17th January 2018 • My Family Our Needs
The BAPS Awards celebrate bloggers in the SEND community. In addition, they hope to help raise awareness of additional needs.
The category Making a Difference received many nominations. This is fabulous to see as this category recognises those blogs and bloggers parents feel make a difference – whether this is in an active campaign style or a quieter, but equally needed way.
Without further ado, here are the nominations for the Making a Difference category
A Blog about Raising my Autistic Son
I have been enlightened by this blog about her son.
Actually Mummy
She offers practical advice with humour about raising a child with t1 diabetes
Autism Kids on Tour
Brilliant practical help posts and ones that raise awareness in section on blog “autism specific posts”.
Born at the Right Time
She writes beautifully, and with honesty, I really appreciate that integrity. Her blog posts, challenge, inspire and encourage me, I think in equal mesaure.
Brody Me and GDD
Love her commitment to making a difference with in access & accessible products
Complicated Gorgeousness
She never fails to blog about the issues that affect ALL SEND parents and families – with humour, honesty, and fantastic prose. My fave blogger!
Diary of an Imperfect Mum
She writes with honesty, humour and warmth. Sometimes heart wrenching, often thought provoking and always with a view to making a difference and challenging stereotypes and perceptions.
Don’t be Sorry
She has carried out an enormous amount of work publicly and privately to educate Health Care Professionals over their choice of language in connection with DS. She also provides a huge amount of support to families which is just amazing!
The DRM Project
She has rallied to make so many places more available to theese families and is just such an inspiration!
Emma 4 FACS
She is helping so many of us affected by AEDs, she even managed to get us on the news!! There would be so many women walking around in the dark without her, she’s amazing. She is working towards exposing a government scandal of unprecedented magntiude affecting around 20,000 children in the UK alone and their families.
Faith Mummy
She is a truly inspirational blogger; she says what so many of us that are parents of children with additional needs are scared to say, and what many of us who are children’s workers need to hear. Her writing is often heart-wrenchingly honest as she shares her stories as mummy to two disabled children.
First Time Valley Mam
She is so full of life and her honesty when it comes to her experiences and advice has really made a difference to the way I look at life with my little one.
Geraldine Renton
She is amazing.
I am River
A blog created to give anyone with down syndrome a voice in a world that views them as less
The Inclusive Home
She blogs in both a personal and professional capacity combining her passion for inclusion with her skills as an architect. Not only has she succeeded in raising awareness within the industry, she is quick to offer support and advice to families going through the adaptations process. She does not blow her own trumpet enough so could easily be overlooked but what she does is well informed and researched – not just a gut reaction to an issue.
It’s a Tink Thing
Her blog about her autistic daughter is very informative and often humorous which makes for an enjoyable read. It has certainly given me a better understanding of autism.
Joseph and his Amazing Spectrum Coat
Amazing, honest blogger. Educating people and giving practical advice.
Little Blue Cup
LittleBlueCup does incredible work searching for hard to find items for children with special needs. It’s no exaggeration to say that finding these items can be a matter of life and death. He puts his own time and money in to the project despite suffering health problems himself
Little Mama Murphy
Her youngest son is 7 and is a swan (syndrome without a name). He is one of many undiagnosed children in the UK as his condition has never been seen before. He also suffers from a severe form of epilepsy. Her blogs are thought provoking, inspirational and have brought tears to my eyes many times.
Living with a Jude
Her blog is having a real impact on so many peoples lifes, for those who have children with SEN and for those who don’t. She gives an honest and true representation of what it is like living with a child with needs but on top of that she shows herself from all angles, nothing is sensored and nothing is not discussed. I know she has also helped many families in making appeals to their local council for more help for their children and deserves to be recognised for the impact she has on so many who need it most.
Living with Lennon
Her blogs are inspiring, heartbreaking and honest. No parent should suffer such a tragedy , but Lennon brought a real ray of sunshine and his story will help other families in such a situation.
Mummy and the Bubbas
She is a powerhouse of practical support, positivity, insight and general incredibleness! She posts videos on her Youtube channel as well as actively using Instagram and her main blog page to get the message out that having an autistic child is manageable, wonderful and just as rewarding as having a neurotypical child. She has definitely changed my world view! Thank you to her and all the other bloggers out there making a difference to us.
Mum on a Mission
For her tireless campaigning for Changing Places facilities. she is so passionate and an inspiring advocate.
My Kid Loves Broccoli
She leads by (written) example. She has a wicked sense of humor, using satire on her blog. She gets little sleep because her child seldom sleeps, but that doesn’t stop her from teaching as well as entertaining.
Nicole Francesca
Their blog is newish but one i always return to its honest about disability
Ordinary Hopes
She tells it like it is and I can relate to her blogs
Our Altered Life
She offers an insight into her life which is inspiring. Her blog makes a positive difference by shining a light on the challenges and lessons learned from her experience. Above all her blog makes a real contribution to humanity through her own.
PDA Parenting
She has a way of writing so beautifully and with such clarity about what so many parents of a child with SEND feels on daily basis but often can’t put into words. Reading her blog always illuminates and moves me emotionally and impacts the way I think and just how horrid it is for so many children like her daughter and for so many parents. I always in strange way really look forward to new blogs and will think of her words for days afterwards and validates the isolation of all parents with children with SEND like myself
Rainbows are too Beautiful
So many of her posts have made me stop and reflect, and my own understanding of autism has been developed
Revelations of a Slummy Mummy
She rocks this world. She is inspiring, witty and cuts through the cr*p to tell it like it is.
Someone’s Mum
She helps people every day. I also know that her words have helped even me learn more about my son.
Steph’s Two Girls
She has really helped me to learn a lot about PDA which I didn’t know before and to help explain the differences between that and ODD and challenging behaviour. I often refer other parents to her blog if they are looking for answers or into a PDA diagnosis. I really liked the way she handed her blog over to her other daughter recently to enable people to get an insight into what it’s like to be a sibling of someone with special needs
Stories about Autism
A Dad of 2 who isn’t afraid to share the downs as well as up, who reaches out to others and makes you want to be a better person, not just a parent.
This Little Boy of Mine
Really inspiring blogger, making a real difference to me and my family
A Wheelie Great Adventure
She is a very active changing places campaigner. She’s always in meetings, writing emails and helping businesses with their toilet facilities and has helped secure loads more of these facilities within our local area. She deserves some recognition for all she does.
Yvonne Newbold
She has faced head on the issue of challenging behaviour in children with learning disability – an otherwise taboo subject. This has been of the most incredible value to me and my family and the strategies she shares have been well tried and tested in our household.
The final four will be announced on 12th February when the online vote opens.
Our winners will be announced at our BAPS Awards on 17th May 2018. Don’t forget to get your tickets to the BAPS Awards while the Early Bird offer is still available!