Archive

You may be feeling like the Department for Education has beaten you into submission this year with confusing consultation after…

Dear Santa Please bring us some very special gifts this year. We'd like every child with SEN or disabilities to be…

with Adam Meyersieck, Dyslexia specialist It's always a tricky one, especially if your son or daughter has made good progress…

Six months ago, Ofsted & the Care Quality Commission began inspecting how well local areas are implementing the September 2014…

I always like to try and talk to my son about what he has done at school that day. His…

Nicky's back with two book reviews...   Book Review of Caged in Chaos by Victoria Biggs   This book was…

Illuminating great practice for children and young people with SEND is something we love to do at SNJ. Last year…

So the chickens have come home to roost, hopefully. The SEND Ofsted/CQC Inspectors have given Surrey a right kicking, and…

Life for any child with dyslexia can be challenging, especially at school. If they are lucky, they end up in…

In October 2016, I attended the Cambridge Rare Disease Network Summit 2016 with Tania. It was very thought-provoking and listening…

My boys are both at the age where they are discovering many aspects of adult life, including alcohol. They now go…

I have to admit that for a while, R and I joined the ranks of Smug Parents.  We didn’t mean…

Just a quick post today to let you know about a new format for our very popular SEND system flow charts.…

In my last blogpost, I shared my intention to show footage of other pupils from Bright Futures School.  In light…

A shocker of a report was published yesterday into the progress on the funding boost to mental health services for…

The Anti Bullying Alliances’ theme this year for anti-bullying week is 'Power for Good'.  What I understand this to mean…

Working Documents (WD) and draft EHC plans are quite similar, although with a draft plan you can negotiate on all…

When I was at the Cambridge Rare Disease Network Summit the other week, I saw a very interesting presentation that…

I don’t need to tell regular readers of this blog that dealing with the symptoms of the condition that affects…

Lee Scott is a very nice man. Earlier this year, at the request of the then Education Secretary, Nicky Morgan,…

Note: The book giveaway is now finished (Nov 2016)  It's a while since we brought you a giveaway, so today here's…

Just over two weeks ago I witnessed an online surge, the likes of which I have rarely seen before. Started…

I spent yesterday in Cambridge at the Cambridge Rare Disease Network Summit 2016. CDRN is run by the amazing Kay Parkinson, who…

The final report of The Rochford Review of statutory assessment arrangements for pupils working below the standard of national curriculum tests…

I'm always on the look out for best practice examples to bring to you on SNJ, whether you are a…

Depressingly, I'm hearing just as many, if not more, cases of families being forced to go to the First Tier…

When there are few specialists and no medical pathways to help your child's condition, you can feel like a pinprick in the priority…

Tania's note: Matt Keer, the parent of children who are deaf, is a whizz at figures. He's written for us…

New figures out from the Ministry of Justice have shown a big jump in the number of appeals registered at the…

Those of you on Facebook or Twitter may have spotted a few of these pictures but for those of you…

One of the things that can cause big conflicts in a relationship, particularly where there is a child with special…

Elizabeth and I were recently contacted by Jessica Kingsley publishers, asking us to review a new book.  When I saw…

In the most devastating, impossible-to-imagine grief of the death of loved ones – especially your children - it would not be…

Teaching children with autism is one of the biggest worries faced by many teachers and even Special Needs Coordinators (SENCos)…

I've written on SNJ before about how the online community I help to manage, RareConnect, works to bring together families facing…

As you know, we’ve been following the development of the SEND inspections developed jointly by Ofsted and CQC. Barney has…

I was recently asked to write a SEND travel article for the Telegraph. After I had picked myself up from the…

When is a child with special educational needs, just not special enough? It's when the local authority decides the child's…

I’ve been sent a few books lately about diagnosing Autism in girls and women. If you’re a regular reader, you’ll…

The SEND reforms are failing to meet the needs of autistic children, according to a new report from the National…

Many of us know what it's like to be questioned intrusively by complete strangers because of our child's disability - whether…

A shout-out for a an event for rare disease patient groups and for professionals interested in the field. Findacure Midlands Networking…

How many of us have stayed home rather than face the potential ordeal of your autistic child having a melt-down…

It’s that time again when students anxiously await their exam results. We all hope for good passes all round, but…

A specialist speech and language teacher in Lincolnshire has launched a petition calling on the government to include Speech, Language and Communication…

We've run a couple of posts on SNJ from Lorraine Senior about Reflexology for children with special needs. They were really appreciated…

I wrote recently about how Son1 made a silver lining out of the clouds created by the grades in his  disappointing…

Tania's note: Jo Grace is back to tell us about something you may like to get involved with! Parallel London…

The children's communication charity, ICAN and the Royal College of Speech & Language Therapists have announced a review of John…

Beth McCleverty is the columnist today from Genetic Alliance UK Data, from many angles, has been somewhere near the top…

From today many parents of children with special educational and young people who have Education, Health and Care Plans will…

Last summer I sat down at my kitchen table and I wrote a book. Well, it wasn’t quite like that,…

At the end of summer last year, the AS results day to be precise, we were in a bit of…

When development is typical, infants at around six-seven months begin to show signs of an insatiable drive to grow…to stretch, learn and…

If you are concerned about any aspect of your child’s development, it can be difficult to know where to turn…

Some good news to report, at last: Earlier this year, we told you about The Carter Review of Initial Teacher…

Not so long ago, I wrote a post about apprenticeships for young people with learning disabilities and how Education, Health…

I decided to write about this as a result of an article I posted on SNJ's social media a while…

Our son has a severe physical disability and a longstanding diagnosis. He had a statutory Statement of Special Educational Needs…

Earlier this year, we hosted a post about ‘One page profiles and EHC plans the Wiki way’.  It's been very popular…

For four weeks from late April to early May I conducted a research survey into how things were going with…

A quick post today with an opportunity for parents interested in the Preparing for Adulthood agenda for young people with…

I was going to start this piece with "As the dust settles after the #Brexit vote...",  but every day the…

Last week, a group of eight parents, including me and Renata, went along to the Department of Education in London…

The BS Tweets story did rather set the SEND world alight with many posts from blogs and articles in the…

Moving the Baker Small Twitter-storm along... Special Needs Jungle would like to use the momentum we have gathered to create…

If you were browsing Twitter at the weekend, you may have happened upon a series of most startling and revealing…

Believe me I know about a lack of sleep! Neither of our children slept well for years. Anxious parenting, light…

I’ve noticed there is a lot of information on social media about Pathological Demand Avoidance, now recognised as part of…

In just over a week's time, I'm taking a group of parents to the Department for Education to meet former…

If you switched on BBC2 this morning (June 2nd 2016), you would have found me, Renata and some of our…

Last week I attended the European Conference on Rare Disease being held in Edinburgh*. It was three days of listening to…

Yesterday’s new SEND statistics reported worrying progress on SEND reform up to January 2016, amid soothing words from the Ministers…

As parent carers we often measure our successes in the little victories we achieve on a day to day basis.…

Tania writes: A few years ago, I ran a guest post from Jo Grace who was crowdfunding to raise funds…

One of the changes within the SEND reforms is that the support in the statutory Education, Health, and Care Plan…

The Department for Education recently published some "user experience" research into the SEND reforms to help local areas with gathering…

Today is PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance) Day and I wanted to do a quick post to promote awareness and provide…

Our most popular posts on Speech Blog UK tend to be the ones about speech sounds.  It is an area…

Only 6% of people with learning difficulties are currently in employment. No, I didn't make that shocking figure up, it…

I've been to a couple of events in the last week or so around Undiagnosed Children's Day. As going anywhere…

Tania's note: A parent post today, but it's not a personal tale of an experience with the new Education, Health and…

Accountability for the quality of provision in England's reformed Special Educational Needs and Disability system has long been on parents'…

I have three children. All three have an undiagnosed genetic condition. One is a wheelchair user, has feeding tubes, and…

Today is Undiagnosed Children’s Day, a nationwide event aimed at increasing awareness of SWAN or Syndromes Without A Name (also known as an…

Today I am delighted to introduce Sarah Down who has agreed to write a guest post for us. Sarah is…

Last week, we relaunched our Ask IPSEA legal question and answer service. But wha if your question isn't legal in…

A couple of months ago I was invited to speak at the Academies Show in London on the subject of…

We started the week with a heart-felt letter from a mum about her disabled child. Just as I was thinking I…

Puberty with any teenager can be a tricky business and a time of immense change for everyone in the family.…

I was recently contacted by a mum of a child with additional needs, who expressed sadness to me over her…

By 1 April 2018, local authorities must have transferred all children and young people with statements of SEN to the…

Today we have a lovely guest post from a mum, Michelle Myers, who writes a blog called A Slice of…

So here we are again, Autism Awareness Week. Every year people go to great lengths to fundraise, stage events, write…

In my first SNJ post I gave a brief overview of Bright Futures School and how we use ‘guiding’ (derived…

Last week, the National Autistic Society and Ambitious about Autism sent an open letter to the Education Secretary, Nicky Morgan,…

For most adolescents, moving into adulthood is a natural progression and the move from school to a job or to…

In my December blog I shared that I would follow up on the government’s SEND figures for schools. These are released…

Over 50% of Mental Health problems start in childhood and we are all well aware of the difficulties many children…

It’s been a busy week hasn’t it? The budget revealed further cuts in the offing for disabled people – although…

Late last week, Ofsted released its report on responses from parents, carers and practitioners - anyone with an interest -…

If you have any Lavazza in the kitchen, start percolating. Chocolate chip cookies? Yep, you’ll need them too: this needs…

Tania writes: Today I'm so pleased to bring you a guest article from a highly respected head teacher of a…

In January, we ran a giveaway for a copy of Disabled children, A Legal Handbook.  Congratulations to Lisa Thomas who…

Today, we're helping campaigner, Downs Side Up blogger & our SNJ columnist, Hayley Goleniowska, support Down's syndrome Awareness week. She's…

This week has seen Blind Children UK raising awareness of the lack of "habilitation" services (to help with life skills)…

Where were you when you you were told that your child had a medical diagnosis? Like many major events in…

I had a brilliant time in Birmingham yesterday at the Children's Hospital where they held a vibrant and fun-filled Rare…

Monday 29th February 2016 is quite aptly named Rare Disease Day  - as a leap year it's the rarest day…

Late last week, the DfE published its latest newsletter about the special educational needs and disability reforms. The issue was…

Tania writes: Ask anyone who's been through England's new special educational needs statutory assessment as part of the EHCP process,…

Communication is so much more than just the words we say.  It is an incredibly complicated process; the rules change…

Last year, I was introduced to an exciting new concept for "living" One Page Profiles - using video and other…

The theme of last week's Children's Mental Health week was Resilience and, although I've written about this subject on SNJ…

As all parents and carers of children with additional needs know, it’s the little things that keep us awake at…

How many of us spend significant amounts of our time taking our children to medical appointments, often many miles from…

The government announced recently that £80 million was to be given to improve the implementation of the SEND reforms. £38.5…

This last couple of weeks have been a big ones for the Down’s syndrome parenting community. You would hope that…

It's that time of the term again here in the Aspland household.  Tests! One week every term is handed over…

 On Friday, the Department for Education (DfE) announced that £80 million was to be made available to extend opportunities to children…

In an article on 3rd January, The Independent reported comments from Anna Feuchtwang, Chief Executive of The National Children’s Bureau, regarding,…

When your child has a disability that has made potty training an impossibility, you are left with a growing dilemma…

A story on the BBC website caught my eye the other day about the boy who was the first child…

Specialised help and services for children and adults with rare or undiagnosed conditions has always been hard to find -…

At the end of last year, there was much excitement in the world of SEND when the second edition of…

As soon as they became our neighbours, our mother sent us round to play with the kids next door. Vivacious…

Last January, I wrote about my six goals for families in the Jungle in 2015. They were quite straight forward…

Last year, the National Autistic Society launched a campaign aimed at ending the often seemingly endless wait for a diagnosis…

Tania: Today we start a new series of articles from Zoe Thompson, who has been a regular contributor to our…

So, today we have part two of the answers to the Top 10 questions submitted by you, through SNJ, to…

For our first post of 2016, it's right back into the thick of it. Last year we asked you to…

You may be feeling like the Department for Education has beaten you into submission this year with confusing consultation after…

As promised, we've rounded up some of our articles from the year by type, which will help many of our…

We've had a busy year at SNJ in 2015 and we just wanted to wish you all a happy Christmas…

I post a lot of information on the SNJ social media accounts; it’s part of my role as one of…

One of our favourite things at SNJ is to share parents' experiences of their family's experiences of the conditions that…

At the end of last week, the government published the detailed statistics from the Special Educational Needs & Disability Tribunal…

Every child in England designated as having a special educational need (SEN) will have a primary need falling under one…

Earlier this week I attended a round-table event at the Department for Education hosted by the SEND Minister, Ed Timpson.…

What do you call it when someone says one thing but their actions show they really mean something quite different?…

   We should all have access to the healthcare we need:  good quality, affordable care without fear of discrimination.  This…

Today is  Son1's (Luca) 18th birthday! When I first started this blog he was just 11 and a very bright…

SNJ note: We've been looking at a few more books for families with SEND - or should I say our…

  It is time for parents to teach young people early on that in diversity there is beauty and there is…

Tania's note: Today I'd like to welcome a new columnist, Marguerite Haye. Marguerite works with local authorities as the lead…

I love Christmas - I really am one of those annoying people who gets into the festive spirit with huge…

When your child has a very rare condition it's hard not only to find specialists and the right treatment but…

Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will ALWAYS hurt me...possibly for a very long time! It’s anti-bullying…

Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls The most massive characters are seared with scars. ~Khalil Gibran~

Tania's note: Nancy Gedge is back with her views on the thorny subject of inclusion in schools for children with SEN.…

Sense, the charity that helps people who are deafblind or who have sensory impairments, are running a public inquiry into the provision of…

Last week the DfE released its annual "Special educational needs: an analysis and summary of data sources". It was late…

You’re probably reading this because you are involved as the parent, carer, advocate or educator of a young person with…

Many families have not had a great experience so far with the transition of their child from a Statement to…

We have something special for you today - a chance to ask the questions you want about SEND  to the…

One of the questions you are likely to be asked if your child is assessed by a speech and language…

In the past, our youngest has struggled with selective mutism, as part of their autism. Anxiety and sensory overload can…

Nancy Gedge is a teacher who thinks outside the box. She is also Mum to a young man with Down's…

Earlier this week I attended the SEND seminar of the law firm, Boyes Turner who represent families having difficulties getting…

with Diana Read, SEND parent and independent supporter We haven't carried an article about Independent Support for a while and…

We are separated in so many ways: time and distance, age and language, how you see ‘you’ and how I…

Yesterday Angela and I went to two events in London that underlined the fight that families still face to get…

Later on today, Angela and I will be attending the Westminster launch of  "Joining the Dots" a report out today…

So finally, what we have been waiting for – the public consultation for setting up a system of accountability for…

I post quite frequently on the SNJ Facebook and Twitter accounts, articles about mental health difficulties faced by young people…

We're really pleased to have another post from reflexologist, Lorraine Senior who you can find today and tomorrow at the…

This week is a big week in the world of visual impairment.  This week sees the "Let's Glow" week for…

Today, we are really delighted to have a guest post from Nic Crosby from In-Control.  Personal Budgets are something many of…

A story in the Independent newspaper has make me lurch up from my sickbed to highlight something I have known…

We have a sizeable following on Special Needs Jungle both on the site and via social media. However that also…

Tania's note: Malcolm has escaped from the usual Friday columnist slot to reflect on a wonderful awards ceremony that he…

A few weeks ago we asked you to send us your EHCP transfer or application experiences, however it's been, to help…

Around a fifth of young people with sight loss also have additional special educational needs or disabilities, and a further…

The end of the school holidays will have brought mixed feelings to many parents of children with additional needs. For…

We all know that reading to our children is vitally important and helps get them started in reading for themselves.…

I've just attended a workshop on Crowdfunding held by the Findacure Foundation. The workshop was specifically aimed at rare disease…

Tania's note: We're delighted to introduce Genetic Alliance UK as our new columnist for rare disease, genetic and undiagnosed conditions. …

The National Autistic Society has published a fairly damning report saying that less than a quarter of parents surveyed are satisfied…

Yes, it's that time of year again.  Our children are returning to school and we often get the joy of…

In Swindon there is a traffic system known as “the Magic Roundabout.” It’s really a system of five small roundabouts…

We don't like being negative at SNJ. We really want to be able to write about good practice, great resources…

Long ago, when my both my kids were under three and I was still perfecting the art of smiling while…

It's always been tougher for young people with disabilities to get ahead, whether it's through college, into a job or…

A research paper discussing the 2014 special educational needs reforms in England, has raised serious questions about the legislation's ability to improve inclusion…

Parent carers often emphasise what they'd like to have more 'respect' from practitioners and service providers. But what does that…

As a young boy, on my way to a hospital appointment at The Brompton or Great Ormond Street (I can’t…

A couple of weeks ago, we reported on the latest SEN figures for England that were released by the Department for…

In September 2014, most of the Pathfinder local authorities, testing the SEND reforms came to an end and the reality…

In January 2015, the government pledged £1.25 billion funding for improving children's mental health services. A  Children's Mental Health Taskforce was…

I am sure many of you, at one time or another, have considered setting up your own school.  Maybe you…

Just as we agreed to go down to two posts a week over summer (with a week off in August),…

One of the biggest problems experienced by parents of children with long-term medical conditions is communicating and maintaining relationships with…

SNJ Note: Today we welcome back the SENCo, known by his Twitter handle, @AspieDeLaZouch. He wrote for us a few…

Each profession has their own set of words and acronyms that we all understand, but it easy to forget that…

I had a very busy day on Tuesday at the 25th Anniversary conference of national and international charity, Genetic Alliance UK.…

A few weeks ago, we posted about what to expect when transferring from a Statement to an EHC Plan.  In…

I started this blog back in 2008 to record the method I used to apply and gain a statement of…

Have you checked our your area's Local Offer website recently? Some look pretty good, while some are definitely still a…

Today's guest post, from father of two deaf sons, Matt Keer, may shock you. It may, as it did to…

One of the many challenges that parents and carers of children with disabilities and/or special educational needs face is finding…

What happens now… A while back I wrote a piece about school refusal and gave some ideas that were hopefully…

Today we have a guest post from Dr Cathy Manning who is conducting research into the way children with autism…

Tania: Today we'd like to introduce you to a new columnist, although followers of SEND blogs will already be familiar…

Like many families, we have several of the Mr Men in our home.  Mr Grumpy, who arrives with my son (and…

The mental health of our young people has been in the headlines a lot recently with Child and Adolescent Mental…

Helen Laverty is one of those women you thank your lucky stars to have in your life. She is a…

As you enter the Special Needs Jungle, you will come across many different types of people; the ones who will…

We've recently featured some posts from Kathryn Rudd OBE, Principal of the National Star College and Chair of Natspec regarding…

I am delighted to introduce today's guest post (and giveaway) from Shona Crichton.  As a mum of a child with…

That's the sound - Tania Tirraoro ThumpThat's the sound of your bodyHitting the floor as you trip once againOver nothingIt's…

As it's Volunteers' Week, I'd just like to take a moment to thank everyone who has volunteered their time to…

Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) has long been recognised as being a condition related to autism. In fact, until recently, it…

Some exciting news today! You know when you're looking online for information such as medical articles or research and you…

Today's guest post is from a mum currently camping out at the paediatric intensive care unit in Southampton.  Not a home any…

Last week, the Department for Education released its Statistical First Release - Statements and EHC Plans. This statistical first release…

I was invited to speak at a conference last weekend called #RoadMapforLife at Swiss Cottage school, a special school in…

The other day we posted an article link on to our Facebook page from The Guardian, featuring a letter from a…

It is Mental Health awareness week this week and the theme for this year is Mindfulness. Earlier this year, Special…

“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place”. – George Bernard Shaw Communication is…

Earlier this year the NSPCC launched guidance called the "Underwear Rule" to help protect children from sexual abuse. To coincide with…

Challenging Behaviour. As parents, we've all experienced it at one time or another and as children we've probably exhibited some…

I am enormously proud to announce the launch of a very exciting project I have been working on for some months…

Way back in 2011, I wrote an article about a small SEN legal charity, SOS!SEN, that provides an advisory service…

Today is Undiagnosed Children's Day and a perfect day to tell you about an achievement for our SNJ team member…

At the end of this week it's Undiagnosed Children’s Day. These are conditions so ultra-rare they don't have a name…

A while ago, you may remember we featured a post from Kathryn Rudd OBE, Principal National Star College and Chair…

As I sat scrolling through Twitter a few weeks ago, I came across a conversation that set me thinking. Kath…

It's two years now since I was diagnosed with Ehlers Danlos syndrome and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia and officially became one…

I am sometimes sent books for possible review but find it difficult to fit it all in. Luckily, I know…

The SENCO has a critical role to play in ensuring that children with special educational needs and disabilities within a…

The article on Samantha Cameron that appeared in The Daily Telegraph on Monday has caused a storm of outrage among Special…

It's annual UN World Autism Day, April 2nd today, although the National Autistic Society have stretched it into a whole…

The new SEND system places an emphasis on teachers working hand in hand with parents as part of “Team My…

SNJ note: Today we welcome back SNJ columnist Charlie Mead, a child psychologist who works with vulnerable young people in…

In what is probably the last act of his current position as Minister for SEND in this parliament, Ed Timpson…

The Papworth Trust helps to support people with disabilities live their lives to the full. Today we're helping them tell…

I have very fond memories of spending hours in our small sunny back garden as a child. Often the games…

It's tough being a young person today. When I was a girl, you had to be a child actor to…

We ran a guest post from MrBoosMum a little while ago about the the launch of the Report of the…

It's Mothers' Day, at least it is here in the UK. For me, this will be the first year that…

If you have ever entered an airport with any child, let alone one with special needs, you will know the…

Like many of us, I have children who believe that sleeping through the night is just an urban myth. Oh…

In January, the DfE published a “Statitistical First Release” showing a breakdown of where children/young adults go to when they…

I appeared on "Just Women" the other day, a community radio show aimed at, well, women. I was invited to…

Since my son’s diagnosis of ADHD back in 2008, I have noticed that it is one of those conditions that…

Today is Rare Disease Day and during the past week we have been featuring a number of families who have…

Today's article featuring a family affected by a rare disease brought a strange coincidence. On Wednesday, when I was at the…

When you have a baby, you expect that raising them will bring some ups and downs.  But for Laura Joliffe…

As I'm a fun kind of gal, yesterday I watched the livestream of the #rareEU2015 meeting in Brussels held by…

We're hoping to have a number of posts this week highlighting Rare Disease Day, on 28th February. It' the 8th…

Self-harm. It's something that many find hard to understand. Why would you intentionally hurt yourself? When we hear about it,…

Some of you may have just submitted your school preferences; some of you may be visiting schools and provisions now…

[caption id="attachment_10322" align="alignright" width="230"] Duchess of Cambridge[/caption] The children's charity, Place2Be have launched the first Children’s Mental Health Week this…

Emily Alexander has a magical secret... she works for Santa at The International Elf Service. She is also a Registered Osteopath…

I received a letter from Ed Timpson, the Minister for Education with responsibility for SEND reform yesterday. It follows the…

One of the great things about having Special Needs Jungle for me, is getting to meet other women who also…

On Thursday afternoon, we brought you an update from a High Court Judicial Review hearing which found that Warwickshire's SEN &…

We're really pleased that SNJ is attracting many more teaching professionals and other SEND practitioners to our readership. In the…

Some big news today that is liable to send a chill through every council SEN department in England. I have…

Our last of the three sections of our video interview with Ed Timpson, the Education Minister with responsibility for SEND…

Yesterday we brought you part one of our video interview with the Education Minister in charge of SEN reform, Ed…

As regular readers will know, Renata and I went along to the Department of Education recently to interview the Minister…

If you have been sitting in isolation with a power cut due to the snow, you are probably one of…

Last week, we asked if you had any views on the SEND reforms in your area so we could pass…

It's that time of year when Christmas seems a distant expensive memory and the days are temptingly beginning to draw…

We had a surprise for the SEN Minister, Ed Timpson, when we went to interview him on video yesterday. Renata…

We mentioned in a post late last year that a consultation was being carried out into Initial Teacher Training and…

We have a little trip to the Department for Education this coming week. We'd like to take some direct parental…

We get lots of new followers on Twitter every week, which is obviously pretty fab. And I'm guessing that they would…

I've recently been helping a new rare disease organisation get off the ground. Elijah's Hope was already helping families who…

I was wondering what to write the other day when I got my weekly digest email from one of my…