Hi, I’m Silvia.

This Friday, we celebrate World Down Syndrome Day to honour and recognise the incredible people with Down syndrome in our lives.

For me, this celebration is deeply personal. One of my childhood friends, Monica, had Down syndrome, and growing up toge...

Two weeks ago, my youngest son had his First Communion. It was such a beautiful day. All the 8-year-olds dressed impeccably, their faces lit up with big smiles; it was indeed their special day.

The teachers had arranged the church seating alphabetic...

I've recently received a question from one of our readers, a mother of two young children, one autistic, and the other is currently awaiting assessments.
I'm sharing this with you because her question resonates with the experiences of many in our com...

In this blog post, I celebrate a significant milestone:

My son is finishing his first year in secondary school.

I feel immense joy and amazement at his progress. Reflecting on his journey, it's incredible to see how much he has grown. As a mother...

Parenting can be challenging and rewarding, and balancing discipline with love and nurturing is a constant struggle for parents. As an early intervention specialist and mother, I have been reflecting on this topic a lot lately, especially after teach...

With World Down Syndrome Day this week, I wanted to share a personal story that has shaped my life. It's about my childhood friend Monica, who had Down Syndrome.

A story about friendship, inclusion and inspiration.

I met Monica when I was around 6 ...

Based on my experience working with families for over 20 years, I have observed that many couples become more robust as they navigate the challenges of parenting a child with additional needs. However, it is important to acknowledge that some couples...

I often talk about inclusion of children with disabilities in our communities. But before we can look at inclusion in the community, we must remember that inclusion starts within the family circle.  

Enjoying a family meal, going to the playground w...

Christmas is a time of celebration and fun.

But being off school, changes in routine and family gatherings can sometimes be difficult for children with additional needs. 

Over the years, through my experience as a mum and working with other familie...

Enable Ireland has launched its new Podcast (and a video version of it, too), called Enable Conversations, and I was honoured to be their first guest.

In this conversation with its host, Sebastian Koppe, I speak about my experience as a parent and p...

Here in the Angel household, we did different things in the summer of 2022.

Typically, every summer, we spend a few weeks near Barcelona with my parents (that’s where I am from originally).

But not this summer!

One of my nieces got married in Hels...

I am honoured to have this Sign presented by Pádraig O'Callaghan, a 12-year-old boy with Down Syndrome from Limerick. 

You may already know him for his well-known Monday Motivation 'Paudcast'. Pádraig is a young self-advocate for people of all abili...

Recently, in conversation with a group of educators, I recommended some resources and videos from well-known autistic self-advocates.

One of the teachers shook her head and said, “I have to be careful with that. Parents might look at some autistic s...

One of my favourite days of the year is Mother´s Day. Not so much because I love getting breakfast in bed and flowers, which I love, but because I love celebrating my children and my own mother.

Kids are super excited about this day, and they prepar...

The one BIG issue we rarely think about...

Families are often at sea as specialised advice is hard to find on this subject.

Did you know that children with autism are more likely to have sleeping problems than their same-age peers?

Did you know th...