Review of 1st Fone by Own Phone

I'm one of those Mums who has a pretty strong opinion about children not owning too much gadgetry and technology. 

This is never truer for me than on the subject of phones. I accept that back in the day we had 10p in our pocket and hoped to find a working phonebox if we needed our parents, and that isn't ideal now. 

But quite frankly the stories of teens driven to suicide by text and online bullying and youngsters sharing every moment of their lives at a tender age where they are so impressionable terrifies me. Not to mention the fact that access to adult sites and much more sinister onlinecriminal activity, and it's adding to mental health problems amongst our youth that is escalating.

Therefore, when the time comes for our girls to have more independence one day, and a phone of their own, it will NOT be a smartphone. There's plenty of time for that when their older and paying for them themselves.

What's that? They will get bullied for not having the right sort of phone?
I don't think either of them will care a hoot about that.

All that is many years off for us, but I recently came across an article about a very simple kind of phone that can only ring 4 or 6 pre-programmed numbers. They can be stored under names or even photos. My husband, a tech geek was pretty impressed too. 

"How fabulous for adults with a learning disability!" 
I thought to myself. 

And then I filed that info away in the recesses of my mind.


So, we were all rather excited when Own Fone approached us to trial their 1st Fone which is exactly what we had been reading about. Natty is too young to need it right now, but Mia could use it when she does sports days away from home, or she visits a friend's house, so we agreed to trial it.

Each phone is made to order with the numbers/words/photos of most sutable for the user and you can choose from 10s of patterns for the shell. We went for blue chihuahuas (well, dogs) and chose our home number and both parents' mobiles.

The phone arrived really quickly considering it was bespoke, and the girls couldn't wait to open the tiny box and try it out. Once charged we practised using it and Natty got the hang of it quickly as it really is very simple to use. Natty is able to read those words but the photo option would be ideal for those who need a symbol or other visual cue. Incidentally she can't ring 999 by accident as that button has to be pressed 3 times to work.

I think the phone is great. It's small and light enough for Natty's little hands and fingers. It's on a pay as you go tariff so which is perfect as it won't be used often so will be cheap to run.  It is a lovely fun, and dare I say it funky, first phone for when it is needed but it is completely unstealable. I mean who wants a small plastic phone with only 4 numbers in it that belong to someone else's Mum!

Mia is very proud to show it off however, and I can see her setting a trend for simpler technology in the phone department amongst her peers.


I can see this being ideal for the elderly who live alone, or adults who need a fuss free communication device and Own Fone have many types and styles to suit. 


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Dancers with Down Syndrome Realising their Dreams with Stopgap Dance Company




Nicky Norton 
is the Community Dance Development Officer for Stopgap Dance Company who




She approached Downs Side Up but sadly I couldn't make it to a performance as I had other commitments (actually watching Up Down Boy), so I suggested an interview with her and 2 dancers Hannah and Chris, to showcase the incredible work of the company. Hannah and Chris both have Down's Syndrome.
Nicky said,


"Hannah Sampson has been involved with Stopgap for a number of years, firstly as a member of the original Stopgap Youth Dance Group and from 2010 as a Trainee Dancer.
Hannah completed a BTEC in Performing Arts at Kingston College in 2010. She has taken part in workshops with chorographers including Charlotte Vincent, Anthony Missen (Company Chameleon), Charlie Morrissey and Thomas Noone.
She has toured as a Trainee dancer for Stopgap both nationally and internationally in European Street Arts Festivals Tour Tracking 2012 and UK Cultural Olympiad outdoor tour SPUN Productions 2012.
Hannah danced in Chris Pavia’s choreographic works Shadowed Voices (performed at schools and conferences across the UK, as well as in Albania for the Albanian President in 2010) and Captured by the Dark (Resolution! 2013 at the Place, London)."

"The company has an online schedule that we are all able to access remotely.  Hannah is given schedules and diary updates on a regular basis.  Some days after class or when she is not rehearsing, she will be given administrative tasks or planning for workshops that she will be delivering and part of.  This gives a complete and thorough insight into the life of a Stopgap Dancer."

Chris Parkes Photography



Interview with Hannah


Have you always wanted to be a dancer and when did you start dancing?


I started dancing when I was three years old.  I did ballet, modern and tap.  I’ve always wanted to be a professional dancer who teaches dance, go on tour.


Who do you work for as a dancer?

I am a Trainee Dancer in Stopgap Dance Company.  I’m a member in Sg2


Tell me about a typical day in the life of Hannah at work.

I travel independently on trains in the morning. I take part in a company class or training.  Depends on the day plan.  We might be creating, rehearsing or admin and at times I perform in front of an audience.


Tell me about a typical day in the life of Hannah at home.

I’m a big fan of Supernatural films like the Vampire Diaries.  I go on Facebook non-stop.  I have a curry on Fridays and sometimes I go out socially with my friends.


What do you enjoy the most about your job?

Teaching young kids to dance.  I enjoy travelling independently.  I also enjoy performing abroad with the company.  I love creating dances.


How do you feel before you are about to perform in front of an audience and what do you do to get ready?

I don’t get nervous before performing. Before the performance I warm up with my co-workers.  My favourite warm-up is Gyro.

(Nicky explained, 'The Gyro Hannah talks about is Gyronkinesis, a yoga-based exercise for dancers created by Juliu Horvath.')

If you could be anything in the world what would you be?

Be a supernatural creature.


What three words would you use to describe yourself?

1. Shy
2. Weird
3.Family-orientated


What is your favourite thing to do when you are not dancing?

Watching The Vampire Diaries.


What to date has been the highlight of your career as a dancer?

Rehearsing Chris Pavia’s new work.
Being the Super Lady in ‘Tracking’.
First time going to Albania with the company.

You can see Hannah dancing here in this research and development clip for Chris' new work 'Awakening'.



Stopgap: 

"With our work, we seek to offer a window 

into a parallel world where human 

interdependence, strength and 

vulnerability play out with poetic realism



Nicky continued, "Chris Pavier was the first of the current dancers to join Stopgap in 1997 as a Trainee.
He became a Stopgap apprentice in 1999 and completed a Foundation GNVQ in Performing Arts at Brooklands College, Weybridge. He became a full time dancer with the company in 2000. He has worked with choreographers Adam Benjamin, Betina Strickler, Hofesh Shechter, Thomas Mettler, Nathalie Pernette, Rob Tannion and Thomas Noone.
Chris has toured both nationally and internationally with Stopgap including Sweden Tour 2004 & 2007; Japan Tour 2009; UK National Tour Triple Bill 2005; UK National Tour Portfolio Collection 2008 – 2009; British Council Mixed Ability Dance Project Albania & Romania 2009; UK National Tour Trespass 2010 & 2011, European Street Arts Festivals Tour Tracking 2008 & 2012 and UK Cultural Olympiad outdoor tour SPUN Productions 2012.
As a choreographer Chris co-choreographed Chris et Lucy with Lucy Bennett and in 2008 was the first choreographer with a learning disability to be selected for Resolution! with Statues of Darkness. In 2010 Chris choreographed Shadowed Voices, a duet for Stopgap trainees,that has been performed at schools and conferences across the UK, as well as in Albania for the Albanian President in 2010. Most recently he choreographed Captured by the Dark for Resolution! 2013.
Chris is proud to be chosen by Mencap as someone with Downs Syndrome achieving excellence in his career and is ambitious and eager to continue developing.
Chris has collaborated with Stopgap on Triple Bill, Double Booked, Portfolio Collection, Tracking, Trespass, SPUN Productions and Artificial Things."


"Stopgap Dance Company's next major outdoor production will be choreographed by our learning disabled dance artist Chris Pavia. The production will be touring in summer 2014 and 2015.
Commissioned by the Mayor of London's Liberty Festival with support from Arts Council England.
Supported by Disability Arts Online, Salisbury Arts Centre and The Point - Eastleigh through Catalyst Programme of Arts Council England."



Chris Parkes Photography

Interview with Chris

What is the best part about your job as a dancer?

I like going on tour and meeting people especially in other countries.  And I also like the choreography that I am developing at the moment.


What is the hardest part about the job you do?

Sometimes I do find it hard as a dancer because I train myself and it takes a lot of grit and strength


If you could give some advice to others who would like a career in dance, what would that be?

As a dancer it’s good to follow your dreams because its about listening and taking a lot of corrections from other people and to learn difficult feedback and take it on the chin.


If you could be anything in the world what would you be?

I’d like to be a choreographer for Union J and One Direction because I like their music.


What three words would you use to describe yourself?

Kind
Charming
Sensible


What is your favourite thing to do when you are not dancing?

Listening to Union J and One Direction.


What to date has been highlight of your career as a dancer?

Performing at the National Theatre doing ‘Spun’ to thousands.  Recently I was commissioned to make and create a new outdoor work for 2014.


Chris can be seen wearing orange in Spun, above




I've put my name on the list for forthcoming events and really hope to be able to watch and meet these talented dancers very soon. In the meantime, I wonder if Natty would enjoy dance lessons? Pity we live too far away for her to have Hannah as her teacher.



 To support the Stopgap charity and 




Silent Sunday


















                                                           

                                                                 



Insensitive comments that bely the Down's syndrome myths: The truth



I was so proud when the authors of my most respected blog, Special Needs Jungle, asked me to contribute a regular column to their site. This is the site I always refer to when I want to understand issues about statementing, education or changes in SEN law. Tania and Debs really know their stuff and are movers and shakers in the political arena of SEN.

For my first column I thought I might focus on what Down’s Syndrome isn’t. 
And what it is. 
Posters and leaflets dispelling common myths and setting out facts about Down’s Syndrome are often created wonderfully by charities to distribute to new families. So rather than reinventing the wheel, I thought I’d highlight a few insensitive comments that had been said to me over the years, discuss the myths going on behind them and set a few truths straight. I always find the first of anything difficult to write and this time I wanted to gain the interest of the audience and encourage them to discuss their own experiences of the topic at hand. 

I guess writing for someone else felt liberating, because I found myself being a little more outspoken than I usually am on my own blog and the response has been overwhelming, with so many from all over the world throwing similar experiences into the ring.

Special Needs Jungle site here.

Of course, once it was published I thought of many more incidences that I should have included, such as the time I was standing in a queue taking Mia into Pre-school. A mother in her 40s was in front of me, heavily pregnant with her 5th child. I asked how she was feeling and she replied, 

"I've demanded all the tests, I wouldn't have time for one like that." 

as she stared down at baby Natty in a pushchair.

That kind of comment leaves you in stunned silence and gets blocked from your mind over time. My answer of course should have been that if you don't have time for a baby like Natty, then you don't have time for a baby at all.

How do you deal with insensitive comments about your child?


Natty: Our star of the week!

There are some weeks when our children astonish us with new milestones and achievements that all seem to tumble out of them at once. It's as if they've been working on them all for a while and then suddenly, booom, they crack it.

I'm convinced that Natty has had a cognitive burst post tonsil and adenoid surgery. I like to think its all that fabulous oxygen whooshing around her body all night while she sleeps uninterrupted!

Our little 6 year old star has bowled us all over recently with her amazing artwork and handwriting. So here's the bragging rights evidence:


Natty received the Star of the Week Award for writing a 2 page long story. 
It took 3 weeks and lots of support, but it was all her own work.


Then we entered a Christmas card competition. 
I provided the sponge and paint and this is what she created, including drawing the antlers.


And my absolute favourite is her drawing of Willy Wonka as part of the Roahl Dahl topic at school. You can see he's dancing.


Natty's comment was, "I'm very very proud of Natty."

And so you should be darling, so you should be.



Down Syndrome Awareness Month 2013 #DSAM2013

As parents and siblings and carers of children with Down's Syndrome we very quickly become top experts in our field. 
We are: 

doctors 
teachers
speech therapists 
story tellers
geneticists
physios
occupational therapists 
play specialists
artists
tailors (I'm very good at sewing up hems on sleeves)
nutritionalists
campaigners
historians
fighters
carers
mentors
spokespeople



The list goes on of course, but I for one wasn't quite so knowledgeable about what it meant to have Down's Syndrome when Natty was born nearly 7 years ago.
It has very much been a crash course, with Natty as our greatest teacher.




So I think we should be a little gentle on those who aren't in the 'inner circle' and don't quite have all their facts straight. Those who don't quite get the terminology correct or believe an outdated generalism to be true. Why would they? 

Certainly everyone is 'aware' of the condition, knows what Down's Syndrome is, looks like at least. And for we parents and those in the charity and support sector every single day is Down Syndrome Awareness Day/Month/Year.

So why are we doing this...? Do we need a Down Syndrome Awareness Month?

Well, as long as new parents continue to feel as worried and confused as we were in the early days, as long as 92% of parents with an antenatal diagnosis feel that Down's Syndrome is so scary that a termination is the only answer, as long as a professional working with adults with DS exists in the land who comes out with bafflingly ridiculous statements like "He could speak really well before he caught the Down's Syndrome," and as long as individuals with DS are the target of hate crime, offensive language or inexcusable bigotry around the world, then I feel an Awareness Month can only be a good thing.

And to those whose heart is in the right place but who let insensitivities slip, we can gently put them straight.


So, to raise awareness of certain issues or causes that you are involved with, to iron out a few myths, to signpost support groups or invaluable information, to let us know about charity events or to share your all time favourite blog post or article, please attach them in the comments section below, or join the blog hop linky at the bottom of this post. 

A blog hop also means that you visit others' posts, so this is a super -de-duper way of bringing the Down's Syndrome community together, making us all stronger. You can copy the code at the bottom to add to your post and the others in the linky will appear on your blog too.

Let's see if we can get 31 at least, one for every day of the month. 

Let's make a change together.







Up Down Boy: A Review


"Every once in a while an experience shifts the 
tectonic plates of your soul. 
Powerless to stop the raw emotions held beneath, 
they flow forth and you have no choice but to face them, 
accept and deal with them before filing away and 
carrying on your life, a little bit wiser."

Up Down Boy: A Review

Watching the breathtakingly powerful Myrtle Theatre play Up Down Boy by Sue Shields was, for me, such a moment.  For in one hour it condensed, amalgamated and highlighted all the challenges and worries of parenting a child with Down’s Syndrome and made me smile and laugh aloud at the lessons we all learn along the way, the silver linings and the eccentricities that make our worlds so wonderfully unique.



Process not Product: Learning to Learn

Yesterday saw the school Harvest Festival Service at the local church. Natty created her box of groceries to donate and we chatted about the older residents of the village who would receive them. 


I think it's so important for all children to learn about helping and giving to others and I'm particularly keen for Natty to understand this message. We do a lot of fundraising for local and national Down's Syndrome charities, mainly for speech therapy provision and to support other parents, but I don't want Natty to think that she is exempt from helping others.

One of the greatest mantras that stays with me from my teaching days is that THE PROCESS, NOT THE PRODUCT is the most important part of any activity. Learning to learn, create, be independent takes precedent over the end product itself.



So, Natty covered the box in tin foil herself after I had cut strips, then carefully arranged things inside which we had chosen from the cupboards together, including her home-grown onions. 

I resisted the temptation to 'help' make it all look 'artistic', according to me. I crossed my fingers that the teachers and recipients would understand what we had done and not think I'd  lazily chucked a handful of things in a box as I ran through the door on Monday morning.

Thankfully they did, and I was so pleased we'd done it this way.

The chore was carried out independently and Natty was left feeling proud of her achievement. This is the approach we are using with homework too now that Natty is getting some each week. If you take a few minutes to think about and set up the activity, then your child can do the rest by themselves.


We have to know when it's best not to interfere as parents, don't we?