The Parent’s Guide to SEND: Supporting Your Child with Additional Needs at Home, School and Beyond

There is no handbook to being a parent. Much less being a parent of a child with special educational needs.

How do you support your child in school? Where do you even begin to try and access local services? What can you expect from your local authority?

Co-written by a parent who has been there and a SEND professional who understands the other side of the SEND system, this must-have book answers all of your questions and more. Focusing on the needs of your child rather than diagnostic labels, this easy-to-use guide includes suggestions that you can dip in and out of and includes explanations of language used in this book around SEND. It guides parents through situations at home, from settling at bedtime and understanding instructions, to navigating the school and the SEND system. Perhaps most importantly, it helps you understand your legal rights with practical advice for EHC Needs Assessment, accessing support and much more.

When you don't know where else to turn, this dip-in handbook is packed full of useful suggestions, tips and experience. It's like the conversation with a friend you need whenever you need that extra bit of support as a parent of a child with SEND.

Gary Aubin is an author, qualified teacher and SENCO. His work with the Education Endowment Foundation has supported hundreds of schools to be evidence-informed in their work for children with SEND. His work with Whole Education brings together SENDCOs and MAT SEND Leaders from across England, sharing effective practices that support more pupils with SEND to thrive in education. He also works with a range of organisations around teacher CPD and postgraduate study. He writes the SENDMattersUK blog and tweets @SENDMattersUK. He is a governor of his children's primary school.


Stephen Hull a past British Council in the Education Society Department employee and former manager of Connecting classrooms. Stephen is now a full-time parent to his autistic son supporting him with all elements of his development and first-hand experience in working with local authorities, nurseries and schools to support his wellbeing and education fully.