The Lamb Inquiry – a review
The long-awaited Lamb inquiry has finally been published today. In it, its author, Brian Lamb has called for a major reform of the current system of SEN. He said, “We …
Category: special needs
The Lamb Inquiry
The Lamb inquiry, an investigation into the provision of SEN in the UK and the production of recommendations by its author, Sir Brian Lamb, has been published today (16 Dec …
New Autism Act Passes Final Hurdle
The National Autistic Society is today celebrating the passing into law of the Autism Act. The following is from their website: The Autism Bill has made it through its final …
Back to school – but is it the right one?
For the first time since my sons started at their special school, this term we have had no fees to pay as they are both now being funded by the …
Books I recommend for Special Needs
I have quite a collection of books about special needs and parenting and thought I would share some recommendations with you. I usually buy mine from amazon.co.uk, so I’ll link …
Journey’s End for our Statement – And a Brighter Future.
Just to update the post about my son getting the statement of Special Needs, we’ve just heard that the LEA has agreed to fund him at his independent special school. …
Rose Dyslexia report – will it be enough?
Government adviser Sir Jim Rose’s report on dyslexia has been widely reported today. BBC News said, “More teachers will be trained to identify and support children in England with dyslexia, …
An Actor’s Life For Him.
My 11 year old has just had his first co-starring role in a school play. He’s currently playing Ratty in a production of ‘Wind in the Willows’ at More House …
Asperger’s Links Blog
I’ve just started another new site which concentrates on resources for people affected by or interested in Asperger Syndrome. It’s called Asperger’s Links and already has several sections, such as …
Give ASD children the school provision they need
The Times today (Saturday 13 June 2009) has an article about children with special needs being excluded from school. It points to a recent survey showing that 55 percent of …
Child-Free.. as free as the wind blows..
This morning, without so much as a backwards glance, both our autistic children climbed on board a coach with their classmates and set off for their annual trip to PGL. …
UK lacks Adult Autism/Asperger’s Services
The news today that eight out of ten doctors need more help to spot autism shows the huge gap in services available, particularly for adults with ASD in the UK. …
Long ago..when I was somebody
Long, long ago, before I was ‘Special Needs Mum’, I had a great career as a television journalist and news reader. I loved it – the job, the lifestyle, the …
Many autism cases ‘undiagnosed’ – BBC News
A significant number of children with autism and related disorders could be undiagnosed, a study has suggested. (Reports BBC News Online) A Cambridge University team looked at existing diagnoses – …
Sports Day at More House School
We’ve just come home from Sports Day. This always used to be a day of tears, upset and general not wanting to go to school. That is, until they started …
Well said, Mr Bercow!
I’ve just read in full the House of Commons debate on the second reading of the Special Educational Needs and Disability (Support) bill last Friday. I must highlight one particular …
Mother Needs Help For Self-Harming Son
I have just been contacted through this site by Sharon, a mother from Kent, whose son has been excluded from school following incidents of self-harming. She writes, “My ADHD, ASD, …
Government Supports Autism Bill (UK)
The Government has, for the first time, declared its support for what could be England’s first Autism Bill. The National Autistic Society (NAS) celebrated the move as a vital development …
Great News – A Statement!
Got the news we had been waiting for today – Son1 has got the Statement of Special Educational Needs we had applied for. Don’t have all the details yet and …
My hero – Geoff Adams-Spink
This is an item about a hero of mine, Geoff Adams-Spink. Geoff is a BBC correspondent whom I met when we were both training to be journalists on a Post-Grad …