Michael Brian Reed

14 Jan: Megan and Jonti

2012-01-22T20:29:00.001Z

Finished Unit 11 phonics Sound Book this morning. Went for a walk with Aunty Ann and Mam. Then Graeme, Heather, Megan and Jonti and Craig and Jake came. Graeme took my broken Medion computer away to fix it.

13 Jan: Social Worker

2012-01-22T20:20:00.001Z

Had to cut our home-ed short today for social worker to go through and update assessments for a 2 and a half hours. She will put it all on the system and come back 25 January for us to agree what she writes.

11 Jan: @ Grandma's

2012-01-22T13:23:00.001Z

Mam did Grandma's hair and pruned the garden a bit, I hoovered up and John fitted a new socket in the garage and fixed the garage door. At home later we did some phonics.

10 Jan: 1st Day of Term

2012-01-22T12:23:00.000Z

I don't have anyone to help me write about my time at college. Teacher doesn't use home-college book much and hasn't arranged for my family to meet my 'communication facilitator' yet though she started working with me in September.

9 Jan: Hannah's 1st Day Back

2012-01-22T12:20:00.000Z

I talked to Hannah about Xmas and New Year while Mam updated my bog since November.

8 Jan: Apple 1to1: Keynote

2012-01-09T21:45:00.000Z

I enjoyed learning about Keynote, Apple's presentation program. I like the Magic Move feature where you can animate objects between slides. I want to animate a presentation about synthetic phonics.

7 Jan: Paul Squire's 1st

2012-01-09T19:34:00.001Z

Today is cousin Rob's 22nd and nephew Paul Squire's 1st. We took Dad to visit Squire.

Pics on Facebook

6 Jan: Language & Literacy

2012-01-09T19:29:00.001Z

Lauren came for the day - at 9.30 am!!!

My PA Hannah starts work at my college next week, on my course, but not with my class. She won't be doing any Fridays with me at home now but will do more hours on Mondays.

I worked really well today and impressed everyone with how happy I was to do so many hours of synthetic phonics, grammar chants, core words motor skills... shame time ran out before we got to blogging or mapping me...

5 Jan: Trees Down; No College!

2012-01-09T19:22:00.004Z

The wind was howling all Xmas but our little tree in the garden stood up to it. Today we took the lights off and put it away as Mam worried the wind was getting too wild to chance it until 6 January, the 12th Day.

I am so glad college called yesterday to cancel today, our first day back, and tell us not to come in until Tuesday 10 January!!!!! :) :) :) :)))))))

31 Dec: New Year's

2012-01-09T19:20:00.002Z

25 Dec: Xmas

2012-01-09T15:24:00.003Z

Grandma and Dad came for dinner. We had guinea fowl, pheasant and duck with different stuffings :)

Aunties, uncles, cousins, brothers and sisters, nephews and nieces all came to visit the next few days.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150494935697492.398057.574347491&type=1&l=5925164358

23 Dec: Squire & Shaun

2012-01-09T15:23:00.002Z

Sharon brought Paul Squire to Dad's this afternoon and Mam took me to see Trish and Shaun later on.

On Xmas Eve we visited Leighton and Sophie Leigh.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150494933652492.398054.574347491&type=1&l=84fe8ea225

21 Dec: 1:1 iCloud; Andrew

2012-01-09T15:17:00.000Z

Another session learning about iCloud then went to Stanley to pick up Andrew and bring him for a sleepover at mine.

19 Dec: Tom n Jack; /ey/

2012-01-09T14:57:00.001Z

15 Dec: Taekwondo Awards

2012-01-09T14:20:00.000Z

11 Dec: Apple 1:1

2012-01-09T14:13:00.001Z

7200 HDD :) Picked up our MacBook Pro with the right new hard disk.

iCloud 1:1
Moved my me.com account to the Cloud.
Imported photos to iPhoto.
Learned PhotoStream.

9 Dec: Leighton's Nursery Xmas

2012-01-09T13:59:00.002Z

Leighton's first Xmas production - he was Joseph. Pics on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150494927032492.398052.574347491&type=1&l=69fefdd9e8

10 December Mam brought Trish to see me.

9 Dec: o a ough

2012-01-09T13:55:00.000Z

Today's grapheme art:

6 Dec: Oxford Hospital

2012-01-09T13:46:00.000Z

Aunty Claire lives near Oxford. We stayed with her the night before my appointment.

3-4 Dec: 1 Voice Winter Weekend

2012-01-09T13:38:00.002Z

2 Dec: o oa oe o-e ow ought

2012-01-09T13:37:00.002Z

Today's grapheme art:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150494904522492.398042.574347491&type=1&l=9b626113ce

29 Nov: More core please

2012-01-09T13:07:00.000Z

28 Nov: Oi Oy Ch Ch Ch

2012-01-09T13:02:00.000Z

Today's phonics art:

23 Nov: Genius Bar

2012-01-09T12:57:00.000Z

New HDD - 5400 by mistake!!!

16 Nov: Go Karts

2012-01-09T12:54:00.000Z

Me and Rob went Go-Karting with friends from DADLG.

13 Nov: Grammar Chants

2011-11-13T18:46:00.000Z

"A selection of Grammar Chants from Kenneth Beare's ESL lessons at about.com, slightly modified. Chanting, where the group repeats what the leader says, removes a lot of the processing load compared to discourse, where the responder has to adjust the pronouns and verb tenses (as well as find all the words on his or her communication aid)." Terry Gibson

More pics on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.298392533518452.85396.100000431221178&type=1&l=4049785a04

5 Nov: Bonfire Night

2011-11-13T18:34:00.000Z

We had a great night with Dean and Charlene and family.

More pics on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150384161162492.382735.574347491&type=1&l=53fb18f720

28 Oct: AAC Month @ Town Hall & Masonic Hall

2011-11-13T18:14:00.001Z

We took our kit to the Town Hall 28 October and the Masonic Hall 4 November to raise awareness of AAC during AAC Month. We did some synthetic phonics, grammar chants, read out our campaign and showed clips from two AAC movies - Only God could Hear Me and Wretches & Jabberers.

Pics on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150384383247492.382777.574347491&type=1&l=6da3893152

26 Oct:: AAC Month Relays

2011-10-28T23:22:00.007+01:00

Today people around the world Skyped, Twittered, posted on Facebook and blogs and talked in chat rooms for 24 hours for International Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Month. All through October every year people hold events and share stories and movies to celebrate AAC. This year some people are doing 'Power of Communication Relays' to raise awareness of AAC.

We took the ‘I Love AAC’ banner to Durham Area Disability Leisure Group last Cyclability session of the season at Durham Cricket Ground race track 30 September. Thank you friends!

Movie on Youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMLAdNdQib8

More pics on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150370234002492.379315.574347491&type=1&l=cf38a09e79

24 Oct: Grammar Chants

2011-10-28T21:35:00.000+01:00

On Monday we started using grammar chants from Kenneth Beare's ESL site for our language practice.

Rob stayed over Monday and Tuesday. Katy and Lauren stayed on Tuesday.

22 Oct: Paul Squire

2011-10-28T21:33:00.000+01:00

My nephew Paul Squire stayed with us for the weekend.

15-21 Oct::

2011-10-28T21:28:00.000+01:00

Placeholder:

14 Oct::

2011-10-28T20:53:00.000+01:00

Placeholder:
Phonics, reading with Gemma, meeting new social worker Marie.

12 Oct: Diana @ Lancaster House

2011-10-24T23:00:00.001+01:00

Special networking event for Diana Award Holders at Lancaster House, London, and the launch of 5 new categories of Award Holder. My story, with photo of me working on our 'Equality Without Words?' campaign poster, featured on the Diana Active Campaigner banner, and Maggie Turner, Director of the Diana Award, is looking into how the Diana Award will support our campaign.

More pics on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150363892027492.377851.574347491&type=1&l=3dc44cf860

5 Oct: CAD/CAM - Z

2011-10-24T22:20:00.005+01:00

Mam asked college if they could find me something more to do than just 'making toast' - that is what she calls my Life Skills course. Richard found a computer aided manufacture lesson and our whole class will be printing our own designs on a T Shirt or mug soon. Richard asked Mam to help me choose a design. We talked about whether it would be words or a picture, whether I wanted to do something new or use pictures I already have. I decided to make a collage of the things I love most - me as the Hoover Z vacuum cleaner with my Pathfinder communication aid for its foot, a pylon, and the beige angel from my friend Stephanie's black jumper. Z's headlights are Christmas lights.

Mam animated Z in her 3D class at Bishop Auckland College, 2005. Janitor Rap: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnQ1x7bawIs

I replicated Terry’s PowerPoint version of Z ready to animate him in Flash and Keynote.

A cardboard cut-out of Z stars in our stop motion animation The Language Stealers:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vib2__BDCXc

I am really looking forward to making my CAD/CAM T Shirt!

27 Sep: Diana Active Campaigner

2011-10-24T21:24:00.000+01:00

Working on the poster for our campaign 'Equality Without Words?'.

15 Sep: Allotment

2011-10-24T20:14:00.000+01:00

My college tutor phoned home to say how happy I am at the allotment!!!

10 Sep: Birthdays

2011-10-24T19:33:00.000+01:00

I was 22 on 11 September and Grandma was 80 on the 5th. We celebrated together at my house on Saturday the 10th and the family went to the Honest Lawyer for lunch Sunday.

Pics on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150364289232492.377908.574347491&type=1&l=ebefe821d7

2 Sep: Today

2011-10-17T22:40:00.001+01:00

Worked on our Arts Award portfolios, printed invites for my party next Saturday, laminated our grapheme charts back-to-back with our core words language mates, practiced 'have' phrases.

1 Sep: Garden

2011-10-17T22:34:00.000+01:00

Today we cut the grass then went to Taekwondo.

31 Aug: Forbidden Corner

2011-10-16T18:16:00.002+01:00

Movie on Youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/user/michaelbrianreed#p/u/6/Z-51LxWU3wM

29 Aug: Bluebuds @ Fishburn WMC

2011-10-16T18:03:00.000+01:00

Good tunes Justin & Kirk! A good day made even better when Trevor took me to Moxy's on the way home and he gave me a red coat!

24-26 Aug: Lauren, Andrew, Trish & Dad

2011-10-16T17:34:00.000+01:00

Lauren stayed over at mine Wednesday and I met her Nanna and dog when I took her home Thursday. Andrew stayed on Thursday. We went to Taekwondo. Trish brought her baby Shaun to see us on Friday and we took her home before visiting Dad for his birthday.

Lauren is my friend from college but she left last year. Andrew and Trish are friends I went to school with.

20 Aug: Claire & Will Sky Dive

2011-10-16T16:44:00.001+01:00

Cousin Claire and boyfriend Will skydiving at Shotton Colliery Airfield. Exciting and scary. Don't think I would do it.

Camera 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RuzG8Yuj8M&feature=related
Camera 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwJqmIC0yY8&feature=related

11-15 Aug: Hadrian's Hikers

2011-10-16T16:12:00.002+01:00

5 days, over 60 miles, good time with family. tough work but good fun. Lots of nice food. good time had by all.

http://www.youtube.com/user/michaelbrianreed#p/u/9/lnNHlpk3Iq8

6 Aug: Andy & Rob

2011-10-16T15:39:00.001+01:00

Andrew stayed over from Wednesday 4th to Saturday and Rob stayed from Tuesday 9th to Thursday. Mam and John worked with Andy on his presentation about the Core Words communication aids our group has been making this last five years and with all of us on synthetic phonics using Debbie Hepplewhite's Sounds Books and THRASS Sound It Out - in between shopping for camping stuff and packing for our family holiday walking Hadrian's Wall.

5 Aug: Camera Mouse

2011-10-16T15:33:00.000+01:00

We showed Hannah's son Tom the free mouse alternative software Camera Mouse. People with motor impairments could use it to access the Core Words Language Mate we made in the free software Tico to give everyone access to core language.

4 Aug: Legoland

2011-10-16T15:30:00.006+01:00

Me, Andy, Rob and friends from DADLG - Durham Area Disability Leisure Group - at Legoland Manchester. It's a lot smaller than Windsor. It's in a shopping Centre. The 3D movies were ace.Everything came right at you off the screen.

Movie on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/v/10150279715547492

29 July: Hearing Aid Good

2011-10-16T15:27:00.001+01:00

Talking about my week with Hannah, showing her my Journal, revising comparatives and working on phonemes with John, walking down the stream with Rob. Everyone was happy for me when I signed that I hadn't felt sleepy or made any frustration signs by hitting or pressing my hands on my chin today and signed that it was my new hearing aid helping me.

26 July: No Yoga

2011-10-16T15:12:00.000+01:00

Had a headache and needed to sleep so no Yoga or Wishing Well club tonight.

25 July: Tom & Jack

2011-10-16T15:08:00.003+01:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VU6uLU9k-M0&feature=BFa&list=UL8bMg6VOJoYk&lf=mfu_in_order

23 July: Daughters & Dads @ Croft

2011-10-16T02:37:00.006+01:00

Cousin Katy and Uncle Mick, Daughters and Dads Team, come 12th in the Citroen 2CV 24-Hour Race at Croft. Katy was just seventeen in February, passed her driving test in a few weeks and got her racing license straight away! Well done Katy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bMg6VOJoYk

22 July: Sounding Out

2011-10-16T02:35:00.002+01:00

Movie on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfzHborwPRE

19 July: Boxercise

2011-10-16T02:34:00.002+01:00

A month of therapy taster sessions at the Wishing Well Club.

Boxercise: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cl9T89LyK4&feature=related

Aquacise: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDLkVm633K0&feature=related

11-18 July: Tico & Phonics

2011-10-16T02:11:00.002+01:00

Looking for pic of new Tico board.

12 July: Quadbikes

2011-10-16T02:07:00.001+01:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbxGjYs18hQ&feature=BFa&list=ULyt4m6ihRewU&lf=mfu_in_order

10 July: Roseberry Topping

2011-10-16T02:03:00.000+01:00

7 July: Hearing Aid, Taekwondo & Fire Alarm

2011-10-16T01:54:00.005+01:00

I got a hearing aid fitted today. They found my hearing was down in both ears compared to my last test 9 June. They did not re-set my aid because it is hard to tell the right setting when my hearing changes all the time. I can hear much better with it. Everything sounds different.

Movie of us at Taekwondo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSXKLRXc_DI&feature=BFa&list=ULUbxGjYs18hQ&lf=mfu_in_order

It was exciting setting the fire alarm off after Taekwondo tonight:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-OxsQC3Vyw&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

Screaming and turning the lights off and on:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yt4m6ihRewU&feature=BFa&list=ULCSXKLRXc_DI&lf=mfu_in_order

4 July: Pylons

2011-10-16T01:49:00.000+01:00

3 July: Mario

2011-10-16T01:46:00.000+01:00

1 July:

2011-10-16T01:34:00.002+01:00

Sharing news, language practice, making pronoun-verb flip book, walking out with bro, journaling, choosing taster sessions for Wishing Well Club, playing Mario...

Pics on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150245467987492.345718.574347491&type=1&l=52de505d06

30 Jun: Views

2011-10-16T01:19:00.000+01:00

24 Jun: Hardwick with Hannah

2011-10-16T01:09:00.000+01:00

21 Jun: Wishing Well

2011-10-16T01:01:00.000+01:00

20 Jun: D.A.D,

2011-10-16T00:48:00.001+01:00

19 Jun: Father's Day

2011-10-16T00:42:00.001+01:00

15 Jun: College Awards

2011-10-16T00:32:00.000+01:00

12 Jun: Squire's Christening

2011-10-16T00:15:00.001+01:00

10 Jun: er

2011-10-15T23:57:00.000+01:00

9 Jun: 2nd Hearing Test

2011-10-15T23:52:00.000+01:00

6 Jun: ai, ay, a-e, and a

2011-10-15T23:48:00.001+01:00

Movie clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogfR7fSLtQ8

4June: Borderlands Collage

2011-10-15T21:04:00.000+01:00

Today John helped me make my Borderlands collage for my presentation at college, then we went for a walk down by the power station to see the pylons.

2 Jun: Quads, Croft, Taekwondo

2011-10-15T20:42:00.001+01:00

This morning we went to the Quadbikes with DADLG, then to Croft to watch cousin Katy do some practice laps in her Citroen 2CV, then we varnished our garden swing and went to Taekwondo tonight.

Katy's practice laps at Croft:
http://www.youtube.com/user/michaelbrianreed#p/u/20/_5jNAYkTB84

27 May: CAVOS

2011-10-15T19:42:00.001+01:00

Our display at CAVOS Combat the Cuts event this morning.

This afternoon Kate came to talk to me about me giving a presentation at D.A.D. (Darlington Association on Disability) in June about Barriers to Communication and communication Rights.

25 May: Open Day

2011-10-15T19:36:00.000+01:00

23 May: Phonics, First Hearing Test

2011-10-15T19:25:00.003+01:00

This morning we worked on the phonemes /w/ and /or/ and the graphemes 'w' 'wh' 'or' 'a' and 'al'.

This afternoon the doctor said I have 30 to 40 decibels hearing loss. My right ear is worse than my left. I'm going to have more tests at Darlington soon.

21 May: The Honest Lawyer

2011-08-09T14:24:00.000+01:00

All the family out for a meal at Honest Lawyer, a late celebration of Mam's birthday 14 May.

20 May: Literacy, Transition, Social Care & Direct Payments

2011-08-09T14:22:00.001+01:00

it's complicated!

18 May: College Review

2011-08-09T14:10:00.000+01:00

will write later.

7 May: The King's Speech

2011-08-09T14:07:00.000+01:00

We all watched The King's Speech at Grandma's.

6 May: Coats, Arts Award Grant, Debbie Hepplewhite

2011-08-09T14:06:00.000+01:00

Hannah took me to her house today to photograph her coats and Tom's and Jack's!

Mam downloaded synthetic phonics worksheets from Debbie Hepplewhite for our home schooling.

We applied for an Arts Award grant for session workers to help us with our animation 'Language Givers' in the summer holidays.

3 - 5 May: Adult Services take all Mam's time!

2011-08-09T14:00:00.000+01:00

One reason I am so behind with updating my blog, doing my campaigns and animations, and learning to read and write at home is the number of calls, emails, meetings, visits and questionnaires Mam has to deal with from so many people in social care, health and education. Not good. Mam will write on her blog when she has caught up on mine a bit more.

Easter Week

2011-08-09T13:53:00.000+01:00

Aunties, uncles and cousins and all came to stay at Grandma's and ours. Friends came to visit. Leighton came for a sleepover one night. Andrew stayed for a few days.

Andrew's laptop was wiped clean when he got it fixed so my brother reinstalled some programs and put all our photos, videos, project work, synthetic phonics and Language Mates PowerPoints, and Tico Language Mate back on it. We edited our 'Equality without Words?' campaign poster a bit but it is not finished yet. Andrew loves the synthetic phonics apps on my iPad!

19 April: Alnwick Gardens

2011-08-09T13:35:00.000+01:00

Had a great day at Alnwick Gardens with friends from Durham Area Disability Leisure Group! I enjoyed the fountains and the tree house but the best part was me wearing McCauley's blue gillet all day!

Movie on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/user/michaelbrianreed#p/u/18/1hWahCOKZl4
Pics on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150245903052492.346015.574347491&l=bcdc832048&type=1

17 April: SLCF and AACQS

2011-08-09T13:26:00.000+01:00

Good news! Documents to guide practice and assess the skills and competencies of everyone working with children and young people, especially those who rely on AAC to communicate.

My family is trying to help professionals on my 'team' realise that they must comply!

I might get specialist assessment of my needs at last! Some staff might even get trained on how to facilitate me! Surely the only way is up now?

Speech, Language and Communication Framework (SLCF).

"The SLCF is a clear and detailed framework of the skills and knowledge in speech, language and communication which are important for everyone who works with children and young people. It is available as an interactive online tool at www.communicationhelppoint.org.uk.

Practitioners and managers can complete an online evaluation of their current skills and knowledge. Once completed they will have a list of competences where they are fairly confident or not confident."

Download a PDF of SLCF here:

http://www.thecommunicationtrust.org.uk/publications

National Standards for AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) services for children and adults have been developed by and in consultation with AAC stakeholders. These Standards documents aim to describe national good practice and principles for people who need and use AAC services.

Download The Quality Standards in AAC (3 Word documents) here:
http://www.communicationmatters.org.uk/nationalaacstandards

16 April: DADLG @ Quads

2011-08-09T13:01:00.000+01:00

Quad bike ride, games and hot pork sarnies at Hardwick Park with friends from Durham Area Disability Leisure Group. Great day, as always!

More pics on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150209159977492.336620.574347491&l=76bb19f51d&type=1

Movie on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/user/michaelbrianreed#p/u/17/psQflt1PHlw

1 April: GP Hearing

2011-08-09T12:37:00.000+01:00

I don't hear everything properly. My family notice when they are helping me spell that I don't hear all the letters, or when I go 'eh?' 'eh?' lots of times when people are talking to me.

Today I had my ears waxed and it made things a bit better. I will have a hearing test at hospital soon.

21 March: Julia, Number 4, Mencap & Luke Clements

2011-07-31T00:42:00.068+01:00

We met Julia - Information Officer for the LD Parliament - at the Number 4 cafe in Sedgefield.

Julia had volunteered to help me with my Big Challenge campaign for language and literacy for all, and with my campaign against the cuts, helping me share information on the law and the cuts with other Learning Disability MP's and service users who are affected.

The cakes were delicious, and after the cafe we went into the Black Lion for a game of pool, then over to Shildon to visit my friend from college, Lauren.

But not everything was good news.

Julia told us Brian had crossed our names off the list for going to the Mencap event about fighting the cuts on Wednesday 23 March, and we had been really looking forward to meeting Luke Clements there. Luke is a barrister who specialises in social care and my family has downloaded and studied his and barrister Steve Broach's papers on using the law to fight the cuts.

We knew places were limited but Brian had not told us he had decided we were not in the lucky few who could go :(

My talk about the law and the cuts and how personalisation has gone wrong for me in Co Durham did not make it onto the agenda for March Learning Disability Parliament meeting.

14 Feb: AAC Keys: Weekend News

2011-07-30T19:19:00.000+01:00

When Hannah comes on Mondays and Fridays I tell her what I have been doing since I last saw her. Sometimes I connect my Pathfinder to Mam's old Mac so what I say also gets written into Word.

11 Feb: LD Parliament?

2011-07-30T17:40:00.004+01:00

Today was to be my second talk of 2011 at the Learning Disability Parliament. It was to be about using the law to fight the cuts, how personalisation has gone wrong for me in County Durham, everything I have done to help them know me, my needs and wishes, and then open the floor to everyone to share their experiences and talk about how we might campaign for our rights.

MP's from all localities decided before Christmas that this was really important to us all and we talked about making a documentary, having a video booth, putting things on the Internet or making a newsletter.

Our monthly meetings at Durham are the only chance we get to all be together and discuss our issues.

BUT, like in January, some organisations needed to gather information from service users and they took over the meeting.

1 Feb: Protect the Frontline!

2011-07-30T17:01:00.000+01:00

The Learning Disability Coalition asks people with learning disabilities all over the UK to campaign against cuts in social care budgets by delivering postcards to council leaders, heads of social care and portfolio holders for Adults, Health and Wellbeing 1 February 2011.

I went with my cousin Robert, brother John and friends from Craig House, Barnard Castle - Pauline Lazard, Andrew Henderson, Nicola Jayne Brown, Louise Vollans, Lee Greenaway, Caroline Saunders and John Cooper.

We gave Frontline postcards to Mac Williams JP, Chairman of Durham County Council, Rachael Shimmin, Director of Adults, Wellbeing & Health, and Morris Nicholls, Portfolio Holder at Durham Council Chambers.

Movie on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HC2barQiVZ0
Pics on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150090969717492.285456.574347491&l=bb9fcd3ac0&type=1

Learning Disability Coalition:

http://www.learningdisabilitycoalition.org.uk/

January: Hannah, My New PA

2011-07-30T14:50:00.003+01:00

Hannah is a Literacy teacher and is helping Mam and John with my literacy at home. She is really interested in my communication aid and helping with my language practice, as well as fun things like taking me to her house to photograph her coats and her sons' coats.

Hannah does Dyslexia literacy and Mam and John do synthetic phonics. We are learning from each other.

January: Hazel, Lauren & Dale

2011-07-30T14:33:00.003+01:00

Dream come true! I've been wanting friends from college to come to my house since I started there 18 months ago and it's happening at last! Lauren started coming and having sleepovers during the Christmas holidays. One Saturday she showed me where Dale lives but he was out. We talked to his family.

I have visited Hazel at home she has been to mine a few times. I took her to see my nephew Paul Squire one Saturday.

It's hard for me to make arrange visits myself and all this came about after my family talked to my friends and their families at the Christmas Fayre in December.

Lauren and Hazel and Hazel's carers all love my iPad, especially the synthetic phonics apps. Hazel's carers are helping her to read and write. If only they would do synthetic phonics with us at college...

25-27 Jan: Wishing Well, DADLG, Taekwondo

2011-07-27T20:53:00.000+01:00

Tuesday me and Rob went to the Wishing Well club at the Pioneering Care Centre, Newton Aycliffe. We met some friends from college, Innovations and the LD Parliament there.

Wednesday we had a meal at the Court Inn, Durham with friends from Durham Area Disability Leisure Group. Some student volunteers from Durham Uni were there. Rob told them about us making AAC and helping everyone communicate.

Thursday we started doing Taekwondo with Russell Shaw at Spennymoor Leisure Centre, a DADLG activity.

2011: The National Year of Communication!

2011-07-27T20:31:00.002+01:00

Hello, the 2011 national year of communication campaign.

Speech, language and communication underpin everything we do.

Difficulties with communicating affect children and young people severely and for life.

Hello is being run by The Communication Trust in partnership with the Government's Communication Champion Jean Gross. The national year was proposed by John Bercow MP in his 2008 Review of Services for Children and Young People with speech, language and communication needs.

Hello is backed by the Department for Education and Department of Health and sponsored by BT and Pearson Assessment.

http://www.hello.org.uk/
http://www.thecommunicationtrust.org.uk/hello.aspx
http://www.thecommunicationcouncil.org/champion/
https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/standard/publicationDetail/Page1/DCSF-00632-2008
http://www.communicationmatters.org.uk/page/diary

20 Jan: SLT, PCP, Phonics

2011-07-26T22:19:00.000+01:00

Today while I was at college Mam and my speech therapist tuned into Gail Van Tatenhove's webinar 'Supporting Students Using Robust AAC Devices in General Education Classes' at our house. Mam and me filmed Gail doing this talk in Montreal august 2008.

After that Mark Eccles from DCC Person Centred Planning team came to our house to return my artwork from the 29 Days Person Centred Planning workshops in February 2008. We couldn't have it until after the exhibitions. Then we were told it had been binned. We asked who by? And suddenly it turned up!

Pics from my LD Parliament presentation on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150267352352492.353537.574347491&l=10c7353761

Tonight Mam and John made all the buttons for an interactive synthetic phonics PowerPoint.

17 Jan: LD Parliament

2011-07-26T16:17:00.001+01:00

At November locality meeting Brian asked everyone what their issues were and for me to do two talks at the Learning Disability Parliament, one in January and one in February. January was to be my Language and Literacy campaign and February my presentation about using the law to fight the cuts.

Sadly there was no time for my talk as some organisations that needed to collect feedback from service users took over the meeting.

6 Jan: Paul Squire Reed, my new nephew

2011-07-26T11:28:00.001+01:00

Paul Squire Reed born today to my brother Paul and his wife Sharon.

more pics on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.494487567491.279620.574347491&l=84dccceffb&type=1

11 Jan: Social Worker!!!

2011-02-22T13:06:00.001Z

Care coordinator comes to go over 'the questionnaire' (the third questionnaire they made me fill in in 2 years - am I being treat as a new referral again and again?). What about a legal assessment of my individual needs?

She says communication has nothing to do with wellbeing and that as I have SLD and am not an independent communicator I don't need any words or an interpreter or communication support worker.

Worse still she says this would be the view of Social Care.

My family is making a PowerPoint of how Personalisation has gone wrong for me in county Durham, studying 'Cemented to the Floor by Law', which sets out some of the most important legal duties to consider when funding decisions are being taken, and starting an investigation with help of advocates.

http://www.ncb.org.uk/cdc/resources/cemented_to_the_floor_by_law.aspx

10 Jan: Katie @ Home

2011-02-07T23:06:00.003Z

My speech therapist Katie popped in to see the Vantage. She seemed impressed with it and how I could talk to her on it without any practice.
www.liberator.co.uk