Category Archives: Disability

Launch of the New “Let’s Explore Behaviour” Parent Guide – 25 March 2026

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We are delighted to share that the new ‘Let’s Explore Behaviour’ Parent Guide was officially launched at the Stronger Together: Information Day for Children with Additional Needs, on 25 March at The Braid Arts Centre in Ballymena. The event, hosted by the Northern Health and Social Care Trust, brought together families, practitioners, and partner organisations for a day dedicated to information, support, and connection.

 

 

 

A key moment of the day was the formal launch of the guide by Chris Quinn, Northern Ireland’s Children’s Commissioner, who spoke about the importance of early support, inclusion, and recognising the strengths within every family.

 

 

 

The ‘Let’s Explore Behaviour’ Parent Guide was co‑designed by parents, carers, practitioners, and members of the CYPSP Northern Area Outcomes Group Disability Working Group. Over recent years, families highlighted a growing need for accessible, compassionate guidance to help them understand their child’s behaviour, particularly for children with additional needs.

This guide represents a collective response to that need: practical, reassuring, and firmly rooted in lived experience.

 

The guide is a reflective toolkit designed to help parents understand what their child’s behaviour may be communicating and how small, consistent steps can make a difference. It includes:

  • Practical explanations of behaviour as communication
  • The CAPE framework (Communication, Action, People, Environment)
  • SMART planning tools to help families set achievable goals
  • Helpful visual supports, activities, and worksheets
  • Dedicated sections on sleep, toileting, screen time, outings, transitions, and physically challenging behaviours
  • Signposting to Northern Ireland specific supports and services

It reinforces three key messages: You are not alone. Your child is capable. You are doing better than you think.

 

 

By building parents’ confidence and offering clear, workable strategies, the guide aims to reduce stress, strengthen relationships, and promote consistent support across home, school, and services. It represents strong partnership working across health, education, and the community sector.

 

The ‘Let’s Explore Behaviour’ Parent Guide is available free of charge and can be downloaded at: https://cypsp.hscni.net/download/443/lets-explore-behaviour/47769/naog-lets-explore-behaviour.pdf 

Free Cerebral Palsy Sleep Resource

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The Northern Ireland Cerebral Palsy Register and Queen’s University Belfast are delighted to share with you our free resources on sleep and CP. These resources are the results of Dr Mary-Elaine McCavert’s PhD on sleep disturbances in children with CP and were created alongside children with CP and their parents thanks to the support of the John Glover Memorial Award. 

All three resources (including one for families and one for the GP core team) can be found and downloaded from here: https://www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/NorthernIrelandCerebralPalsyRegister/Sleep-disturbances-Cerebral-palsy/ . For your convenience, we have attached the resource for educational staff. We hope this supports you and your pupils with CP, who may also have difficulties with sleep.  

Front cover of teacher resource about sleep and Cerebral Palsy - picture of yellow moon wearing a sleep hat with z z z sitting on purple clouds includes QUB logo and text "dear teacher please don't forget"

NI Rare Disease Partnership

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The Northern Ireland Rare Disease Partnership (NIRDP) are thrilled to introduce their newly devised education and upskilling programme, “Understanding Rare”. This initiative is designed to foster a deeper understanding and empathy towards the unique needs of the 1 in 17/110K individuals (many of which are children) living with rare diseases or conditions in Northern Ireland, and many of whom experience acute mental health/financial/work/housing or isolation needs alongside carers or family members who are also experiencing these challenges. Some of these “Rare Stories” can be found here

NIRDP understand that mental health providers and Helplines NI (of which we are also a member) play a pivotal role in offering support and guidance to these individuals. Therefore, we have crafted a free 1.5-hour remote learning Continuing Professional Development (CPD) session that aims to equip mental health or helpline and support staff with the necessary knowledge and skills to address their needs more effectively.

Through this short programme, participants will be better prepared to:

  • Understand the complex needs of those with rare diseases in our community.
  • Empathise with their unique challenges and experiences through the sharing of Rare Stories
  • Signpost more successfully to organisations like the NIRDP or other rare condition organisations, facilitating a network of comprehensive support.

NIRDP are pleased to inform you that this initiative is generously funded by the Community Foundation/DOH in Northern Ireland, a testament to the significance and potential impact of this programme. We kindly then encourage you to share this invaluable opportunity with your staff, colleagues, and those in your organisation responsible for supporting CPD initiatives. For further information or to express your interest, please do not hesitate to contact us directly or share this email with colleagues within or beyond your own organisation that may find this matter of interest, especially in training or HR departments.

 

 

Angel Eyes NI – Equality for Children with Vision Impairment

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All children have dreams and aspirations and we believe that blind and partially sighted children should have the same opportunities in life to achieve these as their fully sighted peers.  Angel Eyes NI supports parents to access early intervention family support services at the earliest stage in their child’s life.

Our aim is to provide parents and their families with the tools to make this possible and to enable their child to realise their full potential.  

Our Vision

Every blind and partially sighted child in Northern Ireland will have equal opportunities in life to fully achieve their dreams, aspirations and potential

Our Service

Angel Eyes NI offer a range of parenting/family support  services including signposting, education advocacy, advice, access to early years programmes including play groups, parent peer support, family outings and much more to support families with a blind or partially sighted child.

Contact Us

Angel Eyes NI

Innovation Factory

385 Springfield Road

Belfast, BT12 7DG

Telephone – 028 9590 2835 

Website: www.angeleyesni.org