21 Resources for Trisomy 21 on World Down Syndrome Day
Each year families, educators and charities come together to celebrate World Down Syndrome Day on 21st March. The date was chosen to represent the three copies of chromosome 21 that …
Category: Columnists
LA Watch: Dodgy SEND policies, parent power and how to fight the cuts!
One of the joys of being a parent of a child with special educational needs is working out why schools and local authorities do things the way they do. Sometimes …
Partnering with clinicians to reverse Rett, my daughter’s rare disease
“Did you say ‘Retz Syndrome’? How do you spell it?” These were the questions I asked the neurologist who speculated in passing that this might be the explanation for why …
Refused an EHC assessment or unhappy with the plan? Read our next steps
“The Local Authority refused to assess my child for an EHC Needs Assessment,” “I have an unacceptable EHC Plan”and “The Local Authority has taken away the provision my son receives” …
Why boosting internet safety and promoting children’s mental health go hand in hand
It’s Children’s Mental Health Week, and the charity, Place2Be, have themed 2018 for children, young people and adults to celebrate their uniqueness. It’s all about #BeingOurselves. Place2Be provides emotional and …
Top tips for working on your child’s speech and language targets
The speech therapy process is very much a collaborative one. Even if your child is lucky enough to get regular speech therapy sessions, that’s still only half-an-hour or an hour …
How I learned to take the best advice (and ignore the rest) when raising my ADHD son
In my first post on top tips for parenting a child with challenging behaviours, I suggested that you: Seek support and be compassionate with yourself and that you work as …
Nancy’s tips for writing an EHCP parental statement
One of the things I get asked regularly, in my capacity of mother of an older child with Down’s syndrome, is how to write the parental statement part of the …
The £70 million council costs of fighting – and losing – against parents at the SEND Tribunal
We all know that money’s tight in public services, not least in providing for children with disabilities. It’s not surprising local authorities want to avoid shelling out lots of money …
A sensory being’s Christmas wish list
Recently I posted a Christmas Shopping List on Facebook that has done its best to go viral. As someone who shares a lot on social media I am often surprised …
Have a care for the carers working 100-hour weeks
Four years ago, we were on our metaphorical knees. The previous 18 months of getting a diagnosis, attending endless medical appointments, fighting for essential equipment and services and trying somehow …
Battle of The Bands: The rise of ‘banding’ for funding SEND
Is your child getting an EHCP? Have you talked to your school about SEND support recently? Has your LA tried to interest you in one of its awkwardly-named “My Plans”? …
Tips for spotting the signs of dyslexia in a child or young person
One in ten of us are affected by dyslexia. While many schools have got much better at spotting a potentially dyslexic student, there are still some in education who, believe …
My child still has a Statement of SEN: What should I do?
For all parents of children/young persons who currently have a Statement of Special Educational Needs, your local authority is required to have transferred their Statement to an Education, Health, and …
Deputyship and mental capacity for young people at the SEND Tribunal
Tania’s note: Please welcome another new writer on SNJ, SEND lawyer, Hayley Mason. Hayley will be writing posts that inform parents about legal issues, but note, her posts do not constitute …
LA watch: Beware the EHCP Assessment Exception “loophole”
It’s the last week of the year in most English schools. A week to take things a bit easier, tidy away, and prepare for what the next academic year brings. But …
Hayley’s EHCP Save-Our-Sanity SOS plan
It seems that at every milestone and crossroads in your child’s life, your pride, relief and excitement at their achievements is met with an equal measure of stress and worry. …
Helping autistic children experience the joy of connection
Recently Lucy has started to experience-share more with us at Bright Futures School. She has come a long, long way from the disengaged girl who started with us back in …
Overcoming barriers to help my deaf children succeed
I’ve got two deaf boys. They’re brighter than I am. They’re more determined than I am. They work harder in the course of a single day than I do in …
Key points of SEN Support in schools: What it is and how it should work
In Tuesday’s post on the outcomes for children and young people with SEND but no EHCP I concluded by drawing attention to the importance of the SEND Co-ordinator in taking …
