More children and young people are being diagnosed with special educational needs and disabilities, but the systems around them are not growing at the same pace.

Communication and speech limitations can hide a person’s thoughts from the world, but they do not remove those thoughts. They can make daily care more complicated, but they do not make choice, safety, humour, comfort, or dignity any less important.

Whether someone has a physical or mental impairment or not, animals are here to play a big part in our lives.