Last weekend something extraordinarily rare happened. My husband and I had a weekend alone… WITH NO KIDS!!! 😍😍😍

I know that to most parents, this sound like a “so what?” moment, but for us as parent/carers, this NEVER happens. Finding someone willing and more importantly ABLE to care for all four of our kids, especially when giving of meds, adjusting routines etc., is tough. Thankyou to Sheila and Tracey for giving us this rare but AWESOME break.

We decided to use this time wisely and so headed up to the big smoke 🌆.

Each year, the TES SEND show comes to the London Business and Design Centre.

This is an event that has been created for SEN professionals to gather together, make professional connections and learn. Compiled by the shows head of content, Beverley Walters, the CPD-certified seminar programme features an inspirational mix of seminars, providing an unrivalled opportunity to hear from acclaimed SEND experts.

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This amazing show show attracts visitors from a wide range of roles across the public, not-for-profits (like us), and private sectors from early years, primary, secondary, FE, special schools, Pupil Referral Units, local authorities and more. IT’S AWESOME!

I learned SO much and came home with a library of new books, wonderful connections made and a head FULL of exciting and fresh support/teaching ideas.

Among the many phenomenal speakers, there was one that I must apologise too 😉 PDADadUK. I was so excited to meet him in person that I literally screamed his own name in his face, not my finest moment 🤣Thankfully he was very kind and spoke to me about PDA (a subject in which I’m studying at the moment) and he has helped me no end.

So this blog post is dedicated to him. With enormous thanks!

The content he creates, the advice he gives, and the lived experience that he shares has taught me so much in the past and this week has taught me even more. I have been using his advise (particularly the traffic light system) to help me support in class and it’s been so effective. LINK TO HIS WORK HERE 🙂

THANKYOU PDA DAD!

We at Awesome Archie recommend that all SENCOs and SLT visit the TES SEND show. The information shared has been unbelievably useful to me already and it’s only been a week since the event!

Please find a link to next years show deets here ➡ https://www.tessendshow.co.uk/

But fear not, it wasn’t all work and no play. We also had a whopping stroll around London, visited the sights, had a meal out and A FULL NIGHTS SLEEP!!! AWESOME!

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Hello everyone and welcome to our latest website addition. Firstly, I need to apologise for the length of time it’s taken me to update you on all the latest happenings. I am delighted to say that we have been SO busy, that this is the first opportunity I’ve had to write in a little while!

This post is to say an enormous thanks to BBC Radio Solent. On the 26th September 2023, myself, my husband, Archie and Daisy were invited to the BBC Radio Solent’s ‘Make A Difference Award 2023’.

Without my knowledge, my amazing husband and the lovely Mr Sam Fuller (Head Teacher – Christchurch Junior School) nominated me for an award for the work that we do with Awesome Archie. When I received the phone-call in March to tell me that I had made it into the final four in our category, I couldn’t believe it! THANK YOU!

The awards ceremony has been created to thank members of the community who contribute, without expecting anything in return. For us, this was enormous.

Sadly, we didn’t win the biggy in our category, that honour went to a lovely young lady called Billie, for her contribution to the environment, but we were blessed to receive a ‘Highly Commended’ award for our efforts with Awesome Archie.

The event itself was beautifully hosted by Alun Newman, amazingly produced by Rebecca Parker and attended by truly wonderful people.

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We promise that we will use this incredible honour as a platform to keep us powering forward. For as long as we are able, we will talk about neurodiversity, autism, ADHD, acceptance and inclusion… it’s the least our children deserve.

BBC Radio Solent, thank you for giving us the most wonderful day and the most phenomenal memories.

We all know that Aromatherapy is a holistic healing treatment that has been used for centuries, that uses natural plant extracts to promote health and well-being. Aromatherapy uses aromatic essential oils medicinally to improve the health of the body, mind, and spirit. Studies suggest that it enhances both physical and emotional health.

Aromatherapy is thought of as both an art and a science and more recently has gained more recognition in the fields of science and medicine.

This is why ( 5 years ago) I started to study the connections between fragrance and their calming benefits. To be completely truthful, it came from a place of utter desperation. At that time, Archie was full of anxiety and we had no idea where to turn. The NHS waiting list for mental health support was weeks away and we were fearful for his well being.

My research lead me to discover that there are a number of fragrances that parents and carers found beneficial and for us, it was a gamechanger! Since that day, we have had either a wax warmer or diffuser both upstairs and down ( one placed as close to Archie’s room as possible ) and we have not looked back.

For your quick refence, here is a list of scents that are believed to support a child with ADHD although remember, EVERY child is different and it has to be a bit of a trial and error situation to find the scent that works for you 🙂

Vetiver

Vetiver oil comes from a plant native to India called vetiver. It’s said to have a calming effect and may even help stimulate circulation and relieve symptoms of stress and anxiety.

Lavender

Lavender has been used for hundreds of years to reduce anxiety. 

The aroma of lavender can reduce anxiety and help calm people in stressful situations, which may help with ADHD symptoms.

Orange – One of our most successful 🙂

Orange oil is derived from the rinds of the sweet orange.

Studies suggest that orange essential oil could reduce anxiety and create calm in individuals in a stressful environment. We have found this to be true for one of our boys 🙂

Chamomile and ylang ylang

 Chamomile oil comes from the flowers of the chamomile plant, while ylang ylang oil is derived from the flowers of the tropical Cananga tree.

The stress, anxiety, and depression felt by some with ADHD may be helped by Ylang Ylang and chamomile oils. Both of these essential oils may also have the ability to calm, reduce anxiety, and possibly even help with some forms of depression.

Sandalwood- Archie’s favourite and in daily use in our home.

Sandalwood oil comes from the wood and roots of Santalum album, which is also known as the East Indian sandalwood tree. And finally…

Peppermint

Peppermint oil comes from the flowering part as well as the leaves of the peppermint plant.

It’s believed to have a soothing effect. It can help relax and calm the restlessness.

For us personally, Sandlewood ( deep earthy scent ),any citrus scents and any mint based fragrances have positive effects of our children.

I hope this has been useful to you as we start back for another school year.

If you are interested in purchasing any warmers to have a go yourself, here is a link to my Scentsy store and I am always happy to help and advise x

https://happyclappy.scentsy.co.uk/?fbclid=IwAR1N5OGtVaKWDwWEHuUN-I97uqdfeDhVybOXjiEJ4AJtg7A4_1hl8nC4BnY

Well, what a wonderful summer it has been for team Awesome 🙂 As you may have noticed, I have been slowing down the work pace to concentrate enjoying precious family time over this summer break however, we have still been busy 🙂

Firstly, I hope that you have all had a wonderful summer, in whatever form it’s taken. As parent carers there is no ” rest time” but, I sincerely hope that you feel positive and even just a little refreshed .

We were lucky enough to travel to Norway , this time on the Disney Dream. You will probably know that as a family we ADORE Disney cruiselines. They are inclusive, fully adapted to meet any disability or neurological difference and we haven’t had a bad experience yet 🙂 Still, we don’t take for grated how fortunate we are to have a holiday such as this and so use it to continue spreading our message of Autism advocacy and acceptance.

This year we were lucky enough to visit Nordfjordied, Mekjarvik, Rotterdam and Skoldjen and at each port we spoke to locals about Archie and his Autism. We also met a lot of fellow parent carers on board that we are now proud to have made a connection with, some all the way from Florida 🙂

Over the next few weeks I will be creating YouTube videos on our recent adventure, cabin tours, food guides etc but for now , here are some pics of us doing our thing….”on tour” 🙂

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Pulling a 737 for the Dorset Children’s foundation.

As soon as we arrived home it was business as usual, although not as usual as we’d planned . 🤣Myself and my oldest son were invited to pull at 737 to help raise money for the DCF. We of course JUMPED at the chance, I mean….how cool is that?!?!

On bank holiday Monday we arrived at Bournemouth airport dressed in bright colours, went through all the safety stuff and then did it… WE ACTUALLY PULLED A PLANE FOR 50 METERS!!!!!! Super cool 🙂 Thankyou to all of our sponsors ( so far we have raised almost £200) and to the DCF for their continued support in the work that Arch and I are proud to do 🙂 Also , massive thanks to Jason Shrubb for these epic pics 🙂

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WOW…WE DID IT!!!!

Finally our summer holidays has officially started. To be fair, we have started a day early because two of our four are full of cold, but I’m still celebrating!

This academic year has taken us on such an adventure and we are so thankful for all of your support. One of the reasons we decided to launch Awesome Archie non profit 3 years ago, was because for so many years I felt isolated, lonely and the pressures of being a life long parent carer were to massive for me to comprehend. My own ADHD means that I self doubt and analyse everything I say and do and live in a permanent state of ” I must do better!” ( just to reassure you , this is common in girls with ADHD so I’m used to it!) . I knew that I couldn’t be the only one feeling like this, so we as a family decided to create a safe and welcoming community for people just like me and Arch and support families just like our own 🙂 Through meeting amazing parents, working with lovely schools and the support of the DCF and Autism Unlimited I can honestly say that I no longer feel alone or frightened for the future. I feel part of the coolest club in the world…. the neurodiverse community👍 For this I must say a HUGE THANKYOU!

We want to reassure you that although our ” boots on the ground” support has ended for the summer , YOU ARE NOT ALONE! I will be online on ALL of our socials throughout the holiday and our website and email will not be shutting down at any point. The kids and I will continue to share our “Autism adventures” and you are ALL welcome to join us virtually so you can feel part of the fabulously bonkers world of Neurodiversity living…. the good and the not so good 🙂

Lastly, I want to take a moment to publicly thank my family. My Husband ( the kids Dad) goes above and beyond to support us all. He is relentlessly hard working, endlessly supportive and picks up the pieces that I drop when I’m not doing so well. He is always stood behind us, pushing us all forward without fuss or expectation! I don’t often do romantic gestures but here we go…buckets at the ready… I LOVE YOU DUDE! Thanks for being our hero and my bestest mate in the whole wide world.😍 You make what we do and all we have, possible. And to all of our amazing children, we still cant believe you are ours. Thankyou for the chaos, noise, fun, laughter and even the tears. YOU ARE OUR EVERYTHING.

Have a wonderful summer all

Beckie and team Awesome 🙂

What a brilliant week it has been.

We started off with a big interview with Radio Solent’s content creator . Archie and I have been lucky enough to make it into the finals of Radio Solent’s ” Make a difference awards 2023.” This has meant that we will be fortunate enough to feature on the radio and online so we were interviewed. Archie was SOOOO nervous but George ( the lovely guy who came to interview us) was just so kind and patient, it didn’t take Archie long to get into the swing of things. I was immensely proud of him and how he shared what living with his condition is like, good and bad.

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The interview will be released in August and the Awards ceremony is in September. THANKYOU to all who nominated us, just life changing and a HUGE thanks to the legend Harry Redknapp for his message of support. It made me cry 🙂

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cub2DZNtuWU/

ARTS WEEK AT WG.

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This week I have been in school pretty much full time. You may or may not know that aside from my love of Neurodiversity I am also a passionate artist. Last year I achieved a distinction in an Art history Diploma and so decided to use this to help local kids. With my own children’s help, we created a fun Arts week where we travelled through time learning and creating. The kids at WG were so wonderful and the Art that they have produced is simply stunning.

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Needless to say, I am totally exhausted now but full of joy and gratitude.

And finally, WE ARE ON TICTOC!!!

That is something that I never thought I’d say but it has been amazing. WE WENT VIRAL and one of our clips had now got 16.7k views. So may people are now using these apps to get hints and tips on how to support families with ASD, ADHD etc so I am privileged to be able to join this trendy bunch. Links to all of our socials can be found here.

www.awesomearchie.co.uk then head to socials page 🙂

Hello and welcome to this weeks blog, lots to get through so let’s get going! Firstly, I want to say a huge thank you to the parents/carers of the pupils of the Priory school in Christchurch. On Friday, we were able to host our first ever “pop-up charity shop”. We were warmly welcomed by the Friends of Priory school (registered charity) to not only sell children’s items that were generously donated by Priory parents, but to spread our message of autism inclusion and celebration of neurological differences.

We need to say a massive thanks to David and Martyn from Reformed Plastics, for loaning us their enormous trailer that enabled us to move the hundreds of donated items, marquees, marketing tools, signs and tables. We could not have done this without your support, and so we are immensely grateful.

We managed to raise £220, and when you consider that most items were selling for £1 or 50p, we were really delighted with that number. Minus expenses, this means that Awesome Archie non-profit are proud to donate £81.80 to the FPS. All remaining unsold items are going straight down to the Dorset Children’s Foundation treehouse for them to support the many children under their care. Although Awesome Archie has been a little under the weather, he was with us in spirit, and was cheering us on from the sofa.

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Dan and Gavin’s “healthy body, healthy mind” inclusive sporting event.

Saturday morning was a fantastic start to our weekend. You may or may not realise that Archie and I have been lucky enough to work with Dan Moody (Dorset School Games) for a little while now. I have mentioned before that the reason I admire Dan is that his passion for sport isn’t based on winning, he’s a true champion for the tryer. He and Gavin have worked tirelessly to create an inclusive sports day targeting those children who, for whatever reason may find standard sporting events overwhelming. We at Awesome Archie were asked to come along and host a tent in the mental health support section of this brilliant day, based at the Grange School in Christchurch. We were supported by MyTime Carers and Place2Be and we brought along a “chill out tent” for when kids felt overwhelmed. We spoke to lots of wonderful families and made some brilliant connections 🙂

The event was absolutely buzzing with excitement and there were opportunities for children to try… soft archery, dancing, tennis, netball, botcha, indoor curling, taekwondo and lots more).

It was phenomenal to be with so many charities, NHS support workers, and community interest companies that all have the same goal in mind… the health and happiness of children.

The event appeared to be a fantastic success, and we are all hoping that it will become a termly date in the diary and spread county-wide. Thank you for the privilege of allowing us to take part, and we can’t wait for the next one.

https://www.reformedplastics.co.uk

https://www.activedorset.org/school-games

As always, for daily updated content, hints and tips, follow this link to our socials…

Come join us on our socials…

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Archie has been fortunate enough to be at the most remarkable specialist provision for the last 3 years. “The Link” has given Archie so much and every day he grows in confidence and lets his wonderful, quirky personality shine.

On Monday I was lucky enough to be invited to attend one of their “enterprise” mornings. This is where the students have to come up with small business/money making ideas and use all of their available social skills to promote what they are doing. Archie and a friend were quietly resting in the green room when I arrived but , with some support from Hannah and Tom, two of Archie’s AMAZING educators, he soon got into the swing.

Chris, Hannah, Tom and all the other staff members, THANKYOU! What you continue to do for our son is nothing short of a miracle and we are so grateful for all of your care and attention.

“Autism Unlimited” – campaign focus group. 🙂

Archie and I have been fortunate to work with Autism Unlimited since the beginning of this year. So far, we have been lucky enough to take part in their first ever animation, help to spread the message of inclusion, understanding and autism advocacy and meet some truly AMAZING people.

This week , we had another brilliant focus group meeting discussing the campaign moving forward for the rest of this year 🙂 I cant share the deets just yet, but I want you to know that we have some exciting and informative things in the pipeline. Thanks to Emily (Autism Unlimited’s marketing manger) and the rest of the focus group for making our week a really positive one 🙂

And finally, I DID IT!!! I got my neurodiversity inspired tattoo 🙂

My Husband very kindly bought me a tattoo for my birthday. I have been wanting one for so long now, but hadn’t been able to muster the courage to actually go through with it! Since being a full time non profit, my whole outlook on life has changed. My confidence is growing, my metal health is phenomenal (ssshhhh, I don’t want to jinx it!) and I have, at last, found peace with my own eccentricities.

My beautiful new tattoo has been skilfully completed by Blak Rose tattoo in Parley. It is my own design and it represents many of the things that have had an impact on my own life. Obviously, the last 15 years have been filled with brain research. The neurodiverse brain (and the children that own them) is my absolute passion. This passion has blossomed over time through the birth of our children and, obviously, Archie and Herbie’s own neurological differences 😍. The tea cup is in honour of my beautiful mum who sadly passed away in January. She used to sing an old song called “Army Cup of Tea” and so that felt like a fitting tribute. The tiny Mickey heads represent our four incredible kids and my never ending love for all things Disney. Lastly, the autism spectrum infinity symbol… no explanation needed here 😉

Thanks so much for my amazing new arm 🙂 I will now be quietly advocating everywhere I go 🙂

This week began slightly differently, with my daughter being at home for the first couple of days. This meant that I took a couple of days to care for my munchkin and |I have to say, it was lovely.

Awesome Archie non-profit has been going for 3 years now and I don’t mind admitting that I can count the number of days off I have had on one hand. Everyone understands that creating a start up from scratch (whether a charity or a business) has to be a real, full time commitment. It’s only now that I am starting to feel confident enough to let our historic work speak for itself and take the odd break 🙂

Daisy and I spent some time just watching movies and being creative, it was blissful.

Archie has also had some revelations of his own this week. He is suddenly willing to be a tad more independent! For his Dad and I this is AMAZING news. Like lots of kids with autism, Archie needs to be in control of his own decisions. He needs to achieve things in is own time and in his own space and although we always encourage, we never push. This week Archie did his very first click and collect order and last week he did some weeding! When you consider that not too long ago, he couldn’t bear the garden because of bugs and would never have spoken to a shop worker, this is AWESOME!!

Click here to see Awesome Archie in action (weeding and click-and-collecting!) 😍

Oakey bear scuptures. A day of creative joy.

Well as you may know, art is a HUGE part of my life. It guards my mental health and regulates almost all of my anxiety. This week I had the most phenomenal experience at WG, all thanks to their amazing parent teacher association “FROWGS.”

On Thursday we had a visit from Chris Oakey (funded by FROWGS) for the kids of William Gilpin school to create a life size wicker sculpture. I have never worked with wicker before and I absolutely LOVED IT!

Chris explained…

“I divide my time between teaching in schools and making bespoke willow sculptures for homes and businesses. I have regular schools that I teach in weekly and also deliver ‘one off’ Curriculum Enhancement Days.

During the first lockdown I was aware that I wasn’t covered by furlough as I had just started the company. Whilst at home I decided to ‘free my mind’ by making a life sized human sculpture. I had always had a passion for sculpting since my A-levels. I had never used willow before but I placed the finished sculpture in my front garden. I started to get knocks on the door and letters posted through my letterbox asking for commissions. That was the start of Oakey Bear Sculptures!

Now in my third year, I have been fortunate enough to make hundreds of sculptures for homes, businesses, castles and even Royalty! One of the most exciting parts of my newfound career is that I never know where the sculpting may take me. I was always told that art was a ‘hobby’ and not a career. I am happy to say that this isn’t true.”

WG were lucky enough to have Chris for the whole day and the kids (and adults) were all so interested and inspired.

“Curriculum Enhancement Days allow children of all ages and abilities to learn through ‘hands on’ experiential learning. The tailored lessons are designed to promote self-confidence, self-esteem, promote risk management, resilience, problem solving skills, teamwork skills and independence.

These sessions can be tailored to the National Curriculum and specialist STEM days.”

I want to say thankyou so much for such a superb experience. I will definitely be sculpture creating with my kids this summer hols.

For more info please visit the Oakey Bear sculpture website here.

Rebecca Clapcott (Awesome Archie Non-Profit).

Hello awesome friends, and welcome to this weeks blog.

When you have lived in the autism world for a long time, it is easy to assume that everyone recognises the terminology we use as parents/carers. I guess that’s because, for most of us, these words are spoken about commonly or researched out of necessity.

We at Awesome Archie thought that it may be a good idea to share some of this terminology. I’d like to thank the National Autistic Society for their online support with this. 🙂

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Stimming or self-stimulating behaviour includes arm or hand-flapping, finger-flicking, rocking, jumping, spinning or twirling, head-banging and complex body movements. 

It includes the repetitive use of an object, such as flicking a rubber band or twirling a piece of string, or repetitive activities involving the senses (such as repeatedly feeling a particular texture). 

Stimming is a term for self-stimulatory behavior. It often manifests as repetitive body movement, such as humming or hand movements. It is common among people on the autism spectrum. Stimming can bring enjoyment and help people cope with uncomfortable or stressful situations.

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For a more in depth explanation please fell free to click on this link where you will be directed to the National Autistic Societies page dedicated to this subject 🙂

Have an AWESOME week 🙂

Rebecca Clapcott

Awesome Archie Non Profit