Category: Fledglings

Contact’s very own Ellie and Lisa would love to see you on 13 March at the FREE Kidz to Adultz Exhibition at the Coventry Building Society Arena.

Kidz to Adultz events are totally dedicated to children and young adults (up to 25 years old) with disabilities and additional needs, their parents, carers and the professionals who support them.

Contact has teamed up with Kidz to Adultz to create a welcoming and fun space at all their events so parents, carers and children and young people with disabilities or additional needs can come together, share experiences and learn from each other.

Book your FREE tickets for the Kidz to Adultz exhibition in Coventry on 13 March. You can find Ellie and Lisa from Contact at the ‘Connection Hub’.

This year, Contact will be offering free one-to-one support sessions with their family support consultants, covering topics like Disability Living Allowance (DLA) & Personal Independence Payment (PIP); Education, Health & Care Plans (EHCPs); Transitions to school or adulthood; wellbeing support or simply a listening ear!

Ellie Goff from Contact says: “We were at one of Kidz to Adultz events last autumn and it was wonderful to meet so many parents who also enjoyed dedicated exhibitors, specialist seminars, information about support services, interactive gaming, guest appearances, and many fun activities throughout the day.

“Families visiting us in the exhibition’s Connection Hub can find out more about the support Contact offers as well as meet other parents – while their children and young people join in some fun activities and play with sensory toys and other products from our Fledglings shop.”

Come and say hello in Coventry on 13 March!

All Kidz to Adultz exhibitions happening this year are completely free for families to attend.

Ellie continues: “We’re looking forward to meeting parents, children and young people in Coventry on 13 March. Come along, say hello, try out our Fledglings equipment and products, join in the fun and participate in the activities taking place throughout the day. If you are in the area, why not book your free ticket and drop by – we’d love to see you there!”

Find other events Kidz to Adutz have coming up and register your free place.

We are thrilled to announce the launch of a wide range of assistive gaming & tech devices now available in our online Fledglings shop.

We understand the importance of ensuring everyone has the opportunity to access gaming and computer technology, regardless of their abilities. From joysticks, buttons and trackpads to add-on devices for iPads and XBOXs; our collection meets a wide range of needs.

We are particularly proud to be a supplier of Pretorian Technologies assistive technology (AT) and communication products. These offer the most comprehensive and extensive range and includes the unique SimplyWorks family of wireless AT and AAC products. For example, Game On 1 is an assistive gaming product that allows users of eye-gaze enabled AAC devices and computers to control computer games using only their eyes.

You can also find items such as our SEN keyboard in this collection, which is an ideal fun solution for introducing children to the world of computers. The bright keys are colour coded to allow children to identify groups on the keyboard to encourage learning and the keyboard is also damage and spill resistant.

Check out the full gaming and tech collection.

We know that schools can provide routine and structure for many children with additional needs. When this routine stops, for example in the school holidays, some children can find the change hard to manage.

To help, we’ve put together 10 top tips to help take some of the stress out of the holidays ahead:

  1. Mark up key dates for your family this summer on a calendar to help your child understand what’s coming up. Include things like days out, days you are working, days your child will be at childcare or a playscheme, any holidays away – and the day school starts again. Crossing the days off will show your child that school is getting closer.
  2. Use photographs and other visuals to show your child daily routines. For example the Tom Tag range in our Fledglings shop uses symbols to show a series of separate tasks or the steps involved in a task that are part of a routine for a whole range of different situations.
  3. Social stories can be a great way to help your child what’s happening this summer holiday.
  4. Find some free activities. Look out for places where kids can eat for free and family days out as well as museums, libraries, parks, BBC online games, craft activities at home. Maybe you have a local children’s centre or toy library. Look out for autism-friendly attractions by checking accessibility guidelines.
  5. Don’t over-plan activities – you and your child will be exhausted! It’s important to allow for down-time.
  6. Get out early and take a packed lunch and snacks!
  7. When you are out and about don’t forget to bring a bag of distractions and spare clothes.
  8. Don’t forget to take emergency contact information with you.
  9. Tolerate mess!
  10. Shop for back-to-school items early.

Contact resources to help

Take a look at our holidays and leisure guide.

Visit our Fledglings shop for products to help with routines and getting out and about this holiday.

Read answers to some of your questions about summer activities for your disabled child.

If you live in the Midlands or London and have an autistic child check out the free parent workshops we have coming up including support strategies for the summer holidays.

Take action on the lack of holiday childcare for families with disabled children

Contact and the Disabled Children’s Partnership recently carried out research which revealed that nine out of 10 families have been unable to find a suitable holiday club or activity for their disabled child this summer.

As a result, we’re asking supporters to take action on the lack of holiday childcare for disabled children by writing to their councillors calling for more holiday provision for disabled children in their local area. 

Yesterday, Sunday 11th June 2023, our not-for-profit Fledglings shopped turned 25!

Fledglings’ story

Fledglings was born in 1998 out of founder Ruth Lingard’s passion and drive to help parents and carers of children with special needs find simple solutions to everyday challenges they face. As a special needs teacher and social worker, Ruth had a wealth of experience helping families and children, and Fledglings gave her an opportunity to reach more people in need.

“Fledglings, if you were my baby I would now be a proud parent. Congratulations! I will be toasting your successes today. Here’s to the next 25 years.”

Fledglings founder Ruth Lingard

In February 2019, Fledglings joined Contact. Like Fledglings, we were founded by families of disabled children, who recognised that even if their child’s conditions were different, they shared a common experience – of being a family with a disabled child. They understood how important it is to support each other.

Every purchase supports our vital work

Today, our shop stocks over 1,000 products, and over the years we’ve been able to support around 30,000 families.

And every purchase made in our Fledglings shop helps us support help even more UK families with our information, advice and support.

Read more about the Fledglings story so far.

And if you have not visited for a while, take a look at our New In collection. If you don’t see what you need, get in contact with us and just ask. Think of us as a personal shopper for specialist products!

We’re looking forward to supporting families for another 25 years!

Our online Fledglings shop is now available in a number of different languages for shoppers whose first language is not English.

Simply click a flag in the top right corner of the Fledglings home page to pick your preferred language and view product and collection information in the language of your choice.

You can choose from:

We hope that this new development on our Fledglings website makes it easier for families to find the sensory toys, adaptive clothing and aids they need for the children and adults with additional needs that they care for.