Our captured shots from 2017

As 2017 comes to a close, I've looked back through the moments captured on our instagram, picked my favourite photographs and written about what they mean to us. 

'Stop Here Santa' Christmas Wreath Kids Craft

Make sure the man in red stops at your place and keep the kids busy with this fun and easy craft that helps motor skills development too.

What my kids did for Christmas that made me cry

It's only a few days before Christmas.  The excitement is getting to many of us.  On the way home from the last day of school, Jane bursts into tears.  It's not unusual, yesterday she was crying because she wanted it to be Christmas everyday and it couldn't be.  Then she said something that made me choke up.

The day I hid I had kids with disabilities

It can be difficult to treat yourself when your kids have disabilities.  It's simply difficult to leave our kids with anyone so getting time to go to a spa for a treatment is fairly rare.  Sometimes the hubby and I get time out by ourselves, and on a special occasion,  I may even spend that time with just me.   And that's just what happened when I recently spent my spa voucher I got as a gift.

Huge rise in SEND appeals is not a surprise

The latest statistics revealed this morning (14 December) by the Ministry of Justice show the number of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) appeals registered in the last academic year has risen by a huge 27% or over 1,000 cases to 4,725 appeals.  Sadly, I'm not surprised.

Getting our family out for activities

Whether it's at home or while we are away, getting the kids outside is a must even though it's not always easy.  David, like many kids with autism has virtually no sense of danger, and his older autistic brother is petrified that David might get hurt.  Jane is only four still so can get tired if we are out for too long.  Exploring can be too unpredictable too.

How to start helping my autistic son to understand money

It's not unusual for the kids to be sent money in amongst their Christmas gifts from relatives (if I'm lucky, I still get some too).   But unlike our daughter Jane who thinks about what she may be able to buy, to at least one of my son's a five pound note is little more than a plasticky piece of pretty paper and the other has only just started to get an understanding of it's value.

Autumn-to-Winter Tree motor-skills kids craft activity

This is a lovely activity we've updated that develops motor skills and promotes understanding of what's happening in nature around now.

How our autistic and neurotypical family visited SantasGrotto

Visiting Father Christmas can be a few moments of magic in the chaotic run up to Christmas.  Faces alight, beaming smiles and kids playing on iPhones.  What, playing on iPhones?  OK, so that's one of things that we have when our autistic kids visit a Santa's Grotto, but this year it didn't matter at all.