It was a lonely experience, as I watched other parents in play groups laugh while their children screamed, rowing their boats down a stream, or leaping up from the floor as the group leader shouted “wake up bunnies!” My boy was oblivious to any of the surrounding noise and interaction, he just sat and spun wheels on a car. A car which I had had to fight the playgroup leader to leave out after the

“Autism. My son is autistic.” Those were words I said to myself, over and over again, as I tried to let them sink in. They had come as a shock to me, I was someone who had never had any experience in additional needs. Autism had just been a word I had heard of, but had no context. It had never featured in my life and there had never been a need to research about

I remember sitting around a table, a range of individuals at each space holding different professions and reasons for being there. The school headmistress, the deputy head, the speech and language therapist, my son’s class teacher, his 1-2-1 and then me and my husband, his parents, all waiting to discuss my son. We were in a school meeting about my son, waiting to discuss his development and his future targets. Rhys was in a mainstream

When you enter the world of special needs, it becomes a minefield of information, but also a treasure hunt to work out what you are now entitled to, and finding that information is not easy. The benefits and support you and your child are entitled to is different all across the country, and you will receive different answers to questions on what you are entitled to and how to apply or get that support. To

Guest Post by Ellie Whetzel A good friend recently asked me what kinds of things Leo was interested in these days?  “Toy Story, like always,” I responded, chuckling at the thought of how often I’d responded similarly over the years. For as long as I can remember, Leo has been transfixed by the popular series of films; his love for Sheriff Woody, Buzz, Andy, and the rest of the Pixar gang, have stood the test