My “control freak’s guide” for my disabled daughter’s dignity and care in hospital
The thing that worries me most about my disabled daughter as she gets older is who will understand her. Who will really get to know who she is, and what …
Category: Columnists
Misinformation and misconceptions: Busting some SEND law myths
As many of you will know, half of the battle of getting support for your disabled child is getting people to listen to you. By people, I mean schools, professionals …
Nine out of 10 parents fear for their deaf child’s education amid the SEND crisis
Let’s walk in a parallel world for a bit. A world where there’s never been a better time to be a deaf child than right now. In this world, deafness …
“I’ve been bullied at school for most of my life” How Siena’s helping other autistic young people like her
Tania’s note: I really value being able to feature the voice of young people with SEND on SNJ, as we recently did with Lucy, from Ambitious About Autism. Today we’re …
SEND Inspections: Moving ahead but illegality must be called out
Accountability is not a word that parents often used to associate with the world of special educational needs and disability. So when the government announced three years ago that independent …
Adventures of the sensory kind for National Multi-Sensory Storytelling Day
The 24th of September is National Multi-Sensory Storytelling Day and I’d like to tell you about an exciting event to mark the day – and hopefully inspire you to hold …
Why your instababy snaps could spell danger to looked-after childreno
I am a sensory engagement specialist. I spend a lot of my time looking at how our early sensory experiences shape and support our development. I have worked in special …
Legal victory for Bristol parents against SEND cuts – what does it mean for other areas?
Last Friday, the High Court handed down a judgment with far-reaching implications for families of children & young people with SEND. Here’s what the case was about, what it …
Balancing the needs of siblings, when one has ADHD
In a class of 30+ children, a teacher’s prime objective is to make sure that everyone is working to the best of their ability. Their attention is inevitably drawn to …
£600 million SEND reforms: Disabled children have had poor value for money
Money. A chorus of voices are speaking up, telling us there’s not enough of it. Parents, teachers, unions, local authorities, all with different perspectives, but all telling us that we …
Matching needs with provision to make a dog’s doodah EHCP (Part 2)
This is the follow up post about the dog’s breakfast EHCPs produced by Oldham. In part one, I outlined what’s wrong with Oldham’s EHCPs, its autism SEND provision and why. …
Taking a stand against the dog’s breakfast EHCPs of Oldham (part 1)
I’ve seen a fair few EHC Plans now – those of the pupils at Bright Futures School (BFS), those of children whose parents are seeking a place for them at BFS, …
Ten top tips to get a ‘good’ Education, Health and Care Plan for your child
Many of you will have seen Nadhim Zahawi MP – the current Children and Families Minister, talking on BBC Breakfast a couple of months ago about how the SEND …
EHCPs in 2018: Are we ‘bedded in’ yet?
It’s the second May Bank Holiday – and for sad people like me, that means a special treat. Because that’s when the Department for Education (DfE) unloads its annual statistical …
Stress and parenting: Don’t fall into the guilt trap
It’s Mental Health Awareness Week from 14-18 May. The Mental Health Foundation is a UK charity that promotes good mental health for everyone and it’s chosen to highlight stress as the …
Seeing the view from the other side of the parent-teacher divide
‘Teachers leave them kids alone’, the line from Pink Floyd’s Another Brick in the Wall, must resonate with some parents of children who are different, and who feel their children …
Ofsted/CQC inspections MUST become a permanent part of SEND. Here’s why.
We’re almost two years on from the biggest change to SEND accountability in a generation – the introduction of local area SEND service inspections, led by Ofsted and the Care …
Undiagnosed, but Dottie’s condition affects the whole family
6,000 children are born in the UK each year with a syndrome without a name – a genetic condition so rare that is likely to remain undiagnosed. Having an undiagnosed …
The National SEND Tribunal Trial: what does it mean for families?
The National Trial which extends the powers of the First-tier (SEND) Tribunal to make non-binding recommendations about the health and social care aspects of Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plans …
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 …