He did it! Son1, 15, made the summit of Kilimanjaro!
Tania writes… For those of you who have been interested in Aspie Son1’s expedition to Africa, a quick update. He made it to the summit of Kilimanjaro! He wasn’t alone, …
Category: Personal Posts
Kilimanjaro Update – no casualties so far!
Tania writes… A quick update on the 17 boys, all with some form of special needs, including my eldest, who’ve headed off from More House School in Frensham to climb …
Asperger’s, anxiety, Angels and an African adventure
Tania writes: Eighteen months ago, Asperger’s Son1 signed up for the trip of a lifetime. His special(ist) school had joined up with World Challenge to organise a month-long expedition to …
No change please! ASD Youngest and the hair tong dilemma: Can you decide?
Tania writes: Yesterday it was my birthday and I was very pleased to receive some wave-making hair tongs to bring a spot of variety to my poker-straight locks. I gave …
Catch your kids being good with help from Maya Angelou
Tania writes: “Catch them being good” is the oft-repeated advice to help encourage positive behaviour in children. And it’s good advice. But when your child has a behavioural disorder such …
Echolocation (aka Dolphin Boy)
Deb writes.. Some of you may have read a report this week about the use of echolocation in blind children. In the article, it states “New research from the University …
Labels: Love or Loathe them?
Deb writes… Are labels a help or hindrance? Do you love them or loathe them? Do they change the way you or your child are seen? Do they change the …
A personal take on depression: Would you recognise it in your child?
Tania writes It’s Depression Awareness Week, although with the state of the economy and the weather, it wouldn’t surprise me if most of the country was painfully aware of feeling …
My son and his literal world
Debs writes…. My eldest son, K lives in a very literal world and we spend half of our day trying to watch what we say, and the other half paying …
Autism Acceptance? It’s so much more than that…
It’s Autism Awareness/Acceptance Day, Month, whatever… lots will be written today about what autism is and what it isn’t. No one expects to have a child with an ASD/ASC, whatever …
Rare Disease Day: My son has Retinopathy of Prematurity
Today, 28th February is Rare Disease Day. It’s an awareness raising day for the millions of people around the world who are affected by rare conditions. Most suffer from lack …
Ten things I wish, with hindsight, I had known
Debs writes…. As we go through the Special Needs Jungle, we pick up tips, we gain confidence and we often think “I wish I’d known …….. at the beginning” I …
Special Needs Jungle named in The Times “Top 50 Sites To Make You Smarter”
Wowzer! Special Needs Jungle has been named in the The Times (yes the UK national newspaper) as one of its “Top 50 Websites To Make You Smarter”. How amazing is that? …
Exciting news from Special Needs Jungle-bringing in a fresh perspective for 2013!
I have some exciting news for Special Needs Jungle for 2013! In 2012, the site really took off and now covers a much wider range of issues about special needs …
Ordering at Starbucks, Asperger’s style
Yesterday, I took the boys shopping to Basingstoke. As I’m not currently able to walk far, I sat in Starbucks armed with my iPad to do some work, while they …
Vitamin D deficiency – ASD Youngest suffers, your child might too.
BBC News today is running a story about Vitamin D deficiency in children. A lack of Vitamin D is linked to a higher incidence of diabetes, tuberculosis, multiple sclerosis as …
Doing your best is all you can do
Today I’m feeling a little sad. Youngest is off school again with joint pains in his legs. We’ve just been for a blood test and he is awaiting an appointment …
SNJ on MumsNet – The Paralympic legacy debate
So, here I am, back from Sweden after what was an amazing meeting for people with limb disabilities from 12 different countries. It’s not easy to travel with a disability …
What’s your experience of CAMHS?
Many of our children have to be referred to CAMHS – The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service – to help manage their behavioural difficulties or perhaps if they are …
Parent-carer forums – why not get involved?
As you know, I’m co-chair of Surrey’s parent-carer forum, Family Voice Surrey. I joined at the beginning of the year and realised just how much there was about SEND provision …