Editorial
Peter Limbrick

719 words

Opinion: Schools – are they worthy of our children?
Gerry German

‘There are distinct patterns of discrimination with regard to admission to school, treatment within schools and outcomes…Schools should be open to all children of whatever background, condition and ability. They should be happy, joyful communities encouraging relationships based on consideration and respect for others.’  

Lead Article: Kaleidoscope – Lewisham Centre for Children and Young People
Tony O'Sullivan

…In 1999, Lewisham agencies decided on an exciting venture with the idea that if the majority of key agencies and their service teams were located in the same centre, better joint working would be sure to follow – wouldn’t it? Kaleidoscope is the culmination of that vision and it opened for business in November 2006. Prior to the completion of the new build, and in the last three years since we opened, we have been planning and trying to implement some brave new moves towards integrated working…in order to deliver better quality services to our children and families. Some gains were instantaneous from the day we opened. Other slower transformations have been achieved over the last three years…

An interview with Professor Hilton Davis – Part I
Peter Limbrick

"When I joined the CDT in Tower Hamlets, I found a group who were very much led by paediatric medicine with all that entailed. They were good people and very able in relation to their professions. They cared and tried to communicate well. However, this was limited by the circumstances, which were clinic based; there was no privacy, since all communication took place in a single room where all the involved professionals gathered. The team also tended to operate a deficit model in general which in psychological terms focused almost exclusively upon children’s physical problems, their delayed development and behaviour problems."

An alphabet of helpful hints: H is for Honesty
Peter Limbrick

"Finding their courage…they asked the paediatrician (who had known the child since birth) to tell them just how disabled their child was in comparison to other infants he had known and worked with. The paediatrician, who might perhaps have focused on more positive and encouraging feedback in this consultation had he not sensed the depth and sincerity of the question, said that this child was much more disabled than any he had known. He was open and honest."

The philosophy and practice of SPECTRUM – a new kind of parent support group
Jane Pearson

There are a number of support groups for parents of children with social communication difficulties but they tend to concentrate on reaffirming for the parent just how difficult life is with an autistic spectrum child. This article describes a new initiative which aims to concentrate on what can be done by the parent to make a difference to the way their child understands the world and to improve their child’s behaviour.

A Town Like Alice – Episode 8
Deborah Berkeley

"It’s going to be one of those days. Alice is prodding me repeatedly under the armpit as she tries to settle herself back to sleep. Hoping her restlessness doesn’t mean recurrence of stomach bug which has kept her off nursery for two days this week. I’ve got piles of paperwork to file and sort at home. And an important phone call to wait for. Today I find out if I’m to become a keyworking co-ordinator for the local child development centre."

Children and families taking control: Introducing Individual Budgets and Self-directed Support for children, young people and their families
Nic Crosby

This article introduces the work of In Control which over the past two years has been supporting a growing number of children's services in exploring Individual Budgets and Self-directed Support and in thinking about how these approaches make sense for children. By 2015 every adult in receipt of social care funding will have an Individual Budget. In Control advocates this approach be extended to all as a way of ensuring both adults and children have control over how they are supported to be full and active citizens…

The Halliwick Concept: Developing the teaching of swimming
to disabled people
Patrick Hastings

This is an introduction to the Halliwick Concept for empowering adults and children, including those with disabilities, to participate in water activities. The article gives the structure and the background of the Concept.

The Story of Island Hospice in Zimbabwe on the occasion of its 30th Anniversary
Fiona Curtin

Operating in a climate permeated by pandemics, fear and serious economic uncertainty, Zimbabwe’s Island Hospice, the oldest hospice in Africa, provides a vital service to some of the world’s most impoverished and vulnerable communities. In this article you will learn about the hospice and the adverse conditions in which it operates, and you will meet some of the people it has helped.

Including disabled children in picture books
Beth Cox

Disabled children are often missing from picture books. At Child’s Play, although we wanted to create books which fully reflect our diverse society, we sometimes found it difficult to accurately represent disabled children. This article focuses on how we overcame these obstacles and looks at how we will continue to ensure that inclusion remains a priority in our publishing.