The Brain Injury Hub is the new on-line support centre for families of children affected by acquired brain injury. 

Offering a wealth of fully-referenced information about childhood acquired brain injury, the mobile-ready website includes practical advice and tips about a condition that's often misunderstood.

The latest addition to the site is an online community, which offers families news, blogs, details of upcoming events and a forum through which parents can chat and offer mutual support. 

Rob Wood, spokesman at The Children's Trust, which has created the site, said: 

"We've already seen parents sharing some deeply affecting stories on the site. Our hope is that families will really make the site their own over time."

The Children's Trust is the country's largest residential rehabilitation centre for children with acquired brain injury, and The Brain Injury Hub aims to share its three decades of experience of acquired brain injury with as many families as possible. 

Shortlisted for a prestigious IT industry award, the site has also been awarded the Information Standard – a Department of Health quality mark that recognises accurate and clear information. 

Funded entirely by charitable income, the site includes a dedicated section for teachers and education professionals, which brings together information and practical classroom strategies.

The site includes accessible 'easy read' versions of its material written in simple, plain language, and the next step is to introduce more video content. 

This smartphone-ready resource can be accessed by families at any stage of their journey. http://www.braininjuryhub.co.uk/

Love and Logic is a philosophy of raising and teaching children which allows adults to be happier, empowered, and more skilled in the interactions with children.

Bob Sornson from Colorado, US

Anthony is twelve years old.  His parents have had the same expectation for him since third grade.   Homework is done, checked and correct before you get to use the television or watch a video.  But somehow Anthony managed to get busy with other things, and now his favorite show is about to start and Anthony has not yet touched his homework.

"I'll do my homework after the show," he said over his shoulder as he headed toward the television. 

His mom felt her blood start to boil.  He knows the family rule.  He's pushing those limits again.  For a moment her anger almost got the better of her. 

And then she stopped and smiled and thought about her beautiful son.  He's twelve.  He's a bit goofy.  Maybe he forgot to start his homework, or maybe he's just feeling his oats and testing to see if I'll give in.   She remembered about the power of empathy and her eyes softened.  She stood straight and put empathy in her voice.

"Ohhh.  This is really sad."

Anthony stopped and glanced at his mom.  She looked calm, and he knew his chances were poor.

"It sure is tough when you forget to start your homework.  But in our house homework is done, checked, and correct before television."

Empathy is the heart of Love and Logic.  The practice of understanding how another person is feeling helps us build respectful connections and a strong positive emotional state.  It gives us a glimpse into the heart of another person, and is the foundation of all emotional intelligence. 

Love and Logic is a philosophy of raising and teaching children which allows adults to be happier, empowered, and more skilled in the interactions with children. Love allows children to grow through their mistakes. Logic allows children to live with the consequences of their choices. Love and Logic is a way of working with children that puts parents and teachers back in control, teaches children to be responsible, and prepares young people to live in the real world, with its many choices and consequences.

 Bob Sornson is the founder of the Early Learning Foundation.  He is the author of many books on parenting and on early learning success, including Fanatically Formative: Successful Learning During the Crucial K-3 Years.  His books for teachers include Creating Classrooms Where Teachers Love to Teach.  His best-selling books for children include Stand in My Shoes: Kids Learning about Empathy, and The Juice Box Bully.  He can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..  Information about the Love and Logic Institute can be found at loveandlogic.com

'...service systems and professionals can change what and how they provide services for families of children with disabilities, so that they are more effective'

By Helen Bourke-Taylor, MONASH University, Victoria, Australia

Mothers of school-aged children with disabilities often face numerous challenges, including sometimes difficult caregiving duties on top of their other life roles (working, caring for others). Researchers have reported that mothers of children with disabilities experience significantly higher stress levels and have more mental health issues than mothers of typically developing children.

Several factors were challenging to mothers including, challenging behavior exhibited by child with disability, having younger children in the family, sleep interruption, and the inability to work as desired due to caregiver duties.

The four strongest factors of maternal mental health identified in the research were:

1.  
   1. The frequency of mothers’ participation in health-promoting activities (e.g., active and passive recreational pursuits, time with socially supportive others, time out and actively planning healthy lifestyle choices);
   2. Maternal empowerment over their child’s disability, needs and family matters (e.g., access to information about their child’s condition and service needs);
   3. The child’s emotional functioning; and
   4. The degree to which the child’s service needs were unmet.

There is a common belief that the challenges faced by mothers of children with disability stem from grief and sadness related to their child’s disability.

However, the current research did not show this. Instead, the research suggests there are a number of other factors that influence maternal mental health and wellbeing.

This is important because service systems and professionals can change what and how they provide services for families of children with disabilities, so that they are more effective.

To learn more about these findings contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Full Journal Article: Bourke-Taylor, H., Pallant, J. F., Law, M., & Howie, L. (2012). Predicting mental health among mothers of school-aged children with developmental disabilities: The relative contribution of child, maternal and environmental factors. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 33(6), 1732–1740.