SPACE are running a workshop exploring the issues faced by children and teenagers with a learning disability and/or autism, when they are going through puberty, and the impact this can have on their family and wider circle.
It's on 11 February 10am-12pm
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/puberty-and-neurodiversity-tickets-1106975777349
Carers in Hertfordshire is a charity that provides information, advice and support to unpaid carers. This includes if you are a parent for a child with a physical or learning disability.
They are running an online session on Tuesday 4th February from 7pm to 9pm to support parents and carers to support their own emotional wellbeing. It will be of benefit if your child is receiving support or on a waiting list for any mental health service. The session will help you learn more about:
· The importance of self-care
· Normalising thoughts and feelings
· Communication with young people
· Information and ongoing support
To book a place. Call 01992 586969 or email contact@carersinherts.org.uk
The Christmas break is finally here and there are a lot of excited children around!
On the noticeboards in the alleyway between the main gates to both sites, we have displayed a poster showing places where children can eat for free or for £1 throughout the holidays. Don't forget to take a photo when you are collecting your child at the end of the day! It is also on our SEN blog on the school website.
We are aware that the holidays are not always easy as normal routine and everyday life is suddenly changed (and that's for children too, not just us adults!). If you are finding it challenging, then please visit our website page which lists the support agencies available https://www.fairlands.herts.sch.uk/info/159-sen-signposts-to-support-home-adults
Please remember though that if you feel things are at a crisis point at any time, you should call 999 or attend A&E or call your GP surgery if they are open. These websites do not replace support for times of crisis.
If you’re a parent of a child or a young person in a mental health crisis: The NHS and our local hospitals are really busy at the moment, so if you’re experiencing a mental health crisis, the quickest way to get help at any time of the day or night is to call the Single Point Access (SPA) freephone number: 0800 6444 101, or call NHS 111 and select option 2 for mental health services. In the case of serious illness or injury, dial 999 for emergency services. Once admitted, the local CAMHS crisis service will be contacted and come out and make an assessment and take things from there.
We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a happy new year!
The fabulous team at Greenside school have put together an information evening to help when supporting children with learning disabilities or autistic children with relationships and sex education. They will help to cover kanguage used when discussing RSE and how explicit it needs to be.
This session is free to all parents in our DSPL2 area so feel free to book on and learn more. It is on January 16th, 2025 630-830pm. We hope you find it interesting!
Earlier this term, we advertised a fantastic webinar being hosted by Angels, looking at autism and anxiety. Just a reminder that it is happening this Thursday (28/11) from 7pm until 9pm. It is free if you are a member of Angels. Scan the QR code on the attached leaflet for full details or visit their website www.angelssupportgroup.co.uk
We have our next coffee session on Friday 29th straight after drop off on the lower site - everybody is welcome. We have a rep from the family centre service attending so come along armed with any questions you have for them. Remember, this is an informal session and an opportunity to get and share handy tips and advice.
Look forward to seeing many of you there!
Receiving a diagnosis of either Autism or ADHD (or both!) can be overwhelming and can bring about a range of emotions. It is often a difficult process for adults to understand and is even harder for children to navigate. There is an excellent service being offered by Herts and West Essex NHS and it is called The Toolbox. It is online ADHD and Autism support for young people. They have courses and workshops available to help children learn about their diagnoses and there is an amazing LIVESTREAM zone which is hugely engaging for children. In the Livestream zone, children get to watch a therapist play favourite online games while answering their questions about neurodiversity. It has proven to be a very popular resource as you can imagine!
https://thetoolbox.mindler.co.uk/hertfordshire-workshops
Here are the items you can use to help your journey to school. Don't forget to let us know if you are unable to print them off.
Sometimes, the hourney to school can be a challenging one for many reasons - tiredness, hunger, not feeling like attending, wanting to play at home and many more. To help make it a little easier, and to help those children who may be feeling anxious along the way, it is a good idea to play games to keep them distracted. There are a few games listed on the Halfords website https://blog.halfords.com/10-games-to-turn-the-school-run-into-a-fun-run/ which are worth looking at to make the start of the day a little easier.
We strongly recommend a 'hunt' to keep children distracted and eager to carry out their journey to find all of the things on their list. There is a hunt template attached to this blog post and there will be a second blog post with some hunt items attached. Basically, you get the child to select 5 items to have on their list that day and you choose one for them to find. Then, on your journey, be as enthusiastic as you can about finding the items. You could even make it into a game between siblings, friends or whoever is taking them to school that day (obviously we aren't suggesting you take your eyes off the road if you're driving!).
If you are unable to print these resources off, let us know and we will do it for you.
Herts Parents Carers Initiative have their annual survey out and are looking for as many families as possible to complete it to get a clear picture of what support is happening across the county and what support is needed. Parent voice is so important and it's a great opportunity to help make changes!
Contact the office if you would like to complete this and are having problems accessing it online.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HPCISurvey2024