Afasic Scotland

Team Cooper trek to Everest for Afasic!

The Editor — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:16:38 +0000

Adventurous couple Roy and Gail Cooper, are preparing for a trip of a lifetime, a trek to Everest base camp to raise money for Afasic.

They will brave extreme weather conditions and rough terrain to trek to the mountain’s Southern Base Camp this October.

And they have been training for this arduous journey by hillwalking in rural Perthshire – the recent snowy conditions providing perfect practice for the challenges ahead.

The couple decided to raise money for Afasic as Gail works with many children at nursery who have speech problems. They will also be trekking for the British Heart Foundation after Roy’s dad Arthur died from heart disease, two years ago.

Afasic will be following their training via their blog and via Facebook and Twitter and will also be helping them fundraise. If you wish to donate please visit their JustGiving link on their blog.

We wish them luck!

Unique training programme gets into rhythm

The Editor — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:08:12 +0000

Parents and professionals are being asked to take part in a unique programme of exercises, shown to help children improve co-ordination and attention, later this year.

The Bal-A-Vis-X programme uses over 300 exercises, deeply- rooted in rhythm, to help improve brain and brain-body integration, by improving co-ordination and attention skills.It uses sand-filled bags, racquet balls and balance boards for the exercises which encourage children to co-operate, challenge themselves, help each other improve and have fun.

The programme is aimed mainly at those with autism, dyspraxia, eye-tracking problems and auditory processing associated with language difficulties.

According to Bal-A-Vis-X, the programme benefits every student but can specifically improve cognitive integration in those with learning disabilities and help those that are behaviourally disordered, ‘settle’ their behaviour.

It can also help those with ADD/ADHD with their impulsive behaviour and increase attention span while mainstream students can improve academic success.

Scotland’s first Bal-A-Vis-X training event for professionals and parents will be held in the Borders area from June 22 to 24, 2012. For more information call Jane Oliver on 0751311317 or visit www.ravivworks.co.uk

Cost of raising a child hits £220,000

The Editor — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:37:38 +0000

SCOTTISH parents face costs of around £220,000 in raising a child from birth to their 21st birthday, new figures reveal.

An annual study found the rising cost of childcare, education, food and a range of other items meant parents in Scotland face an average bill of £220,857, higher than the UK average of £218,024.

The Scottish figure, of which the cost of education and childcare makes up more than half, represents a 3.3 per cent rise on the previous year and a more than 60 per cent rise since 2003, the first year the survey was carried out.

The study, which was compiled by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) on behalf of insurance and investment firm LV found that, across the UK, there had been a 120 per cent rise in the cost of education and a 57 per cent rise in the cost of childcare since 2003.

While London is the most expensive place to raise a child, Scotland remains more expensive than the national averages for both England and Wales. Read more…

Making life changes positive for young people

The Editor — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 14:25:45 +0000

A conference which explores how to help children navigate big changes during their formative years will hear from international and UK experts, next month.

They will consider transitions in early years from home to childcare, and from preschool to school, as well as the many other transitions that children may experience in this key period.

And up for discussion, will be the ways parents, carers and practitioners from sectors including health, education and social work, work together to make life changing transitional periods seamless and manageable for young people.

Confirmed keynote speakers include Bill Maxwell, newly appointed Chief Executive, Education Scotland. Other speakers will be joining us from Switzerland, Italy and Denmark as well as experts from the UK. The conference will be chaired by Carol Kirk, Corporate Director, Education and Skills, North Ayrshire Council.

There will be a focus on how improve transitions across the following areas: challenges around leaving home into services, the role and relationship of parents and carers in successful transitions, school readiness and the transition from nursery to primary, workforce development, transitions and the effect for multi-agency working

The Children in Europe Conference in partnership with North Ayrshire Council will be held on 20 March 2012, Gailes Hotel, Irvine, Ayrshire. Book online now at www.childreninscotland.org.uk/transitions. Prices from £117.

A further half day seminar exploring key issues around transitions in young adulthood including integrated services, disability, looked after children and transitions to employment, will be held on 21 March 2012, Gailes Hotel, Irvine, Ayrshire. Book online now at www.childreninscotland.org.uk/quarriers. Prices from £54.

Book a place at both events and receive a 20% discount. Please contact Children in Scotland on 0131 222 2446 for further information.

Should toddlers be tested on speech?

The Editor — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 11:57:51 +0000

Outgoing communications champion, Jean Gross is calling for language checks on toddlers to become as routine as health assessments of weight and growth.

Mrs Gross, a former teacher, was appointed Communications Champion after a review led by John Bercow before he became Speaker of the Commons. She has just published her final report into SCLN.

Mrs Gross told The Times: “Language development falls between the cracks of the NHS and education.

“Recent research showed children’s language at two predicted how ready they would be for school. By that age, children are on the path to success or failure at school. Their path is set if this isn’t picked up early.”

Testing children in school is too late as those who are inarticulate at five have little chance of catching up with their peers. They are twice as likely to be unemployed in their thirties, and at greater risk of ending up in prison.

Every pound spent on intensive help for a child with a language impairment will generate a £6.43 return on investment. Mrs Gross said cuts to speech therapists were a false economy.

Mrs Gross also called for the formation of debating societies in schools. She said: “A lot of children lack the opportunities for reasoned discussion of the type that used to happen around the dining table, with families now eating in front of the television.”

What do you think? Visit our Facebook Group and Page to have your say.

Communication champion warns of the danger of cuts to speech therapy services

The Editor — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 11:40:13 +0000

Cuts to speech therapy services could force thousands of children with problems to wait months for support, the Government’s communication champion has warned.

Jean Gross, whose role as communication champion finished at the end of last month, warned that proposed changes to the delivery of NHS services in England meant advances made in 2011 risk being overturned because of the “significant cuts” to front-line services.

In her final report, Two Years On, she also made argued that in general, parents needed more information about children’s speech development arguing that many families were still unaware how to help their youngsters.

She called for parents to be offered information via smart phones and social networking sites, saying parents were willing to make dramatic changes to their lifestyles once the dangers of their children’s excessive television viewing or dummy use were explained to them.

Ms Gross highlighted the difficulties delays in SLT assessment can cause fo a child. She said: “If you are three and have to wait around 18 months to be seen then it is going to be much harder to catch up.

“If children can have help and catch up by the time they are five and a half then there progress should be normal from then on. But research shows that a child whose problem persists after five and a half will struggle.”

Ms Gross was appointed the Government’s communication champion in January 2010 in order to boost awareness of the importance of developing children’s communication skills. Read more here

Are apps the key to helping some children communicate?

The Editor — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 10:10:39 +0000

Technology has completely and utterly changed Veronica’s life.

“She has gone from being a little girl who had no way of showing us how much she knew, to a little girl who now has a portable device she can laugh, play and engage with,” says her mother Sam Rospigliosi, from Edinburgh.

“Who knows, she might even use it as her voice in the years ahead if she never learns how to speak again.”

Veronica is six years old and severely affected by autism. She has significant learning difficulties and finds many social situations very difficult. She lost all her speech three years ago.

Aimed at non-verbal children from the age of 18 months upwards, the app encourages players to focus on other people and their needs, something people with autism find difficult.

Dr Sue Fletcher-Watson, a psychologist from the University of Edinburgh who led the app’s development, says using touchscreen technology is crucial.

“A mouse and keyboard are not accessible for the youngest children. Early intervention is key for the most severely affected and iPads have allowed us to design for youngest ages.

“The app allows children to rehearse simple social skills over and over again. Practice makes perfect.”

The app is available for free download via itunes and there is also a ‘How to’ guide available on Youtube. Just click here for more details.

Here is more winning artwork!

The Editor — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 15:30:03 +0000

By James McLennan, aged 8.

By Adrian Purvis, aged 16.

By Finlay Paxton, 18.

More brilliant artwork

The Editor — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 15:23:40 +0000

View our brilliant artwork in our new online gallery!

The Editor — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 15:18:17 +0000

The winners have been announced and now here is your chance to view our artwork!

By Nicole Vallery, 14.

Eleanor Strachan, aged 18