@spcialndsjungle.bsky.social is doing really important work about real issues affecting Autistic children & those with SEND in the UK. SEND Inquiry Reports: 1 www.specialneedsjungle.com/send-inquiry... 2 www.specialneedsjungle.com/send-inquiry... 3 www.specialneedsjungle.com/send-inquiry...

NEW POST: As the Schools White Paper looms, researchers @sheffieldhallamuni.bsky.social show how the DfE must learn from mistakes made in the last SEND Review when consulting with parent carers and disabled children—not least the late accessible versions www.specialneedsjungle.com/c... #SENDSky

This ought to be engraved somewhere.

Thanks to the lobbying of thousands of parents, including our #SaveOurChildrensRights campaign, the mood over the future of #EHCPs seems to have shifted. Keep up the great work! Starmer on collision course with MPs who fear SEND reforms mean ‘austerity’ inews.co.uk/news/education/s...#SaveOurChildrensRights

On SNJ Today: In our final look at the #SENDInquiry report, @captaink77.bsky.social asks how does @helenhayes.bsky.social 's Education Committee think #SEND funding should be fixed for the long term? www.specialneedsjungle.com/s...

Strange to think I wasn’t diagnosed as #autistic until 46, given this early piece of evidence.. (just one of many!)

NEW POST: Our final examination of the SEND Inquiry report looks at how does the Education Committee wants to fix SEND funding. @captaink77.bsky.social has the analysis www.specialneedsjungle.com/s...

28 years today we said “I do”—and while 7 months pregnant (Me, not my husband!) My wonderful late MiL made my dress in the days maternity wedding attire didn’t exist.

On SNJ Today: We're looking at either end of the #EHCP age range: Early Years and Post 16. Plus we examine proposals to compel the #NHS to pay its fair share in SEND. By @rachel.stopsafetyvalve.uk @sharonlsmith.bsky.social & @tanialt.bsky.social #SENDSky #education www.specialneedsjungle.com/s...

The second part of our look at the #SENDinquiry report

Part one of our coverage of the #SENDinquiry report. It’s a behemoth 208-page report. Graphics and edit by me

Re #disabled children’s #socialcare: “It’s undoubtedly in the local authorities’ interest for law to be as unclear & confusing as possible, & they really would prefer it if parents didn’t understand it & start expecting support for their children” #SEND #children’srights #inclusion

On SNJ Today: Big news in SEND this week, including the SEND Inquiry report. First, we look back at yesterday's SEND Petition Debate as MPs speak up for EHCP rights. You need to know what's in store! www.specialneedsjungle.com/s... #SaveOurChildrensRights #SENDdebate

NEW POST: @catrionamoore.bsky.social shares her disappointment at the rowing back of proposals by the Law Commission in its final report on reforming disabled children’s social care www.specialneedsjungle.com/r...

Big #SEND debate in UK Parliament yesterday. Fab reporting & analysis as usual from SNJ. 90 MPs speak up for #children’srights. Huge audience. Helen Hayes MP, chair of Ed Select Committee, acknowledges “we do not routinely equip teachers to teach the children who are in front of them”. #inclusion

I wrote up yesterday’s #SENDdebate in case you didn’t get time to watch (it was 3 hours long!)

This former DfE senior civil servant held the SEND policy brief in 2022-23 The controversial £19.5m contract was Delivering Better Value in SEND, signed in June 2022 with Newton Europe: the DfE SEND team were the key customer for their work Newton Europe now have a new ACOBA-cleared senior adviser

News! At 4.30pm today, MPs will debate the Save Our Children's Rights petition calling on the Government to retain the legal right to assessment and support in education for children with Special Educational Needs. This matters

NEW POST: Artificial Intelligence is increasingly becoming an everyday tool. Now it's being trialled and used by local authorities to write EHCPs. @captaink77.bsky.social asks if AI-EHCPs are a good thing and how issues of data protection are being handled. www.specialneedsjungle.com/r...

Yesterday we said goodbye to Leo, our 16½ year old miniature labradoodle. He supported our autistic daughter and helped keep her alive through her darkest days, then in his final years she devoted herself to caring for him. An incredible age, an incredible dog, 💔

NEW POST: SNJ's @rachel.stopsafetyvalve.uk writes about the upcoming *SEND Day of Action*- a debate and a rally on September 15th in our fight to #SaveOurChildrensRights on September 15th. They broke the system. They can’t break us www.specialneedsjungle.com/f...

NEW POST: The Ontario system: As Ministers search for new ways to "fix" SEND, they're looking overseas. @captaink77.bsky.social & @sharonlsmith.bsky.social ask, are they considering a Canadian province’s #SEND structure for England? www.specialneedsjungle.com/o...

On SNJ Today: We're being assailed by forked tongues pretending to care about SEND families, as they plot to demolish their rights. SEND parent and campaigner, Amber Windsor, calls on parents to be strong and fight back: www.specialneedsjungle.com/i...

NEW POST: SEND parent Amber Windsor voices fears, shared by many of us, of the insidious forked tongues pretending to care about SEND families while plotting to demolish their rights www.specialneedsjungle.com/i...

What do you think is the most important thing schools & parents need to understand about supporting their Autistic & neurodivergent children? Your insights will help shape my new blog & may be shared anonymously. Let's create neuro-affirming spaces for our young people to grow & thrive.

The Learning Disability Mortality Review (LeDeR) report is out and it shows that people with a learning disability are still facing shocking health inequalities and dying 19.5 years younger than the general population. You can find out more and read the report here: www.kcl.ac.uk/research/leder

On SNJ Today, we exclusively reveal the Government has ditched its plans for digital, standardised EHCPs, despite popular approval. We ask if it's an indication that Labour is aiming to dump statutory SEND provision altogether. www.specialneedsjungle.com/d...

They're toast. Official line will still be 'no decisions made', but next step will be a DfE tendering notice for Ghanian dancing pallbearers, a 10-foot floral arrangement that they'll spell "ECHP", and a post-event posting contract with Wayne Rooney

NEW EXCLUSIVE: The DfE has ditched plans for digital, standardised EHCPs. We ask why it would scrap such an easy win—is it a sign Labour is aiming to kill off statutory SEND provision completely? www.specialneedsjungle.com/d...

Jesus wept

@tanialt.bsky.social have just read this and your brilliant response within it. We need more reasonable voices to drown out the "overdiagnosis" nonsense so thought it was worth sharing.

I’m quoted in here giving him some home truths

Last year this stunning #SpanishDagger Yucca bloom was a no show. This year, it’s back and has brought a friend- can you spot it? #garden #gardening 🌱 #gardeningsky

Really proud of @spcialndsjungle.bsky.social team and our partners Take action #SaveOurChildrensRights @renatawatts.bsky.social @sharonlsmith.bsky.social @gilliandoherty.bsky.social @catrionamoore.bsky.social @johnharris1969.bsky.social @learningdisability.bsky.social it's in @theguardian.com now

Top tips for introducing a School Dog to help your students - Special Needs Jungle www.specialneedsjungle.com/t...

On SNJ Today: Children with #SEND can find the transition from primary to secondary a tough one. We have some #TopTips from a #SENCO and a SEND parent for schools to help new starters in secondary this September www.specialneedsjungle.com/s...

NEW POST: Supporting secondary pupils with additional needs: Top Tips learned as a SENCO and a SEND parent. Some great advice to help new starters in secondary this September www.specialneedsjungle.com/s...

An updated series of guides to the Equality Act's disability duties in education written by Philippa Stobbs OBE aare available from the COuncil for Disabled Children: councilfordisabledchildren.o...

THIS WEDNESDAY: Accessible content creation for charities 🚨 Join us from 10AM - 12PM for your beginner’s guide to creating content that removes barriers and prioritises accessibility for all. Tickets start from £36: mediatrust.org/events/acces...

Some parent-sourced top tips for summer serendipity with your disabled child www.specialneedsjungle.com/s...

Carrie Grant in The Guardian: Supporting kids with Send is expensive. But the cost of not doing so is far greater. We agree. www.theguardian.com/commenti...

Is your child/child you care for getting ready to start early years education? 🎒 If so, please give our handy 'early years education' resource a read, which will tell you in detail, the types of childcare and early years education available. Please see here: https://loom.ly/J8K7AII

New from me

The National Children's Museum Eureka! have relaxed SENDays with reduced numbers and chill out room. The next one is Sunday 7 September 10-4pm #Halifax #Autism #AutisminMuseums play.eureka.org.uk/relaxed-send...

On SNJ Today: Integrated working in #SEND has always been a challenge. @condovercollege.bsky.social in Shropshire—winner of a @natspec.bsky.social #Post16 #Innovation Award, shows combining speech therapy & physio in the classroom reaps rewards for disabled students www.specialneedsjungle.com/i...

NEW POST: In the last of our articles highlighting winners of the @natspec.bsky.social Innovation Awards, we hear how integrating therapies and education is driving inclusion for disabled students at @condovercollege.bsky.social in Shropshire: www.specialneedsjungle.com/i...

How to choose a Clinical Psychologist for your child with #SEND: Dr Anna Hutchinson, clinical psychologist offers a guide for parents and caregivers www.specialneedsjungle.com/c...

Dear God. Someone send him this: https://www.specialneedsjungle.com/10-false-claims-ehcps-facts/