Celebrating 6 Years of Sunshine Support: Empowering Families and Advocating for Special Educational Needs
What began as a passionate endeavour to support, educate, and advocate for parents and professionals in the field of special educational needs has blossomed into a remarkable journey filled with achievements, resilience, and hope
Seclusion and Isolation: Is it Breaking Fundamental Human Rights Laws?
We hear, too often, about children being locked in rooms and told they ‘must stay’ in buildings as a form of control or punishment, many schools are now securing each door with magnetic locks so children can’t freely leave. But, we ask, how lawful is this practice?
The Department for Education’s School Attendance Announcements – All You Need To Know
Parents, caregivers, and members of the education community are raising concerns and seeking clarity on the Department for Education’s (DfE) recent announcements regarding school attendance. The DfE’s seven updates, though aiming to improve the education system, have sparked curiosity and scepticism among many parents and educators, as a significant percentage voiced opposition during the public consultation.
We have broken down the important points for you to make sense of, as the main document is detailed and long-winded. This gives a little summary of what you need to know…
Embracing Visual Learning to Improve Inclusivity
Imagine a classroom where every student’s unique way of understanding is not only acknowledged, but celebrated. Visual communication methods are a brilliant way to achieve just that. From printed visuals to sign language and Makaton, these methods offer a spectrum of possibilities that benefit not only those with communication differences or special educational needs but every single child in your class.
Toileting and Continence Development Challenges: A Compassionate Guide for Parents
As parents, we embark on a remarkable journey filled with countless highs and lows no matter the needs of our child. Each milestone our child achieves brings joy and pride, but it’s the moments of struggle that truly make us doubt ourselves as parents. One such challenge that many parents face is supporting their child through toileting and continence development difficulties. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, please know that you’re not alone. There is support available, and we hope to give you some hope in this article…
PDA & FII (Fabricated or Induced Illness)
As I glance at pictures of my beautiful daughter in her younger years I fantasise about what could have been… What should have been. We had a glorious relationship; “you and me against the world” we would say.
ADHD: What is Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria?
In October 2016, William W, Dodson wrote an article for CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) in which he detailed the ‘extreme emotional sensitivity and emotional pain’ triggered by being rejected or perceiving rejection. He called it ‘Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria’. In his original article he describes that there are three major mood problems in […]
WRONGFUL ACCUSATIONS OF FII IS A GLOBAL PANDEMIC
(Contains Spoilers for this who want the context but can’t watch due to the emotive nature of the documentary) FII is a pandemic of blame destroying families. We’ve heard these words from many different sources most recently from David Crisp when presenting a course developed for the Sunshine Academy. We have listened to so many […]
Selective Mutism & Demand Avoidance
Background As background, H had been described as being “Unable to talk when they are anxious” by an Educational psychologist when they were 11. I went further when they were falling out of the mainstream school system and described it as “Effectively Non-Verbal when stressed”. Another parent first used the term Selective mutism to describe […]
School Attendance Difficulties in a Post-COVID World
As we enter into a new year we are encouraged to reflect upon the past, both the good and the bad. If we should take anything from the last 3 years, it’s that we must be resilient when facing new challenges. For us as SEND Parents, this is second nature. It shouldn’t be this way. […]
