The author
Hello. I’m Austen and my son has Down’s syndrome.
Over the years since my son was born we have taken comfort and support from the network of people we have come to know through the various activities, groups and charities we’ve become involved with. Often times, simply through casual conversation with others in the same or a similar situation, you learn of things that might be to the advantage of you or the person you care for. I don’t mean learning something about a specific condition – that kind of information is relatively easy to access – I mean finding out something that helps with the day-to-day processes of just getting along. For example very shortly after my son’s birth we were made aware of the Portage service – a lifeline for us in those early days.
But there-in lies the germ of the idea behind this website. Expand the networking opportunity so that everyone and anyone connected with “special needs”, disability, or caring can learn, or let others learn, something to their advantage, or to the advantage of the person they are a carer for.
AllAboutSpecialNeeds.com is built using blogging software which means that anyone can come and comment on the posts placed here – you just need to register. I encourage your participation. Indeed I need you to do just that in order to make this website work. The more people that participate with relevant responses or, better still, relevant information the quicker the site will grow and the more people it will attract to it! With time it should become a really useful repository of information for people involved with special needs, disability and caring.
If you are involved with special needs or disability – in whatever capacity (family member, carer, teacher, support worker, volunteer, charity organiser, etc.) – then our aim is that you might find some “useful stuff” here, or indeed contribute some “useful stuff”, to help make your life, or somebody else’s, a little easier. What do I mean by “useful stuff”? Well – it could be anything from an entry telling other visitors to the website about a local or national carers service, or a relevant charity (e.g. a local respite care service), to an article about how to apply for something like Disability Living Allowance, or a hotel or theme park with exceptional facilities for disabled guests. Basically anything that may help someone else whose life is impacted in someway by “special needs” or disability. Just picture someone reading an entry and thinking “Wow, I wish I’d known about that before now!” and you’re on the right lines. The only thing we ask (our “editorial policy” if you like) is that entries be informative and NOT promotional or advertorial in nature.
Of course just because we have a post on a certain organisation or service doesn’t mean we recommend it. But you can, if you wish to, just by posting a comment.
Please take a look at the site and add your “useful stuff”. If you don’t want to add something directy then get in touch and I will do so for you.
Oh – and do pass the word on to others in your network…
Cheers
Austen
(Founder AllAboutSpecialNeeds.com)
