just a little sister

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What it actually means to be an almost 4 year old with a learning disability

“She’s got a developmental age of a 2 year old” is a common misconception of what it is to be an almost 4 year old with a learning disability. It is so easy to see our children at an age which explains their delay in language or physical development. Trudy’s language is delayed and she…
Travelling with Trudy

After a few posts about screening and inclusion, it is time to write about something a little more light-hearted! We have just come back from a holiday on the Isle of Mull (West Coast of Scotland, if you’re not sure) – a stunning location with must-see views and food to die for. But for a…
Including Trudy

It has never been straightforward to just ‘include’ Trudy. Patrick moved seamlessly up to the next class in nursery, or from parent and toddler classes to being on his own. There was never an issue with him, never a debate. Trudy, however, took a different path. Nursery had this all in hand with initiatives in…
Holland Versus Italy

On the eve of World Down’s Syndrome Day, it is apt to shine a light on a wonderful essay (in my opinion) written by Emily Kingsley in 1987, called ‘Welcome to Holland‘. It sought to explain what it felt like to have a child with any kind of disability or additional need, or quite simply…
It’s not a race

After having a child who has learned everything so quickly, it was very strange to then have Trudy. I was used to having no worries about whether my child would meet his milestones. With Trudy, I am always worried about when she will get to the next one. I call them my Hare and my…
Screening – the beginning of being political

I have never been political. I was hardly able to understand the difference between the Tories and Labour really, except for the fact that it was not cool to be a Tory when I was at school. I didn’t know when elections were held, hustings sounded like a disease and I thought the Cabinet must…