An introduction to NAC, the NAC website and approaches that may help support the emotional wellbeing of children and adults with PMLD Watch the 23 minute video recording This presentation was recorded for Joanna Grace's online PMLD Conference in 2021. Suitable for: Teachers, teaching assistants, other educational professionals, carers, support workers, therapists, psychologists, wellbeing professionals, nursing professionals, social care professionals,Read more

An online space to talk about matters related to the emotional wellbeing of people with severe and profound intellectual disabilities. Learning disabilities nurses, Julie and Rosie held Zoom sessions in 2021 on the last Friday of the month in from 10-11.30 and invited anyone with an interest in the emotional wellbeing of people with severe and profound intellectual disabilities toRead more

Teaching skill development and positive mental wellbeing for pupils with complex/profound and multiple learning difficulties. Introduction Neuroscience has highlighted the beneficial impact of touch on the brain and documented uses of massage in school have had positive effects on learning and wellbeing (MISA International, 2018). Likewise, the benefits of storytelling for learners with complex or profound and multiple difficulties (subsequentlyRead more

Download your free Timetables Guide To view the example timetables at the end of the booklet the right way round, export the document as a pdf and use the tools at the top to rotate the document. We held a workshop on Tuesday 12th October on designing timetables for children with severe and profound intellectual disabilities and PMLD (profound andRead more

We held a workshop as a continuation of our work exploring ‘do you know how I feel?’, ‘what is emotional wellbeing?’ and how might emotions be expressed and responded to when people are communicating with us in ways other than words. In this 1.5 hour Zoom workshop, facilitated by NAC and Story Sharing, we shared with what we have learntRead more

NAC stands for Nurturing Affective Care. The acronym NAC originally stood for 'Non-verbal Affective Care'. In 2023, following consultation we changed our name to Nurturing Affective Care. This seemed to better represent what we do and we were concerned that there may be misinterpretation that we were using the term 'non-verbal' to refer to the people we support. The useRead more

This article examines what is known about depression and low mood, how it may affect children and adults with severe and profound intellectual disabilities and how it can be treated. What is low mood? Low mood is an emotional state characterised by sadness, anxiety, low self-esteem, tiredness, and frustration.Sometimes low mood can be brought on by external factors such asRead more

We are thrilled to announce that here at NAC we have a brand new Patron of the organisation; former Chelsea and Charlton professional footballer, equal rights activist, multi-million pound fundraiser, and Royal ambassador Michael Ambrose. About Michael From his early life on a milk round in Poplar, to a professional football career, Michael Ambrose has shown perseverance and dedication. SinceRead more

People on the autism spectrum often have difficulties with the experience of being in sync with neurotypical people, and vice versa. Without good-enough synchrony, it is difficult for us to play together. And without the feeling of togetherness that flourishes in playful synchrony, therapeutic co-regulation is hard to achieve. Client-centred therapy approaches tend to support growth towards self-regulation; but thisRead more

Resources, information and training to support people with severe and profound intellectual disabilities and complex health needs. Supported Loving is a network run by Choice Support specifically looking at sexuality and intimate relationship support for people with learning / intellectual disabilities. The extensive range of topics their webinars cover include: Delivering Relationship and Sex Education (RSE) for people with complex healthRead more

This article explores the meaning of regulation and the role it plays in wellbeing. The term regulation means to set or adjust or control the amount, degree, or rate of something, or put another way to control or maintain the rate or speed of (a machine or process) so that it operates properly. In humans, regulation is the ability toRead more

People with severe and profound intellectual or learning disabilities are at high risk of experiencing trauma. Understanding how trauma effects the body and nervous system can point us in the direction of what we can do to help ease suffering and promote healing. "Trauma is not the story of something that happened back then. It's the current imprint of thatRead more

Interactions with people with profound intellectual disability are often described as difficult, challenging and problematic but they can also be enjoyable, fulfilling and rewarding. While they may be considered complex and demanding, I often think they are beautiful in their simplicity. A swan metaphor comes to mind when I think of these interactions. Just as a swan gracefully moves onRead more

Resources to help you get started with sensory activities. Ideas included cover sensory art and craft, sensory exploration, sensory cooking, sensory poems, resource ideas, app ideas, sensory activities and sensory pass the parcel. Sarah’s Sensory Starter Pack is by Sarah Hall and Flo Longhorn. Sarah runs Willows Sensory Service and Flo Longhorn describes herself as a sensory being, a retiredRead more

How to support children and adults with severe and profound intellectual disabilities with the issues of bereavement, loss and grief. Why should we talk about bereavement, loss and grief with people who have severe or profound intellectual disabilities? Because no one is immune to these issues, they are part of all our lives regardless of our cognitive understanding or level ofRead more

Predictability can have a powerful impact on emotional wellbeing and we often feel safer when we have a sense of routine. For children and adults with severe and profound intellectual disability, having a sense of predictability and consistency can help to increase feelings of safety and security. Consistent, repeated routines can provide a sense of order and familiarity to theRead more

Quick and easy stress busters for times when things are overwhelming There is considerable evidence for part of our nervous system called the vagus nerve – which connects the gut to the brain – playing a vital role in our wellbeing. The vagus nerve is an important part of the parasympathetic nervous system. It carries signals to and from the brain andRead more

Enhancing wellbeing and independence for young people with profound and multiple learning difficulties: Lives Lived Well is a unique resource book which explores what well-being, community participation and independence mean to young people with profound and multiple learning difficulties. Bringing together results of an extensive survey of over 120 schools worldwide who teach young people with PMLD, the authors presentRead more

One of the hardest things about being a play specialist is that very few people take me seriously. Almost everything I do looks or sounds frivolous, unimportant and often downright silly. Very few people would watch a group of children playing pat-a-cake or simply clapping, for instance, and comment on the huge potential for neurological growth and life-long health. VeryRead more

People with profound impairments are not often discussed in terms of their playfulness. In fact, I’m still shocked by how few books and articles in this area even mention play, as I believe play is an important key to enriching the life of someone who has few means of expressing themselves and unlocking their character, strengths and preferences. I haveRead more