Relationships—the key to an inclusive education by Elizabeth Wright.

Elizabeth Wright describes her own experience growing up and how strong relationships were the key to her positive and inclusive education.

October 13 2019

What I wish I’d known when I was teaching by David Bara

When I was a special needs teacher, I thought I knew lots. I was enthusiastic, I went on courses, listened, talked and did a master’s degree in Education. Along the way I had two children (well I didn’t, my wife Emma did). At school, I tried to advise and support the parents of kids with …

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November 14 2019

Celebrating autism and neurodiversity!

For us, there’s so much to celebrate and so much happiness that comes from being around autism and neurodiversity. Richard Nurse, founder of the digital visual timeline app, picturepath, recently asked through Quora ‘why it’s so hard to find the positives in autism?’ Here are some of the great answers he received… “I think it …

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November 21 2019

Social Situations – teach your child how you want them to react.

by Paul Rose of YouTeachMeToo There comes a time when you have to decide: accept the status quo or take positive action. For 12 years I worked in UK schools, including a few years as a headteacher. Despite running a ‘successful’ school, I decided I could no longer watch young people being failed. So I …

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November 27 2019

Choosing a school for your SEN child by Kate O’Riordan

Experienced Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO), Kate O’Riordan talks about choosing a school for your SEN child. She draws on her experience both as a SENCO and as a mum of a child with Special Educational Needs (SEN). Choosing a school for SEN Finding the right school place for your child is one of the …

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December 14 2019

Reflections on the rewards of supporting refugee children and families

by Lynne Awbery, teacher of the deaf. A lawyer from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a mother from Sudan, a teacher from former Yugoslavia, an architect from Somalia, a doctor from Eritrea, a teenager from Rwanda, a carpenter from Afghanistan, a trafficked mother from Ghana, a housewife, widow and mother from Sri Lanka….. and …

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January 8 2020

Helping your kids with social situations

By Paul Rose, YouTeachMeToo. Have you ever found yourself in social situations that you were not sure how to handle? How did it make you feel? Awkward? Embarrassed? Confused? Angry? Frustrated? It can be hard to understand what other people really mean and expect from you, and it can be just as hard to get …

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January 11 2020

Autism and Accessibility

by Adam Barrett, Access Social Ltd. Being an older brother I have always been very protective of my little sister. (there’s 4 years difference between the two of us) This protectiveness has definitely been increased to biblical proportions due to her disability. Look at her the wrong way, use inappropriate language in her presence, I’ll …

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January 22 2020

Making World Book Day Inclusive

Why is it so important to make World Book Day inclusive? Emma Bara explains why and shares a list of inclusive titles to get you started.

February 20 2020

The Hidden Curriculum You Might Not Know About

by Barry Whelan The Hidden Curriculum In every classroom and every school, there is a formal curriculum the teacher teaches. Everyone knows what it is, and it is there for all to see and assess but what are schools covertly teaching unbeknownst to themselves? The answer can be known as the hidden curriculum. The hidden …

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February 24 2020

Teaching SEN kids at home

Emma Bara talks about how she and her husband have managed with teaching their SEND kids at home. She talks about how important it is to accept what can be achieved and offers some ideas for others to try.

March 28 2020

Teaching SEN kids at home – Waking Up and Maths!

Teaching can be challenging Teaching SEN kids at home is challenging at the best of times. We’ll be posting here regularly with ideas on teaching SEN kids at home. This post gives you some ideas on how to turn waking up into an easy Maths lesson. The Covid-19 crisis has sent us all home and …

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March 30 2020

Teaching SEN kids at home – English and Waking Up!

Teaching can be challenging Teaching SEN kids at home is challenging at the best of times. We’ll be posting here regularly with ideas on teaching SEN kids at home. This post gives you some ideas on how to turn waking up into an easy English lesson. The Covid-19 crisis has sent us all home and …

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April 1 2020

Teaching Special Needs Kids at Home – Science & Waking Up!

I feel overwhelmed! Teaching Special Needs kids at home can feel overwhelming sometimes, especially now, when our lives have changed overnight thanks to Covid-19. This post gives you some simple ideas on how to turn waking up into an easy Science lesson. You can do this! The Covid-19 crisis has sent us all home and …

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April 4 2020

Teaching Special Needs Kids at Home: Maths and Breakfast

Teaching Special Needs kids at home can feel overwhelming sometimes, especially now, when our lives have changed overnight thanks to Covid-19. However, the Covid-19 crisis has given us an opportunity to teach our children practical skills linked to the curriculum. This post gives you some ideas on how to turn breakfast time into a simple …

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April 9 2020

Teaching Special Needs Kids at Home; Science, Maths, English and Lunch time!!

Lunchtime and teaching? Here’s how! Teaching Special Needs kids at home can feel overwhelming sometimes, especially now, when our routines have changed overnight thanks to Covid-19. This post gives you some simple ideas on how to turn lunchtime into an easy Science, English and Maths lesson. Our previous posts have separated out the topics but …

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April 15 2020

Special Needs & Disabilities; What does the future hold?

We’re a long way from the end of the global epidemic of COVID-19. But now, more than ever, we need to take time to reflect on the quality of education that we provide for children with special needs and disabilities (SEND). The Covid-19 virus is hitting countries hard. Governments globally have said that countries will …

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April 16 2020

Teaching Special Needs Kids at Home; Tidying!

Maths and tidying the house? Here’s how! In these days of lock down we are trying to juggle being a parent, housework, our day job and teaching our Special Needs kids at home! But there is a way to turn housework into an easy Maths lesson! Yes, honestly!! Tidying the house ! Teaching special needs …

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April 20 2020

Teaching Special Needs Kid at home; Cooking and Maths.

Cooking and Maths; Here’s how! In these days of lock down we are trying to juggle being a parent, housework, our day job and teaching Special Needs kids at home! But there is a way to turn cooking into easy Maths lessons! You may be seeing lots of talk online about how people are ‘giving …

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April 24 2020

Teaching our Special Needs kids at home; Cooking and English

Cooking and English (language); Here’s how! In these days of lock down we are trying to juggle being a parent, housework, day job and teaching our Special Needs kids at home! But there is a way to turn cooking into easy English lessons! You may be seeing lots of talk online about how people are …

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April 26 2020

Teaching our Special Needs Kids at Home; Cooking, Science & Tech.

Cooking, Science & Tech; Here’s how! In these days of lock down we are trying to juggle being a parent, housework, our day job and teaching our Special Needs kids at home! But there is a way to turn cooking into easy lessons! You may be seeing lots of talk online about how people are …

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May 1 2020

SEND Physical Education and the challenges

Adam Price talks about the challenges that pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) pupils face when participating in Physical Education (PE) classes. Competition, communication and sensory processing, can make SEND Physical Education challenging but Adam addresses these challenges and suggests how PE teachers can make adaptations to enable those students to access the …

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May 3 2020

Learning and Laundry!!

Who knew you could learn as you do laundry? Mundane jobs around the house are also opportunities for learning. Pick up some quick ideas and tips here.

May 6 2020

Learning and Laundry Part 2

Did you know you could turn hanging up the washing into a learning oppportunity? Here we share some ideas on how to learn AND get some help in the process.

May 8 2020

Sensory Theatre, Online!

Head2Head Sensory Theatre is theatre made to be accessible for young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). Covid-19 restrictions have meant they have had to stop touring. Sara, Head2Head's artistic director, explains how that has just made them more creative!

May 31 2020

Learning through Pet Care

Teaching our Special Needs kids at home can be tough and often requires an imaginative approach. Here we show you how to make everyday activities, such as caring for your pet, into valuable learning opportunities.

June 3 2020

Inclusion is child’s play!

Emma Bara discusses how to make inclusive thinking and planning second nature. She discusses how inclusion and adaptation is natural for children and how much we can learn from them.

June 7 2020

Reflective Practice: Working with Autistic Children

Robert Corish talks about how he changed the way he viewed children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and became a better teacher for it.

June 14 2020

Is Less More in Special Education?

Josh Nash discusses why having the RIGHT information to work with SEN children is more important than having ALL the information.

June 22 2020

Teaching your SEN child at home – Going For a Walk, Part 1

There are learning opportunities in everything we do. Here we show you how your daily activities can help you teach your child. Going for a walk can be fun and there are so many ways and chances to learn, but before you even go out there is so much learning you can do.

July 6 2020

Surviving and Thriving in ASD class teaching

Niall Drea spoke to teachers who have made the move from mainstream primary to autism class teaching in recent years. He discovered how a shift in mindset can help you and your students to thrive.

July 28 2020

What is inclusion?

Crystal Hart talks about inclusion and asks if our current understanding of inclusion and our practices are really inclusive.

August 6 2020

DOWN to SEN?

Adele Ramet heard a teacher on a UK radio talk about her students as being 'from grammar school level, all the way down to SEN'. Here she talks about her grandchildren who both have SEN (Special Educational Needs) and why they are not at the bottom of any scale.

August 23 2020

Are we still aiming high for our disabled children?

Are we still AIMING HIGH for disabled Children/Young People? One autistic mother thinks that entrenched ideas of what Special Needs and Disabilities (SEND) is means that many SEND children are not even offered the chance to show their potential.

August 27 2020

Enjoying university with a disability

Charlotte Smith took the leap back into education aged 21. But studying for a degree and navigating daily life with a disability presented her with a challenge unlike any other. As she embarks on the final year of her studies, she reflects on her university experiences and how they have changed her for the better.

September 8 2020

WeCanAccess Student Challenge

WeCanAccess has teamed up with Disability Rights Magazine to challenge university students to write articles that will inspire better inclusion and accessibility. Read here for more info on how to enter.

November 28 2020

Special Education Students Can Learn Anywhere with Bookshare

Learn about Bookshare, which provides free ebooks and reading tools for special education students so they can learn anywhere and anytime.

January 22 2021

Special Work Experience

Assistant Headteacher, Joe White describes providing work experience for pupils with autism or speech, language and communication needs.

March 28 2021

Your daughter’s not a criminal, so why does she need a lawyer?

Emma Bara discusses how she was encouraged to hire a lawyer by the local authority to ensure her child was allowed to go to the school that would best support her special educational needs.

June 2 2021