Contact a Family - For Families With Disabled Children

Brian Lamb on Achievement for All

Brian Lamb discusses Achievement for All, and explains how it supports schools to improve the aspirations, access and achievement of learners and young people.

Brian Lamb on the SEN Green Paper

Brian Lamb discusses the SEN Green Paper and its implications for parents and children, along with other issues and developments surrounding it.

Somali Parent Carer Forum

A talk on the rationale and benefits of creating a separate Somali Parent Carer Forum in Leicester, and how it has successfully worked with that particular community.

New projects at Contact a Family

Staff from Contact a Family introduce a number of new projects the charity has undertaken, all aimed at supporting and advising families with disabled children.

Experiences of parent support groups

Parents discuss their experiences of parent and carer support groups, explaining how they have benefited from getting involved, and meeting other parents.

Rothmund-Thomson syndrome

Rothmund-Thomson syndrome is a very rare genetic condition. Individuals with the condition display to slow growth, have sparse hair and skin problems as well as other symptoms. In this podcast a mother describes what it is like to have a child with the syndrome.

Policy, campaigns and media work at Contact a Family

Listen to this podcast to hear about some of the behind the scenes work that goes on at Contact a Family.

Siblings

Families come in all shapes and sizes and having a disabled child or child affected by a long-term health condition has an effect on the whole family.  Parents often contact us concerned about how to support the brothers and sisters of their disabled child.  In this podcast a sibling talks about her experience and the impact on her life.

Benefits - Money when your child reaches 16

When a child reaches 16 years of age there are options regarding whether the parent continues to claim benefits on behalf of their child or the child claims the benefits in their own right. This podcast explores this topic and demonstrates how important it is to get advice.

 

Rare Disorders - Kleefstra syndrome

There are many chromosome disorders and each has different features. This podcast is an interview with a Mother whose son has a disorder affecting chromosome 9 which was recently named Kleefstra syndrome. The condition was previously known as 9q34.3 syndrome or 9q syndrome.

Benefits: Carer's Allowance - November 2010

Carer's Allowance is extra money for carers who care for someone who receives the DLA care component at the middle or highest rate. In this podcast one of the Contact a Family helpline advisers provides a little more information about this benefit, eligibility criteria and how to claim.

Rare Disorders - Hirschsprung's disease

Hirschsprung's disease is a condition where the nerves cells of the large intestine are absent, so normal bowel movement is not possible. In this podcast a mother talks about what it is like to have a son with this condition.

Rare Disorders - Polymicrogyria

Polymicrogyria is a condition characterised by abnormal development of the brain before birth. The surface of the brain normally has many ridges or folds, in Polymicrogyria the brain develops too many folds and these are unusually small. In this podcast a mother talks how Polymicrogyria affects her daughter and family life.

Rare Disorders - Juvenile Batten disease

The group of diseases known as Batten disease or the neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses (NCLs) are rare, genetic, progressive neurodegenerative, metabolic diseases that occur in children and adults worldwide. This podcast is an honest account of a mother's experience of having a son with Juvenile Batten disease.

Rare Disorders - Neuronal Migration Disorder

Neuronal migration disorders (NMDs) are a group of birth defects caused by the abnormal migration of neurons in the developing brain and nervous system. In this podcast Contact a Family talks to a mother whose daughter has an x-linked neuronal migration disorder.

Benefits: Disability Living Allowance - September 2010

Disability Living Allowance (DLA) is the main benefit for disabled people and is there to help meet any extra costs of being disabled. Listen to this podcast to hear the Contact a Family helpline advisers provide more information about this benefit.

Affected Adult - McCune-Albright syndrome

McCune-Albright syndrome is a rare genetic disorder affecting the bones and skin pigmentation. It is also associated with endocrine problems. In this podcast an adult talks about how McCune-Albright syndrome has affected her life.

Parent's Story - Dravet syndrome

Dravet syndrome is a rare type of epilepsy. In this podcast a father talks about his experiences of having a child with this condition.

SEN England

All parents want their children to do well at school. Some children may need more support than others to achieve their potential and this may be because they have a disability, medical condition or other additional needs. This podcast is an interview with two of Contact a Family's helpline advisers that provides information about the different levels of support for children with special educational needs (SEN) and what you can do if you are not happy with the support your child gets. If you need further clarification of any of the points discussed call the Contact a Family freephone helpline.

Benefits: Social Fund - May 2010

It costs more to raise a disabled child and some families need additional financial help. This podcast provides an overview of what the social fund is and the sort of things it can help fund.

Benefits: Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) - May 2010

ESA came into effect in October 2008 and replaced Incapacity Benefit and Income Support. This podcast is an interview with a Contact a Family adviser and provides more details about this benefit.

Rare Disorders - Late Infantile Batten disease

This podcast is an honest account of a Mum's experience of having a child with Late Infantile Batten disease.

A trip to Macaroni Woods

Contact a Family receives funding from a number of sources which help us provide a range of services for families. Our Lewisham Office, thanks to funding from the borough council, has been able to offer some families in the borough the opportunity to have a weekend away with other families. Listen to the parents talk about what the experience means to them and their families.

Contact a Family CEO - Srabani Sen

Contact a Family CEO highlights the work of the charity during it's 30th year celebrations.

Contact a Family - Your online community

How to access support and advice online using social networking. Connect with other families  other families or parent advisers and keep up to date through Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. You can also meet other families with similar conditions using our Making Contact website.