Charlie’s farm project to create accessible holidays in Devon
Our columnist Charlie Mead has been quiet of late. I sometimes see Facebook posts of him at various locations around the world, enjoying himself, often on golf courses. You would …
Our columnist Charlie Mead has been quiet of late. I sometimes see Facebook posts of him at various locations around the world, enjoying himself, often on golf courses. You would …
Parents often talk to me about the unavailability and inaccessibility of respite. They are concerned that there is nothing available to them or their children or that they are not …
Warrior Mum ♦Parent Activist ♦ Campaigner These are phrases frequently applied to SEN parents, you might even label yourself this way. I’ve had the titles attached to me over the years, by bloggers, …
“It’s a strange world of language in which skating on thin ice can get you into hot water” – Franklin P Jones. The English language is complicated. There is a …
As an online manager of international patient communities for many different rare diseases, I receive emails every day from parents and affected people looking for help and information about their …
Sharon Paley is based in the UK at the British Institute of Learning Disability (BILD). She is currently undertaking a professional study tour of Australia and has received a Florence Nightingale …
When your family includes a member with special needs or disabilities, there is so little time for you, the parent carer. Almost none. Of course, parenting all young children can …
Awareness day fatigue is a 21st century issue that has turned the the definition of supporting a cause into a quick click of a like button. Have charities and organisations …
What is it that is so interesting about children? It seems a simple question. Parents know their own children well – or so they think. Then the child does something …
I recently read an article written by professionals concerning Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The article focused on diagnosis and treatment and it was apparent from the article that it …
When you are concerned about your child’s development, it can be worrying and difficult to know where to go for support. I often have conversations with people who are unsure …
You might have noticed that, here at SNJ’s virtual HQ, we have a missing columnist. Renata Blower is a mother of three, one of whom, Dominic, has an undiagnosed rare …
I’ve been involved in the recognition and celebration of Rare Disease Day, which is today, for the past five years. The main objective of the day is to raise awareness …
Elizabeth writes… It can be daunting going to any appointment. I see myself as relatively level-headed and as a speech therapist, have lots of experience talking to different professionals. However, …
As this Valentine’s Day approached, I began thinking about how much we all love all our children equally. How we wouldn’t change a single hair on the heads of those …
Hello…can you hear me? Are you listening? I mean really listening? How often do we really listen to each other? I don’t mean just hearing someone speak and then waiting …
Jonah was born in 2008 to excited parents in New York City. But at his first year check up, his pediatrician noticed his head circumference was large for his age. …
It’s easy to assume that the moral dilemma of whether to abort your unborn baby that you’ve learned has a disability, is confined to a shouty debate between pro-choicers on …
Both Helen and I specialise in working with children with phonological or speech sound production difficulties. According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), 8-9% of …
In his daily work our columnist, Child Psychologist Charlie Mead, counsels children who find themselves in Care or “Looked-After”. He is passionate about ensuring these already disadvantaged youngsters are not forgotten …