Tag: young people

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Additional Needs and Disabilities News Personal Story SEND Social Stigma

Our Preferred Terminology

Three young people are decorating a notice board. Text reads Surrey Youth Voice. Join Us. There are cartoon images of young people around the board.

Note: you can download all the chapter pdfs at the bottom of this blog!

Contents

  1. Contents
  2. Introduction and context
  3. How this chapter works
  4. Guide to the rating system
  5. Preferred Terminology Examples
    1. 1. Use the term Additional Needs and Disabilities instead of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)
    2. 2. Use the term Specialist Schools instead of Special Schools.
    3. 3. Do not use descriptive terms like high or low functioning.
    4. 4. Use the word Disability.
  6. Report Chapters

Introduction and context

ATLAS aims to bring about positive change for people with additional needs and disabilities. A priority for us as ATLAS members is to actively tackle ableism, stigma, and discrimination in the work that they do. An essential part of this includes raising awareness around the power of language, especially the language used to define disability.

When talking about language, it is important to understand the power of language itself. How language shapes society, culture, the way we see groups of people and even how we see ourselves.

Language can, and does, shape and influence our reality. In this report, we focus on how language can spread ableism, stigma and discrimination.

Aiming to increase the use of language that people with additional needs and disabilities use to self-describe and identify in personal and professional settings.

How this chapter works

We felt that presenting just a list of words would not be enough to help professionals, services and the public understand the importance of language in their everyday lives.

Guide to the rating system

When we were discussing in group sessions how to indicate whether words should not be used, should be used with caution or are okay to use, we initially discussed using a traffic light system. However, it was found that some words can be more (or less) appropriate in different situations.

Therefore, in this report we categorise words using an adapted RAG (Red, Amber, Green) rating system: red words, red-orange words, orange words, orange-green words, or green words. ATLAS recommendations for each of these categories are listed in Table 1.

“The point of orange is that if the disabled person uses it themselves, that’s one thing, but if you use if for them it’s not ok. Ask first”

-ATLAS member

Please remember that this guide should not be used to overwrite the lived experiences of others. We would always encourage professionals to communicate with the people they work with and use the language that they self-identify and describe themselves with, even if that differs from the language suggestions we provided here. If in doubt, ask.

CategoryATLAS Recommendation
RedWe recommend that red words are not used because
they are harmful and may be offensive. We believe
these words spread ableism, stigma, and
discrimination
Red-OrangeWe recommend that red-orange words are not used to
talk about all young people with additional needs and
disabilities. However, some individuals may prefer this
language, or the word may be deeply entrenched into a
system that will need time to adapt its language.
OrangeWe recommend that orange words are not used without
the permission of the young person(s) with additional
needs and disabilities that you are talking to or about.
Orange-GreenWe recommend that you are careful when using these
words as whether or not they are appropriate to used
may vary depending on the person or group you are
talking or referring to. A majority of people may have
no problem with these words, however there will be
people who prefer to self-describe differently.
GreenWe would like to encourage you to use green words.
These words are used by us ATLAS members to self describe and identify.
Table 1- ATLAS language recommendations for each word category.

Preferred Terminology Examples

1. Use the term Additional Needs and Disabilities instead of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)

“We don’t like to be called special.”

-ATLAS Member

“[Special] is a euphemism. The way that it works with euphemisms is that they’ll put a euphemism on a term that is regarded badly by society. But unless you change the underlying attitude then the new word will just become a bad word in itself.”

-ATLAS Member

During ATLAS sessions we discussed how people wouldn’t be able to immediately stop using some of the acronyms with the word “special” because the term “special” is used nationally for young people with additional needs and disabilities. This includes the acronyms SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities), SEN (Special Educational Needs) and SENCo (Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator).

Therefore, we have allocated a red-orange rating: it is ok to use for now, however we would like to encourage professionals to start moving away from terms that contain the euphemism ‘special’.

SEND, SEN, and SENCo are red-orange terms.

Not only do these acronyms include the word special, but they also relate someone’s needs directly to an educational setting. We want these terms changed to remove the ‘educational’ component from the descriptor.

“It is not just in school but out in society.”

-ATLAS Member
Additional needs and disabilities is a green term.

Instead, we would like the term additional needs and disabilities to be used. We also recommend asking the young people that you work with what words they would like to replace these terms.

2. Use the term Specialist Schools instead of Special Schools.

“I tend to use the term specialist when talking about schools instead of special. They are targeted for a specific thing, so they are specialist, not special.”

-ATLAS Member

The term special school is used to describe a school that is for children or young people with additional needs and disabilities.

Special school(s) is a red term.
Specialist school(S) is a green term.

3. Do not use descriptive terms like high or low functioning.

Descriptive terms are words or phrases that are used to further define a diagnosis. During ATLAS we raised that these words are often used to place people with additional needs and disabilities onto a linear scale.

“No-one is in a box, no-one is linear.”

-ATLAS Member

There are two examples in particular that ATLAS recommends people stop using and that is high and low functioning or cognitive functioning.

The terms high or low functioning are rated as red.

“People find high functioning and low functioning very offensive.”

-ATLAS Member
The term low cognitive functioning is rated as red.

“I would say I would be called low functioning. It separates disabled people. I’d say it would make people feel different and not in a good way. You’re making another minority.”

-ATLAS Member

Disability is fluid and therefore viewing the needs of disabled people in a linear way does not reflect reality. Having such a restrictive label attached to us can be very limiting in the way we are then treated. As disabled people we can have different abilities to cope at different times, however we can end up being defined by how we were able to cope in a specific moment and/or environment during an assessment. This means that the assessment results may not be applicable to our lived experience as a whole and is not always reflective of how we may respond in a different situation.

“They always think I’m needy or that I don’t need any adaptions, when I’m in the middle and have a spiky profile.”

-ATLAS Member

“A spiky profile is so so so common in neurodivergency as well. That being, having different levels of support needs in different areas.”

-ATLAS Member

“Everyone around me assumes that I am not able to do things. Whereas I can’t do some things some days, but I can other days. Phone calls are difficult for me because I am a selective mute. In person I can write a note.”

-ATLAS Member

“Some people at my Uni use high or low support needs instead.”

-ATLAS Member

4. Use the word Disability.

Disability is a word that is widely accepted by the disabled community as the word that the community identifies with and wishes to be used to describe them. In ATLAS we identified the following reasons why young people might not use the word disability to self-describe and identify:

  • Due to ableism, stigma and discrimination, some of us felt differently about the word disability.
  • In ATLAS we also recognised that until society is more inclusive, the needs of disabled people will be seen as additional to the ‘norm’. Therefore, ATLAS felt that at this point in time, they could not categorise the word disability as a green word.
Disability is a green-orange word.

When professionals are working directly with young people with additional needs and disabilities, ATLAS would like them to ask those young people how they self-describe and identify, then use that language.

Importantly, when you are talking about or to the community as a whole or are referring to additional needs and disabilities in general, you must include the word disability, so that you are not excluding people or promoting stigma and discrimination through omission.

“Some people have reclaimed ‘disabled’ – some people have reclaimed, some not.”

-ATLAS Member

“Everyone identifies with Disability differently. Some Deaf and Blind people don’t consider themselves disabled. But for me I am chronically ill, so it doesn’t matter where you put me, I’m still in pain all the time.”

-ATLAS Member

Remember,

“Disability is not a bad word.”

-ATLAS Member

ATLAS would like to see a future where people are not uncomfortable or afraid to identify as disabled.

Report Chapters

Chapter 1 ATLAS- Who Are WeDownload
Chapter 2 ATLAS – Our Preferred TerminologyDownload
Chapter 3 ATLAS – Personal Testimonies of Ableism, Stigma and DiscriminationDownload
Chapter 4 ATLAS – The Power of Language Case Study – ATLAS MemberDownload
Chapter 5 ATLAS – Person-First vs Identity-First Language Emma AdsettDownload
Chapter 6 ATLAS – Using Language to Create Safe Spaces for Disabled People – Rowan FosterDownload
Categories
Additional Needs and Disabilities Autism Celebrities influencer Inspirational People Media Neurodiversity Personal Story Self-Description SEND

The Importance of Autistic Girl Influencers

I often feel that once you have the diagnosis you aren’t helped to discover what things are related to autism or not, which makes it hard to accept or understand yourself.

Watching Paige’s videos has allowed me to go “oh, maybe that’s why I do this” and “its not just me” which goes a long way in actually understanding your feelings and feeling more at peace.

Paige has autism and anxiety and spreads awareness on social media. She does a lot of stuff about autism in girls. Which I found is something that I’ve struggled a bit with because sometimes I don’t feel like I fit in. I haven’t really told anyone, but I worry that people won’t believe me saying that I have autism because I don’t feel that I fit in some of the stereotypes of autism and everything that I’ve read and seen online.

I haven’t seen anything that really reflects what it’s like for me. I don’t know just feel a bit less alone with Paige’s content, just from seeing that other people may be struggling with the same kind of things.

I think that having some influencers with different diagnosis’ that young people can relate to is so important and would really help a lot of people.

Below I have listed some of Paige’s content that helped me.

Autism traits in girls

Paige Layle YouTube video on 10 Autism Traits in Girls (:

Autism stereotypes

@paigelayle

you’re not autistic. #fyp #foryou #autism

♬ original sound – paigelayle
Paige Layle’s Tik Tok Video on Autism Sterotypes

Awareness and information about autism in Girls

There are 4 parts, below they are in order from 1-4.

@paigelayle

learn more about autism! 🙂 i get many questions every day to make more vids about it, i will continue to show you guys! #feature #fup #fyp #featureme

♬ original sound – paigelayle
Paige Layle’s Autism in Girls part 1
@paigelayle

no such thing as high/ low functioning autism!!! it’s just how YOU perceive us. not about how we’re affected. #feature #featureme #fup #fyp

♬ original sound – paigelayle
Paige Layle’s Autism in Girls part 2
@paigelayle

more on special interests later ☺️ #feature #autism #fyp #fyp #featureme

♬ original sound – paigelayle
Paige Layle’s Autism in Girls part 3
@paigelayle

ahhh masking. can’t live with you, can’t live without you. #feature #fup #fyp #featureme #autism

♬ original sound – paigelayle
Paige Layle’s Autism in Girls part 4
Categories
Additional Needs and Disabilities Autism Neurodiversity Personal Story SEND Work

Autism Acceptance

A white hand reaches up to pull a book off a shelf packed full of other books.

You probably know a bit about what autism means, but here’s a quick recap.

Autistic people all struggle with communication, socialising, and flexible thinking. Many of us also have problems with sensory processing, self-regulation, and “meltdowns” or other catastrophic reactions.

It’s a “spectrum” condition, which means that different people are affected differently. Some of us can live fairly independently, and others can’t. Some can drive but not catch the bus, others can catch the bus but not drive. A popular phrase is “if you’ve met one autistic person, you’ve met one autistic person”. Very few things apply to all of us.

It’s a lifelong condition and in most cases, we don’t know what causes it. It’s likely to be partly, but not completely, genetics.

There are around 700,000 autistic people in the UK and about 12,000 in Surrey.

Here’s my attempt at an autism acceptance month blog post. It’s in the second person because that’s the easiest way for me to write, and it’s not perfect because I’ve learned that it’s much cooler to do things imperfectly than to not do them at all.

April was Autism Acceptance Month.

You used to think that if you ever wanted to not be autistic anymore, you’d just not tell people. You didn’t have to be autistic if you didn’t want to be.

You’ve now come to the conclusion that’s not how it works. Your common sense and life skills are slowly improving as you work on them, but you’ll always be obviously different. 

And you need to accept that so that you can learn ways to cope and to change the world around you to be more okay. So you can live.

It goes something like this:

You have to go upstairs.

To begin with, in the back corner of the library, you need to type a number into a keypad next to a door, then push the door open and step inside.

First, you notice the warm wind hitting your face. Then it’s the overpowering smells. Next is the clutter and the obstacles, followed by the buzzing and echoing and kitchen and machinery noises. The harsh lighting isn’t helping.

You now need to make it through the corridor and type a different number into a keypad on the other side.

You can’t shut your eyes because the obstacles change multiple times a day. You can’t put your hands over your ears because you need to type in the number. You also can’t go back if you panic too much because the first door locks behind you and requires a code again. The only thing you can do to make it better is to hold your breath.

If you make it through the second door, you’ll notice the loudest, most painful and overpowering buzzing noise in the building. If you’re lucky, the smell won’t have travelled too much into here – either way, you have to breathe now. The lights are distracting and bright and different. One of the circular lights on the wall, about halfway up the stairs, is where the buzzing noise is coming from – it’s easy to spot because it’s a different colour from the rest. The square lights are mesmerising and unreachable. 

The next problem is of course the stairs. There’s nothing between you and the ground except a small railing, and it’s terrifying and dizzying and you’re terrified you’ll die. You also have to walk right next to the loud light, and almost within touching distance of the square lights.

I usually just get the lift, even though it’s much slower. 

But if you’ve made it up the stairs, you’ve made it through the worst. There’s still another keypad and some automatic lights to contend with, but that’s nothing compared to everything else.

Hot chocolate is upstairs, and so is Solar your weighted sloth. Your best work friend is probably hotdesking in the office, and you can see the town square from the windows. Upstairs will be okay.

Or this:

It’s 9:00. You’ve turned on the lights and computers on your way in, and you’re drinking your hot chocolate and playing Animal Crossing. The library doesn’t open for another half an hour, but you’re in a shared building and plenty is going on already.

It’s 09:20. Your colleague’s not here yet. No biggie: they don’t start for another 10 minutes. They’re probably fine. Normal people aren’t an hour early to work. And you don’t start until 10, so really it’s not your business. You might put the money in the tills and do a quick walk-round check to make things easier for them.

It’s 09:25. They’re not here yet. This is normal and okay. You move your things to be not visible from the public area and go sit in the office and stay calm because they’ll be here.

It’s 09:27. They’re not here, which is fine because they still have 3 minutes, and you’re not going to panic.

It’s 09:28. You check the timetable to make sure it’s the right day and the right branch and the right staff and the right time. It is. Of course it is. It’s fine. 

It’s 09:29. You will not cry. Everything will be fine. They’ll be here. You’ve pretty much forgotten Animal Crossing at this point in favour of calm grounding exercises. Your eyes are stinging with the tears you said you wouldn’t cry.

It’s 09:29:30. What if they’re dead? But you can’t think that! Because they’re probably fine! They’re always fine! Everything is fine! Normal people don’t panic! You’re not panicking!

It‘s 09:29:45. The library opens in 15 seconds. What are you going to do? Probably open the library. But you start at 10 and know you won’t be paid for the extra half-hour because you shouldn’t be here, and what if there’s a bus pass and what if you have to close again immediately and be sent to another branch and what if they’re lost or dead or injured or maybe they’re panicking!

It’s 09:30. You open the library. You do not cry or panic. One of the regulars comments “You on your tod again today?”. Yes. Yes, you are. No one has an urgent problem, so you stand by the window looking out for your colleague.

At 09:31 you phone the big branch to ask if everything’s alright and if your colleague’s called in sick. They haven’t. The big branch is busy and they don’t have time for this right now. Your colleague must have gotten in trouble on their way to work. Some kind of accident or injury or something. They’re probably dead. Maybe you shouldn’t have opened the library. Maybe you should do the book drop. Maybe you’ll be lone working all day. Should you tweet that you’re closing for lunch?

At 09:32:18 your colleague arrives. “Traffic”.

…at 10:00 you officially start work, so by 09:57 you manage to convince yourself you’ll be okay. 

You’ll be okay.

Or even this…

You can’t think through noises.

You can’t figure out how to use your phone.

It’s too loud.

Everything is too loud.

Your head is on the ground and the floor is hard and cold and you’re trying to think.

You remember you’re not supposed to bite the inside of your cheek, so you bite your tongue instead.

The floor isn’t cold enough.

You need to feel more pressure maybe.

You can’t breathe.

You hug yourself and scrunch up your eyes and you can’t think.

You can’t think.

…

You bite through the inside of your cheek.

…

An hour later there are noises and people and you need them to stop and you can’t talk.

You can’t talk.

You need a cup of water and your sunglasses and ear defenders and lip balm and weighted mammoth.

You can’t understand what they’re saying.

…

You need them to not be touching you!

…

You need them to stop touching you!

You can’t think through people touching you.

…

Water.

Ear defenders.

Monty the mammoth.

Be calm.

…

You sit calmly. You do your grounding exercises. You hold your mammoth. You drink your water. You will be okay.

…

You’re sorry. It was all too much. You don’t want it to happen again. You’ll say something before it happens next time. There won’t be a next time. You’re fine. This is rare. You’re doing well.

(There will be a next time).


The reason you have a day off in between every workday is because autism is exhausting.

It’s exhausting even without getting into the fact that other people are different and alien and don’t make any sense.

But the library is one of the good parts.

For £10.35 an hour (£9.50 on weekends), you run a library and you are happy.

You’d happily pay £10.35 an hour for the joy of it, but that’s possibly because you’re still not great at budgeting.

You have thousands of books. They’re your books.

You unpacked them and stamped them and gave them homes on your shelves, and you allow anyone to borrow them as long as they promise to bring them back in three weeks.

You help people with the computers.

You show them the simplest way to print a returns label, and offer them some children’s scissors and sticky tape so they can post their parcel on the way home.

You tell them that if their phone usually remembers their password for them, they can find it by going to Settings and then Passwords.

You help people travel the world with flight tickets and covid passes. People complain to you that “everything’s online these days,” but you think it’s sort of cool because that means you can help with everything.

You make bus passes.

“Smile as if you’re about to get on a bus!” is one of your catchphrases.

You’re a fountain of bus knowledge. You know about the secret buses on Saturdays, which companies let you use your pass before 9.30, and the best places to make connections.

You run amazing events.

You have about as much patience as the children, so you have a great instinct for when to abridge a book or song at Rhymetime. Your current favourite book is Superworm, and you skip over the entire plot in favour of just reading about how great the worm is.

The regular kids think Wiggly Woo is a snail song, The Wheels on the Bus is about dinosaurs, and Sleeping Bunnies can be sung about any animal, including snakes. Their grown-ups can now predict the punchline to every new joke you invent, and you know which ones to look to for help when you lose count in Five Little Ducks.

You even make library cards and amaze people with the services we have to offer.

“Children’s books can be reserved for free on a child’s library card, which means that if there’s a book you want to read but we don’t have it here, then if another library in Surrey or Essex or half of London has it, we can bring it here for you to borrow as if it was one of our books!”

You also make sure everyone gets a sticker for joining, and a sticker for using the self-service machine for the first time.

Libraries and chocolate milk are two of your favourite things in the world, and from your perspective, sitting in your library drinking chocolate milk means you grew up to be happy. You didn’t become an astronaut with several PhDs, and you don’t live in Paris with four pet rabbits, but you have libraries and chocolate milk and you’re happy.

You know now that you possibly can’t fix the whole world, but you can work in a library.


Things are good.

Things are good. 

One of my favourite ever library moments was when I was running Lego Club in Slough Library, and a couple of the parents of the kids who came from the local special school asked if I was autistic. We then had a great and open conversation, and one said that it was amazing having me run the club, because I gave them hope that their kids would grow up to be like me.

Honestly, at that moment I rather hoped their kids would grow up to struggle much less than me.

But that was more than two years ago now. Life’s got easier since then. I’ve grown to accept my autism, and I have more support to help me cope with the world. Things are good.

I’m only an expert on myself. Even then I don’t always have the greatest insight, so I’m not quite ready to give tips on how to fix the world to make things easier for all autistic people.

But here are a few things that help me:

Some random thoughts that might be useful:

One thing I dislike is when people with autism or learning disabilities are referred to as “individuals”. Or “the individual”. We don’t use that word when referring to anyone else, and it comes across as othering. However, there is a lot of disagreement between autistic people and those around them about language, so my preferences won’t reflect everyone.

My favourite thing a professional working with me has ever done is my current community nurse rephrasing questions if I say I don’t know the answer, even when he knows I should know. If it’s a question I’m not expecting, I can’t always find the right thoughts and turn them into words. Especially not while everyone’s looking at me. That’s why it’s also really useful to be able to have a friend or carer with me during appointments – they can often find the words I can’t.

Here are some of my favourite non-fiction autism books:

When you want a simple, easy-to-read metaphorical explanation:

When you want lots of practical ideas for helping autistic people in your life:

When you want a great book for an autistic pre-teen:

And my favourite quote:

In a world of autism myths, be an autism legend.

Thank you for reading!

Categories
Additional Needs and Disabilities Education News SEND Surveys

ATLAS Consultation: SEND and Alternative Provision Green Paper

A green speech bubble made with yellow lined paper on top of plain green paper. three rolled up bit of yellow paper in the middle of the speech bubble

On Wednesday 29th June, ATLAS is taking part in consultation about the SEND and Alternative Provision Green Paper alongside the Council for Disabled Children. All young people who take part will receive a £15 voucher for their time and expertise!

If you are a young person with additional needs and disabilities living in Surrey (UK) and want to be involved, get in touch with us through social media or email us: ATLAS@surreycc.gov.uk

What is the SEND and Alternative Provision Green Paper?

The SEND and Alternative Provision Green Paper is a Review into the SEND system that the Department for Education made in 2019, they did this to understand why the system was struggling, despite the potential and vision of the Children and Families Act 2014 as it was becoming financially unsustainable and wasn’t always resulting in positive outcomes. In March 2022 the Review was published as a Green Paper paving the way for change.

Green Papers are consultation documents produced by the Government that looks at several key areas in the system that need change and make proposals for that change. These include national standards, role of schools, education, health and care plans, accountability, and support. The aim of the Green Paper is to allow people both inside and outside Parliament to give the department feedback on its policy or legislative proposals.

What is the SEND Review?

The SEND Review looks at ways to make sure that the SEND system is reliable, high quality and united across education, health, and care. It also makes sure that money is being spent fairly, efficiently, and effectively as well as making sure that the support available to children and young people is sustainable in the future. This is being led by the Department for Education, working closely with other government departments / partners in education, health, and social care.

What is their next step?

A consultation phase will be taking place where a group of stakeholders will have an opportunity to review and reflect on the proposals, giving families frustrated by the existing, complicated, and bureaucratic system of support the opportunity to shape how a new system will work in the future and give them confidence that their local school will meet their children’s needs so they can achieve their full potential.

3 key challenges facing the SEND and alternative provision system.

  • Navigating the SEND system and alternative systems is not a positive experience for too many children, young people and their families.
  • Outcomes for children and young people with SEND systems or in alternative ones are consistently worse.
  • Despite the continuing investment, the system is not financially sustainable.

Detailed proposals in the SEND and alternative provision green paper include:

The consultation will be looking at the following proposals:

  • Setting new national standards across education, health and care to build on the foundations created through the Children and Families Act 2014, for a higher performing SEND system.
  •  A simplified EHCP through plans to make them more flexible, supporting parents to make informed choices with a list of appropriate placements tailored to their child’s needs meaning less time spent researching for the right school.
  • Councils to introduce ‘local inclusion plans’ that bring together early years, schools and post-16 education with health and care services, improving oversight and transparency through the publication of new ‘local inclusion dashboards’ to make roles and responsibilities of all partners within the system clearer for parents and young people, helping to make better outcomes.
  • A new national framework for councils to match national standards and offer clarity on the level of support expected and put the system on financial stability in the future, changing the culture and practice in mainstream education to be more inclusive and better at identifying and supporting needs, including earlier intervention and improved support.
  • Improving workforce training through the introduction of a new SENCo NPQ for school SENCos and increasing the number of staff with an accredited level 3 qualification in early years settings.
  • A reformed and integrated role for alternative provision (AP), with a new delivery model in every local area focused on early intervention. AP will form an integral part of local SEND systems with improvements to settings and more funding stability.

More Information

For more information see the Council for Disabled Children’s Website and find a summary of the SEND review on the Department for Education’s gov.uk webiste.

Categories
News

Bockett’s Farm Park Trip  

The team and ATLAS members group photo.

On Saturday 23rd of April we had a lovely day out to Bockett’s Farm as a way of celebrating National Pet Month. During our visit we discussed the importance of assistance animals for people with additional needs and disabilities as well as how animals has helped them.

At the farm we were allocated our own spacious barn where we had lunch and ATLAS were given yummy Easter eggs that had kindly been donated from ADP and Enterprise. Our barn could also be us as a safe space if needed. We were able to do lots of fun activities with the animals. Firstly, we walked around the farm where we saw horses, ponies, Shetland ponies and Giant Poitou Donkeys at the stable which was a fan favourite among ATLAS members as many of them didn’t want to leave theses friendly animals. We also went to the Animal Discovery Barn where we meet fluffy sheep’s, goats, llamas, pigs, and cows up close; lots of pictures were taken of these cute animals. After lunch we went on another farm walk where we discovered llamas and Swedish Fallow deer grazing peacefully in their paddocks. Then we went over to Little Hoppington were we met cute furry little friends which included rabbits, degu, pigs, and rats. During this time, we were able to have our animal encounter where we could pet pretty rabbits, a happy chicken, and a fun guinea pig. Since so many pictures were taken of the animals, we had a mini photography and video competition where the winner was able to buy something in the gift shop which was full of fun things to choose form. ATLAS members really enjoyed the trip as many of them find animals a personal comfort and relaxing to spend time with, some talked about their pets who help them to feel calm. 😊

If you would like more information or to join ATLAS, please email us at: ATLAS@surreycc.gov.uk where you join in fun on opportunities such as our trips.

Alternatively, you can message us on social media:

Some pictures from our fun trip 😊

One of the ATLAS members petting a adorable black rabbit.
One of the ATLAS members petting a adorable black rabbit
ATLAS member petting a sweet black rabbit.
ATLAS member petting a sweet black rabbit
ATLAS member petting a sweet black rabbit.
ATLAS member petting a sweet black rabbit
A photo of two friendly goats.
A photo of two friendly goats
Categories
Additional Needs and Disabilities Autism epilepsy Neurodiversity Question Card seizures

Is there a link between epilepsy and autism?

Cartoon outline of human head and the brain

What is epilepsy and seizures?

Epilepsy is a condition that causes seizures this is due to an imbalance in brain chemistry so messages that travel between nerve cells or neurons become scrambled. A seizure is a burst of uncontrolled electrical brain activity between the brain cells common symptoms of this are stiffening or jerking of muscles, confusion, loss of consciousness, unusual thoughts or sensations.

Here are the most common types of seizures in individuals with autism:

  • Generalised tonic-clonic seizures sometimes called generalised onset motor seizures– it affects both halves of the brain and causes both stiffening of muscles and twitching or jerking.
  • Focal Onset Aware Seizures- they start in one area of the brain and may cause loss of awareness, or the person remain fully aware during the episode. This is the most common type of seizure for those who have epilepsy.
  • Febrile seizures- this type of seizure happens to children aged 3 months to 6 years and they occur when the child has a high fever. This may be either a general or focal seizure. Sometimes this may lead up to the development of epilepsy.

Is there a link between autism and epilepsy?

Yes

20-40% of people with autism have epilepsy. Autistic people are more likely to develop epilepsy compared to those who are neurotypical and people with epilepsy are more likely to be autistic than those without. The risk of developing seizures increases as person gets older in life.

One theory suggests that the overlap in conditions may be because they share common biological mechanisms such as too much excitation brain which may stem from too little inhibition (an imbalance of the two). However, many experts remain sceptical about this theory despite the data to support this claim from a study published in 2003.

Other disorders related to involve seizures also involve seizures these include Landau-Kleffner Syndrome, Rett Syndrome, Angelman Syndrome and Tuberous sclerosis complex and Fragile X and many other syndromes.

Potential signs to look out for

It can be difficult to recognize seizure activity when the person is autistic this may be because of communication barriers and the overlap in symptoms of the two. Cognitive delay, impaired social interaction, aggression and irritable behaviour can be seen in children with epilepsy but also if in those who are autistic as well which makes it confusing to find the cause.

However, there are some red flags to note for seizure which may be useful:

  • Staring episodes (could be a sign of absence or atypical absence seizures)
  • Stiffening (could be a sign of tonic seizures)
  • Rhythmic shaking or twitching (could be a sign of focal aware/simple partial seizures)
  • Loss of attention (could be assign of absence or focal impaired awareness/complex seizures)

Atypical absence seizure– Starts in both sides of the brain and is unusual or different compared to typical absence seizures.

Absence seizures– Starts in both sides of the brain and causes a short period of “blanking out” or staring into spaces.

Focal onset impaired awareness seizure– Begins in one side of the brain and the person has a change in their level of awareness during some or all of the seizure.

Tips for managing epilepsy.
  • Know that it could happen– making sure friends, family and carers are aware the possibility of epilepsy developing in someone with autism.
  • Get a personalised plan– creating a plan with doctors can help family and healthcare professionals to manage the seizures.
  • Regular medication– it’s important to medication as instructed if prescribed.

Identify triggers-not everyone has triggers before a seizure but common signs to look out for is being overtired, missing meals and forgetting to take epilepsy medication. Keeping a diary of seizures can help to see if there are any triggers.

  • Avoid heavy drinking– heavy drinking can cause seizures and make medication less effective.
  • Regular reviews– this is important as it can see if your treatment plan is going well. If you find doctors appointment there are many adaptions in place to make this experience less stressful like asking if there is a quiet room or asking to book the first or last appointment of the day, so you don’t have to wait too long for example.
  • Safety checks– a safety check can help to identify and lower the risks before someone with epilepsy does an activity.

Side effects of anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs)

AEDs are the most common used treatment for epilepsy and can be quite effective as they can help to control seizures in around 7 out of 10 people. However, side effects are common when starting the treatment and may pass in a few days or weeks or may not appear for a few weeks.

Some common side effects of AEDs include:

  • A lack of energy
  • Agitation
  • Headaches
  • Drowsiness
  • Uncontrollable shaking (tremors)
  • Unwanted hair growth or hair loss
  • Swollen gums
  • Rashes – this could a sign of a serious reaction so you should contact your GP or specialist.

Disclaimer- The medical information presented here is just information, not medical advice and should be used for educational purposes. If medical advice is needed you should consult your GP or any other appropriate medical professional.

Sources

Autism and epilepsy: Is there a relationship?

The link between autism and epilepsy explained

Epilepsy and autism

Autism and seizures

A guide to managing epilepsy in autism

Treatment for epilepsy

By Reneé

Categories
Additional Needs and Disabilities Personal Story SEND Sensory Processing Disorder

Sensory Processing Disorder

Someone with blonde hair wearing a jumper looks towards the sun across a field. The Sun is very bright and shines across their shoulder, blurring some of the figure.

What is a sensory processing disorder?

Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) is an additional need and disability that affects how your brain processes your senses. It can affect all of the senses, sometimes all at once or sometimes individually.

How does SPD affect me?

It takes a while to process information and the things I do in day-to-day life. It can take me longer to do things because I am thinking about it constantly.

Some examples of things that are difficult:

  • Sound
    • It’s a struggle to find things that are not too loud.
    • Fire alarms are a very fast and loud sound that really hurts my ears. Ear defenders can help block out the sound – they are not for listening to music!
  • Touch
    • Some textures can be overwhelming.
    • I don’t like people to touch me without asking me beforehand unless it is an emergency.
  • Sight
    • Sunlight can be too bright!
    • Flashing lights can make it difficult for me to see and I can find that they are sensory overloading.
    • Smoke (Fire) – can’t see where you are going/irritates the eyes and makes them itchy.
  • Taste
    • I don’t like lumpy mash! How food feels in my mouth is really important. It can change over time what textures I like and those I don’t: I used to not like nuts but now I do!
    • I don’t drink squash at all now, I try to cut it out. Water on its own is good.
  • Smell
    • Nail varnish, petrol, and cigarettes are smells that are too strong. If they come close to me, I need to get away.
  • Other
    • Crowds can be claustrophobic as there is not much room: there is so many people around that you can’t move around properly.
    • New places and new people because there is lots of new information I have to process!

Even though I find some sensory experiences difficult, I also use sensory experiences to help myself and keep myself calm. Some things that I enjoy:

  • Sound
    • Classical Disney music, normally piano music because I find it a quiet, mindful sort of sound.
    • Nature sounds, especially quiet song birds.
  • Touch
    • Squishy Fidget toys and cuddly soft toys are very comforting, ground me, and help me to feel secure. Cuddly toys are really helpful when you need to go to sleep.
    • Blankets are really useful too. I like blankets to be smooth and soft to touch, dark blue in colour. I like blue when I am trying to sleep.
    • I like it when people I trust and know tuck me into bed, link arms with me, or sometimes give me a hug!
    • Petting my dog, Honey, can help me calm down quickly. Lots of people find pets helpful!
  • Sight
    • I like looking up at the stars in the sky at night. Which also helps me go to sleep because it is dark.
  • Taste
    • Soft and smooth textures – like when you are eating yoghurt.
  • Smell
    • The smell of homemade food, for example cauliflower cheese as well as chips. It is really comforting!
  • Temperature
    • I prefer cold temperatures, for example in sensory rooms where they are often normal to cold temperatures with a heater if you need it.

How you can support someone with SPD?

If they are struggling, you can:

  • Take them to a quiet room.
  • Help them find their fidget toys, or provide them with some.
  • Play some music that they enjoy.
  • Offer them a glass of water.
  • If they need you to, repeat information.
  • Do not judge them.
  • Do not stare at them.
  • Be patient and understanding.
  • Call their support person if they become non-verbal or give them something to write on.
Categories
accessibility Additional Needs and Disabilities Autism Care Education GCSE Learning Difficulties Mental Health Self-Care Uncategorized

Autism and GCSEs 

A picture of Tallulah against a blue and pink background. Tallulah is a young girl wearing a white shirt and have light brown hair that is tied back. Text reads: Autism and GCSEs Deputy Young Mayor Tallulah

As an autistic student who is about to sit their GCSEs, I find it an incredibly daunting time for many reasons- the workload, fear of failure and finding ways to revise. That’s why I’m going to share with you some tips that will make your life a bit easier. 

Self care

Your mental health should always be your top priority. Period. Although it may not seem like it now, school is actually such a small part of our lives. Yes, it’s important to try your best in school to get the grades you need and deserve. However, in order to fully function and do that, we need to prioritise ourselves. Especially for people with autism, we need a sensory break from the senses around us. Have a nap. Do some skincare. Watch a TV series. Whatever it is, you deserve a break! 

Revising little and often 

There often is a misconception that you need to revise for hours and hours on end to get those desired grades. Actually, it has been proven that your brain can absorb information more efficiently if you revise in small consistent increments. Try out the pomodoro method- a video is linked below that explains it in more detail: 

Find revision methods that work for YOU 

We are always told that specific revision methods are supposed to be the holy grail for exam success- but do they work for everyone? Some people prefer to revise in a more hands on way and others prefer to make flashcards. Find methods that engage you and get the information to sink in. Some good revision strategies are using Quizlet or Anki flashcards and blurting. A video for blurting is here: https://youtu.be/GPRj1ZhG2Uw  Both of these methods consist of active recall where you retrieve information from your brain. You can adapt these methods to be quizzes which you can test yourself with which can motivate you more to revise! 

These exams don’t define you as a person!! 

This time can be so pressuring for so many of us and we can sometimes think that these grades will determine our whole lives ahead of us and that we won’t make it into our chosen paths. The number or letter that we get on a piece of paper doesn’t determine our worth as a person, it’s actually far from it. It doesn’t show how kind or thoughtful we are. Whether you don’t get the grades you hope for or get better than you expect, you’re still an extraordinary human being. Remember that. 

Know that whatever you’re feeling is valid 

I’m here to let you know that however you may be feeling is completely valid. It’s completely okay to be feeling stressed, anxious or overwhelmed. In fact, it shows that you’re willing to do well and succeed. Use those feelings and channel them as power and motivation to get yourself to where you want to be. Your hard work will pay off and your future self will seriously thank you for it when you open that exam paper in the summer 🙂 

Categories
ADHD SEND Uncategorized

Current Action Cards for Surrey – January 2022

What is an Action Card:

Action Cards are themes and topics that you as young people raise as important issues that need action!

When 4 or more young people raise similar feedback or decide that an action card should be raised on a particular topic, an Action Card is raised.

The User Voice and Participation (UVP) Team then have 2 months to raise the voices of the young people and get a response from the relevant services to feedback for review.

Action Cards are only closed with the consent of children and young people.

This year, we are dividing Action Cards into National and Local Action Cards. We have done this so that we can categorise each action card and know which Action Cards relate to services specifically in Surrey and those that relate to the whole of the UK.

What is a Local Action Card?

A local action card relate to topics young people would like to stop, start or change in Surrey specifically.

What is a National Action Card?

A national action card is similar to the local action cards however it can relate to various different services around the UK.

What will we be doing this Year?

Going into 2022 we have a total:

  • 3 Local Action Cards
  • 6 National & Local Action Cards
  • 4 Local Question Cards
  • 1 National Question Card.

Local Action Cards:

Action Card 176:

  • As young people with additional needs and disabilities, ATLAS would like Special Schools to be renamed Specialist Schools, because Special is a euphemism for disability.
  • “Euphemisms are put on terms that are regarded badly by society.”
  • “I tend to use the term specialist when talking about schools instead of special. They are targeted for a specific thing, so they are specialist, not special.”
  • ATLAS Call for Action is: “Surrey Special Schools” to be renamed “Surrey Specialist Schools.”

Action Card 180:

  • As young people with additional needs and disabilities, we would like more information pre-and-post-16 transition including mental health support and what accommodation provision is available in Surrey for all young people with additional needs and disabilities, so that we know what options are available to us when we make decisions about our accommodation.
  • ATLAS Call for Action is: A booklet to be created for all young people in Surrey going through post 16 transition. The booklet will include post 16 information including mental health support and accommodation options.

Action Card 181:

  • As young people with additional needs and disabilities, we would like more information on what transport provision is available in Surrey for all young people with additional needs and disabilities trying to access education, work, and social activities, so that we can plan our routes and make sure that the choices we make during post-16 transition are accessible to us.
  • ATLAS Call for Action is: A webpage to be created to provide all travel options available for young people in Surrey.

Question Cards:

Question Card 18:

  • As young people in Surrey with Additional Needs and Disabilities, we want to know if there are any ‘Buddy Schemes’ during post 16 transition, so that we feel supported by peers and are able to build positive relationships.

Question Card 26:

  • As young people in Surrey with additional needs and disabilities, we would like to know whether there are protections in place to prevent letters containing private information from not sent to our parental homes, where there are safeguarding concerns. So that we feel comfortable knowing our thoughts and feelings are being contained.

Question Card 30:

  • As young people with Additional Needs and Disabilities in Surrey, we would like to know if there is a link between Additional Needs and Disabilities with dental hygiene/problems, and if so, what support is there?

Question Card 37:

  • Is there a Crisis Text Line for young people with selective mutism/non-verbal?

The User Voice and Participation Team are really looking forward to supporting ATLAS’ action and question cards. We are also looking forward for what new action and question cards 2022 will bring!

Categories
Uncategorized

Friendships

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com
One of our ATLAS members has shared their experiences about building friendships.

how ATLAS has helped me to build my confidence to make new friends.

I have struggled with friendships since I was 3 years old, this is due to my autism, anxiety learning difficulties and sensory issues to name a few. I found it very lonely and found it hard to fit in and make the right friends and to keep healthy relationships.

Going to ATLAS has made me trust and gain more confidence for myself.  I have learned to make new friends and learned how to keep them.

I now have a lot of good friends to hang out with, we sometimes break up but then we make up again if we can and want to

I can make friends independently now.  I used to have support to help me make new friends and to keep them. I remember that break ups and friendships get better, they get better for everyone.

From an ATLAS member

Categories
Uncategorized

Bullying

Photo by RODNAE Productions on Pexels.com

One of our ATLAS members shared their experience with bullying

I got badly bullied through secondary school, which led to all of my frustration to do lots of bad behaviour to other people and myself. The bullying would not stop because the staff were rubbish about it. The bullying made me very anxious, it made my anxiety really bad. I found it very hard to trust people even my friends because I did not want them to start bullying me as well as other people.

Bullying does improve if you tell the right people who you trust. I trust my therapist and so I told her about the bullying, she was very helpful to me. Always remember to stand up to the bullies.

The bullies picked on me because I was different and had my own struggles. What I say to the bullies is that if you don’t have anything nice to say don’t say anything at all. I also say can you please give me my own space and then I walk away from them and ignore the bullies.

Remember that you are much stronger than the bullies, don’t listen to them, they are just jealous of you and what you have. The bullies want to get a reaction so don’t give them one.

From an ATLAS member

Categories
Additional Needs and Disabilities Autism Neurodiversity Personal Story Safety Self-Care

My Meltdowns and Shutdowns

A young girl is sat crossed legged on a sofa playing with her small dog. She is wearing over ear headphones and her laptop is next to her.

Definitions

Meltdown – a response to an overwhelming situation that includes signs of distress.

Shutdown – where a person may withdraw from the people and environment around them. They may need their own space and time to process.

My Meltdowns

I don’t like meltdowns because when I used to have really big, long and bad meltdowns I used to say a lot of mean things, tell lies, say horrible things to others and myself.

Meltdowns make me look like I am refusing to do something or am reluctant to do something when I’m not – I’m in a meltdown.

I used to run off and hide, but I don’t do that anymore unless it is for a fun activity where people aren’t going to get worried. I used to also climb up trees and bushes to hide from people when I was having a meltdown, or hide underneath something, but I don’t do this anymore. I now cover my face with my hands, people understand I’m not hiding to be rude, I just need some alone time.

I don’t like to make people worried.

I like to walk, jog or run-in safe areas when I am having a meltdown to feel safe – I still do this.

Recently I have been having less meltdowns than I used to, which are also smaller than they used to be. I have been having a lot of shutdowns recently.

My Shutdowns

I have had a lot of shutdowns in the evenings since I finished college for summer holidays. In the last 7 weeks I have had a shutdown almost everyday.

During the summer holidays I have been going to a lot of clubs, and I have been having a lot of 10 to 40 minutes shutdowns at the clubs that I have been attending in the mornings and the afternoons. Sometimes I feel sorry for the staff who try to help me, but I also worry that they may call someone over and make it an incident.

A lot of people ask me if I am okay when I am having a shutdown, but I am not always able to answer, especially when I am really anxious. There have been a lot of transitions lately that are really busy and loud, which have not helped my anxiety. Some mornings I am too anxious to go into clubs and the staff I have good relationships with have to help me enter the site.

Some days I cry a lot when I am really anxious. People might worry because I might not seem like myself and then ask me a lot of questions at once about how I am and how I have been. Sometimes it can be overwhelming to talk about these things; sometimes I’m not ready to talk about it. When this happens, they might get into my personal space. I worry if people who don’t get tested regularly for Covid-19, get into my personal space.

Sometimes the behaviours of other children and young people at clubs and activities can cause me to be really anxious. Especially bad or violent behaviour.

When I am tired, I find things harder to do and possibly more overwhelming. This can make me cry and I don’t always immediately know what it is that has led to the problem.

How I manage overwhelming situations

Some of the ways I notice that I am becoming overwhelmed is when:

  • There are loud noises
  • There is a difficult situation
  • I see someone breaking the law or doing something dangerous
  • I get too hot
  • I am stressed

Some of the ways I look after myself when I am overwhelmed:

  • Weighted blankets/jackets
  • Fidget toys and chew toys
  • Sitting with my dog, she puts her paws on my lap
  • Going for walk
  • Writing stories
Categories
Additional Needs and Disabilities Anxiety Health Mental Health Self-Care Social

Tips and Tricks: Supporting Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing with Additional Needs and Disabilities

A young person with Down's Syndrome doing yoga

Introduction

We found sharing our self-care tips and tricks with each other really helpful, especially during Covid. During the pandemic it has been even more important to think about how we are spending our time, as we’ve not been able to do our everyday ‘normal’ stuff, like socialising.

We hope that others find our thoughts and discussions around maintaining your mental health and wellbeing helpful!

The Importance of Self-Care

It has and continues to be important that you keep yourself active (however YOU define active), your mind active, and do things that you enjoy whilst staying safe. This can include any hobbies that you have like reading, drawing, listening to or making music, going out for a walk: anything at all that you think will help you.

It is also important to make sure that you are eating and drinking enough water every day as that has a massive benefit to improving your mental health and wellbeing.

Tips and Tricks

We’re all different for what we find helpful. Here are some of the activities ATLAS members use for self-care:

  • Keep in touch with your friends because you don’t do much [during a pandemic].
  • Call someone everyday – video call not just phone call or texting. Because if I don’t socialise for a while, I will forget how to socialise.
  • Meditation and listening to music.
  • Click and collect libraries.
  • Making time for your hobbies
  • Weighted blankets help a lot. Weight toys, weighted lap pad and weighted jacket.
  • Baths and Showering.
  • I have been trying to explore working with my senses. A lot of time with myself, music really helps because it is hard not hearing people’s voices. Without sound I will get tinnitus or hallucinate.
  • White noises are also really good, especially with Autism I find big changes in volume different, so having noise all the time helps when people call me.
  • Keeping bin by the bed.
  • Using a bed desk if you can’t get out of bed so you are changing your work environment and home environment.
  • I try and make sure I have a main event every day. I think it is an ADHD thing – I can’t do something when I am waiting for something planned.
  • Routines!

Routines

We find that routines help to structure out our day-to-day life and activities. Here are some of the areas we use routines to help us with:

  • Eat healthy meals.
  • Meal plans.
  • Have a timetable.
  • Have a sleep routine.
  • Similar sleep / wake up times.
  • Light exercise.
  • Having alarms / reminders.
  • Post-it notes.
  • Put reminders on phone.
  • Write in a diary.
  • Try and have different places in the house for different activities.
  • Everyday, do something that you enjoy.
  • Have structure in school / work.
  • Have a time in the day where you step away from screens.
  • Make exercise fun – put on music and dance or play a game that includes exercise like a virtual reality game (e.g. Wii Fit).
  • Writing plans.
  • Listen to music.

We find that routines are really helpful; they give us the information on what we want or need to be doing and when, as well as helping us to manage our time.

Importantly, routines help us to be more independent, reduce anxiety, and some of us have found it has also helped us build more confidence in ourselves!

Self-Care During Self-Care!

When developing routines, we feel it is important that you:

  • Don’t pressure yourself.
  • Take little breaks.
  • Tell people close to you what you need, or how you feel.

Do you have any tips and tricks you would like to share? Please comment below!

Categories
Additional Needs and Disabilities Health SEND

Dental and Oral Health with Additional Needs and Disabilities

A blue toothbrush on a blue background with toothpaste on the bristles.

Introduction

Recently in ATLAS, members were discussing their experiences with dentists and realised that many of the members had dental and/or oral health problems.

Members raised a Question Card for the User Voice and Participation Team staff to find out whether there was a connection between dental and oral health problems with additional needs and disabilities. If so, young people wanted to know what support there was for them and how to access it in Surrey!

As young people with Additional Needs and Disabilities in Surrey, we would like to know if there is a link between Additional Needs and Disabilities with dental hygiene/problems, and if so, what support is there?

Question Card from ATLAS members

The link between dental and oral health and learning disabilities

Good oral health is an important part in people’s general health and quality of life. There is evidence to show that people with additional needs and disabilities have poorer oral health and more problems in accessing dental services than people in the general population.

However, national, and international research, consistently shows that people with learning disabilities have:

  • higher levels of gum disease
  • greater gingival inflammation
  • higher numbers of missing teeth
  • increased rates of tooth lessness
  • higher plaque levels
  • greater unmet oral health needs
  • poorer access to dental services and less preventative dentistry

People with learning disabilities may often be unaware of dental problems and may be reliant on their carers/paid supporters for oral care and initiating dental visits. There may also be a need for additional help with their oral care and support to get good dental treatment because of difficulties with mental and physical health.

Available Support

All this information and more can be found on the Gov website linked here: Oral care and people with learning disabilities – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The website includes information on who could be entitled to free dental care and a list of useful links for young people and carers. You can also find information on your rights and the law around accessibility.

Conclusion

ATLAS will be reviewing this information soon! We will update this blog with their response!

If you would like to join ATLAS, find out more on our ‘Get Involved!‘ page.

Categories
Achievement Additional Needs and Disabilities Autism Personal Story SEND

The power of participation: getting your voice heard

Wooden squares scattered. Each square has a different capital letter written on it in black. & squares are shown in the middle that read: My Story

“Before I came to participation groups, I didn’t talk.”

“Like this [conversation] was a no go … and then I went to my first session and then like, you couldn’t stop me talking, because I realised I was allowed to speak and I was allowed to know things.”

“Professionals don’t know that we don’t know we’re allowed [to speak and know things]. They make us feel like we can’t have knowledge of ourselves, which is what we’re meant to have anyway!”

“That’s been my biggest part in this [participation], is knowing myself, instead of knowing what they want me to know. Without this, I wouldn’t have been able to spread my voice. I would not have a say in terms of what I struggle with.”

Categories
Additional Needs and Disabilities Personal Story Self-Description SEND

ATLAS: The Big Picture

Recently ATLAS members have been discussing what new starters to the group might want to know before their first session!

In a discussion about what could be included in a new starter pack, the group decided it should include information about the impact of ATLAS: “The Big Picture”.

Together, members made a mind map to express what they thought “The Big Picture of ATLAS” was. Below, some of the young people agreed to share their lived experiences in relation to the impacts mentioned.

The mind map

A screenshot of a mind map on "The Big Picture". The text in the image is written below as it is hard to read due to the low resolution.
A screenshot of the mind map made by ATLAS members

The mind map reads:

  • Challenging assumptions
  • Activism
  • Personal empowerment
  • Job opportunities
  • Improving services
  • Opens the discussion
  • Helping professionals understand the experience of the young people
  • Promoting the right of people with additional needs and disabilities
  • Making Surrey more accessible
  • Surprise professionals with our points of views
  • Better understanding
  • Helps young people be seen
  • Brought about massive change in services brought about us
  • Share our expertise on our additional needs and disabilities
  • Empower young people
  • Empower community
  • Meet and speak with other people with additional needs and disabilities

Quotes from young people

When working with the UVP Team:

“When you introduce yourself to professionals, they’re like “Oh, I didn’t realize you had an opinion on this”. They seem to be surprised that people who have additional needs and disabilities care about it and know a bit about it.”

The impact of participation on professionals:

“I think people really underestimate the impact that lived experience can have because it’s literally something you have to think about every day. If it is a doctor diagnosing you … they did a couple of lectures. You have it every day so you have to learn about it and they just seem surprised that you could have the motivation to want to know what it going on with you.”

Young person with Autism at university:

“Right now I am learning clinical psychology and I cannot function in my module because it’s like I’m reading about all these kind of typical things they expect to someone on the autistic spectrum to have and I’m like, this is a load of like absolute rubbish.”

Closing statement:

“Don’t assume and if you are going to make assumptions assume ability”

If you would like to read some of the feedback and consultation work that member’s of ATLAS work on, you can find out more on our ‘Monthly News‘ page!

Please check out our ‘Get Involved‘ page if you are interested in joining ATLAS.

Image button encouraging you to get involved. In the middle there is the ATLAS logo and surrounding it, It reads: Get Involved! "No Decision About Us Without Us!
Categories
Additional Needs and Disabilities Personal Story Self-Description SEND

A week in the life of an ATLAS member

Recently ATLAS members have been discussing what new starters to the group might want to know before their first session!

A member of the group who joined recently suggested that having some information about what the group could be like or what was involved would have been really helpful.

Together, members made a mind map to express what they thought a week as a member may include!

A screenshot of a mind map on "Week in the life of an ATLAS member". The text in the image is written below as it is hard to read due to the low resolution.
A screenshot of the mind map made by ATLAS members

The mind map reads:

  • Really enjoyable
  • Trips
  • Talk about our wellbeing
  • Action Cards
  • Surveys
  • Awards
  • Meeting new people/friends
  • Weekly groups
  • Social media posts
  • Raising awareness
  • Reducing stigma
  • Sharing your experiences
  • Makaton/learning new skills
  • Quizzes
  • Writing blogs
  • Interview panels
  • Parties/social events
  • Routine
  • Support if we need
  • Gaining confidence
  • Learn about other opportunities

If you would like to read some of the feedback and consultation work that member’s of ATLAS work on, you can find out more on our ‘Monthly News‘ page!

Please check out our ‘Get Involved‘ page if you are interested in joining ATLAS.

Image button encouraging you to get involved. In the middle there is the ATLAS logo and surrounding it, It reads: Get Involved! "No Decision About Us Without Us!
Categories
Covid 19 Education University

Staying Safe at University

Last updated: 20th October
By Rowan Foster

Key Messages

Remember – ‘hands, face, space’.

a government advert for keeping safe in the pandemic. Three vertical rectangles are shown in a line. The first is blue with the online of a running tap, it reads: wash hands. The second is yellow with a line drawing of someone wearing a medical mask, it reads: cover face. the third is pink with the outline of two people looking at each other across a distance, it reads: make space. The NHS logo is shown in the top right and the HM Government logo in the top left.
A government advert for keeping safe during the pandemic: wash hands, cover face, make space
  • Wash your hands regularly
  • Wear a face covering, where rules apply
  • Keep a 2m distance
  • Socialise only with your household, or a maximum of 6 people
  • Get a test and self-isolate if you develop symptoms
  • Keep an eye on the local alert level, and make changes based on this
  • Use the NHS Test and Trace app

Be prepared for a different university experience!

Whether you’re a fresher, returning student, or a postgrad, you’re likely to have a few concerns about the upcoming academic year. This year’s going to be different in a lot of ways, especially in terms of student life. We want to remind you that you can still have a fulfilling and positive university experience even under these regulations; but we urge you to be responsible and follow guidance as much as you can. We know it’s not easy, but every person can make a difference and help keep the virus contained. We’ve put together this blog post, detailing the changes you’re likely to see, and the guidance you need to bear in mind – we hope you find it useful.

Continue reading “Staying Safe at University”