Neurodiversity and Ableism – a young person’s perspective
With Kyle Thapar Kyle Thapar is a young teen who attends a mainstream provision. As he is neurodivergent, Kyle recently chose the topic of neurodiversity and ableism for a presentation …
Category: Young Person’s Voice
The voice of young people with SEND on SNJ
Growing up disabled: Puberty, privacy & positivity with Siena Castellon and George Fielding
Around one in five people in Britain live with a disability. That’s really quite a lot of people, all who have the same jumble of flaws, strengths, fears, desires and …
Why is He Still Here? Book giveaway
Today we’re offering a free copy of a new book written by the youngest author that we have featured so far on Special Needs Jungle. Max Toper is an eighteen-year-old …
Dear Prime Minister, not all education in lockdown is equal
A letter to the PM from Lilia, a year 10 pupil who believes that not all education in lockdown is equal and it is time the government recognised the possible consequences for pupils taking important exams next year.
Celebrating neurodiversity: Now, more than ever, we must support one another, whatever our differences
As we enter into a dark time full of danger and uncertainty, it seems almost perverse to write an article about Neurodiversity Celebration Week. As I sit down to write, …
RDI and me: How this amazing autism programme has helped me thrive
Having had a couple of SNJ articles out now, I recognised I was running into a theme of throwing up frequent bad news and depressing stories without counterbalancing it with …
It’s NOT your fault: An autistic teen’s comprehensive guide to surviving being bullied
I’m still just 17 and I’ve been bullied at school for most of my life. If you’re autistic or have a learning difference it’s very likely that you’ve been bullied too. …
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 …
I chose mental health over a prestigious Sixth-Form, that refused to recognise my autism
A lesson I recently learned is that sometimes admitting defeat is the best decision you can make. This time last year, I was elated about starting at a state sixth-form …
Navigating adult mental health services as an autistic young person
I go by the name of Philip Milburn but you are welcome to call me Phil, I’ve spent some of my time interacting with the adult mental health service and …
Mum’s brilliant home education helped me thrive as an autistic student
You may have noticed we’ve been featuring more young people recently. It’s a deliberate move to broaden the the conversation from what it’s like for parents or practitioners, to hear …
We’re the country’s future. We demand our right to a properly funded education!
Imagine living in a country where the government and politicians are robbing their youth of their futures? Where budget cuts have decimated the education system? Where students attempt to learn …
Does spending time with peers help autistic people to improve their social ‘skills’?
I’m sharing this post with my 19-year-old autistic son, Philip, who is looking for the experiences of other autistics who’ve been told they need to spend time with peers because …
Social skills: How to understand and support autistic students
by Georgia Harper The complex social hierarchy within the school gates – a hierarchy which often punishes anyone who stands out as different – is daunting even for some neurotypical …
Shane’s story of being autistic in school: ‘I was the odd one in the class’:
Tania’s note: My ASD youngest often complains to me about hearing only the parent voice and not the young person (I’m still waiting for their own contribution 😉 ). However, …
School can demoralise autistic students, help me celebrate our neurodivsersity!
Tania’s note: We recently featured a post from autistic teenager, Siena Castellon, about her fabulous anti-bullying work. Siena is now pulling in schools and organisations across the country to support …
“I’ve been bullied at school for most of my life” How Siena’s helping other autistic young people like her
Tania’s note: I really value being able to feature the voice of young people with SEND on SNJ, as we recently did with Lucy, from Ambitious About Autism. Today we’re …
Ambitious about an education: A young autistic woman’s experience
Recently, I took part in an Ambitious About Autism panel debate about the difficulties faced by young autistic people to get the right educational support to reach their potential. It …
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 …