NEWS

DUP Bannside Councillor Tyler Hoey A proposal inspired by a Ballymena child who became overwhelmed before attending a community event is set to bring sensory support boxes into council buildings across Mid and East Antrim after receiving unanimous backing from local councillors. Mid and East Antrim Borough Council voted in favour of a motion brought forward by DUP Councillor Tyler Hoey during a meeting at The Braid on Monday, June 8, paving the way for officers to examine the

Health Minister Mike Nesbitt and Communities Minister Gordon Lyons launch the 'Designing Homes for All' guide at Parliament Buildings. A new housing design guide launched by Stormont ministers could change how homes across Northern Ireland are built and adapted for people living with dementia, autism, learning disabilities and sensory impairments. The joint initiative, unveiled by Health Minister Mike Nesbitt and Communities Minister Gordon Lyons, is designed to help architec

(L-R) Edwina Weiniger, Stepping Stones Chairperson, Elaine Loughran, Principal Our Lady of Lourdes Primary School, Education Minister, Paul Givan, Alan Herron, Playboard NI CEO and Susan Williams, SEN Inclusive Play Project Coordinator, Playboard NI with pupils. An ambitious new programme designed to reshape how children with special educational needs experience learning through play has officially launched in Northern Ireland, with dozens of schools set to benefit over the

Children and young people with complex disabilities across Mid and East Antrim could benefit from new summer activities and support programmes after the council launched a dedicated funding scheme aimed at creating more inclusive opportunities during the school holidays. Mid and East Antrim Borough Council has unveiled its first-ever Inclusive Summer Opportunities Grant Funding Scheme, with £12,000 available to help local organisations deliver free and accessible activities t

Smiles all round as Ready2Work Academy students stand outside Tuition Time with teachers and facilitators, celebrating the success of their showcase café event. A group of young people from Larne took a major step towards the world of work this week after stepping behind the counter to run a real café environment as part of a programme designed to help SEN school leavers build confidence and job-ready skills. Ten students from Roddensvale School showcased what they had learne

The Education Authority has launched a new leadership support programme aimed at strengthening specialist special educational needs (SEN) provision in mainstream schools across Northern Ireland, as pressure continues to grow on education services supporting children with additional needs. The new initiative comes after more than 6,000 additional SEN places have been created since 2020, reflecting what EA described as rapidly changing educational needs among pupils and increas

Ballymena artist Heather Martin A Ballymena-based artist has secured new funding support to develop a stage play examining systemic misogyny within policing and medicine as part of a wider Northern Ireland arts initiative supporting D/deaf, disabled and neurodivergent creatives. Heather Martin is among 20 artists across Northern Ireland awarded £1,000 grants through the newly renamed Atypical Generation Fund, delivered by the University of Atypical with National Lottery fundi

The Children’s Law Centre CEO John O'Doherty, alongside Rachel Hogan BL, SEND Specialist Legal Adviser and Kathryn Stevenson, Head of Legal, pictured at Parliament Buildings after presenting to the education committee on the proposed SEN Regs. The Children’s Law Centre has warned Stormont’s Education Committee that proposed new SEND regulations could weaken legal protections for vulnerable children, reduce the role of parents in decision-making and leave parts of the new fram

Autism diagnoses among school-age children in Northern Ireland have reached their highest recorded level, with new figures revealing 18,472 pupils are now identified as autistic — while politicians and families warn support systems are becoming overwhelmed. The latest annual prevalence report published by the Department of Health shows autism prevalence among school-age children rose to 6.2% during the 2025/26 school year. That represents an increase of 0.3 percentage points

Families across Northern Ireland waiting for confirmation of school places for children with special educational needs are being offered direct one-to-one support through a new series of online drop-in sessions hosted by the Education Authority. The initiative comes amid growing pressure on the region’s SEN system, with demand for specialist placements continuing to rise sharply and thousands of additional places projected to be needed over the next decade. Parents and carers

Browns Bay on the east Antrim coast Visitors to Browns Bay are set to benefit from major new improvements later this year as Mid and East Antrim Borough Council prepares to begin construction of enhanced toilet, shower and accessibility facilities at the popular coastal site. Works are due to begin in early June 2026 and will deliver a significant upgrade for beach users, swimmers, tourists and people with additional needs visiting one of the borough’s best-known seaside loca

Linda McMillan, Chief People Officer for Fibrus Group with Ronan Conlon, Founder of FitMinds Coach, and FitMinds programme participants. Children of all abilities across Northern Ireland are set to take part in a major programme of inclusive summer activity camps after FitMinds Coach announced plans to welcome more than 1,000 young children to sessions across 20 locations this summer. The one-day camps, designed for children aged three to six, will run throughout July and Au

The Committee and Volunteers from Sensory Kids A volunteer-led organisation supporting children, adults and families in Co Antrim has received the highest honour of its kind in the UK, recognising years of life-changing work for people with disabilities. Sensory Kids has been awarded The King’s Award for Voluntary Service, a prestigious national recognition celebrating the impact of its inclusive programmes and community support. Prestigious honour presented at special ceremo

SDLP MLA for East Londonderry Cara Hunter Growing cross-sector backlash as Children’s Law Centre and 14 organisations raise concerns over impact on vulnerable pupils, schools and families Mounting opposition to proposed special educational needs (SEN) reforms has intensified, with SDLP MLA Cara Hunter calling on the Education Minister to immediately halt the plans amid warnings they could place already overstretched schools under further strain and negatively impact vulnerabl

A major conference aimed at reshaping how children with special educational needs are supported in classrooms across Northern Ireland will take place in Belfast this week, as the Education Authority pushes ahead with plans to move away from what it describes as a rigid “one size fits all” system. The keynote event, being held at the Balmoral Hotel, Belfast, on Thursday, April 16, forms a central part of the EA’s public consultation on its proposed Enhanced Support Model, a s

Communities Minister Gordon Lyons and Health Minister Mike Nesbitt are pictured with Anne-Marie Kelly during a visit to the Kelly home which was modified for Anne-Marie’s son Conor through the Disabled Facilities Grant. A County Down family has spoken of the “life-changing” impact of major home adaptations funded through Northern Ireland’s Disabled Facilities Grant, as two Stormont ministers pledged further reforms to strengthen support for households living with disability.

Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Councillor Jackson Minford pictured with DEA Officer Karen Brownlow for the launch of World Autism Acceptance Month. Mid and East Antrim Borough Council is marking World Autism Acceptance Month this April by reaffirming its commitment to building a more inclusive and accessible community for autistic people and their families. In partnership with the Northern Health and Social Care Trust, the council says it will continue to expand support throug

Pictured at the Child Development Centre at the Robinson Memorial Hospital in Ballymoney are back row, left – right, Steven Johnston, Stevie Lennon, Mark Morrow, Joe Gillan from the Robinson Memorial Trust Board, Ronnie Blair, Bamber McKay. Front row, left to right, Paddy Graffin, Kori Gault, James Archer and David Robinson, President of the Robinson Memorial Trust Board. Children and families attending Ballymoney’s Child Development Centre are now being welcomed into a signi

TUV North Antrim MLA Timothy Gaston The political fallout over Northern Ireland’s special educational needs summer schemes deepened today after TUV MLA Timothy Gaston launched a blistering attack in the Assembly, accusing ministers and officials of failing some of the most vulnerable children in society. In a strongly worded address, the North Antrim MLA said the decision to cancel the schemes — before a subsequent reversal — was “not simply an administrative mis-step” but

Deputy Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, DUP Councillor Tyler Hoey A new motion set to come before Mid and East Antrim Borough Council next month could see sensory toolboxes introduced in every council-owned building across the borough — a move designed to provide immediate comfort and support for children and young people who may become overwhelmed in public spaces. The proposal, brought forward by Deputy Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, DUP Councillor Tyler Hoey , will be consider