Our next Virtual Drop In is Wednesday 18th November, 10am-12 noon. It’s for parent carers and young people looking for information and support, including education and short breaks. Manchester Parent Carer Forum will be trying out Zoom in their drop in with Clinical Psychologist Michelle Hacking. If they are chatting to someone else when you join the session, you may need to wait to be let in.

There is a new legal duty on schools to provide remote learning to pupils who are at home because of COVID-19. Schools are now expected to offer the same lessons as those in class. This does not apply to children who have been kept out of school because of parental choice or post 16 students. Here is the continuity direction about this, along with an explanatory note. 

Soundabout has new activities and resources for families with children or young people who have profound and multiple learning disabilities. Sign up to 'Little Soundabout' or 'Soundabout Life' and be matched with a specialist music practitioner who will work with you to explore sound-making together. You can also choose a piece of sound-making equipment. This offer is available until July 2022 and is online at the moment but potentially at home when COVID-19 restrictions lift. Funded by Youth Music and the Tambour Foundation, you can find out more on Soundabout’s new website, which will have music ideas and activities that families can access for free - www.soundaboutfamily.org.uk – or email info@soundabout.org.uk.

New AAC resources –There are new resources to help parent carers and non-specialists with the decision-making processes around electronic communication aids – sometimes called augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). They have been developed as part of a research project at Manchester Metropolitan University, which involved young people and their families at every stage. The resources are on the project website, including a summary explaining each of them. For further information, contact I-ASC@mmu.ac.uk.

Easy-read Threat Of Eviction Guide - Last month, we shared some new housing guides. There is now an easy-read version of the guide for autistic and/or learning disabled people in Greater Manchester who need help due to threat of eviction. All the guides can be found as downloads to the left of our National Autistic Society page.

Manchester Young People – Pandemic Experiences

A new survey, created with the Changemakers at Greater Manchester Youth Network, hopes to find out about the experiences of Manchester young people with SEN and disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Changemakers ask you to encourage any young people you know to do the survey and appreciate any support you can give. Closing date: 20th November. 

Left Stranded Report

A new report – ‘Left Stranded’ - from the National Autistic Society, and supported by other leading autism organisations, highlights the devastating impact of the coronavirus outbreak on the mental health, wellbeing, education, and future of hundreds of thousands of autistic people and their families. There is a call for all governments in the UK to create an action plan to protect autistic people and their families from any future waves of the pandemic – and to address existing inequalities by investing in support and services.