C.E. Jottings

Who speaks for children with cerebral palsy and their families? #CondEd

As I began to enter the title for this post, TypePad reminded me that I had written something similar before. Checking it out, I found that was on 9th August 2009. 2009! Three years ago. All I was intending was to post a quick alert to a question now live in America in relation to United Cerebral Palsy. There's a petition being got together to urge UCP CEO Stephen Bennett to change the name of UCP on the grounds that... Read more →

If Steven chooses between steak or fish for his tea, he's "being empowered". Mark Neary on social care jargon

"10 jargon phrases used for my autistic son" by Mark Neary of the blog "Love, Belief and Balls" over on BBC Ouch. Mark says he was "recently comparing with a friend the way I present the everyday norms of my own life with the way the social care world presents Steven's life." A couple of tasters from Mark: 1. I live in my home. Steven's current placement is in the family home. 6. I have friends. Steven has a circle... Read more →

Care and deceit - more reaction, prompted by the death of LB - Laughing Boy

Another parent reflects on LB's ("Laughing Boy's) death and reflects on his own family's experience of assessment centres, "Units of Currency": "Where is the evidence that these units are more successful in providing treatment than in the person’s home? To answer that, you have to go along with the potentially flawed conceit that the person needs “treatment”." "... during LB’s time in the unit that he had a chart in his bedroom, that LB completed to track his emotional literacy.... Read more →

"I should have gone and got him". A mother's heart-rending account of a terrible loss

LB ("Laughing Boy") died, unsupervised despite his epilepsy in a bath in an assessment centre. I just want to urge anyone who comes this way to read his Mother's remarkable account of this terrible loss - and her views on the system that failed her learning-disabled son. "I should have gone and got him". Read more →

50% of parents of disabled children know little or nothing about "biggest SEN reforms in 30 years"

What do parents of disabled children know of "the greatest reforms to SEN in 30 years"? Not much according to a survey undertaken by Special Needs Jungle, the results posted on the SNJ blog. "50% of all respondents knew very little or nothing at all about the SEN reforms – and this was the same in Pathfinder areas which is really concerning." Fascinating stuff. Shocking even, seeing as the Children and Families Bill will be on the statute book during... Read more →

Children's Minister Timpson to Directors of Children's Services on SEN reforms

I don't suppose Children's Minister Edward Timpson will mind me giving a little wider publicity to a speech of his. This was his 4th July speech to the Association of Directors of Children's Services (ADCS). Here in a long extract is what he had to say to local authority children's leaders on the SEN reforms SEN reforms One area where I hope government can make a real difference is in helping the various systems for vulnerable children and young people... Read more →

"The World of Death by Indifference" - of LB ('Laughing Boy'), a young learning disabled man

I have no words for this. Just go and read it. "The World of Death by Indifference" Then, if you can bear to, scroll back to July 4th, the day this young learning disabled man died and read the posts in between. There is also a post on The Small Places that finds the words I cannot. Read more →