For many children Christmas is the most exciting time of the year, but for those with autism – and for the families who look after them – it can be an extraordinarily challenging period.
Some of the simplest joys associated with Christmas, such as opening presents or eating turkey, can become potential flashpoints as children who place huge importance on their routines find it hard to handle the change to their environment.
So how do families with autistic children make it through the festive season with happiness and harmony?
For Kevin Harrison, it is a time of year to be handled cautiously as his 11-year-old son Daniel struggles with the challenges of Christmas. More
The BBC has pledged to “raise our game” on religion by increasing the portrayal of all faiths in mainstream shows.
The corporation said it would “enhance” the representation of religion on TV and radio dramas and documentaries.
It said it would also create a new global religious affairs team, headed by a religion editor, in BBC News.
The BBC will also keep Thought For The Day on Radio 4’s Today programme – despite presenter John Humphrys saying it’s often “deeply, deeply boring”. More
The most visible shock during BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year show was the 50-1 outsider Mo Farah winning the main award, the four-times Olympic champion having long given up hope of reaching the podium again. But the odds are seemingly even more stacked against female nominees, with debate about the reasons why raging.
The four women on the 12-strong shortlist occupied the bottom four places, accounting for just 8% of the public vote. A leading women’s sport charity and feminist political party expressed their surprise to the Guardian that Anya Shrubsole (15,237 votes) Bianca Walkden (13,962) Johanna Konta (7,591) and Elise Christie (6,504) between them raked in fewer than half the number of votes Farah (83,524) received. More
