Activities, Services, Toys, Products and Holidays for Children with Special Needs in East Sussex

The Council for Disabled Children (CDC) is the umbrella body for the disabled children’s sector in England, with links to the other UK nations.

We are not resourced to provide advice or support directly to families with disabled children or children with SEN. We signpost families on to relevant organisations. Visit our website for information on national policy that impacts upon disabled children and children with special educational needs (SEN) and their families as well as details of organisations that provide advice and support.

The Disability Martial Arts Association was sent up in January 2007 We are a wide supporting network for people with disabilities and their families who are or who wish to be involved in martial arts.

We have set up a data base of Martial Arts Academy’s School’s and Club’s in the UK that will teach people with all types of disabilities.

Martial arts classes for children and adults with disabilities

Established since 1990, MXT Swim is a premier swimming school teaching babies from 6 months, children up to 14 years and adults. Our unique programme is designed to produce confident and capable swimmers in a safe and fun environment.

MXT provide a fast track programme with one-to-one teaching as well as group sessions.

Each child is treated as an individual and we progress them at their own pace according to their ability.

Water confidence is nurtured by ensuring that structured lessons are fun and playful while encouraging two-way communication between teacher and child. Swimmers will achieve the highest standard of strokes to equip themselves with the skills required to enjoy all water-based activities.

Intensive swimming courses are also available during all school breaks.

Swimming lessons for babies and children in: Steyning, Chichester, Pulborough

BIBIC exists to maximise the potential of children with conditions affecting their social, sensory communication, motor and learning abilities by teaching parents exercises and techniques which can help improve the quality of life for the whole family. A doctor and an interdisciplinary team address issues such as behaviour problems, understanding, mobility, speech and communication. Methods are compatible with school and serve to increase learning opportunities for children with problems.

Web: www.bibic.org.uk

Whizz-Kidz is a national charity that improves the quality of life of disabled children and young people up to 18 by providing them with customised mobility equipment such as powered wheelchairs.

We also offer wheelchair skills training, advice and information and campaign to raise awareness of disabled young people's needs. Many of those we help become members of our Kidz Board, acting as our ambassadors and getting involved in projects and events.

Through this support Whizz-Kidz has given nearly 4,000 disabled children and young people the chance to enjoy an independent life at home, at school and at play.

Web: www.whizz-kidz.org.uk

SNAP! Childcare places specialist nannies and carers for babies, children and young adults who have additional needs. We offer a friendly, but professional service, both to individual families and organisations.

We offer a nationwide service, providing experienced and qualified nannies, carers and enablers for children and young adults who may have a range of special needs from a mild learning disability to profound and multiple disabilities and their siblings!

Our carers have a wide range of experience, including Makaton & British Sign language, Conductive Education, speech, occupational and physio therapy. We deal with live-in, daily, permanent and temporary positions. All nannies and carers are carefully vetted and personally interviewed. At least two references are verbally verified and an Enhanced Police Check is required (SNAP Childcare is a Registered Body with the Criminal Records Bureau).

Please log onto our website for full details.

Web: www.snapchildcare.co.uk

For those families seeking help and advice regarding children's behavioural and emotional problems. The approach taken is to examine parents childhood experiences and their own parenting practices, their own emotions and expectations of their child with a view to making adjustments to the way they deal with their child.

37 years experience of clinical psychology with children and parents including 32 years within the NHS. Face to face one hour appointments in London and Bristol.

Please contact us on the above number.

Dr. Esmoreit Sleyster, Ph.D. - Chartered Clinical Psychologist AFBPsS

Child Psychology Sussex is based in Lewes, near Brighton, and we may travel throughout the South East to deliver our services.

We offer advice, assessments and therapies that are tailor-made to the needs of individual children, adolescents and their families and carers.

If you want a better understanding of the troubles your child, or the child you care for is facing, or you are considering therapy for your child or support for your family, then Child Psychology Sussex may be able to help.

Child Psychology Sussex provides therapy for children and adolescents who are experiencing social, emotional or behavioural difficulties. This may include relationship problems at home or at school; anger and anxiety difficulties; low mood or confidence; and trauma and loss. Therapy could involve working individually with the child or adolescent; working jointly with family members or parent(s)/carer(s) and the child; and in some cases with the parents on their own as a means of helping to address the child’s difficulties.

Dr Esmoreit Sleyster has specialist expertise in working with children looked after by Local Authorities, and with adopted children. She also provides training and consultation to professionals and undertakes medico-legal work.

Brainwave is an independent Charity based in Bridgwater, providing developmental therapy for children who have both physical and cognitive disabilities, whether caused by brain injury,genetic abnormality, or accident.

A programme of physical and cognitive exercises is designed by the therapy team according to each child’s very specific needs. These exercises are taught to the child’s parents and carers who carry out the programme in the comfort and familiarity of the family home; through which 80% of children make measurable improvements and some achieve a degree of independence far beyond their families’ expectations.

1500 children have benefited from the Brainwave Programme since the Charity was established in 1982.

Email: enquiries@brainwave.org.uk

MOVE is a national charity working with severely disabled children in a Programme designed to increase their mobility and therefore their independence.

MOVE combines therapy and education in a programme which helps children work towards goals that they really want to achieve, which can range from learning to hold their head up by themselves to learning the skills needed to play football with their friends using a pacer. MOVE is unique in that no child is too disabled to use it and works with the child’s parents, teachers and therapists to teach them skills which are then practised in everyday life, enabling parents to be involved in key decision making and instrumental in their child’s development.

Visit our website or call us on 020 7407 5344 to find out more information, speak to a specialist or a parent of a child already on the programme or to visit a school using MOVE.

Email: move@move-europe.org.uk

Special Kids in the UK offers an online support forum, regular newsletters and offers to parents/families of children with a special need and/or disability. We also has a wide range of information available on our site around the subject of respite, services, education and more.

What makes us unique is that we parents/carers of children with special needs ourselves. Understanding the difficulties and emotions involved with a child of any age with special needs is something we can all associate with. In addition friendship, support and practical hints and tips are a major feature of our organisation.

For more information visit our website:

Web: www.specialkidsintheuk.org
Email: information@specialkidsintheuk.org