cottage school, a special school in…Continue reading »
- Why my son with autism has enriched my life, not ruined itThe other day we posted an article link on to our Facebook page from The Guardian, featuring a letter from a…Continue reading »
- NSPCC video released to help protect deaf children from sexual abuseEarlier this year the NSPCC launched guidance called the "Underwear Rule" to help protect children from sexual abuse. To coincide with…Continue reading »
- All about The Challenging Behaviour FoundationChallenging Behaviour. As parents, we've all experienced it at one time or another and as children we've probably exhibited some…Continue reading »
- SOS!SEN on England’s special needs reforms: The Good, The Bad, The UnchangedWay back in 2011, I wrote an article about a small SEN legal charity, SOS!SEN, that provides an advisory service…Continue reading »
- Patient Advocate Power! Renata helps create first specialist nurse for Undiagnosed kidsToday is Undiagnosed Children's Day and a perfect day to tell you about an achievement for our SNJ team member…Continue reading »
- Our son’s undiagnosed condition brings new challenges almost every dayAt the end of this week it's Undiagnosed Children’s Day. These are conditions so ultra-rare they don't have a name…Continue reading »
- Little or no choice for young disabled people for further educationA while ago, you may remember we featured a post from Kathryn Rudd OBE, Principal National Star College and Chair…Continue reading »
- #12MillionVotes: A Manifesto for Disabled PeopleIt's two years now since I was diagnosed with Ehlers Danlos syndrome and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia and officially became one…Continue reading »
- Special Needs parents outraged at use of Sam Cam’s bereavement as election toolThe article on Samantha Cameron that appeared in The Daily Telegraph on Monday has caused a storm of outrage among Special…Continue reading »
- SEND accountability – we look at the framework and ask for your viewsIn what is probably the last act of his current position as Minister for SEND in this parliament, Ed Timpson…Continue reading »
- The holiday farm that’s accessible for everyone whatever your disabilityThe Papworth Trust helps to support people with disabilities live their lives to the full. Today we're helping them tell…Continue reading »
- CAMHS “Future in Mind” Will it really mean a change for the better?It's tough being a young person today. When I was a girl, you had to be a child actor to…Continue reading »
- Join Kathryn’s campaign for early years childcare choices for families with disabled childrenWe ran a guest post from MrBoosMum a little while ago about the the launch of the Report of the…Continue reading »
- Happy Mothers’ Day.. to my husbandIt's Mothers' Day, at least it is here in the UK. For me, this will be the first year that…Continue reading »
- Talking SEND with Just WomenI appeared on "Just Women" the other day, a community radio show aimed at, well, women. I was invited to…Continue reading »
- #RareDisease Day: Impossible situations create remarkable peopleToday is Rare Disease Day and during the past week we have been featuring a number of families who have…Continue reading »
- #RareDisease Day: Our daughter’s devastating diagnosis changed every aspect of our livesToday's article featuring a family affected by a rare disease brought a strange coincidence. On Wednesday, when I was at the…Continue reading »
- #RareDisease Day: Our quest for answers for our daughter’s mystery illnessWhen you have a baby, you expect that raising them will bring some ups and downs. But for Laura Joliffe…Continue reading »
- #RareDisease Day infographic and talking parent/patient advocacyAs I'm a fun kind of gal, yesterday I watched the livestream of the #rareEU2015 meeting in Brussels held by…Continue reading »
- #RareDisease Day 15: Rare with a twist makes a complex medical mysteryWe're hoping to have a number of posts this week highlighting Rare Disease Day, on 28th February. It' the 8th…Continue reading »
- Talking about self-harm: Prepare to be awareSelf-harm. It's something that many find hard to understand. Why would you intentionally hurt yourself? When we hear about it,…Continue reading »
- The SEN Minister responds to your feedback of the special needs reforms so farI received a letter from Ed Timpson, the Minister for Education with responsibility for SEND reform yesterday. It follows the…Continue reading »
- Professional pleasantries: Why Jenny thinks complaining can sometimes be counter-productiveOne of the great things about having Special Needs Jungle for me, is getting to meet other women who also…Continue reading »
- A game-changer? Will ruling of illegal Local Offer force councils to do better?On Thursday afternoon, we brought you an update from a High Court Judicial Review hearing which found that Warwickshire's SEN &…Continue reading »
- High Court Finds Warwickshire Council’s Local Offer UnlawfulSome big news today that is liable to send a chill through every council SEN department in England. I have…Continue reading »
- The Local Offer and SEND funding: 3rd part of our video chat with the SEN MinisterOur last of the three sections of our video interview with Ed Timpson, the Education Minister with responsibility for SEND…Continue reading »
- SEN reforms and Culture Change: What the Minister saidYesterday we brought you part one of our video interview with the Education Minister in charge of SEN reform, Ed…Continue reading »
- Accountability and the SEN reforms: SNJ asks the Minister, Ed Timpson (Part 1)As regular readers will know, Renata and I went along to the Department of Education recently to interview the Minister…Continue reading »
- State of Play: We interview the SEN Minister in WestminsterWe had a surprise for the SEN Minister, Ed Timpson, when we went to interview him on video yesterday. Renata…Continue reading »
- Carter Review makes recommendations to improve SEND teacher trainingWe mentioned in a post late last year that a consultation was being carried out into Initial Teacher Training and…Continue reading »
- SEND reform feedback needed! We’ll give it directly to the Minister.We have a little trip to the Department for Education this coming week. We'd like to take some direct parental…Continue reading »
- Nice to tweet you.. The SNJ Twitter philosophyWe get lots of new followers on Twitter every week, which is obviously pretty fab. And I'm guessing that they would…Continue reading »
- Life with a rare facial difference: Kaddy’s story of living with Apert syndromeI've recently been helping a new rare disease organisation get off the ground. Elijah's Hope was already helping families who…Continue reading »
- What three beneficial qualities should you encourage in children?I was wondering what to write the other day when I got my weekly digest email from one of my…Continue reading »
- Merry Christmas and thank you from SNJThis is a (sort of) quick post to wish you all a Merry Christmas. We're taking a break from all-new…Continue reading »
- £31 million extra SEND reform funding- but is money the whole problem?The new SEND system has now been in place for a whole term and the first children and young people…Continue reading »
- Flu vaccination available for children & young people with learning disabilities in EnglandAs a registered carer, I recently qualified for a free flu jab at my GP surgery. This is really important…Continue reading »
- Childhood acquired brain injury- Would you know if your child was affected?We often talk about "invisible disability", when someone's impairments are not visible just by looking. It affects those with higher-functioning…Continue reading »
- How goes the development of the Local Offer?How goes the Local Offer? Do you really, really want to know? At the end of last week three reports…Continue reading »
- A shameless shout out for a very special schoolI've written about my boys' special (ist) school, More House, on several occasions before. My sons joined in 2007 and…Continue reading »
- National survey launched: Are SEND Further Education students getting the choices they deserve?As you may know, the new Education, Health and Care plan extended the right to statutory protection for a young…Continue reading »
- Anti-Bullying Week: Violent Bullying of SEND children widespread in England’s schoolsIt's Anti-Bullying Week this week. New figures show that 40% of young people in an ongoing research study of English…Continue reading »
- The power of reflexology on children with special needsI've long had an interest in the use of alternative therapies and took Youngest to see a Bowen Therapist when…Continue reading »
- Mum of dyslexic children launches Drive for LiteracyIf there's one thing we love at SNJ, it's hearing about parents who've faced challenges with their children's health or…Continue reading »
- Our flow charts included in latest official SEND reform info pack!A very quick post to tell you about something we're really pleased about: our SNJ Flow Charts that we produced…Continue reading »
- An unintentional Mystery SEND ShopperIt seems that yesterday's post resonated with many, but what most missed was the little reference to my "not mentioning"…Continue reading »
- Transfer from LDA to EHCP? Can I be bothered?I'll admit it, I'm struggling. I thought I'd done all the hard work with Son1 and his statutory support. He's…Continue reading »
- Our SEN legal Twitter #SNJSENchat with IPSEA: Read it hereOn Friday we hosted a Twitter Chat with Jane McConnell of IPSEA. It was a busy and fun and we've…Continue reading »
- Don’t miss the first answers from SNJ’s “Ask Jane” legal agony aunt![caption id="attachment_9336" align="alignright" width="279"] Jane McConnell, CEO IPSEA[/caption] What a treat we have for you today! The first group of…Continue reading »
- Trainee teachers rate SEN as one of poorest aspects of their trainingLearning how to teach children with special educational needs is one of the lowest-rated aspects of teacher training for primary school…Continue reading »
- How a school’s Nurture programme is supporting students from ‘catch-up’ into ‘heads-up’I recently met Garry Freeman, Director of Inclusion and SENCo of Guiseley School in Leeds at a Westminster Briefing I…Continue reading »
- Teaching teachers and parents about social media safetyThis post isn't specifically about special needs, but it's for all teachers and parents everywhere to help you stay safe…Continue reading »
- Some ideas for teachers get started with parental co-productionA month in and the new SEN system is still an unknown quantity for many schools. SENCos are still getting…Continue reading »
- The SNJ week in review – posts, presentations and parties!What an exciting week! On Monday we announced our brand new legal agony aunt, Jane McConnell of IPSEA. She's already…Continue reading »
- Accountability and SEND reform- a guest post from the Dept for EducationLast week we had our very first Twitter chat and our guest was Stephen Kingdom, Deputy Director of SEND at…Continue reading »
- What inclusion really means…Reading some blogs the other day, I came across one by a teacher about inclusion. It's a topic that can…Continue reading »
- Welcoming SNJ’s new legal agony aunt…Jane McConnell of IPSEA!We're super-excited today to announce some fantastic news that we hope will help us help many more parents and carers.…Continue reading »
- #SilentSunday: Dr Seuss’s Advice for AspiesWhy fit in when you were born to STAND out? Dr Seuss's Advice for AspiesContinue reading »
- Twitter chat with the Department for Education #SNJSENchatWe're really pleased to announce that we will be hosting a Twitter chat for the Department for Education about the…Continue reading »
- The state of SEN in England 2014 – an infographicLast week the Department for Education published the latest statistics about SEN in England. I've chosen a few of them…Continue reading »
- Transferring to an EHC Plan: Why “managing family expectations” is the opposite of co-productionI'm anticipating the next school year with a good deal of trepidation, thanks to the new SEND system. Some day…Continue reading »
- SEND Commencement Day is finally here. A new era in Special Educational Needs starts today!September 1st 2014 - SEND Commencement Day! It's the date that has appeared in the dreams of those in the…Continue reading »
- Finding out about SENDirect: Delivering choice and control to familiesAs a result of the SEN reforms, the landscape around special needs has suddenly got a whole lot more complicated. Local…Continue reading »
- All our New SEND system Flow Charts togetherBelow is all our new SEND system system flow charts linked to one page. Do share, send, save and suggest…Continue reading »
- Day 4: The Flow Chart for if you disagree with SEN provision (or lack of it)I think, somehow, that this might prove to be an oft visited post. While the government's aims are for high…Continue reading »
- The new SEND system Flow Chart 3: Conducting an Education, Health & Care AssessmentAnd so, day three... You've applied for an assessment for your child's special educational needs and lo! you get the…Continue reading »
- The new SEND system Flow Chart 2: Requesting an Education, Health & Care AssessmentSo, after yesterday's post showing the headlines for the Assess, Plan, Do, Review Graduated Approach, we now turn to what…Continue reading »
- The new SEND system as a flow chart: Part 1, SEN SupportAnyone a bit confused about how the new SEN system process, starting on 1st September 2014, will piece together? Where…Continue reading »
- DfE publishes Parents’ Guide to new SEND reform (and some other stuff)A new guide aimed at explaining the new SEND Code of Practice to parents has been published by the Department…Continue reading »
- The new SEND Code of Practice approved by Parliament! See our co-produced SEND reform infographicI'm imagining a champagne cork or two is being popped in the Department for Education SEND Division today - the…Continue reading »
- SEN Reform: Resistance is Futile. It’s time to Boldly Go and Make it SoAre we there yet? Well, yes, all bar the shouting, all systems are go for September 1st and SEN reform…Continue reading »
- SEN Minister Ed Timpson talks to Special Needs Jungle (video)We are approaching the SEN reform legislative finish line with Parliamentary approval of the new SEND Code of Practice so…Continue reading »
- Parents in the cold over developing the Independent Supporter roleCuriouser and Curiouser. No sooner does the Council for Disabled Children reveal the names of those organisations picked to provide…Continue reading »
- SEN reform: All about the Independent SupporterYou may have heard that in the new SEN system, parents can ask for support through an Education, Health and…Continue reading »
- The school that builds hope, self-esteem and futuresThe marquee had an extension for Founder’s Day this year. Our first end of summer term Prize Day came in…Continue reading »
- Advising parents about SEN reform? Don’t bother, unless you know the FACTSEd Timpson, the Children & Families Minister in charge of the SEN reforms has made a little YouTube video which…Continue reading »
- Autism in Pink: Helping to identify undiagnosed girls with ASDAutism used to be thought to be mainly a male preserve - "the extreme male brain" as described by Prof.…Continue reading »
- A mother’s SEN statementing battle for her Asperger’s sonMany children with Asperger syndrome go undiagnosed for years, some into adulthood. Even when they are diagnosed young, it is…Continue reading »
- Assess, Plan, Do, Review: involving parents in the new SEN Graduated ResponseSEN Departments in local authorities in England are currently (or should be) working feverishly on a new "Graduated Response" document…Continue reading »
- SEN reforms: A school leader’s perspective on the forthcoming changesNext week, I'm taking part in a round-table discussion as part of a conference about the SEN reforms. Not that…Continue reading »
- SEN Facts & Figures InfogramA few facts about SEN for you today that we've made into this spiffing infogram. The figures are taken from…Continue reading »
- Kids, Mothers and Ehlers Danlos Awareness MonthIt's the last day of Ehlers Danlos Awareness Month and, of course, I've left it to the last day to…Continue reading »
- Pitching the SEN Code of Practice to parentsLast Thursday, I was representing Special Needs Jungle among a group of parent carer organisations and forums at the Department…Continue reading »
- Battling anxiety: Mental Health Awareness WeekIt's Mental Health Awareness Week and the theme chosen for 2014 is Anxiety, something that affects children with special needs…Continue reading »
- Naming Independent Special schools in a new EHCP: All about Section 41In the new Children and Families Act 2014, parents will be able to request a placement (rather than express a…Continue reading »
- Protecting education for children with medical conditions and life-saving heart equipment for schoolsMuch of the unhappiness with the draft Children & Families Bill, now Act, stemmed from its exclusion of children with…Continue reading »
- The Department for Education answers some practical questions about SEN reformThe upcoming reform in the way SEN support is delivered in schools and colleges in England brings with it much…Continue reading »
- The Revised SEN Code of Practice has ArrivedIt's somewhat more than fashionably late and let's hope, as I said the other day, that the reason is because…Continue reading »
- Dreaming Spires Await – but with no Disabled Students’ AllowanceI've been writing, nay, banging on, for some time about the way Higher Education students have been left out of…Continue reading »
- Personal Budgets and other SEN and Disability storiesEven though schools are closed for Easter, the Department for Education is still hard at work and managed to publish…Continue reading »
- Our experience trying out the future of Special Educational NeedsI have been lucky to meet a number of other SEN bloggers in person, one being Steph Curtis, of the…Continue reading »
- My son must make his own SEN decisions? Are you kidding?If you read our guest post a week ago from Jane McConnell of IPSEA about her "Red Lights" in the draft…Continue reading »
- Autism Understanding Day – why hasn’t it caught on yet?Hayley asked an interesting question in her Down's Syndrome post last Friday - do we need awareness days? The answer…Continue reading »
- SEN reform: Can I still apply for a Statement?The weeks are ticking by since the Children & Families Bill became an Act. But does this mean that everything…Continue reading »
- The walking support that’s changing lives for special needs families.Last Sunday, I flew out from Heathrow to Northern Ireland, along with Renata Blower, our columnist and writer of one…Continue reading »
- The draft SEN & Disability Code of Practice 2014: Red light means danger – STOP!The draft SEN Code of Practice is late in being published and there is still no date for it to…Continue reading »
- How well will ‘Local Offers’ reflect local people?As part of the SEN reforms, councils have a duty to provide a 'local offer' of services available in their…Continue reading »
- Risks and opportunities in the new SEN systemThe Children and Families Act is finally here, delivered by the stork The Department for Education with high hopes and expectations.…Continue reading »
- SEN Reform: Burning questions about Best EndeavoursI'm told, unofficially, that the Children & Families Bill is to receive Royal Assent - ie, approved by the Queen,…Continue reading »
- SEN law, Past, Present & Future from top SEN lawyer, Douglas SilasWhen I was about to apply for a statutory assessment in the hope of securing a statement for Son1, I…Continue reading »
- Treat SEN children fairly, local authorities toldThis report came out this week and we've now had the chance to write about it and we'd love to…Continue reading »
- My daughter’s journey with Alström SyndromeIn the wake of Rare Disease Day, the largest ever awareness campaign (now there's a challenge!) it's hoped that the…Continue reading »
- Why doctors MUST listen to patients and parent carersYou might have noticed that, here at SNJ's virtual HQ, we have a missing columnist. Renata Blower is a mother…Continue reading »
- Great stories and one huge eventHere's our personal picks from the past week's stories. Take a look and add your ownContinue reading »
- SNJ’s favourite stories this week – Add yours too!Here are links to this week's stories that we liked enough to share on Twitter brought to you all in…Continue reading »
- How our daughter benefits when rare disease groups collaborateTo highlight Rare Disease Day on 28th February, we're featuring some personal stories from parents whose children live with rare…Continue reading »
- Your chance to improve children’s mental health servicesMany parents contact us about their experiences with their local Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service, known as CAMHS. They've…Continue reading »
- SNJ’s Pick of the week – Not to be missed!We had a post every day last week here on Special Needs Jungle, so check out below for ones you…Continue reading »
- Ambitious #ruledout campaign against autism exclusionIt was a big day for me and Debs yesterday - two launches, some laughs and one inspiring speech…Continue reading »
- Rare Disease Day: My nightmare choosing chemo to help my son’s kidney diseaseAs you know, we're supporting Rare Disease Day here at SNJ both because it's very important and also for our…Continue reading »
- Jane’s SEN Reform campaign: A cautious celebrationLast month, Special Needs Jungle helped promote Jane Raca's campaign to change a vital part of the Children and Families…Continue reading »
- The Special Needs Tweek in Review – add yours too!Stories we've tweeted or retweeted that we thought were interesting - and you might too. So if you missed them,…Continue reading »
- Your views needed on supporting children with medical conditions at schoolThe upcoming Education, Health and Care Plan that will replace SEN statements, is intended to integrate a child or young…Continue reading »
- Help for parents worried about their child’s developmentIt's always a scary time when you realise your child isn't developing at the same rate as the children of…Continue reading »
- The #specialneeds week in review – SNJ’s top story picksThe stories you need to read from the past week about SEN, mental health, disability & rare conditions. You can…Continue reading »
- It’s not ADHD, it’s Sluggish Cognitive TempoHave you heard of "Sluggish Cognitive Tempo" (SCT)? It's apparently regarded by psychiatric professionals as a subtype of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder…Continue reading »
- The pathway to get SEN help after Sept 2014To break into our two parter about "The Story So Far in the SEN Reforms", the Department for Education yesterday…Continue reading »
- Getting back to paid work when your child has special needsHannah Postgate gave up her career to care for her daughter, Rosy who has special needs. When she wanted to…Continue reading »
- SNJ’s Pick of the week’s Tweets!Our favourite stories from the past week. Don't forget to share!Continue reading »
- SNJ’s Best of the Week[View the story "SNJ's Best of the Week" on Storify]Continue reading »
- No cash for key workers in the SEN reforms? There is now.News just in from the frontline... Just as many local authorities were grappling with the thorny, if not impossible, issue…Continue reading »
- SNJ’s #Blogchat with Hayley from DownsSideUp!Ain't technology grand? Just before Christmas Hayley from DownsSideUp and, as you know, a Special Needs Jungle columnist, "got together"…Continue reading »
- Our best personal posts of 2013Storify by Tania Tirraoro Mon, Dec 30 2013 13:58:04 Our best personal posts of 2013 We have a lot of…Continue reading »
- Merry Christmas from Special Needs “Jingle”! Continue reading »
- Cerebra supports a seat enabling family activities for disabled childrenCerebra, the charity that works improve the lives of children with brain-related conditions is aiming to make supermarket trips and…Continue reading »
- Christmas is coming and my son is getting stressed…Christmas is coming and my son is getting stressed He's looking at his budget And feeling quite depressed His wish…Continue reading »
- Join us & back Jane’s campaign to improve legal rights in SEN Bill"We define ourselves as a society by the priorities we choose" Jane Raca Earlier this year, disabled rights campaigner, Jane…Continue reading »
- Two big days in one – one global, one personal, both huge news!Today is the International Day for People with Disabilities. The theme this year is “Break Barriers, Open Doors: for an inclusive…Continue reading »
- Some SEN statementing questions answeredA period of great change is coming to special needs education. It's quite probable that many parents of children with…Continue reading »
- Join Carers UK and act now so parent carers are not left behindRemember our post the other week about Parent Carers being left out of the Care Bill? It seems absurd that just…Continue reading »
- When Tania went to #BlogFest and other storiesFirst came the bad news. Debs, who was due to be my ‘carer’ for the day, wheeling me around the…Continue reading »
- Confirmed: No statutory support for Uni Students in SEN reformsIt's quite a mountain to climb, getting into university. All those GCSEs, then A-levels or similar. Not to mention the…Continue reading »
- The letter ‘D’ for Disability, M’LudOn Wednesday, the House of Lords Grand Committee finally reached the amendments relating to part three of the Children &…Continue reading »
- Crossing over: have your say on moving to the new SEN systemAnd so, here it is. Despite my woeful failure to produce my intended article on the SEN reforms on Monday,…Continue reading »
- How to help manage your children’s painFollowing on from Monday's post, when I briefly talked about child2 having Ehlers Danlos Syndrome and suffering from pain, there is…Continue reading »
- Warrior to worrier: When an SEN mum drops the ballI was supposed to write a post today about an aspect of the SEN reforms, but as I haven't managed…Continue reading »
- Something for the weekend: Draft Code of Practice published and lots moreWell, we did say, just at the start of the week, that it was going to be a busy autumn.…Continue reading »
- SEN Reform: It’s going to be a busy autumnIt’s about to be a busy time for the Children & Families Bill, currently mid-passage through the Houses of Parliament…Continue reading »
- NEW Special Needs Jungle site launched!It's been a nail-biting few days here in the SNJ bunker. We've been working on a new-look site for quite…Continue reading »
- Add the power of your voice to #ThisIsMyChildAs you know, Special Needs Jungle is delighted to be involved with the MumsNet #ThisIsMyChild campaign, reviewing its inaugural blog…Continue reading »
- Gently changing perceptions: DownSideUp, a blog we loveTania writes: I wanted to share a blog post with you I've just read from Hayley at DownsideUp Hayley's blog, about…Continue reading »
- NICE guidelines for treatment of autism in children and young people publishedNICE, The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, has today published new guidelines for the treatment of autism in children…Continue reading »
- NAS petition – Single point of appeal for EHC PlansThe NAS has launched a petition calling on the Government to amend the Children and Families Bill to create a single point of…Continue reading »
- #ThisIsMyChild MumsNet Special Needs campaignTania writes... MumsNet have today launched a new "myth-busting and awareness-raising" campaign called #ThisIsMyChild. It's been launched in response to requests…Continue reading »
- He did it! Son1, 15, made the summit of Kilimanjaro!Tania writes... [caption id="attachment_3077" align="aligncenter" width="450"] Son1, Luca, made it to the summit with other team members[/caption] For those of…Continue reading »
- Is parental co-production just smoke and mirrors?Tania writes... If you're a regular reader of Special Needs Jungle you will know what big advocates we are of…Continue reading »
- Summer’s here: Where are we in the SEN reform process?Tania writes Well, good question. The answer is we're here, there, everywhere and nowhere, depending on which county you live…Continue reading »
- Kilimanjaro Update – no casualties so far!Tania writes... A quick update on the 17 boys, all with some form of special needs, including my eldest, who've…Continue reading »
- Research links gluten sensitivity to autismThis report is from Medscape Today and is about a study in PL0S One. Links at the bottom. A subset…Continue reading »
- Mindfull: A new online mental health service for teensTania writes... A new online service for adolescents with mental health problems is being launched today (Friday 5th July 2013).…Continue reading »
- Asperger’s, anxiety, Angels and an African adventureTania writes: Eighteen months ago, Asperger's Son1 signed up for the trip of a lifetime. His special(ist) school had joined…Continue reading »
- Evaluation of SEND pathfinder report – some nice weekend reading!The Children and Families Bill has had a busy week, having a third reading in the House of Commons and…Continue reading »
- Carer’s Week: My son is a young carerIt's Carer's Week, organised and supported by quite a few charities in the UK Carers provide unpaid care by looking…Continue reading »
- No change please! ASD Youngest and the hair tong dilemma: Can you decide?Tania writes: Yesterday it was my birthday and I was very pleased to receive some wave-making hair tongs to bring…Continue reading »
- Contact A Family extends free benefits helpline serviceThe brilliant charity, Contact a Family, is from today offering an extended helpline service. Contact a Family has long been…Continue reading »
- Catch your kids being good with help from Maya AngelouTania writes: "Catch them being good" is the oft-repeated advice to help encourage positive behaviour in children. And it's good…Continue reading »
- Dr Tony Attwood’s views on Asperger’s and girlsTania writes: I was recently lucky enough to attend a conference given by both the world-renowned expert in Asperger Syndrome,…Continue reading »
- Is this ASD research a potential game-changer?There is new research and findings about causes and potential therapies for autism every week, but the following caught my…Continue reading »
- Special Needs Jungle Drums!Some great stories, news and blogs from the last week, curated from us, just for you. Netbuddy Says...: Promoting good…Continue reading »
- Making the Disabled Children’s Charter a health priorityAs you are hopefully aware, the beginning of April saw a massive shake-up in the NHS and the creation of…Continue reading »
- SEN protection to age 25 – unless you go to universityI've been pondering on the SEN section of the Children & Families Bill for a while and I am perplexed…Continue reading »
- Our son’s rare disease sparked a search for answers- and supportTania writes: I am often contacted by desperate parents searching for help with finding the special needs solutions for their children.…Continue reading »
- A personal take on depression: Would you recognise it in your child?Tania writes It's Depression Awareness Week, although with the state of the economy and the weather, it wouldn't surprise me…Continue reading »
- Raising awareness of children’s conditions so rare, they’re undiagnosed.Tania writes: Recently, when Debs & I went to Westminster, we met Renata Blower, a Mum who blogs about her…Continue reading »
- £27.3 Million grant fund to help low-income families with disabled or seriously ill childrenI tweeted this earlier, but think if I make a post about it, more people will see it and be…Continue reading »
- Autism Acceptance? It’s so much more than that…It's Autism Awareness/Acceptance Day, Month, whatever... lots will be written today about what autism is and what it isn't. No…Continue reading »
- A video about the Surrey SEN reform PathfinderTania writes: Here's a video made by the DfE about when Ed Timpson, the SEN Minister, came to Surrey. It…Continue reading »
- Rough Draft SEN Code of Practice publishedLate yesterday, the DfE published the "Indicative draft Code of Practice" as a "work in progress" to go with the…Continue reading »
- Co-production is the key to SEN culture changeTania writes: Last week I spoke at a top-level conference for council Chief Executives and Leaders from the SE7 -…Continue reading »
- SEN reform progress report: ‘pathfinder champions’ chosenIt's been a bumper day of announcements and happenings surrounding SEN reform. First of all, came the publication of a…Continue reading »
- DfE publishes an easy-to-read version of Children and Families BillThe Department for Education has published an easy to read version of the children & families bill designed especially for…Continue reading »
- Special Needs Jungle has a new LinkedIn group!We have exciting news! Special Needs Jungle now has a brand new group on LinkedIn. While there are a couple…Continue reading »
- Early Years Development Journal from NCBThe NCB (National Children's Bureau) website has some brilliant free resources for parents, carers and practitioners available for download. One…Continue reading »
- SEN Reforms – The Minister visitsLast Friday a groups of parents from parent-carer forums around the country came together at the Department for Education to…Continue reading »
- Top Tips for Speech and Language Therapy – Part TwoHere is the second part of top tips for speech and language therapy from Helen & Elizabeth at SpeechBlogUK. If…Continue reading »
- Children & Families Bill publishedThe Children and Families bill, issued in draft form last year, has just been published. Within this bill are the…Continue reading »
- Rare Disease Day: How Dan’s rare disease didn’t stop his mainstream educationRare Disease Day is at the end of February, with the theme 'Disorders without Borders'. In Europe it's coordinated by…Continue reading »
- Special Needs Jungle named in The Times “Top 50 Sites To Make You Smarter”Wowzer! Special Needs Jungle has been named in the The Times (yes the UK national newspaper) as one of its "Top…Continue reading »
- Research backs Emma’s FACS battleOne of my fellow special needs mums, whom I met over Twitter, Emma Murphy, is spearheading a campaign highlighting the…Continue reading »
- Storytelling WeekMy colleagues over at NetBuddy have an article in The Guardian about Storytelling week and how to engage your children,…Continue reading »
- A morning with Monty, a very special boy.My good friend Angela, who is my 'co' in co-chair at Family Voice Surrey, always has an air of unflappability.…Continue reading »
- Ten tips when your child is newly diagnosed with a special need or disabilityA kid, not a condition You may have suspected, even all but known, but the moment when you finally get…Continue reading »
- Teenagers and suicide- a growing challenge for our timesMental health in adolescents with or without special needs is a growing concern and a particular interest of mine. I…Continue reading »
- Exciting news from Special Needs Jungle-bringing in a fresh perspective for 2013!I have some exciting news for Special Needs Jungle for 2013! In 2012, the site really took off and now…Continue reading »
- Ordering at Starbucks, Asperger’s styleYesterday, I took the boys shopping to Basingstoke. As I'm not currently able to walk far, I sat in Starbucks…Continue reading »
- Skiing, Steam Punk and a view to the futureHappy New Year and I hope you all had a great Christmas without too much stress! Ours was relatively quiet,…Continue reading »
- Merry Christmas from Special Needs Jungle!Have a great Christmas from Tania, Son1 & Youngest .. and Leo the Labradoodle! See you in 2013.Continue reading »
- SEN Pre-Legislative Scrutiny report- a précis and my viewsThe Education Select Committee report on its pre-legislative scrutiny of the SEN draft bill has just been published. The scrutiny…Continue reading »
- My pick of parents’ guest posts on Special Needs Jungle this yearIn the last year I've been lucky enough to have had many parents write about their families and the issues…Continue reading »
- Vitamin D deficiency – ASD Youngest suffers, your child might too.BBC News today is running a story about Vitamin D deficiency in children. A lack of Vitamin D is linked…Continue reading »
- What now for Asperger’s?There's been a lot of talk about the re-classification of Asperger's Syndrome in the new US DSM-V Manual of Mental…Continue reading »
- Son1 is 15 today-and proof that the right support can work miraclesToday is the International Day for Persons With Disabilities, which will be marked worldwide. It's also Son1's 15th birthday and…Continue reading »
- Pathfinders, politics and parental co-productionLast Friday, our parent-carer forum in Surrey, Family Voice joined with Surrey LA and local voluntary and community services to…Continue reading »
- SEN Minister offers assurances to parents over Bill wordingI'm sharing this information received from the Council for Disabled Children which I hope you'll find interesting. ******** Edward…Continue reading »
- Speech Therapy to stay within educational provision – so said the man from the DfEOne question on many lips in the reform to the special educational needs system is, with the inclusion of health…Continue reading »
- Charlotte’s amazing brain – a heartfelt story about childhood strokeI happened upon a new blog via Twitter the other day, which told a powerful and emotional story about a…Continue reading »
- Keep Us Close – Scope’s campaign for better local disability servicesThe charity, Scope, which works to help children and families affected by disabilities, is currently campaigning for improvements to the…Continue reading »
- Can you help with Pathological Demand Avoidance Research?I was checking the most frequently used search terms that brought people to my site the other day and one…Continue reading »
- Common sense prevails with more time to test the SEN reform proposals[caption id="attachment_2013" align="alignright" width="300"] Minister, Edward Timpson at the Select Committee today[/caption] Education Minister, Edward Timpson, has, it seems, listened…Continue reading »
- The Brain Injury Hub – a brilliant resourceAs part of Family Voice Surrey, I have visited The Children's Trust in Tadworth a number of times as they…Continue reading »
- 10 Tips for Developing Your Child’s Language Skills[caption id="attachment_1999" align="alignleft" width="180"] Vanessa king[/caption] I recently met Vanessa King, when she joined our Women in Business Network group…Continue reading »
- SEN Reforms: professional views to the select committeeThe Education Select Committee yesterday heard from various witnesses about the draft legislation on Special Education Needs. Over two and…Continue reading »
- Beech Lodge: A new school offering a practical approach to learningFor some children, a mainstream school setting can be overwhelming, particularly if they have learning difficulties such as dyslexia, dyscalculia…Continue reading »
- Parents on the Warpath…and other storiesIt's been a difficult week for many parents at our school, who have discovered that our LA doesn't want to…Continue reading »
- Stop the DLA Takeaway campaign – your help neededStop the DLA Takeaway campaign - Contact a Family and The Children’s Trust need your help The Children’s Trust, Tadworth…Continue reading »
- When SEN Tribunal looms, seek legal adviceMany parents find themselves in the position, as they try to secure a statement for their child with special needs,…Continue reading »
- It’s Dyspraxia Awareness Week – be alert for early signsThe Dyspraxia Foundation is calling on families to be alert to the early signs of the condition in their awareness…Continue reading »
- Silent Sunday .. For all Parents of special needs kids Continue reading »
- The Special Needs Jungle Story SelectionThe Special Needs Jungle weekly news review is back! It was supposed to be away for just a week while…Continue reading »
- Deadline day for SEN select committee consultation – some viewsToday is the deadline for the Education Select Committee's call for responses to the draft SEN bill. I've seen a…Continue reading »
- Doing your best is all you can doToday I'm feeling a little sad. Youngest is off school again with joint pains in his legs. We've just been…Continue reading »
- SNJ on MumsNet – The Paralympic legacy debateSo, here I am, back from Sweden after what was an amazing meeting for people with limb disabilities from 12…Continue reading »
- Financial affairs advice for your special needs child for when you’re goneIt's a difficult subject to think about, let alone tackle, but for many parents of children with severe and complex…Continue reading »
- Thoughtful special needs blogs, top tips and news you can useIt's been a busy week for lots of special needs mum bloggers - as you'll see there are some fabulous,…Continue reading »
- Special Needs top tip: Elastic lacesSo, here is Special Needs Jungle's top tip of the day that I think many of you will find very…Continue reading »
- The SEN bill’s future is in the hands of.. well, what a welcome surprise!The last week has been really hectic with my boys going back to school and a huge workload, but I've just…Continue reading »
- Apologies – and it’s not even Friday 13thApologies to my email subscribers about the unfinished nature of their last post - it was, in fact, beautifully finished,…Continue reading »
- KFC dish out work placements to ‘shunned’ youngstersNews today of a great initiative to help young people who are socially disadvantaged to gain valuable work experience and…Continue reading »
- The SEN draft bill: Have your say – but be quick!The draft SEN bill is now out and will undergo pre-legislative scrutiny by the Education Select Committee. The committee last…Continue reading »
- All Change: Back to school news with the new draft SEN billBack to school for most children this week, except for my kids, whose school finally returns next Tuesday. I'd better…Continue reading »
- The draft SEN reform bill – some reactionsSo fare thee well, Miss Teather, just as the draft bill is published, you get the boot from your job.…Continue reading »
- Draft SEN legislation published and a response to my open letter to Sarah TeatherWell today is the day - the draft legislation has, rather unexpectedly, been published for the reform of provision for children and young…Continue reading »
- Read SEN & Disability News (Quick before they ban disability)The spotlight is firmly on disability in the media at the moment, with the Paralympics underway, not to mention the…Continue reading »
- What’s your experience of CAMHS?Many of our children have to be referred to CAMHS - The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service - to…Continue reading »
- August’s top bank holiday SEND storiesAfter a two week break, the Special Needs Jungle weekly curation of the best of special needs posts is BACK!…Continue reading »
- Special Educational Needs reform updateHope your summer is going okay! We're just back from Italy where we were devoured by relentless mosquitos day and…Continue reading »
- Does child protection protect children?This is a reblog of a great post from Debs at ChaosinKent. Debs is one of my personal heroines. She…Continue reading »
- Parent-carer forums – why not get involved?As you know, I'm co-chair of Surrey's parent-carer forum, Family Voice Surrey. I joined at the beginning of the year…Continue reading »
- Advice for SENCos – the parents’ perspective from Hayley GoleniowskiThis post originally appeared on the DownSideUp blog of Hayley Goleniowski, who writes about life with her beautiful daughter, natty, who…Continue reading »
- Autism updates, SEN stories and happy holidays!My top story this week is just out - a 90,000 drop in the number of children identified as having…Continue reading »
- SEN and disability stories you mustn’t missThe summer holidays may be underway but the silly season for news certainly doesn't seem to have arrived as far…Continue reading »
- The Every Child in Need Campaign – help needed!A campaign is being launched today (Thursday 26th July 2012) aimed at protecting society's most vulnerable children from "damaging changes" proposed…Continue reading »
- School Exclusions: Statemented children 9 times more likely to be excludedStatistics published by the Department for Education today show that pupils with statements are nine times more likes to be…Continue reading »
- Tourette’s Syndrome – the facts and resourcesA condition that is often misunderstood and that is sometimes seen alongside ASD or ADHD is Tourette's Syndrome. Often inaccurately…Continue reading »
- Finally: summer, special needs stories and a teenage birthdayAh, so school's out for pretty much everyone from today..just in time for the summer sunshine to finally show itself.…Continue reading »
- Active listening: a core skill for SEN reformYesterday, MumsNet hosted a live web chat with Sarah Teather, Minister of State for Children and Families. I recently posted…Continue reading »
- SEN reform views and other newsYesterday I spoke on behalf of Family Voice Surrey at the Surrey County Council SEN pathfinder launch in Cobham. In…Continue reading »
- When the words move by themselves – it could be Visual StressI met a lady on Twitter a while back, Michelle Doyle, who was talking about 'Visual Stress'. I wasn't really…Continue reading »
- Keep out of the rain this weekend and review the week’s special needs stories insteadToday is the last day of school for my boys, apart from Founder's Day, tomorrow and we're all praying for…Continue reading »
- Feed a child with an old phoneJust a heads up about this in case you missed it on the news. [caption id="attachment_1497" align="alignleft" width="147"] Two meals…Continue reading »
- How NOT to prepare for the autistic child’s camping tripYoungest is off, after school, on a camping trip with his Year 8 cohort. They will set off to walk…Continue reading »
- Place2Be – the charity that makes a lifetime of difference to children in schoolsA while ago, I came across a great charity, working across the country to improve the emotional well-being of children, their…Continue reading »
- Special Free Schools – is it worth it?A few weeks ago, I was invited to attend a conference about the formation of special free schools. I couldn't…Continue reading »
- Fantastic week for awards – and some special needs news you can use too!So, er, I'll just mention it one more time - Special Needs Jungle WON the CHANGE award in the BritMums…Continue reading »
- Dear Miss Teather, an open letter about the pace of SEN reformDear Miss Sarah Teather I know you mean well. I know you really want to do something to help improve…Continue reading »
- Special Needs Jungle a WINNER in BritMums Brilliance in Blogging Awards!So normally, I have posts about great resources but this post is about me, me, me! Last night, in London…Continue reading »
- Catch up on some fab Special Needs news and blogs from this weekSo, later today I am heading out for the BritMums bloggers conference and awards. As you know, Special Needs Jungle…Continue reading »
- Don’t rush SEN reform – get it right, not fastI've just watched the Education Select Committee on SEN - the Next Steps and many of the concerns raised mirror…Continue reading »
- Inspired: Youngest meets Dr Temple Grandin.Last night we had the privilege of going to see Dr Temple Grandin, the autistic woman famous for inventing humane…Continue reading »
- Who will care for our vulnerable ‘Looked After Children’ in a care-less society?There was a news report this morning about an investigation by MPs finding "serious weaknesses" in England's care system that showed…Continue reading »
- The week’s scoop on special needs and disability storiesToday (Friday) is a day full of SEN green paper meetings for the Surrey pathfinder for me and tomorrow it's…Continue reading »
- SEN child? Join me and NAS president, Jane Asher, on Sat 16 JuneSo, it's just a couple of days before the Towards a Positive Future Special Educational Needs conference in Newbury -…Continue reading »
- Pathological Demand Avoidance – one family’s storyPathological Demand Syndrome is increasingly being recognised as being on the autistic spectrum. People with PDA will avoid demands made…Continue reading »
- Food for thought: some great special needs posts and news this weekIt feels a bit surreal, being Friday already. Long weekends do that, don't they? And yet a whole week must…Continue reading »
- Floortime for Autism winner!A couple of weeks ago I featured an article about Floortime therapy for autism. See the post here. We ran…Continue reading »
- dear youI just read this blog post and thought, even though we're mums, not 'moms' that the sentiment is just the…Continue reading »
- Jessica Cox: Celebrating DeterminationHope you're all enjoying the Jubilee holiday. This blog often talks about the challenges faced by our SEN & disabled children and…Continue reading »
- Jubilee round up of special needs stories![caption id="attachment_1034" align="alignleft" width="135"] Me with Sons1 & 2[/caption] Ah, the Jubilee weekend is upon us. We're having a barbecue with…Continue reading »
- High Functioning Autism vs Aspergers: The emotions of labels.I've just read this really insightful blog by Violet's Diary and wanted to share it with you.Continue reading »
- Getting troubled kids riding high with the brilliant Wave ProjectWhile I was doing some research for DysNet, I came across a fantastic project that uses the beautiful Cornish coast…Continue reading »
- Research, articles & opinion – special needs news from this weekAn incredibly busy week, so I missed my Wednesday post as I was in Brussels to speak at a EURORDIS…Continue reading »
- SEN Green Paper response round up and other special needs storiesIt's been something of an eventful week for both Special Needs and Special Needs Jungle. Last week, I was called…Continue reading »
- SEN – The Next Steps – My views & Meridian Tonight featureSo, there's been much furore today about the headlines for proposals that 450,000 children be 'struck off' the SEN register.…Continue reading »
- The benefits of ‘Floortime’ for autism – and win tickets to a Floortime workshop!An US company that offers a unique therapy to help parents and professionals communicate better with children with autism/special needs,…Continue reading »
- Special Needs Jungle in the Daily Telegraph. What I really thinkThere's a story about SEN in the Daily Telegraph today "Can 20 per cent of schoolchildren really have special needs?"…Continue reading »
- Great special needs stories, blogs and a cute dog tooFor the first time this week, I'm alone in the house, apart from Leo the Labradoodle, currently sulking because he…Continue reading »
- SEN Green Paper: Ministerial “Detailed response” expected next weekSo, next week government ministers will set out their detailed response and reform timetable as their next steps in the SEN…Continue reading »
- Home educating a child with special needsMany parents who have children with special needs seriously consider home educating their child. It throws us lots of issues - especially…Continue reading »
- Special Needs Jungle – a FINALIST in the BritMums Blogging Awards!Just a quick one - to say THANK YOU to everyone who voted for Special Needs Jungle in the UK…Continue reading »
- Helping your special needs child – a mother’s storyA mum called Tanya contacted me the other day and asked to share her story about her journey to support…Continue reading »
- Eye-catching special needs news & autism articles from this weekAnother week of rain and economic gloom. Note to self, stop listening to the Radio 4 Today programme, it's starting…Continue reading »
- If ‘child centred’ help is a no-brainer, why isn’t it happening?One thing that's become very familiar in the last few years, both personally and from reading your comments and emails,…Continue reading »
- My pick of the posts about special needs this weekI've come across lots of interesting stories this week so here's my list of the cream of the crop of…Continue reading »
- Common sense solutions to solving dyslexia issuesLast week, while reading my SEN news feeds, I came across an article about dyslexia on the Conservative Home website…Continue reading »
- Special needs news you can use from the last weekAah, the boys finally returned to school mid-week. They've been off so long I'd almost forgotten the way there. I'm…Continue reading »
- Sensory needs met with a Body SoxMany children with special needs have sensory issues, including my two. Their school used Body Sox which Youngest absolutely loves.…Continue reading »
- Managing the relationship between children with autism and computersAdele Devine is a teacher at Freemantles School for young people with autism in Surrey. She, along with her husband,…Continue reading »
- TGIF: And a chance to see the week’s special needs news & viewsThis week we've had sunshine, showers, hail as big as marbles and thunder and lightning... it must be April. I've…Continue reading »
- Why I turned my back on my TV news careerRecently I appeared in Woman magazine - a small section in a feature entitled, "Meet the regret-me-nots" My piece was…Continue reading »
- The lifetime legacy of special needs left by meningitisI recently met the chief executive of The Meningitis Trust, Sue Davie, and heard her talk about the hidden after-effects…Continue reading »
- Cracking special needs stories for the Easter weekendHappy Easter! Why not spend a few minutes this long weekend to catch up on some of the past week's…Continue reading »
- Addressing the special needs post-19 provision problemProvision for young people with special needs after they leave school is a big issue for many parents. Although technically…Continue reading »
- World Autism Day April 2This is from the United Nations about World Autism Day: The annual observance of World Autism Awareness Day should spur…Continue reading »
- Catch up time: Read the special needs stories you may have missedA diverse list of stories and posts this week, but all interesting reads. As ever, leave your own story link…Continue reading »
- Conversations with an Aspie teenWhen your Asperger's son is deep in adolescence, it's sometimes hard to tell whether their behaviour and conversation is more…Continue reading »
- Shortlisted for BritMums award – Why SNJ is all about CHANGEThrilling news - The Special Needs Jungle blog as been shortlisted in the BritMums Brilliance in Blogging Awards "Change" Category…Continue reading »
- What’s been said about special needs on the web this weekFriday's come around again - this one marks the day my boys break up for Easter and don't go back…Continue reading »
- Special needs experts offer views for Labour’s SEN policy reviewEarlier this week, I attended a meeting at Westminster for Labour's SEN policy review, chaired by MP, Sharon Hodgson, Labour's Shadow…Continue reading »
- Unofficial exclusions – Has it happened to your child?Some schools in England are illegally excluding pupils, sometimes permanently, without going through the full formal process, a report says.…Continue reading »
- Catch up with special needs news you may have missed this weekAnother Friday is here - just one week to go before my boys break up for an almost-month-long Easter break.…Continue reading »
- Got the statement? Great, but your work’s not over yet.Many parents are so relieved to get that letter saying the LEA has decided to issue a statement of special…Continue reading »
- Catch up with the best special needs blogs and news from this weekSo many autism, Asperger's, dyslexia, ADHD and other special needs stories this week. This is my pick of the best…Continue reading »
- If your SEN child loves computers.. watch this video[caption id="attachment_982" align="alignleft" width="150"] Source: Wiki[/caption] I've talked a lot on this site about the need to improve IT teaching…Continue reading »
- I want your statementing storiesI get emails from lots of people with questions about statementing and I do my best to answer them within…Continue reading »
- Blogs, News & View in Special Needs this weekWandering the special needs web this week, I found the following blogs and news stories you might be interested in.…Continue reading »
- Exciting news – a conference speaking invitationI have exciting news - I am to be a keynote speaker at the forthcoming SEN Conference, Towards a Positive…Continue reading »
- Labour SEN Policy Review – want to get involved?This is taken from the website of Sharon Hodgson MP, but I thought it might be useful to post it…Continue reading »
- Roaming the Special Needs web this week…Another busy week in the news and blogs - here's some of my favourites as well as a round up…Continue reading »
- Conference for parents of children with special educational needs and professionalsNational Autistic Society president, Jane Asher, will be speaking at a conference in Newbury, Berkshire, in June for parents of…Continue reading »
- Games Workshop – the perfect hobby for YoungestUntil recently, Asperger's Youngest had no interests that didn't involve a computer or a games console. [caption id="attachment_908" align="alignleft" width="240" caption="Youngest explains…Continue reading »
- Special needs stories you’ll want to read this weekSome great stories and blog posts about special needs that I spotted this week. If you have one of your…Continue reading »
- What did you miss? Special Needs stories from the last weekIt's a bumper round-up of special needs stories and blogs this week - check out what you might have missed:…Continue reading »
- Josh’s book aims to help parents of Asperger’s kidsA student with Asperger's syndrome has written a book to help parents who have children with the disorder. Joshua Muggleton,…Continue reading »
- SEN stories in the past weekInteresting special needs stories from the last week. If you have one I missed, leave it in the comments! Podcast:…Continue reading »
- Kosovan special needs parent group appealA Kosovan special needs parent group has been in touch with the UK website Netbuddy, looking for help. They are…Continue reading »
- Poll results – Should children with Asperger’s automatically be statutorily assessed?Last year I published a poll on this site asking whether people thought children diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome (quick, use…Continue reading »
- Special needs stories this weekSome interesting stories this week... Special Needs Jungle: Read the views of a woman at the coalface of SEN: Empowering…Continue reading »
- Empowering parents is the goal for PatI'm delighted today to introduce a guest blog post from Pat Bolton, who works with a small team of Participation Practitioners…Continue reading »
- SEN Stories in the news this past weekRecap of SNJ posts and other news about SEN this week: TodayOnline: New definition of autism will exclude many, study suggests …Continue reading »
- Disability groups call for pause for thought in welfare reformThe NAS has today thrown its weight behind a call for the government to reconsider its plans for welfare reform…Continue reading »
- SEN stories in the news this weekIt's been a busy week of posts on Special Needs Jungle. I've listed a round up below along with some…Continue reading »
- A new SEN Advice service from Contact-a-FamilyContact a Family, the national charity that helps support parents with disabled children has launched a new SEN National Advice…Continue reading »
- IT teaching overhaul announced – about time too!Michael Gove, the Education Secretary has today announced an overhaul of the way IT is taught in schools. This is great news…Continue reading »
- Questions please for my stint at TheSchoolRunTheSchoolRun website is packed to the gills with great ideas to help your child's learning. It's bright, colourful and is…Continue reading »
- Report finds government misled MPs and peers of disability benefit reformA NEW REPORT entitled Responsible Reform, published today by disabled people (9 January 2012), finds that government misled MPs and peers over…Continue reading »
- Which learning resources help SEN kids? Take this surveyAnn Beck, of The Gift of Learning has asked me to help get her message out about a survey she's…Continue reading »
- Teachers didn’t understand my bright sons’ ASD, says Tania Tirraoro (SEN Magazine)I've just been sent a pdf of my article that was in the last issue of SEN Magazine. The magazine…Continue reading »
- 2012 brings a School Run SEN Qn’A and a win for Pat! #specialneedsIt's January 6th and my boys are still off school; they finally go back on Monday. It's been an interesting…Continue reading »
- Resilient Parenting – A Guest post by Lesley McCall, NLP & Hypnotherapy PractitionerHappy New Year! At this time of the year, we're often thinking about how we can change our lives, and…Continue reading »
- Special Educational Needs stories of the weekThis will be the last one of the year as i take a break and concentrate on my boys for…Continue reading »
- Christmas Giveaway – a copy of my SEN Book'Tis the season and all that, and I'm giving away one copy of my SEN book, Special Educational Needs -…Continue reading »
- SEN & Special Needs Stories I’ve spotted this weekHere's my usual round up of the more interesting special needs stories in the UK this week. SEN Magaine: Better…Continue reading »
- “What’s the difference between a problem child and a child with a genuine problem? – VideoI'm delighted to highlight a programme about identifying a child with ADHD. Do you recognise your child from the descriptions…Continue reading »
- SEN round up for this weekBelow are stories with an SEN angle that caught my eye this week. The Sun: Dance taught autistic Shannon to speak…Continue reading »
- Book Review of Special Educations Needs: Getting Started with StatementsSpecial Educations Needs: Getting Started with Statements – the parent to parent guide to getting your child the help they…Continue reading »
- IPSEA – A wonderful charity for free advice and support for SENIn my book, Special Educational Needs, Getting Started With Statements, I make several references to a special educational needs charity called…Continue reading »
- SEN stories that caught my eye this week (w/e2nd Dec)Here are some stories I liked this week as well as some of my own SEN posts from the week…Continue reading »
- SENAC for Special Needs Advice in Northern IrelandIf you're in Northern Ireland and you're looking for help with getting your child the special educational needs support they…Continue reading »
- Why I’m backing the call for a revolution in ICT teachingMy younger son (or Youngest as he's known around here) is a 12 year old computer wizard. He has so…Continue reading »
- Finished at School – Important Campaign by Ambitious about AutismToday I am delighted to feature a guest blog from Anabel Unity Sale of Ambitious about Autism to highlight their Finished…Continue reading »
- SEN Stories of interest in the last weekBelow are a few of the more interesting stories I've seen about SEN in the past week. If you'd like…Continue reading »
- What do parents of a newly-diagnosed child need?I recently attended the launch of Family Voice Surrey, the new local forum for parents and carers of children with SEN…Continue reading »
- My article in SEN Magazine: Can teachers recognise SEN in bright pupils?I have an article in the current issue of SEN Magazine, entitled Can teachers recognise SEN in bright pupils. [caption…Continue reading »
- SEN stories that caught my attention this week.Here are some stories I found interesting that touch on Special Educational Needs in the press this week. To get…Continue reading »
- 1-2-3 Magic – the discipline system that saved my sanityWhen you have children on the Autistic Spectrum, finding an effective solution to help with discipline is not easy. Out…Continue reading »
- Autism diagnoses are more common in an IT-rich region.A new study from Cambridge University has for the first time found that autism diagnoses are more common in an…Continue reading »
- A brilliant review of my SEN book from an award-winning bloggerThis review is kindly reproduced with permission from Claire Sarcone, author of the award-winning "A Boy With Asperger's" Blog I remember all too…Continue reading »
- Education and Training (Young People with Autism) Bill introduced.A private member's bill has been introduced in parliament to make provision for the education and training of young people with…Continue reading »
- Groundbreaking dance DVD to help kids with autism.Anna Kennedy is an inspirational figure. She is the mother of two sons, one with autism, one with Asperger Syndrome.…Continue reading »
- My article in SEN Magazine – order a trial copy for freeI'm very excited as I have an article in the new edition of SEN Magazine. It's in their 'Point of…Continue reading »
- Ritalin, talking therapies and what I think our kids really need…The Health Minister, Simon Burns has said that the chief medical officer and the NHS medical director are planning to…Continue reading »
- About SOS!SEN, a fantastic SEN charitySOS!SEN is a small charity based in Middlesex that offers a fantastic service to parents who are trying to secure…Continue reading »
- Paperback of my Statementing book now available at AmazonGreat news! The paperback of my SEN parents' book, "Special Educational Needs - Getting Started With Statements" is now available…Continue reading »
- GAPS – Early screening test for Specific Language Impairment & DyslexiaHave you heard of GAPS? The chances are, the answer is no. And yet it's billed as a highly accurate,…Continue reading »
- Part Two, SEN conference, Towards a Positive Future, ReviewThis is the second part of the SEN conference review in Newbury, leading, logically enough from ... Part One Former…Continue reading »
- SEN conference, Towards a Positive Future, Review part one.I attended a very interesting conference on special educational needs on Friday. It was held to mark the launch of…Continue reading »
- One Mum’s Statementing ViewsHere is a parent's view of the statementing battle for her son and her advice about the process. I wish…Continue reading »
- Busy weekend for SEN Events.Yesterday, I got a mention in The Guardian's Education Cribsheet regarding my new book - what a lovely surprise. It's…Continue reading »
- Five star review for Getting Started With StatementsMy new book, Special Educational Needs - Getting Started With Statements has just had its first Amazon review. Wordswell gave…Continue reading »
- Special Educational Needs – Getting Started With Statements Unique new parent-to-parent ebook launched to help SEN children with ‘hidden disabilities’ get the help they need.Today my book on is launched as an ebook. Here is the press release FARNHAM, 10th October 2011: A mother…Continue reading »
- My new book for parents looking for SEN help – launched Monday 10th October 2011On Monday, I officially launch my new book aimed at helping parents of special needs children get the education they…Continue reading »
- Unofficial Exclusions – we want to hear from you.Yesterday, I was talking to a friend of mine who is a highly experienced SEN Advocate. I told her of…Continue reading »
- The sidelong glances that can cause anguishOne of the most difficult things to cope with when your child has a 'hidden' disability that affects their behaviour…Continue reading »
- Autism Alert Card Developed by local group.Autism Rights Group Highlands has developed its own Autism Alert card. The ARGH Autism Alert card is designed and produced by…Continue reading »
- NICE Publishes Guidelines on AutismNew recommendations have been published aimed at improving the diagnosis and treatment of children and young people with autism. NICE,…Continue reading »
- The Misunderstood Child – by Kathy WintersThis wonderful poem has been around for a while but I thought it might strike a chord with some of…Continue reading »
- Special Needs Jungle Facebook PageSpecial Needs Jungle now has a Facebook page, where I will post SEN news updates and blog post notifications. Do…Continue reading »
- The SEN Green Paper: history repeating – from SEN MagazineThe following article extract is taken with permission from SEN Magazine, the UK's leading special educational needs magazine. The SEN…Continue reading »
- Great Expectations – Educational Support campaign from NASThis post is reproduced with kind permission from the National Autistic Society Half of all children with autism wait over…Continue reading »
- The Disney Channel & AspergersMy eldest, who is autistic, likes to watch the Disney Channel. My youngest, who is also autistic, derisively calls it…Continue reading »
- The SEN Green PaperI've been wading my way through the Green Paper on SEN and one thing really sticks out - what happens…Continue reading »
- A Good Image for Asperger Syndrome[caption id="attachment_405" align="alignleft" width="169"] Cover for This Last Summer[/caption] I'm about to blow my own trumpet, so look away now…Continue reading »
- Green Paper on SEN – Get Your Voice HeardYou have a chance to comment on the newly published Green Paper on children and young people with special educational…Continue reading »
- The Right Support Gets ResultsClare's son was written off as lazy by teachers as a child. Severely Dyslexic and Dyspraxic, he faced an uphill…Continue reading »
- Should children with Asperger Syndrome automatically be statutorily assessed?What's your opinion - should children diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome automatically be statutorily assessed? I think they should because despite…Continue reading »
- The Lamb Inquiry – a reviewThe long-awaited Lamb inquiry has finally been published today. In it, its author, Brian Lamb has called for a major…Continue reading »
- The Lamb InquiryThe Lamb inquiry, an investigation into the provision of SEN in the UK and the production of recommendations by its…Continue reading »
- New Autism Act Passes Final HurdleThe National Autistic Society is today celebrating the passing into law of the Autism Act. The following is from their…Continue reading »
- Don’t Write Me Off – NAS campaignThe National Autistic Society has today released figures showing that only 15% of adults with an autustic spectrum disorder are…Continue reading »
- Daily Mirror Launches Caring For Carers CampaignThe Daily Mirror is today launching a new "Caring For Carer's" campaign to highlight the disgraceful situation regarding the level…Continue reading »
- Back to school – but is it the right one?For the first time since my sons started at their special school, this term we have had no fees to…Continue reading »
- More House – A School To Be Proud OfSaturday was the last official day of term - Founder's Day. This is something we all look forward to and…Continue reading »
- Books I recommend for Special NeedsI have quite a collection of books about special needs and parenting and thought I would share some recommendations with…Continue reading »
- Journey’s End for our Statement – And a Brighter Future.Just to update the post about my son getting the statement of Special Needs, we've just heard that the LEA…Continue reading »
- Rose Dyslexia report – will it be enough?Government adviser Sir Jim Rose's report on dyslexia has been widely reported today. BBC News said, "More teachers will be…Continue reading »
- An Actor’s Life For Him.My 11 year old has just had his first co-starring role in a school play. He's currently playing Ratty in…Continue reading »
- Asperger’s Links Blog[caption id="attachment_275" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="The new Asperger's Links site"][/caption] I've just started another new site which concentrates on resources for…Continue reading »
- Give ASD children the school provision they needThe Times today (Saturday 13 June 2009) has an article about children with special needs being excluded from school. It…Continue reading »
- Mother behind autism advert meets Brown – London Evening StandardMother behind autism advert meets Brown - London Evening Standard A mother who wrote a message to Gordon Brown on…Continue reading »
- Child-Free.. as free as the wind blows..This morning, without so much as a backwards glance, both our autistic children climbed on board a coach with their…Continue reading »
- See my other blog – Not As AdvertisedI've decided to start a second blog. I know, that's just greedy but there are plenty of them to go…Continue reading »
- UK lacks Adult Autism/Asperger’s ServicesThe news today that eight out of ten doctors need more help to spot autism shows the huge gap in…Continue reading »
- Long ago..when I was somebodyLong, long ago, before I was 'Special Needs Mum', I had a great career as a television journalist and news…Continue reading »
- Many autism cases ‘undiagnosed’ – BBC NewsA significant number of children with autism and related disorders could be undiagnosed, a study has suggested. (Reports BBC News…Continue reading »
- Call for increase in Carer’s AllowanceUK Autism Foundation backs call for an increase in Carer's Allowance The UK Autism Foundation has backed the call for…Continue reading »
- Sports Day at More House SchoolWe've just come home from Sports Day. This always used to be a day of tears, upset and general not…Continue reading »
- Well said, Mr Bercow!I've just read in full the House of Commons debate on the second reading of the Special Educational Needs and…Continue reading »
- Update on Special Educational Needs and Disability (Support) BillSource: Epolitix: Conservative MP John Bercow makes the case for his Special Educational Needs and Disability (Support) Bill, which has…Continue reading »
- Mother Needs Help For Self-Harming SonI have just been contacted through this site by Sharon, a mother from Kent, whose son has been excluded from…Continue reading »
- Government Supports Autism Bill (UK)The Government has, for the first time, declared its support for what could be England’s first Autism Bill. The National…Continue reading »
- Parents rate local authority Disabilities service at 59%When I was at school, a score of 59% definitely meant 'could do better', if not 'should do better'. But…Continue reading »
- Autism Assistance Dogs[caption id="attachment_185" align="alignleft" width="244" caption="Leo, our own Autism Companion."][/caption] As you may know, we recently got a puppy because we…Continue reading »
- Great News – A Statement!Got the news we had been waiting for today - Son1 has got the Statement of Special Educational Needs we…Continue reading »
- My hero – Geoff Adams-SpinkThis is an item about a hero of mine, Geoff Adams-Spink. Geoff is a BBC correspondent whom I met when…Continue reading »
- ASD child? Are you getting what you’re entitled to?If you are the parent of a child with an Autistic Spectrum Disorder, you don't need me to tell you…Continue reading »
- Celebrate Calm – well worth signing up for.I am taking the liberty of quoting from an email newsletter I subscribe to 'Celebrate Calm, written by Kirk Martin.…Continue reading »
- The dog, the hand-washing and the ASD child.Leo the Labradoodle As you may have read, we've just got a puppy, a labradoodle. He's very cute and has…Continue reading »
- Genetic breakthough in autismGenes 'have key role in autism' - BBC News Scientists have produced the most compelling evidence to date that genetics…Continue reading »
- I knew it was my fault…Of course it's our fault.. Mother's antibodies may contribute to autism Fri Apr 24, 2009 8:18pm EDT NEW YORK (Reuters…Continue reading »
- The new arrivalI am not a doggie person. My husband is not a doggie person. And yet, yesterday, we brought home a…Continue reading »
- Autism Costs UK economy £28 billionA new study into the economic impact of autism spectrum disorders in the UK has shown that the total estimated…Continue reading »
- SNM Holiday 3: Incident on the beachSo, we were well into the holiday, we'd done Goonhilly Earth Station where Asperger's Youngest had had a minor meltdown…Continue reading »
- SNM – Holiday 2 – The ZooWe booked a day as a zoo-keeper at Newquay zoo for the boys. This was an unparalleled success! The day…Continue reading »
- Special Needs Mum.. on holiday 1It's that time again.. the long (3 weeks in our case) Easter break. We took advantage last week of finishing…Continue reading »
- New SENDIST rulesAt the same PWP workshop, Simon Oliver, Deputy President of Care Standards Tribunal and judicial lead for SENDIST management team…Continue reading »
- Surrey to review SEN AssessmentsI recently attended a Partnership with Parents workshop in Surrey. The subject matters were an explanation of the new SEND…Continue reading »
- SEN Assessment Form Part 2Further to the earlier blog 'The SEN Assessment Form - Yikes!' I thought it might be useful for some people…Continue reading »
- Diary of a Special Needs Mum Pt2Despite the hassle of the average pre-school morning, I always look forward to picking up my children after a hard…Continue reading »
- The SEN Assessment Form – Yipes!A few people have mentioned to me how daunting they find the form that comes for you to fill in…Continue reading »
- Diary of a Special Needs Mum Pt 1I was talking to the head of the Juniors Department at my sons' school the other day. She noted that…Continue reading »
- Get to Grips with the SEN Code of PracticeWhen you dive into the world of SEN provision, you will undoubtedly come across a document called the SEN Code…Continue reading »
- Angel of MercenarySomeone rear-ended my car yesterday while I was waiting in a queue of traffic. My 8 year old ASD son…Continue reading »
- Really good siteIf you're trying to get a statement for your child take a look at this website. Douglas Silas runs a…Continue reading »
- It’s all about the school.Yesterday, my son was discharged from regular check ups with his nurse practitioner at his specialist clinic, a cause for…Continue reading »
- The Great Christmas Giveaway 2023 for SEND families and SENCOs. NOMINATE NOW!It’s HERE! Today we’re launching our Christmas GIVEAWAY — to donate Amazon vouchers worth £20 each to families of children…Continue reading »
- The 2019 SEND Advocates’ Stampede? Seems to me nowThat the dreams we had beforeAre all dead, nothing moreThan confetti on the floorIt's the end…Continue reading »
- Join us in the fight ahead to defend the rights of disabled childrenOur hearts may be as heavy today as they were on Friday morning. But there is no more time to…Continue reading »
- Review: Controlling pain with the PainPodSome time ago, Renata and I were asked to review* a device called a PainPod that claims to control pain,…Continue reading »
- Our LA left us feeling so abused
we escaped to Scotland for a better life with our SEND sonwith Harminder Samra, SEND parent Just over two years ago we ran an article by Harminder Samra, the mother of…Continue reading »
- Exemplary Practice: Why this special school is PROUD of its pupil voicewith Mary Isherwood OBE, Headteacher Camberwell Park Specialist Support School, Moston, Manchester There's so much bad, stressful or just plain…Continue reading »
- #VoteSEND: How disabled people & their families can make a difference this electionA poll of families who have a child or young person with SEND suggests that more than two million General…Continue reading »
- What’s a PRU to you? Busting the myths about alternative provisionwith David Mills, Executive Vice Principal, Phoenix Park Academy & Sevenhills Academy When a child is admitted to a pupil…Continue reading »
- SEND Tribunal trial extended – but it needs more than just time to be a successPlans have been announced to extend the current trial that gives the SEND Tribunal powers to make non-binding directions for…Continue reading »
- Launching the SEND Community Alliance: An independent campaign groupwith SNJ's Renata Blower, Gill Doherty (SEND Action) and Nadia Turki & Poppy Rose (SEND National Crisis) An exciting announcement…Continue reading »
- When is a significant injustice to a disabled child, not
a significant injustice?with Claire Ryan Every week the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) publishes the latest set of decisions for…Continue reading »
- SNJ Webinar: Successful strategies for EHCP AppealsToday we're announcing our first SNJ webinar! Expert lawyer and SNJ columnist, Hayley Mason of SEN Legal will be explaining…Continue reading »
- Exemplary Practice: Creating a positive future of meaningful work for young people with SENDwith Matt Silver, Head Teacher, Shaftesbury High School, Harrow Recently I put out a call for positive stories of great…Continue reading »
- Ofsted finds home education is most often not a choice – and off-rolling is a key culpritMore evidence that inclusion isn’t working has come from Ofsted, which has published research to show home education is often…Continue reading »
- The DfE wants to stop LAs filling SEND funding gapswith Gillian Doherty, SEND Action Last week, the High Court found against campaign group, SEND Action in their judicial review…Continue reading »
- A setback at the High Court, but parents’ SEND Action goes onToday on SNJ we want to pay tribute to the SEND Action parent campaigners who took the Government to the…Continue reading »
- Disabled children “increasingly failed” as nearly 9 in 10 EHCP Ombudsman complaints upheldThe Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, says 87%, or 9 in 10, of complaints about the Education, Health and…Continue reading »
- It’s back! Put your burning questions about SEND to the Department for EducationIt's back! Once again we are giving you the chance to ask the Department for Education the questions you want…Continue reading »
- Public Accounts Committee launches SEND Inquiry (yes another one)Another day, another SEND inquiry. It seems that inquiries into SEND are like buses. None for ages then three come…Continue reading »
- We won a legal point on unlawful exclusion and cleared my disabled son’s nameAdoptive parents expect their new child may deal with issues such as attachment, after living through prior traumatic circumstances, both…Continue reading »
- A free SEND legal advice clinic to guide you through the jungleWhen you find yourself at the start - or even stuck in the middle - of trying to secure the…Continue reading »
- SEND audited: Is the system affordable? What’s the alternative?with contributions from Matt Keer, SNJ Columnist Just last week, Matt mentioned the upcoming report from the National Audit Office…Continue reading »
- The Government must act on legal ruling against discrimination of disabled childrenWith Jane Harris, Director of External Affairs at National Autistic Society Last year we covered a landmark legal ruling that…Continue reading »
- Will the SEND Inquiry report be drowned in the maelstrom of Brexit? UPDATEDI wrote this post yesterday in the wake of the leak of Government schools funding. This evening, Boris Johnson has…Continue reading »
- SEND Transport: Consultation and Missed opportunitiesYou may have seen recently that the government launched a consultation into revised statutory guidance for local authorities on home…Continue reading »
- Join the SNJ Squad as a “Patron” and get exclusive content!Running SNJ takes time and money. As volunteers, we don't mind spending time making the site as useful as possible,…Continue reading »
- Join the SNJ Squad as a “Patron” and get exclusive content!Tell me more... We’ll never charge for you to read articles on SNJ so everyone can access information whatever their…Continue reading »
- Know your child’s rights to social care supportwith Liz Walker, Care Services Emergency Care Co-ordinator and Safeguarding Lead for Newlife the Charity for Disabled Children Social care…Continue reading »
- All rise! SEND figures go up in 2019For the third year running, the number of pupils with special educational needs (SEND) in schools has increased. In January…Continue reading »
- Judge: A remarkable achievement for parents to take the government to courtThe judgement in the Judicial Review of a group of parents against the government over SEND funding, has been reserved…Continue reading »
- The government’s legal day of reckoning looms, as families challenge over SEND failuresWhile most of the country’s politicians are fixated on Brexit and BoJo, vulnerable children have been left to bump along…Continue reading »
- England’s children urgently need a new, accountable, speech and language strategyWith Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists chief executive, Kamini Gadhok MBE, and Caroline Wright, policy adviser for children…Continue reading »
- The First Breath, How my baby had surgery in the wombwith Olivia Gordon Parents of children with disabilities are known for their generosity in sharing their knowledge to help others.…Continue reading »
- Come and meet the Special Needs Jungle team at The Autism Show this Friday and Saturday!This is just a quick reminder for you. The Special Needs Jungle team is at The Autism Show this Friday…Continue reading »
- People power! Parents and disabled children march to end the #SENDcrisisWhat a day it was! On Thursday 30th May 2019, up and down the country, parents, children, young people, professionals…Continue reading »
- Today we make history, taking to the streets in protest to end the #SENDNationalCrisisToday families of children with SEND—and the children and young people themselves too—are making history. Up and down the country…Continue reading »
- Legal bid to change the way “school refusers” are treatedWe’re seeing increasing numbers of parents feeling forced to crowdfund to help secure justice for special educational needs educational issues…Continue reading »
- SEND inquiry takedown: Parents Vs DfEThere have been close to 700 pieces of evidence (and counting) sent in to the SEND Inquiry. Tomorrow, the Department…Continue reading »
- The SEND crib sheet: How you can help school help your disabled childBack when my youngest was in mainstream, he didn’t yet have statutory support. Although the infant feeder school would have…Continue reading »
- Mum’s brilliant home education helped me thrive as an autistic studentYou may have noticed we've been featuring more young people recently. It's a deliberate move to broaden the the conversation…Continue reading »
- Scrap league tables and boost SEND training to beat off-rollingNo sooner had the Exclusions Review announced that off-rolling of pupils is “rare”, Ofsted comes along with research that indicates…Continue reading »
- The Exclusions Review tries hard but falls short of a fix"Schools must be places that are welcoming and respectful, where every child has the opportunity to succeed. To ensure this…Continue reading »
- Are EHCP Annual Reviews being unlawfully delayed by too-busy LAs?When my sons had their first annual review after their Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), it happened roughly on…Continue reading »
- Restrictive Interventions: We need to change the way we thinkWith Elly Chapple, parent of a disabled daughter Elly Chapple is back with a hugely important topic. We’ve recently been…Continue reading »
- SEND National Crisis: Marching for our disabled children’s futureWe’ve written many posts here on SNJ about the funding crisis. Renata and I also joined the NEU organised event…Continue reading »
- Parents warn Ofsted it’s missing chances to boost inclusionA few weeks ago, we ran an open letter from a SEND parent, Claire Ryan, to Ofsted’s Chief Inspector, Amanda…Continue reading »
- SEND inspections: what do Ofsted and CQC inspectors really think?There have been a few happenings recently that I have intended to write about but meetings and other commitments, plus…Continue reading »
- Visit The Autism Show 2019 (and meet SNJ too!)We’re excited to be able to be at The Autism Show, the national event for autism, in London this year!…Continue reading »
- Creating a PDA coping system, after CAMHS’ strategies failed my sonWe’re hearing much more in the last few years about Pathological Demand Avoidance, a condition on the autism spectrum, although…Continue reading »
- Children with SEND and the emotional impact on parentsI recently came across a research article in the British Journal of Special Education entitled, Children with SEND and the…Continue reading »
- See Us, Hear Us: Supporting siblings of seriously ill childrenAs many parents who read our articles can tell you, when a child has a serious illness, their normal family…Continue reading »
- SEND parents tell Ofsted its new draft inspection framework lets vulnerable learners downParents of disabled children have voiced their anger over Ofsted's new draft education Inspection Framework for England, that's under consultation…Continue reading »
- The power of pacing: Managing energy with a rare disease or chronic illnessIt’s Rare Disease Day, something we traditionally mark, with both Renata's and my own family being affected by rare conditions…Continue reading »
- Ready for school? The importance of Early Years learningThe issue of children arriving at school without being able to speak in full sentences and lacking basic age-appropriate skills…Continue reading »
- Keeping up with the politics of SENDOh it’s all going on in the world of politics isn’t it? Labour Party defections, Brexit shenanigans… it’s almost as…Continue reading »
- The thorny issue of attendance awards and children with SENDIf your child has a SEND or a medical condition, it's very likely they will need time out of school…Continue reading »
- The Deafblind world: The ‘Shoeness’ of a ShoeImagine a world you can neither see nor hear, yet you must find a way to grow and thrive within…Continue reading »
- Help get support right from the start for autistic childrenLast week, I attended the first meeting for a new Reference Group "Right from the Start" established by the charity,…Continue reading »
- SEND parents of school refusers criminalised instead of supportedwith Rona Epstein, University of Coventry, Coventry Law School University researchers have discovered that most of the children of parents…Continue reading »
- SEND children are being “traumatised” by not getting the help they need in schoolsWatching the parliament TV broadcasts of the SEN Inquiry has been an interesting affair, but yesterday’s brought tears of outrage…Continue reading »
- The SENCo – parent relationship: Making it work to benefit the SEND childSNJ is read by lots of SENCos and other school staff, which is pretty amazing, considering it started out as…Continue reading »
- Plans and promises: Will the new NHS really be brighter for disabled children?Earlier this week the NHS’s Long Term Plan was published. It’s a pretty big document and, as I’ve been away,…Continue reading »
- I think my child has a special educational need. What can I do?So often on SNJ we talk about the difficulties faced when getting SEND help. But if you're new to the…Continue reading »
- The Great Christmas Giveaway 2023 for SEND families and SENCOs. NOMINATE NOW!It’s HERE! Today we’re launching our Christmas GIVEAWAY — to donate Amazon vouchers worth £20 each to families of children…Continue reading »
- A new SEND future promised…but councils are still parent-blamingWhen I wrote the Sunday article, the LGA report had not yet been released, but perusing it since has brought…Continue reading »
- Early Christmas for SEND, or Scrooge dressed up as Santa?The Department for Education has announced a £350 million funding package to support children with complex needs and disabilities, along…Continue reading »
- Using the Monitoring Officer to hold councils to account for housing, education and social servicesIf you're wondering how you could to hold your local authority to account for not obeying the law or refusing…Continue reading »
- The struggle in SEND hurts us all. It’s a sign of society gone wrongYesterday I was interviewed by BBC TV news about the Ofsted Annual report. It’s not an unusual occurrence, being contacted…Continue reading »
- The devastating impact of the SENCo workload70% of SENCOs responding to a national survey said they don't have enough time to complete the demands of the…Continue reading »
- ATU Autism scandal: PDA Society calls for Rescue Mission. You can helpIf you've been following the horrific stories of young people with autism who are locked away or who have died…Continue reading »
- Will teachers strike over cuts to SEND and schools? Education union leaders tell us ‘Enough is enough’Earlier this week an estimated one-thousand parents, teachers and teaching unions took part in a march and rally, through the…Continue reading »
- Half-a-billion pound funding gap for SEND says Local Government AssociationCouncils are facing a projected shortfall in SEND funding in England of £536 million for this year, according to the…Continue reading »
- Reviews: Maths for SpLD, + 101 inclusive Science and Computing lessonsA new giveaway today – in fact, TWO! Two SEN books for one for maths, and one covering science and…Continue reading »
- Are Early Years funding changes destroying nursery SEND provision?There have been a number of surveys recently about funding for council-run nurseries, with fears that their SEND provision is…Continue reading »
- Making secondary schools more inclusive. What’s your experience?We've heard a lot about inclusive schools and how many parents have struggled to find one for their child. It's…Continue reading »
- United voices making a stand for our SEND childrenIt's been a huge week for SEND so far. Not only have there been stories across mainstream media, including this…Continue reading »
- End of austerity? Not for children, 120 children’s organisations tell the governmentSpecial Needs Jungle has joined more than 120 national organisations demanding that the Government stop ignoring compelling evidence that essential…Continue reading »
- Updated EHCP Flow charts and a brand new one for the Annual Review!The EHCP process flow charts that we collaborated with the Department for Education on in 2014 had become out of…Continue reading »
- Does your school’s website break the law?An interesting, if limited, study has been published by the government. entitled "Mental health and wellbeing provision in schools, Review of published policies…Continue reading »
- SEND emergency! SNJ joins the campaign of the UK’s biggest teaching union to fight the cutsThe pressure is mounting on Damian Hinds, the Education Secretary to act now to solve the crisis in SEND funding.…Continue reading »
- Help SEND parents legally challenge the government over national funding crisisThe Department for Education has been put on notice: parents have had enough of government and local authorities speaking with…Continue reading »
- UK holiday attractions: Gold stars or banana skins for accessibility?Now that we’ve saved goodbye to the summer holidays, I was interested to know which UK attractions parents of disabled…Continue reading »
- Help! I’m a parent carer and I’m on my VERY last nerve!With contributions from Angel Kelly, SNJ Mental Health Editor It’s not just tough physically being a parent of a disabled…Continue reading »
- SEND System ‘in crisis’ say Head TeachersThe National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) has branded England's SEND, 'a system in crisis'. From over 600 responses to…Continue reading »
- SEND Update: Good intentions…and complaints for young people with SENDA brief update today. Despite it being the middle of summer, the Department for Education is still pumping out information that…Continue reading »
- Against Human Rights: Landmark ruling against school exclusion for behaviour related to autismThousands of children with disabilities will now be properly protected from discrimination in schools after a landmark ruling found the…Continue reading »
- How SEND parent support in England is changing, by Christine LenehanFor the first four years of the reformed SEND system in England, families had available to them a free Independent…Continue reading »
- SEND 2018: More children with SEND, but it’s worse if you’re poorIt’s the end of July so it must be time for the annual SEND figures – the government statistics that…Continue reading »
- Parents’ top tips for summer serendipity with your disabled childAh, the school summer holidays, don’t you just love them? Six, long, glorious weeks of unstructured days stretching out before…Continue reading »
- Exclusions 2018: Children with SEND six times more likely to be excludedPupils with SEND are up to six times more likely to be permanently excluded from school according to new government…Continue reading »
- £1.5 billion funding gap for disabled children’s services in the UKAs if we're not already drowning in enough bad news about how disabled children and their families are bearing the…Continue reading »
- SEND Inquiry: The Baroness, Brian, the man in the middle and much more..The first hearings into the SEND inquiry were held before the Education Select Committee this week. Three esteemed witnesses were…Continue reading »
- Challenge to the law that doesn’t protect disabled children from exclusionParents of an autistic teenager are going to the Upper Tribunal today to appeal a decision that they say discriminates…Continue reading »
- Survey: Parents have lost confidence in their disabled children’s health and social care servicesParent-carers’ confidence in the quality of disabled children’s health and social care services is at an all-time low with almost…Continue reading »
- Disabled Person’s Trusts: When making a will is not enoughBefore you have children, we have a reasonable expectation that they will grow up, leave home and live their own…Continue reading »
- Shocking rise in autistic pupils being excluded from England’s schoolsWe've seen for some time the rise in children with special educational needs and disabilities, particularly autism, who end up…Continue reading »
- Finding support for raising girls on the autistic spectrumWe've written before about girls on the autistic spectrum a few times before and, of course, I am one myself…Continue reading »
- £50 million extra for SEND school places and facilities. But will it help inclusion?As you will have seen from Matt's article last week about the number of Education, Health and Care Plans being…Continue reading »
- Book review: How to raise a happy autistic childThere are a plethora of books about autism, written by academics or by parents telling their personal story in the…Continue reading »
- 70% of children with Pathological Demand Avoidance missing out on educationPathological Demand Avoidance (PDA), a profile of the autistic spectrum, has been increasingly recognised in the medical profession in recent…Continue reading »
- SEND update: Parental support and EHCP transfer miraclesTime for a quick update on what's happening in the world of SEND for you today. A while ago, we…Continue reading »
- The legal loophole that’s stopping young disabled people from getting to schoolFor local authorities, school transport is one of the most expensive part of providing support for children with disabilities. Often…Continue reading »
- National SEND Inquiry: House of Commons Education Committee calls for evidenceThe House of Commons Education Committee has launched an inquiry into support for children and young people with special educational needs…Continue reading »
- Struggling for work-life balance as a mum with a disabled child – and a career I loveWorking and parenthood is the biggest balancing act for so many families. That goes double when your child has a…Continue reading »
- FestABLE, the accessible SEND conference with families at its heartEver looked at all these SEND conferences that get held around the country and wondered why they always seem to…Continue reading »
- Happy 10th birthday SNJ! SEND then and now…Happy birthday to us! 10 years ago today, I started writing down some information about how I had successfully got…Continue reading »
- My autistic son is desperate for a friend, but other kids won’t accept his differencesIf, like me, you were a bit 'different' at school, you'll know the loneliness of being the last one picked,…Continue reading »
- The logic of autism: Fighting fear by studying my son’s ASDOften, parents who have a child with autism are driven to learn more about the condition in a more academic…Continue reading »
- Moving on from #Bercow10: What next for Speech and Language Therapy?Recently, a review was published by the children's communications charity, I CAN and Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists to…Continue reading »
- While you’re reviewing “Children in Need”, can you fix SEND too please?Recently, the government announced a multi-pronged review to, "transform education for children with additional needs and ambitious plans to improve…Continue reading »
- Review: 101 Inclusive and SEN Maths and English LessonsJessica Kingsley have published two easy-to-use SEN lesson books, 101 Inclusive & SEN English lessons and the same title for…Continue reading »
- One parent’s seven steps to success for her autistic son’s EHCPWe have another useful post for you today. Many parents find it difficult to navigate the SEND system and we…Continue reading »
- Abigail’s rare childhood disease that she won’t outgrowIt's Rare Disease Day this week and evey year we like to highlight the day, on 28th February, by telling…Continue reading »
- The DfE replies: Accountability in SENDThis is our final instalment of the answers supplied by the Department for Education to your questions. We grouped your…Continue reading »
- The DfE replies: EHCP issuesToday is the second instalment of your answers to the questions you put to the Department for Education last year.…Continue reading »
- The Department for Education replies. 1: SEND ProvisionLast year, the Department for Education offered to answer SNJ readers' questions about SEND. It's not the first time they've done…Continue reading »
- The stories that prove dyslexia is a superpower!We have a book review today about dyslexia written by children with dyslexia. The author, Margaret Rooke, whose daughter is…Continue reading »
- The DfE on the EHCP transfer deadline. Plus all change for national SEND support servicesFollowing Matt's post last week about Transfer Deadlines and zombie statements, we got in touch with the Department for Education…Continue reading »
- Reforms, what reforms? Lancashire fails SEND children and mistreats parentsJust over a year ago, I wrote about the dreadful SEND inspection report for Surrey from Ofsted/CQC, as part of…Continue reading »
- SEND on the rocks: Can a new minister rescue the reforms from certain disaster?It's all change at the Department for Education. Not only was Justine Greening knocked off her stool as Education Secretary…Continue reading »
- Good news to inspire your SEND parenting in 2018We hear all the time about the bad things that are happening in the world of special educational needs and…Continue reading »
- The Great Christmas Giveaway 2023 for SEND families and SENCOs. NOMINATE NOW!It’s HERE! Today we’re launching our Christmas GIVEAWAY — to donate Amazon vouchers worth £20 each to families of children…Continue reading »
- SNJ in 2017: Revealing the truth & explaining the facts about SEND2017 has been, I'm sorry to say, a year of almost unrelenting misery for families of children with special educational…Continue reading »
- Merry Christmas from SNJ: Here’s some brilliant SEND videos you won’t want to miss!It's our last post before we take a break for Christmas. It's an opportunity for me to bring you three…Continue reading »
- Shining a light on the stars of speech, language and communication**update: Closing date now 25th January! ** Get nominating!** As we have the past two years, we are again helping…Continue reading »
- Seven tips for a calm Christmas for children with special needsKids love Christmas, don’t they? You’d think so, but for many children with autism or other disabilities, it’s often edged…Continue reading »
- Parliament autism group calls for more autism training, speedier support, more understandingA couple of months ago, accompanied by my younger child, I attended the All Party Parliamentary Group on Autism in…Continue reading »
- NHS liaison: The Designated Clinical /Medical Officer for SENDAs some of you may know, I have been doing my bit to help improve local SEND where I live…Continue reading »
- What causes autism… what doesn’t?If your child has been diagnosed with autism and you’re wondering what could have caused it, I would strongly recommend…Continue reading »
- Our Ofsted/CQC Facebook chat: What you asked and they answeredOur Facebook chat last week had a pretty overwhelming response, thank you to everyone who participated. We had a bit…Continue reading »
- The SEND system is fractured, if not broken. Three new reports prove it.SEND reports are like buses. Nothing for ages, then one, two and now three come along at once, this latest…Continue reading »
- Ofsted SEND Facebook chat to be hosted by Special Needs Jungle!As you may have seen at the end of our post on the Ofsted/CQC one year on report, we're delighted…Continue reading »
- Ofsted and CQC report on one year of SEND inspections. It isn’t pretty.Yesterday we ran a disturbing survey saying two-thirds of school leaders didn’t feel they were sufficiently supported to give the…Continue reading »
- Two-thirds of England’s schools lack support for best outcomes for SEND pupilsA survey of more than 1,000 school leaders has revealed that more than two-thirds (68%) say they lack the support…Continue reading »
- Schools breaking the law on helping children with medical conditionsA report published by Young Epilepsy says one in three schools in England are effectively breaking the law by not…Continue reading »
- What does it take to get a disabled child to preschool?In our summer SEND blogger showcase, we featured Alex Davey's blog, The Long Chain. Alex has three children, the middle of…Continue reading »
- Why sixty minutes of low-sensory shopping will be bliss for my autistic son and me.I bet many, many parents of children on the autism spectrum can relate to the hideousness of having your child…Continue reading »
- Our wish for a mainstream school turned into a nightmareWe really want to be able to bring you stories of great experiences of the SEND system by families. Sadly,…Continue reading »
- Put your question about SEND to the Department for Education (2017)Renata and I recently visited the Department for Education and met with the Director of SEND, Ann Gross and Dan…Continue reading »
- Steph’s chronicle of her family’s journey through SEND, cancer and lossRenata and I first met Steph Nimmo back in 2013 at the Department for Education when a group of SEND bloggers…Continue reading »
- UK government is failing disabled children says United NationsIt’s pretty shameful really, what the UN said about the UK’s treatment of people with disabilities. Last week, as part of…Continue reading »
- The worrying trend of social care tactics to target SEND ‘problem parents’Recently on SNJ's Facebook page, someone accused us of being too hard on local authorities who were 'trying their best'.…Continue reading »
- SEND Blogger showcase 4: Rainbows, Broccoli and WristbandsAnd now, what better day to bring you our final fabulous SEND Blogger showcase of this summer than on the…Continue reading »
- Home to school transport policies “inaccurate and inadequate”So many families of disabled children rely on home to school transport. Whether it's a shared taxi, minibus or a…Continue reading »
- Bring your child’s teacher to Whole School SEND’s second summit for free!Earlier this year, we ran a ticket giveaway for pairs of parents and teachers for the Whole School SEND Summit,…Continue reading »
- SEND Blogger Showcase 3: Life and ASC & A Wheelie Great AdventureWelcome to the third in our SEND blogger spotlights! Today we feature two more bloggers, Helen, who blogs about life…Continue reading »
- IAS Service: Supporting families of children with SENDWhen you need help or advice as a parent about your child or adolescent's education or difficulties with special educational…Continue reading »
- SEND Blogger showcase 2: Mum On A Mission & Our Altered LifeToday we have the second in our August SEND blogger showcase and we're so delighted to be able to share…Continue reading »
- Would you want your child to be on a national GP autism register?Would you want your autistic child (or yourself if you're autistic) to be on a national autism register? The National…Continue reading »
- SEND blogger showcase: itmustbemum & The Long ChainWhen I started out blogging here on SNJ, before social sharing was a 'thing', there really wasn't anyone else out…Continue reading »
- Choosing a mainstream school for my disabled childThe issue of the type of placement for a child with special educational needs or disabilities can be a thorny…Continue reading »
- SEND in England, 2017: More in Independents, fewer in AcademiesAnother day another set of figures to wade through... this time though, it's the annual school SEND figures from the…Continue reading »
- Horror stories: Recent SEND research for your summer readingDear reader, I am sorry, but I have failed you. A clutch of research reports about SEND have been recently…Continue reading »
- End of school SEND report: Must try harderIt's the end of the school year and children are arriving home up and down the land with their school…Continue reading »
- Going to Uni: The Disabled Students Allowance assessmentIt’s all change for us this September at home, as Youngest heads off to start a three year BSc at…Continue reading »
- How I became a better child physio after parenting my sick newbornWe love sharing good practice with you that can help both parents and professionals offer improve the lives of children…Continue reading »
- The Secret Life of Holly, from the Disabled Children’s PartnershipIn England today, there is an unacceptable gap between the quality of life and opportunities available for disabled children, when…Continue reading »
- Exploring Autism and Music, a chance to listen, learn and participateResearch into different aspects of autism can reveal many unexpected and interesting findings, which can sometimes help to improve the lives…Continue reading »
- Helping carers and disabled children with QigongWe are all living in stressful times. World events, both near and far, can leave us feeling anxious, fearful and…Continue reading »
- How do you help a disadvantaged child build confidence and find success? [Conference]Aside from having a special educational need or disability, one of the biggest barriers to success at school is your…Continue reading »
- SEND 2017, the state of the special educational needs system revealedThe annual figures for special educational needs came out yesterday and I spent the day poring over them and making…Continue reading »
- The SNJ #GE2017 Manifesto for Special Educational Needs and DisabilityYou can’t have failed to notice that, here in the UK, we’re hurtling towards the snap general election called for…Continue reading »
- Tackling the lack of diversity in books for deaf childrenIt's Deaf Awareness Week and a new book has been published, written to boost deaf awareness and tackle the lack of…Continue reading »
- The frustration and heartbreak of Pathological Demand AvoidanceWe've covered Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA), which is a condition on the autistic spectrum, a few times on SNJ and…Continue reading »
- Good mental health support needs one thing: proper fundingIt’s Mental Health Awareness Week. Depression is the leading cause of ill health and disability worldwide. According to the latest…Continue reading »
- SEND, support staff and challenging behaviour in schools.You may remember that we had Tess Philbert on the site not so long ago, talking about person-centred planning. Tess is…Continue reading »
- Your views invited to help set the agenda for Whole School SENDLast month Barney and I participated in the Whole School SEND Summit, spreading our message in a roundtable at the…Continue reading »
- Explaining new funding rules for early years children with SENDFunding is always a hot topic in local authorities and schools and nowhere more so than in special educational needs. From…Continue reading »
- Special needs lawyer calls for election pledge to solve SEND disarrayA young lawyer specialising in special educational needs, who himself has SpLD, has warned the parties in the upcoming election urgent…Continue reading »
- Holly’s autism film starring role helped raise her classmates’ awarenessLast week, I said Autism Awareness had graduated from a day to a week. Dear reader, I was wrong. It's…Continue reading »
- Children with SEND risk rejection by mainstream schools over funding gapPupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are at risk of being turned away by mainstream schools due to…Continue reading »
- Is autism a difference or a disorder? The truth is in-betweenI don't think anyone is unaware of the word 'autism' these days. The problem still lies in understanding how vast a…Continue reading »
- Supporting families to participate in making person-centred decisionsOne of the big things that was supported to be improved for disabled children and families was person-centred planning. De-jargonned,…Continue reading »
- What’s in a name: Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome gets an important makeoverIt's rare for a medical condition to have its sub-types reclassified. It happened to autism a couple of years ago…Continue reading »
- All about ALLFIE and its campaign for truly inclusive educationMy sons' headteacher at their independent special(ist) school, once said to me that inclusion was about being included in society…Continue reading »
- How a parent held her council to account for its SEND failuresToday's parent story is a classic case of a local authority's disregard of the SEND reforms: poor communication and lack…Continue reading »
- £215 million cash boost for local areas to improve SEND facilitiesThe Department for Education has today announced £215 million funding for SEND. It's to be split between almost every English…Continue reading »
- The SEND Superheroes ready to spruce up your school’s provisionI started Special Needs Jungle with the intention of spreading knowledge to parents about how to get themselves organised and…Continue reading »
- The heartache that lives alongside our son’s very rare diseaseRare Disease Day is almost upon us and we have the third of our parent posts today about their lives…Continue reading »
- Finding my son near death started our rare journey to his genetic diagnosisIt's bad enough when your child has a severe illness, but when you discover it's a condition few have heard…Continue reading »
- YouGov survey: Teachers blame “parental pressure” for misdiagnosis of SENA YouGov poll of more than 800 teachers across the UK, has shockingly revealed what is potentially one of the…Continue reading »
- Post 19: Education, health, care and training support for disabled young peopleA quick post today to let you know about guidance the Department for Education has published for 19-25 year olds…Continue reading »
- A 16 year quest to diagnose our rare bendy daughterIt's often difficult to cope and find support when your child has an uncommon or rare condition. Often, there is…Continue reading »
- Whole School SEND Summit: learn, contribute & share good practiceThe changes to the special educational needs system in England are over two years old but many parents have seen…Continue reading »
- Parents of children with learning disabilities lonely, distressed and under pressureIt can be hard to cope with having a child with a disability. It can be particularly hard on relationships.…Continue reading »
- Interweb Safety Day: The stuff you don’t know as parents but shouldThe interweb is a big and scary place, and that’s just for the grown-ups. While we think our kids may…Continue reading »
- Using Minecraft to engage children with science learningMinecraft is beloved of thousands of teens and pre-teens across the country, but it seems to have a particular fascination…Continue reading »
- The Care Act when transitioning from children’s to adult social careOne of the biggest concerns for parents of disabled young people who are about to pass 18, is the move…Continue reading »
- How satisfied are pupils, parents and teachers about SEND in schools?At the end of last week, a couple of surveys were published by the Department for Education. One was a…Continue reading »
- Will more cash guide the battered ship of SEND reform to calmer seas?Just a quick post after Matt's epic blog yesterday on SEND Inspectors (we have been asked for a right of…Continue reading »
- A new year, a new leaf? What’s your SEND wish for 2017?And so, we leave behind the detritus of 2016 with its never-ending celebrity deaths, seismic political upheaval and general air of…Continue reading »
- The Great Christmas Giveaway 2023 for SEND families and SENCOs. NOMINATE NOW!
- SNJ’s Christmas SEND wish-list for Santa and a few thanks too…
- Tips for keeping up your child’s literacy over the holidays
- Shining a light on great practice in SLT and communication
- Surrey gets a spanking from Ofsted in its SEND inspection
- Adelle’s dyslexia helped her find her strengths as a GB athlete
- Talking about alcohol with your special needs teen
- New format for SNJ’s SEND system Flow Charts
- Future in Mind? Progress on child mental health plan a national disgrace
- Can you help harness parental knowledge about genetic intellectual disability?
- The Scott Schools and Colleges SEND report: It’s really rather depressing
- Parent pens The Children’s Guide to Autism
- #CRDN2016 Looking to the future where patients and carers are always involved in their care
- Testing for children with SEND: The Rochford Review
- Why sharing best practice in autism benefits everyone
- We challenged our son’s school over disability discrimination
- Amplify your experience of rare disease with Rare Barometer Voices
- Why did my PDA son have to fail in five schools before I was listened to?
- Autism Hero Awards: A win for SNJ!
- The advocate leading a summit to make patient and medical collaboration less ‘rare’
- What parents wish teachers knew about their autistic child
- The Great Christmas Giveaway 2023 for SEND families and SENCOs. NOMINATE NOW!It’s HERE! Today we’re launching our Christmas GIVEAWAY — to donate Amazon vouchers worth £20 each to families of children…Continue reading »
- What we said, where we’ve been, what we made in 2015!As promised, we've rounded up some of our articles from the year by type, which will help many of our…Continue reading »
- Merry Christmas from Special Needs JungleWe've had a busy year at SNJ in 2015 and we just wanted to wish you all a happy Christmas…Continue reading »
- One family’s wild ride in the pursuit of post-16 provisionOne of our favourite things at SNJ is to share parents' experiences of their family's experiences of the conditions that…Continue reading »
- Will these figures make councils think twice before forcing parents to the SEND Tribunal?At the end of last week, the government published the detailed statistics from the Special Educational Needs & Disability Tribunal…Continue reading »
- What parent carers told the Minister at his SEND reform stock-taking sessionEarlier this week I attended a round-table event at the Department for Education hosted by the SEND Minister, Ed Timpson.…Continue reading »
- Disabled Students Allowance cuts: Is it time to extend the EHCP to universities?What do you call it when someone says one thing but their actions show they really mean something quite different?…Continue reading »
- Patient Solidarity Day 2015We should all have access to the healthcare we need: good quality, affordable care without fear of discrimination. This…Continue reading »
- Don’t let over 16s fall through the EHCP information cracks[caption id="attachment_12537" align="alignright" width="350"] Luca, who's 18 today and in Surrey Youth Music Theatre[/caption] Today is Son1's (Luca) 18th birthday!…Continue reading »
- Some Sunday wisdom from Maya AngelouIt is time for parents to teach young people early on that in diversity there is beauty and there is…Continue reading »
- #WiseWords: Strong souls come from sufferingOut of suffering have emerged the strongest souls The most massive characters are seared with scars. ~Khalil Gibran~Continue reading »
- Have your say to lift the barriers to play for children with complex disabilitiesSense, the charity that helps people who are deafblind or who have sensory impairments, are running a public inquiry into the provision of…Continue reading »
- An SNJ Infographic of the latest SEND statistics 2015Last week the DfE released its annual "Special educational needs: an analysis and summary of data sources". It was late…Continue reading »
- Best Practice: a parent’s view of a good EHCP Transition experienceMany families have not had a great experience so far with the transition of their child from a Statement to…Continue reading »
- Ask the DfE: Put your SEND queries directly to the man at the ministryWe have something special for you today - a chance to ask the questions you want about SEND to the…Continue reading »
- Selective Mutism: When anxiety shuts down the power to speakIn the past, our youngest has struggled with selective mutism, as part of their autism. Anxiety and sensory overload can…Continue reading »
- Mental Capacity and young people with SEND: A quick primerEarlier this week I attended the SEND seminar of the law firm, Boyes Turner who represent families having difficulties getting…Continue reading »
- The what, when and how of Independent Support for the EHCP processWe haven't carried an article about Independent Support for a while and now we have one today and another coming…Continue reading »
- Inspirational SEND education events and a speech that says it allYesterday Angela and I went to two events in London that underlined the fight that families still face to get…Continue reading »
- Driver Youth Trust report: SEND reforms led to “Fragmented provision, chaos and confusion”Later on today, Angela and I will be attending the Westminster launch of "Joining the Dots" a report out today…Continue reading »
- Consultation on SEND Accountability launched. We look at the big pictureSo finally, what we have been waiting for – the public consultation for setting up a system of accountability for…Continue reading »
- The Great Christmas Giveaway 2023 for SEND families and SENCOs. NOMINATE NOW!
- Merry Christmas and thank you from SNJ
- £31 million extra SEND reform funding- but is money the whole problem?
- Flu vaccination available for children & young people with learning disabilities in England
- Childhood acquired brain injury- Would you know if your child was affected?
- How goes the development of the Local Offer?
- A shameless shout out for a very special school
- National survey launched: Are SEND Further Education students getting the choices they deserve?
- Anti-Bullying Week: Violent Bullying of SEND children widespread in England’s schools
- The power of reflexology on children with special needs
- Mum of dyslexic children launches Drive for Literacy
- Our flow charts included in latest official SEND reform info pack!
- An unintentional Mystery SEND Shopper
- Transfer from LDA to EHCP? Can I be bothered?
- Our SEN legal Twitter #SNJSENchat with IPSEA: Read it here
- Don’t miss the first answers from SNJ’s “Ask Jane” legal agony aunt!
- Trainee teachers rate SEN as one of poorest aspects of their training
- How a school’s Nurture programme is supporting students from ‘catch-up’ into ‘heads-up’
- Teaching teachers and parents about social media safety
- Some ideas for teachers get started with parental co-production
- The SNJ week in review – posts, presentations and parties!
- The Great Christmas Giveaway 2023 for SEND families and SENCOs. NOMINATE NOW!
- Our best personal posts of 2013
- Merry Christmas from Special Needs “Jingle”!
- Cerebra supports a seat enabling family activities for disabled children
- Christmas is coming and my son is getting stressed…
- Join us & back Jane’s campaign to improve legal rights in SEN Bill
- Two big days in one – one global, one personal, both huge news!
- Some SEN statementing questions answered
- Join Carers UK and act now so parent carers are not left behind
- When Tania went to #BlogFest and other stories
- Confirmed: No statutory support for Uni Students in SEN reforms
- The letter ‘D’ for Disability, M’Lud
- Crossing over: have your say on moving to the new SEN system
- How to help manage your children’s pain
- Warrior to worrier: When an SEN mum drops the ball
- Something for the weekend: Draft Code of Practice published and lots more
- SEN Reform: It’s going to be a busy autumn
- NEW Special Needs Jungle site launched!
- Add the power of your voice to #ThisIsMyChild
- Gently changing perceptions: DownSideUp, a blog we love
- NICE guidelines for treatment of autism in children and young people published
- The Great Christmas Giveaway 2023 for SEND families and SENCOs. NOMINATE NOW!
- Merry Christmas from Special Needs Jungle!
- SEN Pre-Legislative Scrutiny report- a précis and my views
- My pick of parents’ guest posts on Special Needs Jungle this year
- Vitamin D deficiency – ASD Youngest suffers, your child might too.
- What now for Asperger’s?
- Son1 is 15 today-and proof that the right support can work miracles
- Pathfinders, politics and parental co-production
- SEN Minister offers assurances to parents over Bill wording
- Speech Therapy to stay within educational provision – so said the man from the DfE
- Charlotte’s amazing brain – a heartfelt story about childhood stroke
- Keep Us Close – Scope’s campaign for better local disability services
- Can you help with Pathological Demand Avoidance Research?
- Common sense prevails with more time to test the SEN reform proposals
- The Brain Injury Hub – a brilliant resource
- 10 Tips for Developing Your Child’s Language Skills
- SEN Reforms: professional views to the select committee
- Beech Lodge: A new school offering a practical approach to learning
- Parents on the Warpath…and other stories
- Stop the DLA Takeaway campaign – your help needed
- When SEN Tribunal looms, seek legal advice
- The Great Christmas Giveaway 2023 for SEND families and SENCOs. NOMINATE NOW!
- Special Educational Needs stories of the week
- Christmas Giveaway – a copy of my SEN Book
- SEN & Special Needs Stories I’ve spotted this week
- “What’s the difference between a problem child and a child with a genuine problem? – Video
- SEN round up for this week
- Book Review of Special Educations Needs: Getting Started with Statements
- IPSEA – A wonderful charity for free advice and support for SEN
- SEN stories that caught my eye this week (w/e2nd Dec)
- SENAC for Special Needs Advice in Northern Ireland
- Why I’m backing the call for a revolution in ICT teaching
- Finished at School – Important Campaign by Ambitious about Autism
- SEN Stories of interest in the last week
- What do parents of a newly-diagnosed child need?
- My article in SEN Magazine: Can teachers recognise SEN in bright pupils?
- SEN stories that caught my attention this week.
- 1-2-3 Magic – the discipline system that saved my sanity
- Autism diagnoses are more common in an IT-rich region.
- A brilliant review of my SEN book from an award-winning blogger
- Education and Training (Young People with Autism) Bill introduced.
- Groundbreaking dance DVD to help kids with autism.
- The Great Christmas Giveaway 2023 for SEND families and SENCOs. NOMINATE NOW!
- Should children with Asperger Syndrome automatically be statutorily assessed?
- The Lamb Inquiry – a review
- The Lamb Inquiry
- New Autism Act Passes Final Hurdle
- Don’t Write Me Off – NAS campaign
- Daily Mirror Launches Caring For Carers Campaign
- Back to school – but is it the right one?
- More House – A School To Be Proud Of
- Books I recommend for Special Needs
- Journey’s End for our Statement – And a Brighter Future.
- Rose Dyslexia report – will it be enough?
- An Actor’s Life For Him.
- Asperger’s Links Blog
- Give ASD children the school provision they need
- Mother behind autism advert meets Brown – London Evening Standard
- Child-Free.. as free as the wind blows..
- See my other blog – Not As Advertised
- UK lacks Adult Autism/Asperger’s Services
- Long ago..when I was somebody
- Many autism cases ‘undiagnosed’ – BBC News
- The Great Christmas Giveaway 2023 for SEND families and SENCOs. NOMINATE NOW!
- SEN Assessment Form Part 2
- Diary of a Special Needs Mum Pt2
- The SEN Assessment Form – Yipes!
- Diary of a Special Needs Mum Pt 1
- Get to Grips with the SEN Code of Practice
- Angel of Mercenary
- Really good site
- It’s all about the school.
If my son is already at a special independant school. Should I say why we think he should continue in this school and that this is the school for him
Karen – yes you should point out what this school is doing for your son and why you do not think it can be replicated in a mainstream school.
Thank you for sharing. You did an amazing job advocating for your sons. I, too, had to do much advocating for my middle son. Beautiful boys!
Thank you for your kind words and I hope your son has the provision he needs now x
My son is currenlty in yeat 3 main stream with a full 25 hour statement, but latey his behaviours have become extreme and he has been refusing to attend school. He isnt managing his school work and it usually very bright and itelllgent, we just dont know what to do and the school seem to be no helo. we kow he would be much happoer in a specialist school were he would get full support in the right form, but dont know how to go about this. We are based in manchester. any advice would be most helpful
amanda
I think my son had PDA and am fighting to get it recognised. Would love to add you on FB or twitter but can’t find you xxx
I’m @TaniaLT and @SpcialNdsJungle and on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/specialneedsjungle. There is an article on SNJ about PDA- have you spotted it? Tania
Tania, i have just come across your website and it is such an apt title because it really is a jungle. i am trying to find a way of having information in a more structured way for parents to understand the system of special educational needs and how to get the help their child needs. i am going to look at everything on your website in more detail but in the meantime, do you think this is possible and if so, can you help me start. It just seems so much confusion in what you can get or not get, what is available,etc.
smita
Hi Smita
I have a paperback and Kindle book that details how to get started with a statement and you can find more information on the Contact a Family site as well
Tania
I just wanted to say what a great website,my little boy starts school this year. He is very behind in his speech and Early years have recommended for him to be statemented. Speech and language have finally agreed to back early years and myself in wanting this for my little boy. Still a long road I know! He was born at 26 wks and has had numerous issues with bronchial and tummy problems/feeding and food sensitivities.
I will be ordering your book to help me along my way.
Regards
Janine
Hi Janine
Good luck to you, I’m sure you won’t have any problems with the statement as he is such a young age. Just make sure it says everything it needs to say (my book will help with this). Depending on where you live, you may be able to be part of a pathfinder trial (there are 31 local authorities)
When he gets a statement it will be changed in due course to an EHCP when the new system comes in, in 2014. Be informed and be your boy’s advocate. To do this, you need to take care of yourself – do not put your own needs and health last, but equal.
Best wishes to you
Tania
Hi!
I’m trying to use the contact form, however an error message keeps popping up when I press send!
I’m a freelance journalist based in London working on a series of stories about children with disabilities/special needs in the UK. This is part of my final master’s project and parts of it will be published for an NGO called Safe World for Women. The organisation focuses on women and children’s rights.
Hayley Goleniowska from Down Side Up suggested I contact you concerning the Children and Families Bill and SEN reforms. If you’re interested in talking to me, I prefer to do an in-person interview, however, I can also via phone or Skype. My deadline is July 29.
Looking forward to hearing from you!
Best,
Kulsoom
Hi You can email on info@specialneedsjungle.com
Tania and Debs – I am new to the SNJ site but wanted to tell you that it is a brilliant resource for parents! – thank you SO MUCH for all the work that has gone into making this site very easy to understand and VERY VERY helpful! I have a 15YO son with ASD and feel very scared about all the upcoming changes. It’s wonderful knowing that you guys are out there!
Hi Melanie, thanks for your kind words. If you haven’t already, why not sign up on the top left of the site for new posts to be emailed to you, so you know when something new is out? I have a 14.5 year old and a 16 year old with ASD, so I know what you’re going through!