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 …
Category: special educational needs
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 …
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 …
Rare Disease Day: How Dan’s rare disease didn’t stop his mainstream education
Rare Disease Day is at the end of February, with the theme ‘Disorders without Borders’. In Europe it’s coordinated by EURORDIS, the European Rare Diseases Organisation. Many children have special …
Chinese Whispers and Garth’s Uncle
As you may have read on Friday, Special Needs Jungle has a new regular contributor in Debs Aspland, the director of Kent PEPS and parent of three children, all with …
My pick of parents’ guest posts on Special Needs Jungle this year
In the last year I’ve been lucky enough to have had many parents write about their families and the issues they face raising children with special needs. These woman have …
It’s Dyspraxia Awareness Week – be alert for early signs
The Dyspraxia Foundation is calling on families to be alert to the early signs of the condition in their awareness week campaign from 14th – 20th October 2012. Chair of …
Active listening: a core skill for SEN reform
Yesterday, MumsNet hosted a live web chat with Sarah Teather, Minister of State for Children and Families. I recently posted an open letter to Miss Teather, to which I’m still …
When the words move by themselves – it could be Visual Stress
I met a lady on Twitter a while back, Michelle Doyle, who was talking about ‘Visual Stress’. I wasn’t really clear about what this was so Michelle has kindly written …
Don’t rush SEN reform – get it right, not fast
I’ve just watched the Education Select Committee on SEN – the Next Steps and many of the concerns raised mirror the points I raised in my presentation at the Towards …
Home educating a child with special needs
Many parents who have children with special needs seriously consider home educating their child. It throws us lots of issues – especially if they are statemented. Today. home education expert, Fiona Nicholson, …
If ‘child centred’ help is a no-brainer, why isn’t it happening?
One thing that’s become very familiar in the last few years, both personally and from reading your comments and emails, is how outragously hard it is to get the right …
Common sense solutions to solving dyslexia issues
Last week, while reading my SEN news feeds, I came across an article about dyslexia on the Conservative Home website by education expert, John Bald. John is a former OFTSED …
The lifetime legacy of special needs left by meningitis
I recently met the chief executive of The Meningitis Trust, Sue Davie, and heard her talk about the hidden after-effects that meningitis can leave on children who’ve apparently recovered. The …
Shortlisted for BritMums award – Why SNJ is all about CHANGE
Thrilling news – The Special Needs Jungle blog as been shortlisted in the BritMums Brilliance in Blogging Awards “Change” Category The Special Needs Jungle blog is all about change – …
Special needs experts offer views for Labour’s SEN policy review
Earlier this week, I attended a meeting at Westminster for Labour’s SEN policy review, chaired by MP, Sharon Hodgson, Labour’s Shadow Minister for Children and Families. Mrs Hodgson is herself the …
Unofficial exclusions – Has it happened to your child?
Some schools in England are illegally excluding pupils, sometimes permanently, without going through the full formal process, a report says. England’s children’s commissioner Dr Maggie Atkinson heard some pupils were …
Got the statement? Great, but your work’s not over yet.
Many parents are so relieved to get that letter saying the LEA has decided to issue a statement of special educational needs for their child that they think their work …
If your SEN child loves computers.. watch this video
I’ve talked a lot on this site about the need to improve IT teaching in schools, before Michael Gove announced an intention to do just that. One great way to …
I want your statementing stories
I get emails from lots of people with questions about statementing and I do my best to answer them within the best of my knowledge or signpost them to someone …