The next part of my chat with Mark Arnold, Director of Additional Needs Ministry at Urban Saints.

We talk overfamiliarity with additional needs, some key Bible passages and what exclusion looks like for additional needs families in church.

The Additional Needs Podcast

The Additional Needs Podcast (3) The one with the Meerkats

This is the last part of a conversation I had a couple of year back with Mark Arnold of Urban Saints where he’s the Additional Needs Ministry Director.

We talk about belonging in church and media representations of disability.

The Additional Needs Podcast (4) The one about belonging and cargo trousers

‘It’s Raining Cats And Dogs’	-	Podcast trailer script – 20-03-19

Hello… and welcome to ‘It’s Raining Cat’s And Dogs’….

If you are a family member of one of the 2.5 million children with special or addition needs in the UK, and sometimes feel isolated and alone, then this podcast is for you…

If you support a child with additional needs, maybe in school, in a children’s club or group, and want tips and ideas that can help, then this podcast is for you…

If you want to hear about what’s happening in the news that affects children with additional needs and their families across the country, then this podcast is absolutely... for... you…

I’m Mark Arnold, the host of ‘It’s Raining Cats And Dogs’.  I champion additional needs for Urban Saints, a national children’s and youth organisation, and blog as The Additional Needs Blogfather,  but I’m also Dad to James, who is Autistic, has learning difficulties and epilepsy, so this is personal for me too… this podcast is also for me…

‘It’s Raining Cats And Dogs’ is a magazine format podcast with a range of content that will inspire, inform, and create community as we journey together. It is fast paced and fun at times, while being more serious at others, depending on the content. There’s nothing out there that does this, so it’s time for these 2.5 million families to have their voices heard.

We want to hear parents share their stories; like the amazing mum of Autistic twins who blogs about the up’s and down’s of their lives and inspires thousands, but who also gets horribly trolled and abused online by people who just don’t get it.

Or the hilarious story of the teenager with additional needs who caused absolute scenes by racing into a branch of a high street bank, past all the stunned staff, and into the offices behind, causing security mayhem all because six-months before his parents had taken him to a meeting there where the staff had given him a promotional torch and he wanted another one!

We want to help families find out what’s new in the additional needs world, what apps, books, therapies, technology or research might be helpful for them?  What are the big stories that affect them too, like how might Brexit cause problems with the supply of vital, life saving medicines?

But we want to have a laugh as well, sharing stories about the epic fails of organisations who monumentally mess up in trying to be inclusive…  We want to hear from families like the one who went to an advertised ‘relaxed and accessible’ film viewing at a cinema, to find it was up two flights of stairs!

Why ‘It’s Raining Cats And Dogs’? Well look out for the first episode to find out!

Image rights Desi Northup © Desno Publishing Co.

It's Raining Cats And Dogs - Preview

BRF Parenting For Faith - Additional Needs

BRF Parenting for Faith: Three Truth’s Parents Of Children With Additional Needs Should Know

Rachel shares some ideas for how to balance parenting advice and all the 'shoulds' that we hear from different places.

She answers a question about how to handle your under 3s in church if there is no specific provision for them. 

Mark Arnold, shares three spiritual truths for parents and carers of children with additional needs. You can read a written version of this at https://theadditionalneedsblogfather.com/2019/05/29/three-spiritual-parenting-truths-for-children-with-additional-needs/ .

The Parenting for Faith podcast with Rachel Turner

#32 Balancing parenting advice, under 3s in church and additional needs parents

In this episode of ‘It’s Raining Cats and Dogs’ we’re going to be looking at a range of different things, including:
What’s New:  The Block Bus that is transforming inclusion through Lego…
News: The scandal of assessment and treatment units…
Stories:  This little light of mine, a story about an autistic boy, a bank and a bright ending!
Fun:  Why is this podcast called ‘It’s Raining Cat’s And Dogs’? And how can you be involved? Let’s find out!

Episode 1 was recorded and first broadcast on 17-06-19
Duration: 20 minutes

It's Raining Cats And Dogs - Episode 1

In this episode of ‘It’s Raining Cats and Dogs’ we’re going to be looking at a range of different things, including:

What’s New:  We’ll highlight the Aslan resources website and the new Aslan Facebook group

News:  We’ll hear about Robbie, an Autistic boy who was being bullied at school, and not just by other pupils

Stories:  We’ll explore the recent controversy about a family asked to leave evensong at Kings’ College Chapel, Cambridge, and what the experience of church is like for many

Fun:  What are your funny stories? An opportunity to take part in ‘It’s Raising Cat’s And Dogs’

It's Raining Cats And Dogs - Episode 2

This episode of ‘It’s Raining Cats and Dogs’ is a ‘Holidays Special’ and we talk about a range of different things relating to the holiday season, including:

What’s New:  Getting financial help for your holiday with a disabled child

News:  Are Airports Making Progress In Helping Disabled Passengers?

Tips:  It’s festivals, camps and holiday club season… how can you ensure yours is inclusive?

Fun:  What are your funny holiday stories? An opportunity to take part in ‘It’s Raising Cat’s And Dogs’

It's Raining Cats And Dogs - Episode 3 - Holidays Special

This episode of ‘It’s Raining Cats and Dogs’ we’re going to be talking about a range of different things relating to children and young people with additional needs or disabilities, including:

What’s New:  How confusion over what is meant by disability, and poor awareness of a widely available fund, has led to 60% of eligible students missing out on financial support at university.

News:  Why are there so many children with SEN who aren’t in school but stay at home?

Stories:  Being a candle in a hurricane of hate.

Fun:  What are your stories? An opportunity to take part in ‘It’s Raising Cat’s And Dogs’

It's Raining Cats And Dogs - Episode 4

How do churches become more inclusive of families with additional needs? This is what I discussed with Mark Arnold of Urban Saints

ANP002 Churches, Inclusion, Bartimaeus And Offers Of Help

Mark Arnold is the Additional Needs Ministry Director at leading national Christian children’s and youth organisation Urban Saints and is Co-Founder of the Additional Needs Alliance, a vibrant and fast-growing online community.  He is an enthusiastic national and international advocate for children and young people with additional (special) needs or disabilities and is passionate about enabling everyone engaging with them to be inspired, trained and well resourced.  Mark is a Churches for All and Living Fully Network partner, a member of the Council for Disabled Children and the European Disability Network, and writes a monthly additional needs column for Premier Youth and Children’s Work (YCW) magazine.  He blogs as the national award winning ‘The Additional Needs Blogfather’, and is father to James who is Autistic and has associated Learning Difficulties and Epilepsy.

To find out more about how Mark and his work can help you, contact him at: marnold@urbansaints.org or @Mark_J_Arnold

It's Raining Cats And Dogs - Preview

The Additional Needs Blogfather

Recent comments

Jane Scott

Related tracks