It's going to take more than a 'golden ticket' to fund our kids education

An article recently published in The Times has received much backlash for suggesting that parents of children with high-needs SEND are taking resources away from the rest of the school population.  The article quoted a Head Teacher who suggested that EHCP's (the legal document stating the needs of and provisions required for a child with SEND) were seen as a 'golden ticket'.

The wait for an autism diagnosis

Imagine your child reaches three years and still doesn't say a word. They don't point to anything, comment or smile. They sit and repeat patterns of play over and over again and get upset if they are disturbed.   You have some suspicions and after chatting with a health visitor you think... may be my child is autistic?

When you find out your child has got upset at school

When I dropped Jane at school on Monday, her older brother's teaching assistant was waiting at the door.  Anthony has autism and ADHD and has a learning support assistant (LSA)  or teaching assistant (TA) help him at school.  At first I thought he must have forgotten something, but then it was obvious that his TA was checking in because he'd got really upset a few days before.  It doesn't matter if your child has additional needs or not - no one wants to hear their child has been upset.

Moving up in education for my autistic kids

We are in the midst of school visits.  Anthony will soon be leaving primary school and heading to secondary school.  Through school, as a child with autism and ADHD, Anthony has had some support to help him.

Facing an Education, Health & Care Plan (EHCP) deadline

I’ve been thinking about significance of deadlines. This morning the BBC breakfast show featured a story about the approaching EHCP transfer deadline. This was set by Government for all local authorities to transfer an old document called a 'Statement of Special Educational Needs' to the new Education, Health and Care Plan - a document set out as part of the Children’s Act 2014 to improve things for kids, like mine, who need additional support with their education.

Six school possibilities for SEND kids

Surely every parent hopes they've made the right choice of school for their child?  There's a lot of pressure to make the right choice matters. This is where your child will spend their formative years, and you want them to flourish educationally and socially in the right environment.  However, when it comes to a child with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) it can feel overwhelming and complicated.

The five things to know if you are thinking about an Education Health & Care Plan

In a few days Jane will start reception.  Our last child is off to proper school.  And it feels a bit odd. Yes it's partly because she is our last and I'm going not going to be running around after her each day, but it feels all too fluid because we've not had to fight for her education.  She's our first child entering school without an Education Health & Care Plan (EHCP) or what used to called a Statement of SEN (Special Educational Needs).

30 hours of free childcare may not be possible for autistic children like mine

When my eldest son, Anthony, turned three years old he received 15 hours of free childcare a week. This was really helpful and made it possible for me to continue working. When David turned three years old, he should have been entitled to the same amount. But that's not what happened. He got seven. David only got seven hours because he has autism - because he has additional needs. And this week I'm wondering if this will be the same for children like mine when the government extend free childcare for some working families in a few weeks time.

Dare I think about my autistic son's future?

We are thinking that our son may need a different school.  I imagine all parents consider how to get their kids the best education, whether that's your nearest school, one of your local maintained schools, an independent school, home schooling or something else.  Our boys have additional needs and we consider their education just as important as we do for our daughter.  We want them all to have the best opportunities now so they still have the best opportunities in the future.  But sometimes, that future is blurry, unknown, perhaps even unexpected.

SEN: Accessing specialist units or special schools

You already know your child will need extra support at school. The question is what type and where it is best for them to have it?  The preference is always for your child to go to a regular mainstream school if this setting can meet their needs, but that's not always possible. We knew after our experience with Anthony, our first child with ASD, who went to a mainstream school that there was no way that David, our second, could cope with it. We knew David would need a specialist unit, so what did I learn about getting him into one?

SEN: Choosing a mainstream school

When your child has special educational needs (SEN) it feels like there is an even greater weight to getting the right school for them. Many children with SEN can attend regular mainstream schools and have their needs met well there. Both our boys have an ASD diagnosis but only one is in a mainstream school.  Our eldest son positively blossoms in this setting. So what can I share about getting him a mainstream school?

5 things to know before applying for an EHCP (Education, Health & Care Plan)

I've learned lots whilst getting David in to his specialist unit and getting the support for Anthony, his older brother, via an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).  I'm not a legal or council expert, just a parent whose gone through the process a few times and if you think your child might need extra support, here's a few things worth knowing. This post has been updated, read it here.