Launching the SEND Community Alliance: An independent campaign group
with SNJ’s Renata Blower, Gill Doherty (SEND Action) and Nadia Turki & Poppy Rose (SEND National Crisis) An exciting announcement today! After a very busy year for a number of …
Category: Campaigns
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
Believe me: it’s not awareness that’s the problem with autism
So here we are again, Autism Awareness Week. Every year people go to great lengths to fundraise, stage events, write posts and generally try to raise the profile of what …
Ten Top tips for when your child is diagnosed with a rare disease
Where were you when you you were told that your child had a medical diagnosis? Like many major events in the world and in our own lives, that point in …
Birmingham Children’s Hospital leads the way with the UK’s first holistic paediatric Rare Disease Centre
How many of us spend significant amounts of our time taking our children to medical appointments, often many miles from home? Often several appointments at the same clinic are staggered …
Help me get supermarkets to stock nappies big enough for Brody
When your child has a disability that has made potty training an impossibility, you are left with a growing dilemma – finding nappies that fit your child. Nipping down to …
NAS chief tells SNJ why it’s time to end the autism diagnosis crisis
Last year, the National Autistic Society launched a campaign aimed at ending the often seemingly endless wait for a diagnosis for an autism spectrum disorder. It’s a problem faced by …
Have your say to lift the barriers to play for children with complex disabilities
Sense, the charity that helps people who are deafblind or who have sensory impairments, are running a public inquiry into the provision of play opportunities for children aged 0-5 with multiple needs in …
Why childhood eye tests can be the key to discovering special educational needs
Around a fifth of young people with sight loss also have additional special educational needs or disabilities, and a further 30% have complex needs. This is according to research by …
Top tips for Crowdfunding for your support group or charity
I’ve just attended a workshop on Crowdfunding held by the Findacure Foundation. The workshop was specifically aimed at rare disease groups, highlighting the fact that crowdfunding can be used in …
The pioneering STARS putting patients at the heart of healthcare
Long ago, when my both my boys were under three and I was still perfecting the art of smiling while drowning (lest anyone should think I couldn’t cope with motherhood), …
NSPCC video released to help protect deaf children from sexual abuse
Earlier this year the NSPCC launched guidance called the “Underwear Rule” to help protect children from sexual abuse. To coincide with Deaf Awareness Week, the charity is launching a video version …
World Autism Day: A boy and his Assistance dog
It’s annual UN World Autism Day, April 2nd today, although the National Autistic Society have stretched it into a whole week this year. As Tania has done the awareness day …
Nice to tweet you.. The SNJ Twitter philosophy
We get lots of new followers on Twitter every week, which is obviously pretty fab. And I’m guessing that they would all like us to follow them back. But we don’t …
Teaching teachers and parents about social media safety
This post isn’t specifically about special needs, but it’s for all teachers and parents everywhere to help you stay safe on social media. Yes, not your kids. You. My day …
Should Awareness Days Try Harder?
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 …
Autism Understanding Day – why hasn’t it caught on yet?
Hayley asked an interesting question in her Down’s Syndrome post last Friday – do we need awareness days? The answer is clearly ‘yes’ for all sorts of reasons, especially when …
