Support for SEND

17/03/2026

NeuroDIVERSITY. NeuroDIVERGENCE. And the 'neurodiversity paradigm' explained...

17/03/2026

Part of the reason we purchased this beautiful boy, five years ago, was so that he could provide some emotional support for one of my children.
The irony is that he is quite anxious and needs alot of emotional support, too!!!
Here's some wonderful COregulation.💜

17/03/2026

OK. Some questions answered (for me) in the podcast.
But I keep coming back to the ISP and the route to challenge being through the governors/school complaints procedure.
Governors are not paid and have other commitments.
I am currently supporting a parent with a SEND based school complaint (second stage) and time fames haven't been complied with because the governors cannot convene a panel that requires multiple (working) governors to be in the same place at the same time.
I fear ISP based complaints to governors (even with a SEND expert on the panel) is not realistic and/or will not be sustainable.

Other questions I have after watching/listening:

Will the statutory threshold for a needs assessment remain the same?

If a child hasn't moved through the tiers of support (before a request for assessment) but the threshold to assessment remains the same, how will the government ensure that the answer isn't always, "We are not going to assess because X,Y and Z provision hasn't been tried so there is NO EVIDENCE that the child requires more support, beyond that provision".
(Ie what is to stop parents and carers opting to request a needs assessment straight away, if moving through tiers is not a barrier?)

The one everyone has been asking about…
The government’s SEND White Paper promises a better system. But what happens when the independent expert on your complaints panel gets outvoted by governors? We asked the Minister directly.

Gaz and Andy sat down with Georgia Gould, Minister for Schools, inside the Department for Education to put the questions SEND families are actually asking. The tribunal gap. The complaints panel. The undefined “complex needs” threshold. The workforce that doesn’t exist yet.

We had 10 questions ready. We ran out of time and only got to ask 5. She answered all of them — and some of her answers might surprise you.

Link to the episode in the comments.

15/03/2026

Watching this space because this is local to me and looks exciting!

15/03/2026

Autism is a neurological difference.

Autistic people experience a different way of being. A different way of thinking, sensing and processing the world.

I have three teens. Two of my teens are autistic.

Perspective and approach differ frequently in our household and in our family life.

To somebody outside of our family, without an undertanding of autism, certain (resulting) behaviours may be read as rude and/or defiant.

However, this is, typically, not the case.

Typically, if heads are butting in our family, perceived rudeness or defiance indicate just how vastly different perspectives and understanding are and, therefore, indicate where specific strategies are needed to, either, support bridging that gap, or support agreeing to disagree and leaving the situation behind.

15/03/2026

15/03/2026

To all the wonderful mothers and carers who go above and beyond every day...

11/03/2026

📢 In-person White Paper Parent Carer Consultations - locations updated!

Location updates can be found on the attached flyer and below, no prior booking required!

Your experience and feedback is vital to this consultation 🗣

🟦 Ryedale District
📆 Tuesday 10th March; Complete

🟩 Craven District
📆 Monday 16th March; 10.00 - 11.00am
📍 Carers Resource, Skipton

🟦 Harrogate & Ripon District
📆 Tuesday 17th March; 9.30 - 11.30am
📍 Harrogate Chocolate Factory

🟩 Hambleton District
📆 Wednesday 18th March; 10.00am - 12.00pm
📍 Easingwold - Autism Plus Chocolate Shop, YO61 3AG

🟦 Selby District
📆 Thursday 19th March; 10.15am - 12.15pm
📍 Selby - Barwic Hub (adjacent to Barwic Parade Community Primary School)

🟩 Richmondshire District
📆 Friday 20th March; 1.00 - 3.00pm
📍 Richmond - Richmond Town Hall

🟦 Yorkshire Coast District (in collaboration with Alison Hume MP)
📆 Dates TBC
📍 Locations TBC

We look forward to meeting you soon!

A gentle reminder, if you are unable to attend an in person event, you can still feed into the consultation via our feedback form here - 🔗 https://forms.gle/sFqCmBKmHnezXNbs6

11/03/2026

We can definitely attest that trying to access CAMHS is like being stuck in a revolving door!!!
And by the time many children and young people access CAMHS, they and their families have experienced damage from the revolutions!!!

08/03/2026

Here's where I am at today...

In an absolutely ideal world, children and young people's individual educational needs, health care needs and social care needs could, and would, be met, even if the child or young person was without a specific diagnosis.

However, we do not live in an ideal world and, very unfortunately - for a multitude of reasons - without a specific diagnosis, provision to meet children and young people's individual needs, is often not provided at all; too sparse; or of poor consistency and/or quality - meaning little positive impact.

Now, there is alot of negativity in the media, at present, regards autism diagnoses being given to children, young people and adults, who some would categorise as having lower support needs - with the suggestion that autism should only be a diagnosis for individuals with profound needs.

However, if like myself, you sought to identify a specific diagnosis for your child or young person because lack of/poor provision was resulting in the escalation of (often mental health) needs - to the point that your child would, then, be described as having high support needs or in crisis - please try not to let the media get you down.

It is very hard to fully understand what one has not experienced and, given that some of what is being said in the media is so upsetting for many autistic individuals and their families, one can only assume that any lack of empathy has to be the result of a lack of personal experience.

07/03/2026

This must be Temu's one page contribution to both the SEND consultations and discussion around attendace before anything else.

Stripping it right back to basics, for the government, Temu. Thank you!