Category: Needs Recommendation Writes

Tonight we went live with a small focus group consisting of friends and family with similar situations to ours. Having felt I’d got us to a strong starting point, I decided to soft launch Needs Recommendation, with lift off falling between collecting children from schools and clubs and preparing the family evening meals. I had not banked on pressing send and immediately loosing my appetite. I didn’t think it would be a big deal, but as soon as I sent the link round the WhatsApp, I felt most uncomfortable.

Having spent a few months learning how to build this type of website and pulling this idea together, I was finally ‘lighting the touch paper’. I had 2 meetings today with amazing mentors, one of whom was critical to my ‘do i go for it or do i not’. The meetings were really positive and full of ideas and encouragement. It was go time!

I had not given thought to what it would feel like sharing the idea to one and all. We are fortunate though. The focus group didn’t disappoint. 9 New Members within minutes and an interesting message from a Support Group who appear keen to learn more….I’ll keep you posted. Further messages of support and so on we roll. Appetite back. Dinner eaten.

Hi. Nice to meet you. I’m the founder, owner and creator of Needs Recommendation. It is all just me. I am a mum who has spent the last 18.5 years seeking and making recommendations for anything and everything that concerns my child’s multiple sensory and physical needs diagnosis. Having worked within the childrens’ charity sector for the past decade, and from the many appointments i’ve attended, as well as some legal wrangling’s on behalf of my child, i’ve learnt who to trust, what to ask, what will work, what won’t work and who/which service/activity/venue etc is golden to my child’s life. I’ve also noted that i’ve gone on to share this information countless number of times as well as asked for it. Conversations in Waiting Rooms, in shop queues, in school Play Grounds have also shown me, the absolute best information is from others with similar experiences to ourselves and that it’s often by complete chance that you arrive at this golden information, for example shared by a stranger at a charity event for people with specific disabilities etc. And basically, that seems unfair to me. We of all people, do not have time for endless searching of what might work for ourselves or our children or those we are carers too. I’ve only ever been keen on ‘personal’ recommendations, rather than something random i find online that might fit my child’s set of specific needs but probably won’t (don’t get me started…).

So here we are. Needs Recommendation. Join me in sharing the GOOD information. What has worked (not what hasn’t, we all know there is too much of that!). Make life easier for someone else and as the individual with disabilities and/or needs grows, keep up to date as to what may work in their individual futures.

Thanks for reading. Am looking forward to building this directory for all.