Activities, Services, Toys, Products and Holidays for Children with Special Needs in South London

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

CRANIOSACRAL THERAPY FOR BABIES AND CHILDREN

Does your baby or child suffer:

• Crying, Irritability
• Feeding Difficulties
• Sickness, Colic
• Sleep Disturbance
• Infections
• Ear Infections
• Asthma
• Sinus and Adenoidal Problems
• Behaviour Problems
• Hearing Difficulties
• Headaches and Pains
• And More.

Craniosacral Therapy helps the body's inherent healing ability to release stresses and strains, caused by enormous forces the baby is subjected to during the birth process. It will help the system to resolve the problem and work in a more balanced way.

For further information please call the number above.

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

Hope is a unique non-denominational charity for children. The Hope Centre for Cognitive Education is dedicated to the promotion and enhancement of learning potential using the methodology of Professor Feuerstein. The Centre helps students with a variety of learning and developmental difficulties ranging from bright under-achievers to those with complex needs including autistic spectrum disorders, ADHD, Downs Syndrome.

The methods include Feuerstein’s Instrumental Enrichment programme (IE) a structured thinking skills programme taught individually or in groups and is designed to complement and underpin a regular school curriculum and Mediated Learning Experience (MLE) which develops the learner’s cognitive functions. Mediated Learning involves the child as an active participant in the learning process, making the child consciously aware of how he is thinking. The Centre works as a multi-disciplinary team and actively encourage parents to become mediators with their own children and are invited to participate in teaching sessions.

Established for nine years, Toybox offers a professional tailor made service to all our clients. We provide permanent staff for families, nurseries, playschemes and schools, covering Sussex, Surrey and South London as well as having an established emergency staff team for staff sickness and holidays. Overseas positions with families and Mark Warner are available for permanent and temporary assignments. Applicants are personally interviewed, police checked through CRB and all references checked before being sent out on assignments.

A member of the Federation of Small Businesses, Care Standards and Best Bear, we pride ourselves in the quality of our service.

All consultants are trained professionals and most are qualified Nursery Nurse or carers.

Please call:
(01883) 722322 for Sussex, Surrey and London areas.
(020) 8686 1766 for South London area.

Drug free, natural and non-invasive treatment of development and learning problems, including:

• Dyslexia
• Dysphasia
• Dyspraxia
• Hyperactivity
• Panic Attacks

The David Mulhall Centre was opened in 1995 and has since successfully treated thousands of children and adults. Please phone, write or e-mail for an initial consultation.

E-Mail: info@davidmulhall.co.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.

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

For cerebal palsy children and associated disabilities. The centre provides pre-school education for children 0-5 years. We belong to scope's network of schools for parents using methods inspired by those of the Peto Institute in Hungary. Programmes are designed to stimulate and awaken the child's senses and encourage self awareness through activities which are fun for both parent and child.

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

Provision of riding lessons for disabled people of all ages and standards. Open seven days a week. Fun and physiotherapy combined.

The college holds a free weekly clinic for children treating many conditions including: asthma, eczema, hyperactivity and weight problems.