Jam Up! friends
We hope this finds you well. We’re excited to update you on what we’ve been working on behind the scenes at Jam Up! We are continuing to grow as more families are turning to us to support their children with everyday tasks. If you haven’t yet downloaded Jam Up! what are you waiting for!? 👉 Download Jam Up!
🚀 Pack your bag!
We’re excited to share that we’re working on a brand-new task for Jam Up! to help children pack their bags for different occasions like school, tutoring, swimming lessons, or even a trip to the beach! 🎒🏖️. This task is being developed in collaboration with our brilliant Spanish psychology intern, Candela, and we want to make sure it truly works for you. Please take 5 minutes to complete our short survey so we can tailor it to your child’s needs and abilities. Your feedback is so valuable! 👉 Complete the survey
💧 Let’s Help More Children Stay Hydrated
We’re excited to share that we’ll soon be launching a Crowdfunder to create a brand-new task in Jam Up! focused on encouraging children to drink more and stay hydrated. This idea was sparked by a parent involved in the National Autistic Society’s kitemark scheme, who came to us desperately seeking help for her son. She had a clear vision for how Jam Up! could support him. After some brilliant input from our team, we’re ready to bring it to life. All we need now is the funding to make it happen. We’ll be sending an update soon with full details. In the meantime, if you’re able to donate a prize or could promote our posts please do get in touch. Thank you, as always, for being part of the Jam Up! community. 💜
🩸 New Menstruation Support Feature Coming Soon
We’re excited to announce that we’ll soon be adding a new menstruation support feature to the Jam Up! app. While we continue to seek funding for a full interactive task, we wanted to act quickly on parent feedback and begin offering meaningful support now. That’s why we’re adding period pants and menstrual products to our virtual wardrobe, helping autistic young people manage their periods with greater confidence. The inequalities faced by autistic young people who menstruate are deeply concerning from sensory challenges affecting tolerance to pain, discomfort, and hygiene routines, to increased risk of infections and school absences. We’ll be sharing more about this update across our social media channels in the coming days, stay tuned!
🎉 SEND Family Fun Day
We recently had a fantastic Saturday morning at Plymouth Life Centre with SEND families! From bouncy castles and dry diving to arts & crafts, sitting volleyball, and Boccia, there was something for everyone. The NHS Paediatric CEW (Complications of Excess Weight) service also joined the event to share support and resources (and told us off for feeding our virtual pet pizza!). Nearly every family we spoke to mentioned that getting dressed and brushing teeth remain daily challenges, highlighting the vital need for Jam Up!’s practical, healthcare-backed guidance for everyday life skills. A huge thank you to all the families who visited our stand, shared their stories, and supported us. Your feedback fuels our mission, and we couldn’t do it without you!
🧦 Meet Elliot – Building Independence with Jam Up!
We recently heard from Elliot’s mum about the difference Jam Up! has made in their daily routine. With the help of our virtual pets and personalised steps, Elliot now brushes his teeth and gets dressed with more confidence and far fewer meltdowns. His mum told us, “Jam Up! has been so positive for Elliot and our whole family, saving time in the mornings and stopping him from feeling rushed, reducing tension around getting ready for school transport”.
We love hearing how Jam Up! is making a real impact — thank you, Elliot! 💜For more details please read our Meet Elliot Blog
🧑💼 Employee Benefit Scheme
We recently introduced our Employee Benefit Scheme and we’re thrilled that several employers have already signed up! This scheme offers Jam Up! as a workplace benefit, with an optional enhanced package that includes access to experts for SEND advocacy and advice from healthcare practitioners. Please see the quote below from one of our new customers:
“One of our stylists received invaluable support from a SEN advocate regarding her child’s educational needs. It really seemed to ease her worries and helped her feel more empowered, and it showed her that we genuinely care.”Sarah, Salon owner
If your workplace might be interested in gaining access to our digital platform and 1:1 support from our team of SEN Advocates or Healthcare Practitioners, we’d love to hear from you: 👉Register your interest here
🎉Exploring the Role of Occupational Therapists in SEND Support
We’ve recently had the pleasure of speaking with Gemma Carlier, a specialist Occupational Therapist, to explore the vital role OTs play in supporting SEND families — from building independence to managing sensory needs.
📖 Read our blog: Occupational Therapy and SEND Blog 📺 Watch the video on YouTube: Link to video with Occupational Therapist
If you are a healthcare practitioner and would be interested in featuring in a video or blog we’d love to hear from you. Please do drop us an email at: hello@jamup.io
🌍 Jam Up! Joins EIT Culture & Creativity in Amsterdam
We’ve just returned from an incredible trip to Amsterdam as part of the EIT Culture & Creativity programme! Jam Up! was selected alongside 27 other small businesses from 16 countries, coming together to explore how creativity and innovation can drive positive change across Europe. It was an honour to represent the UK and showcase how Jam Up! is supporting autistic children through tech, design, and inclusion. A huge thank you to EIT for the opportunity, we’re feeling inspired and full of new ideas! 💜🌍✨
📢 DTAC Compliance Update
We’re nearly there! We’re in the final stages of achieving DTAC compliance, a crucial step in registering Jam Up! as a medical device. This includes rigorous checks on clinical safety, data protection, technical security, and accessibility. Recent updates include larger text sizes and enlarged buttons, making the app even more user-friendly for everyone.
👩👦 A Personal Note from founder Rachael
We know summer holidays aren’t easy for every family, the change in structure and routine can be really tough for children with SEND. We’ve just come back from a week in Cornwall, and I realised how much more patient I’ve become with the tricky moments, like all the detailed questions (even about what the cat’s doing back home and what we are doing in three days time!) as well as the challenge of getting packed and out the door. This year, we didn’t rush. We kept mornings calm and routines familiar and still had a great time 💜Sending strength to all of you navigating the summer holidays.
💜 Donate to Support a Family in Need
If you’d like to help families who can’t afford access to Jam Up!, we’d be so grateful for your support. Your donation will help us reach more children with additional needs and ensure no family misses out on the tools they deserve. 👉 Donate here: Donate to support
Every contribution, big or small, makes a real difference. Thank you for being part of the Jam Up! community. 💜
🏥 Fit for the Future – What the NHS 10-Year Plan Means for SEND Children & Families
The NHS Fit for the Future 10-Year Health Plan, published on 3 July 2025, holds important implications for SEND, neurodiversity, and tools like Jam Up!. It places digital transformation at the centre of healthcare reform, recognising that technology is key to delivering personalised, preventative, and accessible care.
Key developments include:
📱Digital innovation as essential care The plan identifies transformative technologies, including data-driven platforms, AI, and digital tools as vital to improving outcomes. This paves the way for evidence-based apps to support day-to-day life and reduce the strain on stretched services by empowering families.
📈 Rising demand for EHCPs The number of autistic children with Education, Health and Care Plans has tripled in the past decade, placing enormous pressure on local services. The Plan calls for better early identification and improved coordination between education, health, and social care, core to Jam Up!’s approach.
🎓 Call for autism training in schools With growing momentum behind a petition for mandatory autism training for all teachers, the Plan’s emphasis on early intervention recognises the vital role schools play in identifying and supporting neurodivergent children before needs escalate.
At Jam Up!, we’re hopeful that this plan leads to real, measurable change. Families need more than good intentions, they need services that are informed, integrated, and empowering. Digital support tools must play a bigger role in helping children thrive, and we’re ready to be part of that future.
