The latest SEND Tribunal figures paint a troubling picture
It’s raining cats and dogs outside where I live. More happily for me, it’s also raining statistics – the latest set to drop into my inbox comes from Her Majesty’s …
![The First Breath, How my baby had surgery in the womb. [giveaway]](https://i2.wp.com/www.specialneedsjungle.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/The-First-Breath-my-experience-with-neonatal-medicine.jpg?resize=624%2C200&ssl=1)
The First Breath, How my baby had surgery in the womb. [giveaway]
with Olivia Gordon Parents of children with disabilities are known for their generosity in sharing their knowledge to help others. It’s one of the things this community shines at. Sometimes, …
Come and meet the Special Needs Jungle team at The Autism Show this Friday and Saturday!
This is just a quick reminder for you. The Special Needs Jungle team is at The Autism Show this Friday and Saturday and we’d LOVE to meet as many of …
Autism and Anxiety: What helps?
Anxiety appears to be increasing in children in recent years, or is it perhaps that we just appreciate its existence more these days than when I was a child? Whatever …
Sensory toys don’t work on their own.
Suppose I told you I was going to teach your child maths, and then I dumped a load of maths resources on the floor: protractors, bricks, calculators, even an old …
People power! Parents and disabled children march to end the #SENDcrisis
What a day it was! On Thursday 30th May 2019, up and down the country, parents, children, young people, professionals and even a smattering of politicians showed up in their …
EHCPs in 2019: Bedded in, or bogged down?
Early Thursday morning, whilst thousands of families and allies were preparing to march to draw attention to the national crisis in SEND, the Department for Education published their annual set …
Today we make history, taking to the streets in protest to end the #SENDNationalCrisis
Today families of children with SEND—and the children and young people themselves too—are making history. Up and down the country they are gathering in their hundreds, maybe even thousands, in …
Legal bid to change the way “school refusers” are treated
We’re seeing increasing numbers of parents feeling forced to crowdfund to help secure justice for special educational needs educational issues that should never arise. Several LAs have been taken to …
SEND success is a journey, apparently, one with no end in sight
“It’s a journey.” That’s what SEND minister Nadhim Zahawi said, repeatedly, at the final hearing of the House of Commons Education Select Committee’s SEND inquiry. This time, he and school …
SEND inquiry takedown: Parents Vs DfE
There have been close to 700 pieces of evidence (and counting) sent in to the SEND Inquiry. Tomorrow, the Department for Education will be giving evidence to the Education Select …
The SEND crib sheet: How you can help school help your disabled child
Back when my youngest, then known as Son2, was in mainstream, he didn’t yet have statutory support. Although the infant feeder school would have sent notes on to the junior …
The emotional impact of parenting a disabled child
Instead of writing my own post for Mental Health Week, I’d like to share my column today with Jo Griffin, a Counselling Psychologist and parent carer. I met Jo through …
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 …
Scrap league tables and boost SEND training to beat off-rolling
No sooner had the Exclusions Review announced that off-rolling of pupils is “rare”, Ofsted comes along with research that indicates quite the opposite. I wasn’t going to write about this …
The Exclusions Review tries hard but falls short of a fix
“Schools must be places that are welcoming and respectful, where every child has the opportunity to succeed. To ensure this is the case, they should understand how their policies impact …
The DfE’s out of SEND Funding ideas. Can you help out?
Last week, the Department for Education put out a call for evidence about SEND funding. What are they asking about, what are they asking for, and why are they asking …
Are EHCP Annual Reviews being unlawfully delayed by too-busy LAs?
When my sons had their first annual review after their Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), it happened roughly on time. However, we never received the report after the review. …
Poor leadership and SEND law ignorance fails disabled children
Anyone who has had to grapple with the SEND system to get their child’s needs acknowledged and met knows that the system is not currently working as it should. Not …
Celebrating #roarsome children with undiagnosed genetic conditions
It’s Undiagnosed Children’s Day. It is hard to believe that it was seven years ago that Lauren (now of SWAN UK) and I began Undiagnosed Children’s Day (It used to …
