A World Without Down’s Syndrome? Where do we go from here?
Just over two weeks ago I witnessed an online surge, the likes of which I have rarely seen before. Started by one passionate mum, actor Sally Phillips, her ‘celebrity’ tag …
Category: Columnists
Not co-production: Was your child’s Education, Health and Care plan outsourced?
Tania’s note: Matt Keer, the parent of children who are deaf, is a whizz at figures. He’s written for us before and helped SNJ numerous times. Happily, he’s joining now our team …
Top tips for keeping your cool when parenting styles conflict
One of the things that can cause big conflicts in a relationship, particularly where there is a child with special needs, is differing styles of parenting. We’ve had our own issues …
Review: Building Language Using Lego Bricks
Elizabeth and I were recently contacted by Jessica Kingsley publishers, asking us to review a new book. When I saw that the subject of the book was Lego and language …
Join the discussions that are connecting the rarest of rare diseases
I’ve written on SNJ before about how the online community I help to manage, RareConnect, works to bring together families facing the challenge of living with rare disease. We now have …
Who’s using your family’s health data and how secure is it?
Beth McCleverty is the columnist today from Genetic Alliance UK Data, from many angles, has been somewhere near the top of the agenda for a while now. Whether the issue …
Inclusion for Primary teachers: Nancy shares her SEND secrets
Last summer I sat down at my kitchen table and I wrote a book. Well, it wasn’t quite like that, if the truth be told; I started it in the …
Teaching children with autism: The Guided Participation Relationship
When development is typical, infants at around six-seven months begin to show signs of an insatiable drive to grow…to stretch, learn and explore. Parents, in turn, are instinctively ready to promote this …
Top Tips for finding your way through the speech therapy process
If you are concerned about any aspect of your child’s development, it can be difficult to know where to turn for advice. How can you know whether you are right …
The failings that made our son’s special education EHCP transfer a nightmare
Our son has a severe physical disability and a longstanding diagnosis. He had a statutory Statement of Special Educational Needs issued by our local authority almost 18 months ago, in …
Reporting on the EHCP process: Bren’s parent participatory research
For four weeks from late April to early May I conducted a research survey into how things were going with the SEND reforms – specifically, how EHCPs were going. The …
Edward Timpson and Jane Ellison: “Our reforms are boosting the life chances of children with SEND”
As parent carers we often measure our successes in the little victories we achieve on a day to day basis. They may not seem significant to some, but to us …
What makes a good outcome in an Education, Health and Care Plan?
One of the changes within the SEND reforms is that the support in the statutory Education, Health, and Care Plan must contain outcomes instead of objectives. So what is an …
Pathological Demand Avoidance Day!
Today is PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance) Day and I wanted to do a quick post to promote awareness and provide reassurance to all those families who are supporting children and …
Helping your child with Speech Sounds
Our most popular posts on Speech Blog UK tend to be the ones about speech sounds. It is an area that schools and parents feel unqualified to tackle alone – …
The Great EHCP Swindle
Tania’s note: A parent post today, but it’s not a personal tale of an experience with the new Education, Health and Care Process. Instead, it’s a lesson for everyone involved in the SEND …
My #Undiagnosed Day video to say thanks to those who get care right.
I have three children. All three have an undiagnosed genetic condition. One is a wheelchair user, has feeding tubes, and complex medical needs, one is a bit wobbly on his …
My SWAN journey from denial to motivation with my undiagnosed son
Today is Undiagnosed Children’s Day, a nationwide event aimed at increasing awareness of SWAN or Syndromes Without A Name (also known as an undiagnosed genetic condition). Around 6,000 disabled children are born every …
Work and the parent carer: a choice or a right?
Today I am delighted to introduce Sarah Down who has agreed to write a guest post for us. Sarah is mother to a lively four and a half year old …
Honest and useful assessment for children with SEND is not just about attainment
A couple of months ago I was invited to speak at the Academies Show in London on the subject of assessment for children with SEND. It was very exciting (and …
