Parenting support for families of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)
Some parents of children with special educational needs and disabilities will find that the workshops and family support offered through our universal family and relationship support programme will meet their needs. Others may feel isolated and frustrated that the ‘standard parenting advice’ doesn’t seem to work for them.
We would always advise starting with the universal family and relationship support parenting courses and/or discussing your concerns with a family support worker. It may be that a more targeted intervention, supported by the early help team, would better suit your needs.
Family and Relationship Support parenting courses
Family and relationship support parent courses are suitable for all families, including those with children who may have additional needs. Some of the courses are designed specifically with additional needs in mind, these include a specialist sleep programme and the Incredible Years programme.
The specialist programmes, such as Incredible Years, are intensive, targeted interventions, with limited availability. To ensure accessibility for those families most in need, it is essential that the above stepped approach is followed. Please speak with your allocated worker/school or the FSW helpline (01926 412412) for more information.
Understanding your child with additional needs
Understanding your child with additional needs is for all parents, grandparents and carers of children who may be neurodiverse, have a physical or learning disability or may be autistic. The resources are tailored so that whatever their developmental age, you can use the ideas and techniques to help better understand your child, their emotions and how to help them process or manage them.
It's also for you as a support for your emotional wellbeing. Parenting a child with additional needs can bring a range of big emotions, that at times may feel overwhelming. Recognising and processing these feelings is an important part of the care you provide your child.
Dimensions of health and wellbeing
Dimensions of health and wellbeing is a free, online tool providing self-care information to support adults, children and young people in Coventry and Warwickshire. Self-care information is tailored to a person’s own needs and the challenges they face and is available 24/7.
Rise themed sessions
Rise offer themed sessions on areas of early mental health and wellbeing concerns parents and carers may have about their children.
Community Autism Support Service (CASS)
CASS provides autism support for children, young people and adults across Coventry and Warwickshire. It is open for those with a diagnosis of autism or who are awaiting diagnosis. The service supports individuals and parents or carers.
Start by calling the Navigation Team to ask about available support. The team is made up of autistic individuals and those with lived experience, including parents or carers of autistic individuals.
CASS also run training and education sessions led by autistic individuals and parents of autistic children. The workshop series offers a longer format of deep training around relevant themes. The toolbox series provides more frequent, shorter format sessions with an element of ongoing peer support, and connection between families and CASS support workers.
Entrust Care Partnership
Entrust Care Partnership is a Warwickshire not for profit service set up to offer support to families caring for children, young people and adults with disabilities, additional or specific needs. Entrust offers services where families can participate in group activities, attend workshops and receive support either in a group setting or one to one.
Moving up; for parents and carers of children moving up to a new school
Moving up and changing school is a big change for children and parents or caregivers. It’s a new stage of growing independence and separation. Fears and worries are normal as well as excitement, as with each stage of childhood development. As parents, your role is to help children cope with and overcome their fears, to nurture them to feel brave and capable.
The ‘moving up’ hub includes free video guides, relevant online course information and topical blogs for parents and carers on preparing for new school transitions.
Contact workshops and events
Contact, for families with disabled children, run a range of workshops, information session and online events. Workshops cover a range of subjects includes education, behaviour, puberty and teenage years, sleep, siblings, toilet training and more.
National Autistic Society e-learning
The National Autistic Society e-learning modules have all been written and designed by autistic people and other autism specialists. They have been created to provide knowledge and understanding of autism at your own pace and at a time convenient to you. The e-learning modules offer includes a range of topics which can be purchased individually or as specific bundles. Some of the modules are free to access, including “A guide to the mental health experiences and needs of autistic teenagers”, “Managing money” and “Finding employment”.
National Autistic Society family support programmes for parents and carers
EarlyBird (under five years), EarlyBird Plus (ages four-nine), and Teen Life (ages 10 to 16) are NAS support programmes for parents and carers, offering advice and guidance on strategies and approaches to working with young autistic children. The programmes work on understanding autism, building confidence to encourage interaction and communication, and understanding and supporting behaviour.
Sign language
View a list of the sign language courses currently available in Warwickshire (PDF, 129 KB)
The Curly Hair Project
The Curly Hair Project (CHP) is a social enterprise founded by autistic author Alis Rowe. Alis hosts a range of e-learning, webinars and resources including short animated films and a blog.
Time Out for Parents
Time Out for Parents with Additional Needs is a group opportunity run by Care for the Family, which is designed to support and encourage each other through sharing ideas and experiences as you progress through the programme. The focus is on children aged between 3 and 11 years of age with a disability or special need, particularly those who have learning and developmental differences.
Understanding Autism
Understanding Autism is a Future Learn free online course delivered by the University of Kent. It is designed for weekly study (four weeks at three hours per week) to give an understanding of autism from diagnosis to life with autism. Please note that free access to the course only lasts for six weeks with an optional upgrade of £52 after this.
Understanding autism, asperger’s and ADHD
Understanding autism, asperger’s and ADHD is a free course run by the University of Derby. It is designed to help you learn more about autism, asperger’s and ADHD, their differences and the importance of understanding the classification, assessment and diagnosis. There are six units which take approximately three hours of study each.
SEND local offer
View the SEND Local Offer for information, advice and support for families who have children and young people with additional needs.