Nancy’s tips for writing an EHCP parental statement
One of the things I get asked regularly, in my capacity of mother of an older child with Down’s syndrome, is how to write the parental statement part of the …
Category: Columnists
The £70 million council costs of fighting – and losing – against parents at the SEND Tribunal
We all know that money’s tight in public services, not least in providing for children with disabilities. It’s not surprising local authorities want to avoid shelling out lots of money …
A sensory being’s Christmas wish list
Recently I posted a Christmas Shopping List on Facebook that has done its best to go viral. As someone who shares a lot on social media I am often surprised …
Have a care for the carers working 100-hour weeks
Four years ago, we were on our metaphorical knees. The previous 18 months of getting a diagnosis, attending endless medical appointments, fighting for essential equipment and services and trying somehow …
Battle of The Bands: The rise of ‘banding’ for funding SEND
Is your child getting an EHCP? Have you talked to your school about SEND support recently? Has your LA tried to interest you in one of its awkwardly-named “My Plans”? …
Tips for spotting the signs of dyslexia in a child or young person
One in ten of us are affected by dyslexia. While many schools have got much better at spotting a potentially dyslexic student, there are still some in education who, believe …
My child still has a Statement of SEN: What should I do?
For all parents of children/young persons who currently have a Statement of Special Educational Needs, your local authority is required to have transferred their Statement to an Education, Health, and …
Deputyship and mental capacity for young people at the SEND Tribunal
Deputyship- Don’t wait till it’s too late As many of you will know, the Children and Families Act (CFA) 2014 created a new system of support for young persons with …
LA watch: Beware the EHCP Assessment Exception “loophole”
It’s the last week of the year in most English schools. A week to take things a bit easier, tidy away, and prepare for what the next academic year brings. But …
Hayley’s EHCP Save-Our-Sanity SOS plan
It seems that at every milestone and crossroads in your child’s life, your pride, relief and excitement at their achievements is met with an equal measure of stress and worry. …
Helping autistic children experience the joy of connection
Recently Lucy has started to experience-share more with us at Bright Futures School. She has come a long, long way from the disengaged girl who started with us back in …
Overcoming barriers to help my deaf children succeed
I’ve got two deaf boys. They’re brighter than I am. They’re more determined than I am. They work harder in the course of a single day than I do in …
Key points of SEN Support in schools: What it is and how it should work
In Tuesday’s post on the outcomes for children and young people with SEND but no EHCP I concluded by drawing attention to the importance of the SEND Co-ordinator in taking …
SEN Support: Poorer outcomes when needs aren’t thoroughly assessed
Last week I wrote about the problems facing parents of children in mainstream school whose special needs have been persistently overlooked. While the troubled roll-out of Education, Health & Care …
Fixing our broken SEND system: The next Minister’s ‘To Do’ list
On the morning of the General Election, Thursday 8th June, I supported a parent in a meeting with her school’s Headteacher. We were discussing her complaint that the school had …
Tilly’s “tried on” lots of diagnoses, but none fit her mystery ultra-rare condition
Happy Undiagnosed Children’s Day! Did you know that around 6,000 children are born in the UK each year with a syndrome without a name – a genetic condition so rare …
Act now to protect the NHS funding of rare disease medicines like Ava’s
Having a child with rare disease can mean that you are given very little information about their condition. Parent carers find themselves becoming the expert, rather than the professionals who are …
Co-regulation in Autism: synchronising emotions, intentions and thoughts
In a previous post in my series on co-regulation in autism, we looked here at what it is and how important it is to establish co-regulatory roles when working with …
Rare disease research is vital to patients. Now let’s use it to improve services.
Rosie Collington of Rare Disease UK writes… The UK has a reputation internationally as a leader in rare disease research. Over the past few months at Rare Disease UK, we’ve …
Our children, “managed” out of mainstream schools and denied support
In just 11 astonishing days, the denial of young people’s rights to education, health and care in England has been completely exposed. Evidence of young people being hidden away from …