Stacy Ring OT & Coach

05/02/2026

Even with an EHCP in place… things can still go wrong (and that doesn’t mean it’s not working).

As a parent carer and an Occupational Therapist, I know how much hope gets placed in an EHCP.

The assessments.
The paperwork.
The plans, outcomes and provision clearly written down.

And yet…
School mornings still fall apart.
Your child still struggles.
You still get that sinking feeling of “But we have an EHCP, why is this still so hard?”

Here’s the truth we don’t say loudly enough:
👉 An EHCP is not a guarantee of smooth days or instant support.

An EHCP is a framework, not a magic fix.
It can outline needs and provision, but it can’t:

-regulate a nervous system in the moment

-adapt automatically when your child’s needs change

-account for exhaustion, illness, transitions or trauma

-carry the emotional load that parents are holding every day

When things go wrong, it doesn’t mean:

the EHCP has failed

you’re asking for too much

or your child is “too complex”

It means real life is happening.

So many parent carers tell me:

“I thought once the EHCP was in place, things would improve.”
“I feel like I’m constantly firefighting anyway.”
“I don’t know how to make what’s written on paper actually work day to day.”

If that’s you, you’re not alone, and you’re not doing anything wrong.

💛 This is exactly what I support families with through my 1:1 and group coaching.

I help parent carers translate EHCPs into meaningful strategies, adapt support when things change, and build confidence in advocating without burning themselves out.

If you have an EHCP and are still struggling, that doesn’t mean you’ve failed.

👉 DM me to book a free initial conversation

05/02/2026

Familial abuse is real.

Thank you for highlighting this PEGS - Child to Parent Abuse Support and hopefully start a conversation around wider support for families going through this.

*Trigger Warning*

Last year, the Femicide Census highlighted a heartbreaking reality: women are more likely to be killed by someone they know than by a stranger. In 2022, of the 121 women killed by men, 12 were killed by their own sons, that's more than the 11 who were killed by strangers.

At PEGS, our thoughts are with each of these women and their loved ones. Each name in the Census represents a life, a family, friends and the unthinkable loss that could have been prevented. Some had reached out for support, some had kept their abuse hidden but all deserved the chance to live fear free.

This reminder is a call for action. Abuse within families is real and no one should ever have to face it alone.

27/01/2026

WARNING, SENSITIVE CONTENT:

Su***de and suicidal thoughts are difficult topics but ones that needs to be talked about with compassion and honesty.

Parent carers give so much of themselves, emotionally, physically, mentally. Many do it day in and day out with little rest, support, or recognition. It can take a profound toll on mental health.

A recent UK study found that more than 40% of parents caring for a child with long-term illness or disability had thought about su***de while managing their caring responsibilities. Only about half of those ever told anyone or sought help.

I want to say this clearly:
💛 Having these thoughts does not mean you don’t love your child.
💛 It doesn’t mean you’re failing.
💛 It means you are overwhelmed, tired, and human.

If you’ve ever felt hopeless, trapped, or scared of these feelings, you deserve support too, not judgement, not silence.
You matter. Your life matters.
And it’s okay to ask for help.

And if you support and/or employ parent carers please don't be afraid to ask difficult questions, seek support in how to respond if someone actually answers yes, they do feel suicidal, or trapped or their future looks hopeless.

If this brings up anything for you right now, please consider reaching out, to a trusted person, a professional, or a helpline in your area.

Let’s support one another with empathy, openness, and without shame.
🤍

●MIND Monday- Friday 9am to 6pm 0300-102-1234
● Samaritans: Call 116 123 (free from any phone)
Call the Samaritans Welsh Language Line on 0808 164 0123 (7pm–11pm every day)
Email jo@samaritans.org (email responses may take several days)
● SANEline on 0300 304 7000 (4.30pm–10pm every day)
● National Su***de Prevention Helpline UK on 0800 587 0800 (6pm to midnight every day)
● text SHOUT to 85258. Shout offers a confidential 24/7 text service providing support if you are in crisis and need immediate help.

26/01/2026

I’m an OT… but definately not a typical one.

I didn’t come into this job just through textbooks, placements, and frameworks, I came through the messiness of grief, single parenthood and lived experience.

Telling anybody who would listen "I just want help people"

I’m an occupational therapist, a parenting coach, and a SEND parent, currently preparing my neurodivergent son for his transition to college. And honestly? This season has changed everything about how I show up in my work.

Because when you’re supporting your own child to navigate independence, identity, overwhelm, executive functioning, self-advocacy, and letting go, theory stops being abstract.

You start asking different questions.
You stop chasing “outcomes” and start protecting nervous systems.
You realise that parenting a neurodivergent young person isn’t about fixing, it’s about scaffolding safety, dignity, and belief and meeting them where they are.

My work sits in the messy middle:
✨ evidence & empathy
✨ professional skill & real-life chaos
✨ OT lens & parenting reality

I support families who are working and just don’t want generic strategies.
Who want to understand their child and/or young perwon
Who are preparing not just for school, but for adulthood and beyond.

This isn’t the OT role I imagined years ago, but it is the one I feel aligned too.

If you’re a parent managing work, the SEND system and everyhing in between, drop me a message or comment YES below.

17/01/2026

✨ Working parents of neurodivergent children ✨

Winter can feel heavy when you’re a parent carer.
The routines change, energy dips, and suddenly everything feels harder, especially when you’re carrying everyine else's needs before your own.

If you’ve been feeling:

Stuck or overwhelmed

Unsure what your next step should be

Like you’re constantly reacting instead of choosing

💛 This is your gentle pause.

For a limited time this winter, I’m offering 1:1 calls.

In this call we will:
✔ Untangle what’s actually going on for you
✔ Bring clarity, direction, and realistic next steps that work for your family
✔ Help you feel more grounded and confident again

You don’t need to have it all figured out.
You just need a safe space to think, breathe, and be supported by someone who gets both the healthcare worker role and the parent carer role.

✨ Winter Sale available this Saturday only
✨ Limited 1:1 spots

👉 Comment “CLARITY” or DM me to book your call.

04/01/2026

Childrens rights are not optional!!

You may have seen an article in The Times this week speculating that children could lose their right to SEND support except in the most "severe" cases. The article suggests schools may "take over from parents to deal with the authorities directly for pupils with only ‘moderate’ needs in proposed government reforms."

While we are still awaiting the Government’s White Paper which will set out any confirmed proposals, we will fight any attempt to weaken or dilute existing SEND law. IPSEA is quoted in the article pictured below, and along with our campaign partners at Save Our Children’s Rights, we will continue campaigning throughout 2026 to ensure children’s legal entitlements are protected as part of any changes to the SEND system.

Children’s rights are not optional. They must be upheld.

04/01/2026

For parent carers, as children return to school this week:

As school returns this January, it’s understandable if you’re already feeling the weight of it.

The transition back to school for some is harsh and violent. Children don’t return refreshed and ready, they come back with tired nervous systems and unprocessed experiences from the before, during and after the festivities For some families the holidays were joyful; for others they were exhausting, lonely, or about survival. Often, it's a mix

Many parent carers have spent the break supporting regulation, managing anxiety, and absorbing stress so their child can cope. As school restarts, worries about how your child will manage and how their needs or behaviours might be understood can feel heavy.

If your child seems more restless, withdrawn, emotional, avoidant, or says things like “I can’t do this,” it doesn’t mean you’ve gone backwards or done anything wrong. It usually means their system is still in survival mode. Transitions take energy, for children and for you.

A small grounding tip for this week:
Try anchoring the start and end of the day with one predictable, regulating moment the same song in the car, a warm drink together, a few slow breaths, a familiar phrase like “We’re okay, today doesn’t have to be perfect.” Consistency matters more than duration.

You don’t need to fix everything this week. Your child doesn’t need to prove readiness. Safety, trust, and regulation come first.

Please be gentle with yourself. You are returning too; to routines, coordinating, advocacating, and holding a lot that often goes unseen.
If things are feeling harder than expected at the moment that doesn’t mean you’re failing, it means you ar doing your best with what you have.

29/12/2025

I’ve been quieter here these past few months while supporting my children through school transitions, complex needs, back to back illnesses for all of us, and the very real exhaustion that can come with the festive season with both their birthdays aswell as my own all within 8 weeks. Family had to come first 🤍

Now, with more stability and clarity, (and anitbiotics)I’m gently stepping back into this space, with renewed purpose.

In 2026, I’ll be opening new services for parent carers grounded in:

✨ Occupational Therapy
✨ Lived Experience
✨ Realistic, and compassionate support that fits real family life

If you’re a parent who’s been surviving rather than thriving, please know you’re not alone, and support is coming.

Thank you for your patience, your kindness, and for being here.

More details soon,
Stacy x

11/12/2025

During my sons most recent AR, we discussed the recent percieved increase in EHCPs and both managed to agree the current system is unsustainable and whilst the SENCO seemed optimistic about the new reforms I am slightly apprehensive.

Currently in Scotland, 43% of children are now identified as having additional learning needs. Rather than viewing this as a problem within the children, this figure raises serious questions about whether the mainstream education system is fit for purpose. The current model prioritises early academic achievement, sits children still when their bodies are wired to move, and limits opportunities for play and exploratio, the natural foundations of development. As children grow, they enter large, impersonal secondary schools where meaningful adult connection is minimal and test performance dominates the narrative about their future ( thank you Dr Naomi Fisher )

My child entered school struggling.He was labelled within the first 10 days, and they have been difficult to shake.

Schools tend to be very quick to label CHILDREN as having behavioural issues or additional needs, as if they are the ones who are faulty rather than the structure around them. Assessments and diagnoses then multiply, not because children are increasingly ‘broken’, but because the system has become increasingly rigid. The less flexible the system becomes, the more children fail to fit within it.

I believe the core issue is not the CHILDREN who are still learning and developing, it is that the system was never designed with their developmental needs in mind. Until we recognise this, the number of children identified as having additional needs will continue.

06/11/2025

This OT week I'm celebrating the power of timely support.

During the SEND process, parent carer's are at higher risk of stress, low mood, anxiety and burnout. They often use all their energy for and carry the weight of assesments, meetings, behaviour that challenges, transitions and the high expectations from thr health, education and social care sector.

What I would like to see and be a part of is:

Early guidance for parent carers for when worries first appear

Providing practical strategies during the thick of assesments and pressures from local authorities and schools

Providing ongoing support after an EHCP has been issued, when real life begins.

OTs often walk alongside families, I want to support them to find clarity in the process, maintain a good level of health and well being, and increase confidence at every stage.

03/11/2025

So proud to be an Occupational Therapis!!!

It’s National ! �

Last week, we marked , recognising the vital contribution of occupational therapists across the UK.

Now, we’re celebrating how OTs make a difference every day - helping people recover, adapt and live independently. From rehabilitation and mental health support to helping children and older adults thrive, their work touches every part of life.

Thank you to every OT for your continued commitment to safe and effective care. �

Find out more about how occupational therapists are being celebrated this week via the Royal College of Occupational Therapists

31/10/2025

Happy Halloween to all the lovely parent carers!

Have you felt stressed, overwhelmed or burnt out during this half term?

You don’t have to carry it all alone.

I’m offering a FREE 1 hour 1:1 initial session with a 30 minute follow up, designed to help parent carers like you:

✨ Reduce stress and prevent burnout
✨ Build emotional resilience
✨ Find balance and regain energy
✨ Navigate SEND challenges with confidence

Together, we can work on whats meaningful for you and your family, so you can feel calmer, and more in control.

💬 Limited spaces available, comment SPOOKY or DM me today to book your spot.