I have 4 children and 3 of them have Special Needs. My youngest doesn’t but he is only 5 so things could pop up along the way. We are just helping him as he has a stutter which is getting much better and really appears when he is really tired or nervous or really excited and wants to tell us something quickly.

My eldest son is going through assessments as he has dyslexia and Dyspraxia and a processing disorder and is being assessed for A.D.D.

My eldest daughter has Autism, learning disabilities, behaviour problems and a consiton called Landau Kleffner Syndrome which I quite rare and we don’t know of any other families now that experience it.

My youngest daughter has Autism, learning disabilities, and behaviour problems.

My children have special needs but they are not their Special Needs…they are so much more than a label and things like routine and sensory problems and meltdowns. I will probably talk about these things in another post sometime. My children are amazing individuals. There are many people with Autism and Dyslexia but there are not 4 people like these!

My eldest girl is 14 and loves to organise. I am sure she could probably plan a wedding by herself at this age she is so good at it! I always ask her if I have anything important to do in the week! She also loves gardening and is fantastic at growing vegetables. She has just discovered make up and youtube and watches people like Tanya burr and Zoella ( I really hope ive got their names right!!!!) She is also very kind to little children and a fantastic baker. She also remembers every fact! A big part of her life is the church and village get togethers. She is even a part of the church flower arranging team!

My youngest daughter is the most funniest person ever! I wish I had written down everything she has ever said as I have never met anyone as quick witted as her and she doesn’t even know she is doing it! She is also a fantastic artist and loves to make up her own cartoon characters and scripts. She is 11 but still loves to play with her 5 year old brother, playing Pokémon or My Little Pony. I love that she is completely herself and never worries about what other people think especially with things like she wears costume tails!

My eldest son is such a huge help for me. He is also the most determined person I know! If he sees something he wants he will do anything to save money for it from car cleaning to dog walking (with me of course).  This determination helps him in his school life too and although he finds it hard he never gives up. My girls don’t really like affection but Charlie is always ready for a hug and I love to sit on the sofa on winter evenings in front of the fire and watch tv or read having a hug with him.

Like his sister, the church is a big part of his life and he decided last year that he wanted to be christened. He was really involved with the whole process which was lovely of Rev. Pam and he even chose his own hymns. Charlie is also a member of the bell-ringing team! He also has just done his first reading in church which is a huge achievement for someone who hated to read in front of people.

And then there is my youngest son who has us all wrapped around his little finger and is a real monkey!!!! He is very stubborn and knows his own mind! He is a huge dinosaur fan and I am often surprised at how he knows the long names!! He started school in September and I am still getting used to it as I think I still baby him a lot which I know I shouldn’t but he has had a lot of operations in his life and I think that’s why, plus he is my last so I am trying to drag out each stage more! I have certainly had to get used to how independent he has become since starting school though which is a good thing my rational brain says but I wish he wouldn’t grow up so fast!!!

So, as you can see my children are much much more than a label!