Autism educator Amanda launches new online additional needs store

MAYO mum Amanda McGuinness, of the Little Puddins Blog, The Autism Educator, and Connaught Telegraph columnist, has launched a new resource for people with additional needs.

Below, Amanda explains what the store - Little Puddins Print - is all about in her regular Connaught column.

THIS week saw the launch of my brand-new online store, Little Puddins Prints, an educational resources and visual communicative aid store for children and adults with additional needs, writes Amanda. I have been so overwhelmed and thankful by the huge support I have received from families in Mayo and from families across Ireland and Europe.

As an autistic adult and a visual supports designer I knew that I could offer through my online store a unique perspective in the design and creation of educational and visual communicate aids and supports. Each of my products have been tried and tested by my own little puddins, Conor, Jack and Max.

Little Puddins Prints offers a range of communicative aids, educational activities, visual supports, social stories, behaviour supports, life skill, toilet training, PECS resources and so much more to support children just like my own, or adults just like myself who process information visually.

What I have been most thankful for in launching the store is the extra time I have spent with my gorgeous daughter Hailey. She has been helping me by creating social media visual posts and helping to pack orders as they come in. She is very artistic and has been instrumental in the design of many of the online store product images. She told me she will always remember her very first summer job, helping mom at the table in the evenings to pack orders.

She has been spending extra time over the holidays with Granny and Grandad Golden for her respite breaks. As a young carer, life can be extra stressful for my best girl, so I am very thankful to Granny and Grandad for looking after and spoiling her.