Jenna’s 10, has missed two years of school, and is campaigning for SEND inclusion
I’d like to introduce you today to 10-year-old Jenna, who has anxiety and ADHD and has missed two years of school. She is still waiting for her council to find …
Category: Disability
Sensory toys don’t work on their own.
Suppose I told you I was going to teach your child maths, and then I dumped a load of maths resources on the floor: protractors, bricks, calculators, even an old …
The thorny issue of attendance awards and children with SEND
If your child has a SEND or a medical condition, it’s very likely they will need time out of school for appointments, illness, or just because some days, school isn’t …
The SEND Jungle 2018: The year parents roared
It’s been an incredible year in the SEND world, but not because the system has started to work better, or because families are routinely at the centre of decision-making. It’s …
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 a complex picture involving lack of funding, lack of expertise …
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 children had found to be disability-friendly. I asked on our …
Challenge to the law that doesn’t protect disabled children from exclusion
Parents of an autistic teenager are going to the Upper Tribunal today to appeal a decision that they say discriminates against children with autism. Thirteen-year-old ‘L’, from Derbyshire, was excluded …
Disabled Person’s Trusts: When making a will is not enough
Before you have children, we have a reasonable expectation that they will grow up, leave home and live their own lives. But when your child has a disability that means their …
The legal loophole that’s stopping young disabled people from getting to school
For local authorities, school transport is one of the most expensive part of providing support for children with disabilities. Often the most appropriate schools is up to an hour away …
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 the experiences of children in alternative provision”. I would have …
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 …
Legal grey zone lets health body strip vital funding from disabled children
Dominic is 11 and now in his final year at a mainstream primary school. He is very happy there and despite very complex medical issues and relying on a powered …
Are Teaching Assistants bad for children with SEND?
I often hear that, “Research says that Teaching Assistants (TAs) are bad for children, so we don’t do them here” in response to parental queries regarding support at school. The …
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 …
Is there meaningful accountability for illegal exclusions?
Over the years Special Needs Jungle has frequently highlighted the unacceptable practice of illegally excluding children with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) from school. You can see just how …
UK government is failing disabled children says United Nations
It’s pretty shameful really, what the UN said about the UK’s treatment of people with disabilities. Last week, as part of a raft of recommendations, the UN Committee on the Rights …
Fighting for my disabled child’s right to summer fun
Tania’s note: Today we’re welcoming a new columnist to SNJ, Catriona Moore. Catriona is the parent of a child with complex needs from the rare disease, Rett Syndrome. She works …
The Secret Life of Holly, from the Disabled Children’s Partnership
In England today, there is an unacceptable gap between the quality of life and opportunities available for disabled children, when compared to those without disabilities. Today, a new coalition of …
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 a parental supporter for SENDIASS (Special Educational Needs and Disability Information …
A young autistic campaigner asks, What’s ‘normal’ anyway?
I’ve always found normal to be rather dull. But I have children with autism and a diagnosis myself, so maybe I would say that. But what is normal, anyway? And …
