Boy #2 & Me
A discussion of parenting a child with additional needs and disability, my thoughts and feelings from the perspective of being a parent and a professional in the area of special needs.
by Dr Amanda Hull, Educational Psychologist
Specialist places for specialist children
Specialist places for specialist children It is a constant thread in my work life- the request for help, the request for support, the request for additional evidence to prove, to demonstrate, to show the level of a child’s need in order to get them into an educational setting that will [...]
Convoi Exceptionale
Convoi Exceptionale A quick and absolutely non-exhaustive list…making meals, food shopping, school run, school letters, clothes shopping, paying club fees, parent rota, swimming kits, housework, form filling, bank and bill organising, role playing, play date organising, homework coordination, bedtime routines, going to work, doing well at work, brushing your hair, [...]
Tango2 & all that’s new
Tango2 and all that’s new It’s been such a long time since the last blog. Usually this is either a symptom of a really busy life and struggling to find time to write or things ticking along and time marching along without me noticing. A busy period of time [...]
Bouncebackability
Bouncebackability Being able to bounce back and recover from events and things that happen to you is a really valuable skill to have. This is something called resilience. Resilience is something that is talked about a great deal, especially when thinking about working with young people and in the [...]
It’s just far too exciting!
It's just far too exciting! This week has been a very exciting week indeed for boy number two! It began with looking after a friends puppy (who doesn't love a puppy?!) and moved on to horse riding, paddling pools, slip and slide, sports day, beavers, more paddling pools, quad bikes, [...]
What’s your superpower?
What's your superpower? The last blog post discussed boynumbertwo beginning to identify with his disability and recognise that it is something he is proud of, owns, thinks is special and is realising that there are others like him too. The discussions about this within our house have evolved... In my [...]
Identity and Community
Identity & Community One of my favourite theories in psychology is Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. In this theory, Maslow explains that certain aspects of life should be satisfactorily met before the next level of need can be fully met. Basically, you need your physiological needs met before your safety needs, [...]
The Great Stuff
The Great Stuff Woman, Mother, Business Owner, Educational Psychologist, Wife, Daughter, School Governor, Trainer, Friend, Book Clubber, Crossfitter, Snowy Owl are amongst the labels I have and would describe myself as in different scenarios and situations. These all describe me, but none of them define me. They all cross over [...]
A Sunflower in the Central Reservation
A sunflower in the Central Reservation Boy Number One, Boy Number Two and Boy Number Three all do things in their own unique ways, and all of them never fail to surprise me in a whole host of ways. They are constantly stopping me in my tracks, at times frustrating [...]
The Storm Before The Calm
The storm before the calm Behaviour is something that I get asked about an awful lot in my job as an educational psychologist. Mostly people are asking for strategies to help cope with or manage a child's behaviours. My response is always this…behaviour is a form of communication. The child [...]
Accidental Offence
Accidental offence I guess everyone has accidentally offended someone in their lifetime at some point. Some to a greater degree than others, perhaps by asking when a baby is due, to then be informed that she is not even pregnant...or being judgemental about a particular TV programme, to discover that [...]
The road to diagnosis
The road to diagnosis If ever I was tempted to be superstitious, 2013 certainly seemed to be a year that lived up to its number for a whole host of reasons. Gloom is not typically my life outlook, but lots of challenging life events did occur in 2013, of which [...]
‘A child like that’
'A child like that' How much do you earn? What do you weigh? I could go on with even more of these kind of personal questions that are not appropriate for strangers to ask, and being asked them by a stranger is not something that happens on a regular basis [...]
Shoes
Shoes One of the main difficulties that boy number two has that is associated with his condition is linked to his communication. Whilst he understands a good deal of what is said to him (we can tell this by his responses and reactions), his communication can be limited. He is [...]
Acceptance 2
Acceptance 2 The dangerous game of thinking ahead. When you have a new life in your home, that is seemingly heathy and doing all of the things a little baby is meant to be doing the mind wanders. I am sure that I am not alone in having thoughts and [...]
Acceptance 1
Acceptance 1 As I mentioned previously, boy number two has a physical disability and this effects him episodically. On some days he finds walking impossible and on many days he gets fatigued very quickly so is again unable to walk much. There are also times when he has no concept [...]
Introducing boy number two and me
Introducing boy number two and me Is it self indulgent to be reflecting on my experiences when actually it is about him and his experiences?? I feel it's better to be a reflective rather than reactive parent, so I guess it's ok…. So here goes, this is me- a mum [...]