How do Apprenticeships support young people with SEN?
Only 6% of people with learning difficulties are currently in employment. No, I didn’t make that shocking figure up, it was mentioned in the announcement of a new government ‘Taskforce’ to help …
Category: Disability
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 …
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 …
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 …
SNJ Review: Disabled Children – a Legal Handbook
At the end of last year, there was much excitement in the world of SEND when the second edition of the Disabled Children – a legal handbook was published. For …
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 …
Disabled Students Allowance cuts: Is it time to extend the EHCP to universities?
What do you call it when someone says one thing but their actions show they really mean something quite different? There’s a few words and none of them are very …
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 …
SEND charities and funding: Is there more trouble ahead?
You’re probably reading this because you are involved as the parent, carer, advocate or educator of a young person with SEND. It’s likely you’ve had some contact or information from …
Mental Capacity and young people with SEND: A quick primer
Earlier this week I attended the SEND seminar of the law firm, Boyes Turner who represent families having difficulties getting the SEN or disability support they need. The firm is …
So close but so far away: @AspieDeLaZouch on why disability requires a compassionate community
We are separated in so many ways: time and distance, age and language, how you see ‘you’ and how I see ‘me’. On Sunday I was helping at a Mass …
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 …
How a charity is helping disabled children with reading challenges learn to love books
We all know that reading to our children is vitally important and helps get them started in reading for themselves. But for children who are struggling readers or who have …
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), …
How Sir Stelios is offering entrepreneurs with disabilities a chance for a £50k business boost
It’s always been tougher for young people with disabilities to get ahead, whether it’s through college, into a job or even starting their own business. If you are such a …
