There's a Panda in my Bellybutton

A communication passport is a way of supporting a vulnerable person, such as someone with Autism, with communication difficulties when they have to transition through different events, such as changing schools, or their first job. In Ryan’s case, we made a new specific communication passport for his medical file so that all the medical professionals could learn a little about Ryan before they met him and therefore be better prepared and able to interact with him. A communication passport draws together complex information (including the person's own views, as much as possible) and formalises the information into a clear, positive and accessible format. Every passport is individual and every layout must be utilised for the specific person and audience for which it is intended. When Ryan moved from Primary to secondary school, his primary school made a really detailed tri-fold, double-sided leaflet. This was invaluable to all the teachers that would get to know Ryan in their v...

Since Ryan was born in 2001, I have read hoards of information on Autism, child development, healthy eating, and alternative therapies to name but a few and as I have said previously I am in no doubt that foods  play an important role in explaining some of Ryan’s difficulties. I try very hard (but am not perfect) to maintain a healthy Limbic System as I believe it has a strong role in our health, wellbeing and development. The Limbic system supports a variety of functions, including emotion, behaviour, motivation, long-term memory, and olfaction. It appears to be primarily responsible for emotional life and it has a great deal to do with the formations of memories. Susanna Heinze Obviously all of these are very prevalent characteristic ‘symptoms’ of autism, so by trying to maintain a healthy balance and approach I hope to better support Ryan on a day to day basis. As warm-blooded mammals, we are dependent on the development of emotional attachment to the paren...