good practice

Lockdown on the spectrum: how autistic adults and families of children with the condition are coping with the coronavirus lockdown that has closed schools, slashed respite and limited access to the outdoors to one trip a day. Darren Devine highlights the experiences of one Scottish family facing struggles common to many during the lockdown.

Supporters say animal-assisted intervention for autism bolsters social skills and provides unconditional companionship. But what does scientific research reveal about the value of spending time with a furry friend? 

Emily Burke uses her experience of being admitted to psychiatric wards to highlight the adjustments that can be made to make this already unfamiliar and often uncomfortable environment a bit less distressing for autistic people. 

'Not Fine in School' is a parent-led organisation that supports, informs, and empowers parents affected by school non-attendance. On behalf of the organisation, Fran Morgan writes for Learning Disability Today about why the education system is failing to give all children the same support to thrive.

Until a group of parents joined forces to change the law families could find themselves sidelined once a loved one with a learning disability turned eighteen, with social workers taking charge of key decisions. But here Darren Devine details how three families have fought to ensure parents continue to have a voice when their children become adults.

The head of health and safety at national learning disability charity United Response has won an industry award recognising her work to transform fire safety advice for people living at its registered care homes across England and Wales.

The parents of a pupil living with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and sensory processing difficulties have successfully won a case against their child’s independent prep school, Ashdown House, for an unlawful discriminatory exclusion.

In 2016, the UK government launched a groundbreaking drive to reduce the use of psychotropic drugs for people with autism and learning disabilities. But recent figures show that while prescribing rates for antipsychotics have fallen since the campaign’s launch, antidepressants, hypnotics, and stimulants have all risen.

Having their own possessions can bring a sense of independence and control that people with learning disabilities are deprived of all too often. Darren Devine hears how an art exhibition tells the stories behind these meaningful possessions and their owners.