Parents of children with learning disabilities lonely, distressed and under pressure
It can be hard to cope with having a child with a disability. It can be particularly hard on relationships. A report out today has found that one in three …
Category: parenting
How satisfied are pupils, parents and teachers about SEND in schools?
At the end of last week, a couple of surveys were published by the Department for Education. One was a survey of pupils and their respective parents/carers at state schools …
Removing the barriers to bedtime for children with disabilities
I have to admit that for a while, R and I joined the ranks of Smug Parents. We didn’t mean to. Most of the time we are running around in …
Why did my PDA son have to fail in five schools before I was listened to?
Back in 2012, SNJ ran a parent story from a mum, Debs, who had been having lots of difficulty finding the right school for her son who had been diagnosed with …
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 …
Our magical mystery tour helped our autistic son deal with anxiety
How many of us have stayed home rather than face the potential ordeal of your autistic child having a melt-down at an unfamiliar place or event? How do you get …
Six sleep tips for your child with special needs
Believe me I know about a lack of sleep! Neither of our children slept well for years. Anxious parenting, light sleep patterns, apnoea and SEN all seemed to conspire against …
Dear son, happy 16th. Here are my invisible shoes
We started the week with a heart-felt letter from a mum about her disabled child. Just as I was thinking I wouldn’t bother with a post for today, I checked SNJ’s …
Guiding children with autism to learn co-regulation
In my first SNJ post I gave a brief overview of Bright Futures School and how we use ‘guiding’ (derived from the autism intervention Relationship Development Intervention or RDI) to …
Tests: Do you and your child find them testing?
It’s that time of the term again here in the Aspland household. Tests! One week every term is handed over to testing what my children know. Now, I am not …
How did my Goals for 2015 go?
Last January, I wrote about my six goals for families in the Jungle in 2015. They were quite straight forward and I was hopeful that I could reach those goals …
How to make your friends and family with special needs kids feel welcome
I post a lot of information on the SNJ social media accounts; it’s part of my role as one of SNJ’s Directors. However, there are always going to be posts …
It’s all about Sight this week.
This week is a big week in the world of visual impairment. This week sees the “Let’s Glow” week for Guide Dogs UK and on Thursday 8th October, it is World …
When families ask for RESPECT, what do they mean?
Parent carers often emphasise what they’d like to have more ‘respect’ from practitioners and service providers. But what does that actually mean? For some, that may mean referring to us …
It’s Learning Disability week, let’s talk about the negative people we meet in the LD world
As you enter the Special Needs Jungle, you will come across many different types of people; the ones who will help, the ones who will hinder; the ones who make …
Why my son with autism has enriched my life, not ruined it
The other day we posted an article link on to our Facebook page from The Guardian, featuring a letter from a Dad to his child who has autism. It was a …
SEND reforms: Why working with parents means taking a walk in our shoes.
The new SEND system places an emphasis on teachers working hand in hand with parents as part of “Team My Child”. However, this may be easier to say than to …
Ten Benefits of Pets for Children with SEND
I have very fond memories of spending hours in our small sunny back garden as a child. Often the games would involved digging patches of dirt, playing hide and seek …
What three beneficial qualities should you encourage in children?
I was wondering what to write the other day when I got my weekly digest email from one of my favourite sites, the fascinating question and answer site, Quora. It’s …
Did you really just say that? The ignorant words SEND parents hear far too often
As a mum of children with special needs, I know I have walked out of meetings and thought, “Seriously? did I hear that correctly?” But I know that you often …
