Summer Holidays are the perfect time to get 'September Strong'.
- Anne-Marie | Founder | Katie Walker Parenting Support
- Jul 15
- 3 min read
Updated: Jul 25
Send-Parenting-Balance works very much alongside the ethos that regardless of what the system is doing (or not doing in most cases) we can still take charge in our child's care and ensuring needs are being recognised. Waiting for services and 'fighting the system' has its place but it is not the whole story.
The main and most important story; Our children's needs; How our children are accessing their community; Support networks we have access to and Parental Burnout / Wellbeing. The wait lists and support from mainstream services come second.
In many cases our children's needs are complex. It may begin with ASD/ADHD or PDA profile, but can include Sensory Processing Disorder; Food disorders; Social and Communication Disorders; Anxiety Disorders; Panic Attacks; Emetophobia; Emotional Regulation Difficulties (such as aggression and violence); Masking; Emotional Based School Avoidance and so many more variations of needs. It can sometimes be these additional pressures that feel impossible to get recognition, therefore support with.
While many private SEND advocates focus on securing educational provision and 'fight' challenging local authority systems.
SEND-PARENTING-BALANCE helps families develop the practical behaviour strategies, parental confidence and neurodiversity understandings needed to support your child at home, in school and throughout life. We help families live successfully with neurodivergence every day, whether the mainstream system helps or not.
So, how is this done?
'Give a man a fish and you'll feed him for a day.
Teach him to fish and you'll feed him for a lifetime.'
We aim to offer services that feed you for a life time, not one meeting at a time or one fight at a time but one service that empowers all.
Time efficient; Stress Efficient; Money Efficient.
How can you get September Strong?
If your child is within mainstream you need a care plan.
A care plan is a great document to take into meetings with you to keep schools and other settings / professionals accountable for what support they are putting in place, and form as great evidence for support (or lack of support).
This care plan is written in the same layout as an EHCP. It is very in depth and will list all needs including: Cognition & Learning; Communication & Interaction; Social, Emotional & Mental Health; Sensory & Physical Needs and also Personal Care. We go deeper and include all behaviour strategies including masking.
Most care plans that we write are a few pages long! With every smaller need such as difficulties teeth brushing to every bigger need such as dyspraxia, masking or sleep difficulties. These needs are listed whether the child has a diagnosis or not. A need is a need regardless of evidence.
A care plan will provide space for parents and schools to be accountable in how they intend to meet need. We include how parents currently meet needs such as EBSA (recognition of all parents are doing) and what schools aim to do in meeting need (accountability).
This document is great to use in meetings with any professionals and can be used as evidence for DLA ad EHCP applications also. If you feel your child's needs are not being recognised this is a great start. The best part is I do this all for you. We start by having a chat on zoom (or telephone, whichever suits you) then we exchange ideas via email, until we get the document perfect, representing clearly all of your child's needs.
It is time we stop waiting for mainstream services (tribunals and meetings etc) and take back some control ourselves.
I will pop the link here for your reference:
If you are already dreading the summer holidays due to the needs of your child/ren and it feels exhausting to manage needs or behaviours such as emotional regulation problems (aggression or control), isolation (children refusing to leave the house) or any other behaviour you wish to discuss then book a family support session. We can discuss behaviours, including your experience of managing them, and together we can put in behaviour strategies that really do work.
You were never meant to do this alone. SEND -PARENTING -BALANCE provides a non judgmental, safe space to listen to your concerns. Together we can brainstorm positive, supportive ways forwards so that the summer holiday break can feel more empowering rather than dreadful.
Don't Forget the SEND-PARENTING-BALANCE podcast - just search us on any major podcast provider and enjoy discussions on masking, control, EBSA, PDA, parental burnout, ADHD, ASD and so much more. A place in which I have no doubt you will feel that your own experience is seen.
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