Electronic Bulletin: Children with Disabilities/SEN

Electronic Bulletin: Children with Disabilities/SEN

Interconnections

Electronic Bulletin

About Children With Disabilities / SEN

February 2006

CONTENTS –

1.About this Electronic Bulletin

2.Interconnections Electronic Bulletin Website

3.BACD Annual Conference

4.Sunfield Professional Development Programme

5.Enabling Practices of Care & Support for Parents with Babies with Disabilities

6.Mental Health Services for Children with Learning Disabilities

7.‘No More Bits & Pieces!’ Conference on Integrated Programmes

8.New Education Magazine from RNIB

9.News Release about Teddy Phones

10.Sibs – needs your help

11.Training Guidelines for Carers of Young People with Learning Disabilities

12.Understanding Vision Conference

13.Training Course: Independent Living Funds

14.PROUD: Booklets for Parents and Teachers

15.NCB Conference: Participation and Belonging

16.Newsletter: Getting a Life

17.Vacancy: Family Support Worker

18.Publications from National Autistic Society

19.Seminar: Asperger’s Syndrome, 2006

20.Interconnections is looking for help!

21.Mobile Phone Masts, Children and Canaries

22.Video Needed for Parents’ Conference

23.Two Workshops from SWALD in Taunton

24.News from Westminster Government

25.ICWHATSNEW Community Forum Launched

1. About the Interconnections Electronic Bulletin

It comes from Peter Limbrick who set up Interconnections in 1995 to offer independent consultancy to statutory services in the field of babies and children who have disabilities / SEN. Peter is also Chair of the Handsel Trust (visit

The Interconnections Electronic Bulletin goes free to over 5000 people (and growing) in all parts of the UK and Ireland and then finds it way into many other networks and countries. The Interconnections electronic address list includes people from health, education and social services, the voluntary and private sectors, parent organisations, research organisations, campaign offices, etc. People who receive the bulletin are welcome to forward it to their own colleagues and networks and to use the information in newsletters and bulletins as long as the ‘Interconnections Electronic Bulletin’ is acknowledged.

Information in the bulletin can include –

•News from other electronic networks

•News of government initiatives

•Information about forthcoming conferences, meetings and events

•Features about examples of good practice and innovative work

•Summaries of research findings

•Questions to which people are seeking answers

•Information about small organisations and campaigns

•Newsletters from other organisations

•Articles and features

•Job vacancies

How to put information into the bulletin: Please send your text electronically using MS Word giving clear information about who is submitting the information and where readers should go for further information. Your text will then be pasted into the bulletin as it is. We do not use pictures, logos, or colour and we do not send any attachments out with the bulletin. We don’t unfortunately have time to compose text for you from your leaflets, etc. Your information is inserted into the Bulletin without charge.

Commercial space: Space for advertising major conferences,training programmes, etc.is charged at £40 plus VAT per A4 page or part page. Job vacancies are charged at £40 plus VAT for each post advertised.

The electronic address list.

Please let me know when you want to add, remove or alter a name on the list.

This can be done by e-mail, telephone, fax or post.

Peter Limbrick

Interconnections

9 Pitt Avenue

Worcester

WR4 0PL

Tel/fax: 01905 23255

E-mail:

2. Interconnections Electronic Bulletin Website

Past issues of this Electronic Bulletin can be found on Interconnections

‘I see what’s new’ website –

The website also holds other information about the work of Interconnections

This website is created and managed by e-Splash Design.

Visit website:

Interconnections Electronic Bulletin.

Listings are not validated.

We advise you to research before sending off any material or money.

Do you want space in the March 2006 of this bulletin

-to tell readers about your conference, training, or seminar?

-to publish an article or a feature?

-to disseminate your research findings?

-to get answers from readers to your questions?

-to voice an opinion?

-to advertise a vacancy?

-for your press release?

Contact Peter Limbrick

E-mail:

3. BACD Annual Conference

British Academy of Childhood Disability

Annual Conference 2006

Advances in Managing Children and Young People with Motor Disorders

Friday 10 March 2006, Assembly Rooms, Derby

For more information:

or contact Andrea Drury on 0207 307 5625 or email:

4. Sunfield Professional Development Centre

SPRING 2006 PROGRAMME OVERVIEW

NO. / DATE(S) / COURSE DETAILS / COURSE COST
(per Delegate)
042/06 / 2 Feb / Race Equality, good health and social care
Led by: Dr. Robina Shah, MBE – Psychologist, Research Fellow & Trainer / £97.50
043/06 / 8 Feb / An introduction to Makaton (basic sign language)
Led by: Linda Hardy & Jan Millward, Makaton Trainers, Sunfield School / £60.00
044/06 / 22 Feb / Writing with Symbols (W.W.S) – Advanced Widgit Course
Led by: Jan Cook, ICT Training Officer, Sunfield / £75.00 Ltd Nos
045/06 / 23 Feb / Teaching Assistant’s Conference – (VI – HI – Autism - ADHD – Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Dyscalculia)
Led by:Nick Logan – Consultant Psychologist, Sunfield - Joyce Sewell-Rutter – Ewing Foundation - Tania Stratton – Specialist Teacher for Access & Inclusion Service, Learning Support Team / £25.00
046/06 / 24 Feb / £25.00
047/06 / 28 Feb / Session 2 of a series of 3 seminars on Transition
Transition Pathway – Person-Centred Transition Planning
Led by: Chris Sholl & Fran Dancyger – Transition Pathway Partnership / £60.00
(attend all 3 Seminars for £150.00)
048/06 / 1 Mar / Aspergers Syndrome – A Celebration Day – Young People with Asperger’s talk about their own journeys to success
Led by: Philippa Rogan, Wendy Lawson, Zoe Adams & Stuart Vallantine / £50.00 Professionals
£20.00 Parents/Carers
049/06 / 3 Mar / Communicating through Movement – SDM – towards a broadening
perspective (cost includes a free copy of Communicating through Movement)
Led by: Cyndi Hill, Sherborne Consultant / £45.00
050/06 / 7 Mar / A better way to share the news (about a difficult diagnosis)
Led by: Dr. Robina Shah, MBE – Psychologist, Research Fellow & Trainer / £97.50
051/06 / 8 Mar / Sex education for young people with autism and learning difficulties –
Growing and Learning
Led by: Jane Keeling, RGN – Sexual Health Training, Family Planning Nurse / £75.00
052/06 / 9 Mar / An Awareness Day for Teachers – Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Dyscalculia
Led by: Tania Stratton – Specialist Teacher for Access & Inclusion Service, Learning Support Team / £50.00
053/06 / 13-17
Mar / 5-Day TEACCH (for Professionals)
Led by: Gladys Williams – University of North Carolina, USA
NB: COURSE FULL – NEW DATE: 16-20 OCTOBER 06 / £875.00
054/06 / 15 Mar / DTP – Communicate in Print2 (Hands on Course)
Led by: Jan Cook, ICT Training Officer, Sunfield / £75.00
Ltd Nos
055/06 / 21 Mar / Effective Strategies to Support the Development of Literacy Skills
Led by: Deb Rattley, Assistant Head Teacher – Sunfield School / £97.50
056/06 / 22 Mar / Session 3 of a series of 3 Seminars on Transition
Supporting the emotional wellbeing of people with SEN during the transition process
Led by: Nick Le Mesurier – University of Birmingham / £60.00
(attend all 3 Seminars for £150.00)
057/06 / 29 & 30 Mar / Structured Teaching for Pupils with ASD – an Introduction (2-Day)
Led by: Deb Rattley & Iain Chatwin, UK TEACCH Trainers, Sunfield / £185.00

ALL OUR COURSES ARE OPEN TO COLLEAGUES FROM BOTH MAINSTREAM & S.E.N SCHOOLS & WORKPLACES

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION AND OUTLINES FOR EACH COURSE, PLEASE CONTACT:

The Administration Manager

Sunfield Professional Development Centre,

Clent Grove, Clent, Stourbridge, West Midlands, DY9 9PB

Tel: (01562) 883183 Fax: (01562) 881316 Email:

5. Enabling Practices of Care & Support for Parents with Babies with Disabilities

DAY CONFERENCE

UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE

15TH OF MAY 2006

Key Speaker

Dr Rannveig Traustadóttir, Associate Professor in the Faculty of Social Science, University of Iceland and President of the Nordic Network on Disability Research

Parents, service providers, academic researchers, policy makers and implementers, disability rights activists and others are invited to a one day conference which marks the conclusion of a three-year study exploring care experiences of parents with babies and young children needing specialist care and support in hospital or community settings. One of the primary aims of this research has been to bring parents’ voices into the foreground of the debate. This research has also engaged with professionals from statutory and voluntary sectors to explore how they approach their work with families and gain their views on the services they and others provide. By discussing parents’ perspectives and experiences of care and support we aim to use this conference as a platform from which current practice may be challenged and developed.

The aim of the day itself is to explore different aspects of enabling care from a variety of different perspectives. Questions we will consider include:

• What does enabling care mean for different people?
• What are the social, human and institutional barriers to enabling care?
• What practices, values, and relationships lead to enabling care?
• What roles should statutory providers, voluntary services, parents, immediate and extended families, surrounding communities and others play?
• What role does care provision play in the production of values and identities associated with ‘impairment’ and ‘disability’?

The day will be a mix of Key Speakers (including a summary of the main findings of the project) and Workshops.

Cost: £80 standard (Parent-carers do not need to pay the fee and can claim for travel and child care expenses). Tea and Coffee and Lunch will be provided for all participants

BOOKING FORM CAN BE OBTAINED FROM

Nicola Salkeld, Inclusive Education and Equality, Research Centre, University of Sheffield, School of Education, 388 Glossop Road

Sheffield S10 2JA, 0114 222 8180. EMAIL:

6.Mental Health Services for Children with Learning Disabilities

Development of a National Care Pathway
Connecting for Health - Do Once & Share (DOAS) Project
Invitation to a Consultation Meeting

22nd February 2006
Regent's Park, Inner Circle, London NW1 4NS,
11am - 2pm service users/ 1-4pm professionals,
Lunch Provided
The DOAS project aims to develop a national consensus on a care pathway for children with learning disabilities and mental health needs. It will seek the views of service users, practitioners, commissioners and managers, with a view to delivering a report to Connections for Health in May 2006.
This first consultation meeting will be an opportunity to:
· Present the national policy and clinical context for services
· Share your views and experiences of these services and hear the views of other users, practitioners and managers on these issues
· Review existing carepathways and models of good practice nationally.
The project team will use this information to develop a national care pathway before further consultation. A follow up consultation meetings will be held on 26th April 2006.
Further information including the full scoping document for the project can be found on and
If you would like to attend please contact: Jonathan Bureau (Project Manager) Tel: 020 7443 2218
If you are already able to share an existing local care pathway or service protocol please email this directly to Jonathan Bureau.

7. Conference: No More Bits & Pieces!

INTERCONNECTIONS CONFERENCE

No More Bits & Pieces!

for children with multiple/complex needs and their families

A major conference to explore integration of programmes and goals

for babies and young children at school and in pre-school services

Tuesday February 28th, 2006 – 9.30 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.

Postgraduate Centre, City Hospital, Birmingham, B18 7QH

The Conference will explore programme integration in the arenas of therapy, teaching, Portage, play and daily-living activity in pre-school services, nursery, primary school and residential school.

There will be a mix of presentations and discussion groups

The day will be relevant to parents and all practitioners and managers who support babies and young children who have multiple/complex needs and their families in domiciliary services, centres, Sure Starts, nurseries and schools – whether in the statutory, voluntary or private sector.

Applications are also welcome from policy makers, researchers and campaigning organisations.

Programme

9.00 / Reception and Refreshments
9.30 / Introduction by Chair
Peter Limbrick
9.45 / Penny Lacey, School of Education, University of Birmingham / Keynote Presentation
'JoiningTogether: Integrated Programmes in Schools'
10.45 / Peter Limbrick / ‘Collective competence and integrated programmes in early support’
11.30 / Break
12.00 / Facilitated Discussion Groups / These will offer for discussion a pre-school scenario and a school scenario in which there is need for enhanced integration. Solutions will be explored.
1.00 / Lunch
2.00 / Iain Chatwin, Staff Development Co-ordinator in collaboration with Nick Logan, Head of Psychology & Therapies at Sunfield, Clent. / Theme: Integration between education, therapy and care staff in a residential school setting at Sunfield.
2.35 / To Be Announced
3.10 / Break & Display
3.40 / Linda Fisher, MARC Project Co-ordinator in Essex. / ‘A Unified Plan for children in school with multiple needs.’
4.15 / Diann Davis in collaboration with Jane Willis, both of the National Portage Association / ‘The Portage Home Visitor and programme integration in early support.’
4.50 / Closing comments
by Chair

COSTS: Because integrated programmes require a collective and collaborative approach, each service or project is invited to send a group of delegates. In support of this we are offering a sliding scale of charges. Group bookings can, of course, include parents.

1 place: £195. 2 at £175 each. 3 at £155 each. 4 at £135 each. 5 at £115 each. Prices are inclusive of VAT

Booking forms can be found on our website and are available from:

interconnections

Peter Limbrick, 9 Pitt Avenue, Worcester, WR4 0PL

Tel/fax: 01905 23255, E-mail:

8. New education magazine from RNIB
RNIB has launched a new magazine full of inspirational and practical information on living and learning for children and young people aged 0-25 with sight problems.
Insight magazine, which launched in January 2006, is the essential new bimonthly magazine keeping you up to date on the latest developments in education, health and wellbeing for children and young people with sight problems, including children with complex needs.
Each 48 page edition is packed full of practical ideas, personal stories and help and advice from teachers, parents and leading experts to inspire readers at home and in the classroom.
Insight features in-depth themes on issues such as life skills, access to learning, or change and transition. Columns on eye health and how specific eye conditions impact on learning; as well as regular sections on the early years, post sixteen, technology and tests and exams, make Insight essential reading for professionals. Termly Curriculum Bitesize supplements focus on making the curriculum accessible for children with sight problems.
For parents there are articles on life and learning from a family perspective; features on health and wellbeing, knowing your rights and getting support.
Inclusive approach
Insight is the first education magazine from RNIB to combine the interests of all children with sight problems, including children with additional disabilities, and children with complex needs, in one inclusive title. The approach reflects the fact that many professionals and practitioners support young people with a range of needs in a range of settings.
More information
Annual subscriptions of 6 issues of Insight cost just £21 (UK) and £30 (overseas). Insight is available in clear print, braille, audio CD, disk and email formats. For more information about Insight, or to subscribe contact
or call 020 7391 2375. Or visit the magazine homepage at

9. News release about Teddy Phones

From the office of the South-East England's Green MEP Caroline Lucas. January 30th, 2006.
MOBILE PHONES MARKETED AT CHILDREN AS YOUNG AS FOUR.

CHILDREN'S COMMISSIONER FACES CALLS TO BAN 'TEDDY PHONE' ADS
MOBILE 'phones shaped liked teddy bears are being marketed at children as young as four - despite Government warnings that they pose a health risk to children.
Only last year the Government's Health Protection Agency chairman Sir William Stewart advised parents to discourage mobile 'phone use in children under eight as a precaution against potential health risks.
Now Euro-MP Caroline Lucas has called on the Children's Commissioner to ban ads for the products until their safety can be guaranteed.
Dr Lucas, who is Green Party MEP for South-East England and co-president of the European Parliament's cross-party Consumer Affairs group, said children
were especially vulnerable to the effects of radiation from mobile 'phone use and asked the Children's Commissioner Professor Al Aynsley-Green to intervene to restrict children's access to mobile 'phones. She said:

"Children are especially vulnerable to the effects of radiation from mobile 'phone use, and it beggars belief that companies have been allowed to develop products whose safety is in doubt and market them directly at children. We must act cautiously until their safety is proven or otherwise. The Children's Commissioner must act to halt young children's exposure to mobile 'phones - by immediately stopping manufacturers from marketing them at young children and exploring what powers exist to ban 'phones aimed at those aged under eight completely."

10. Sibs – needs your help

Sibs is gathering information about services for siblings of disabled children in England and Wales. We are very familiar with a number of schemes across the UK, but we are sure there must be much more work providing support for this very neglected group of children We have sent out a survey form widely, but if you would like to tell us about your work with siblings and have not received a form please contact us on or telephone 01535 645453

Sibs is a registered charity, and our work is for people who grow up with a brother or sister with special needs, disability, or chronic illness -siblings. There are at least 2 million siblings in the UK, and many need support and information at different stages of their lives.

It is important that we have a good overview of the services that are available to support young siblings – so that we are able to give information from a strong base.

Please look at our website to find out more about our work – if you go to our events page, you will see that we have planned three workshops for adult sibs planned this year - London, 6th March (evening),Leeds, 25th March (morning), and West Midlands, 16th September (day). We also have a workshop for parents in Watford on 4th April. For more information and bookings

For brothers and sisters

of people with special needs