In the tips piece below Elyssa Campbell-Barr gives her best bits of advice for parents of children with special needs as they consider their childcare options. Elyssa Campbell-Barr has been writing about childcare and education for more than 15 years. She was editor of Who Minds?, the National Childminding Association magazine, from 1999-2006, and editor of The Teacher magazine from 2006-2014.
She has written about childcare and early education for many other organisations and publications, including Ofsted, Sure Start, Nursery World, the Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years (Pacey), and NetMums. In addition, she has recently had a new book published, Choosing Childcare (see image of the front cover below). As the working mother of a three-year-old daughter and one-year-old son, she has very recent and relevant first-hand experience of the book’s topics.
Finding the right childcare for your little one while you work or study can be a challenge. If your child has additional needs of any sort – whether a physical disability, chronic medical condition, learning difficulties, behavioural issues, communication problems or severe allergies – it might feel particularly daunting. The good news is that there is plenty of support available.