SEND Education For All is sponsoring the 2026 PDA Space Summit!
You can register to watch the Summit and get your backpocket pass HERE.

"Your child has an EHCP." For many families, those six words are not reassuring. Instead, they mark the beginning of a battle. A battle to secure an assessment. A battle to obtain a plan. A battle to get the provision written into that plan delivered. Then, somehow, a battle to enforce the very document that was supposed to bring the fighting to an end. Welcome to the reality of the SEND system in 2026. The uncomfortable truth is that the system is not struggling because ther

There are certain truths about the SEND system that rarely make it into official guidance, policy discussions, social media debates, or even conversations between professionals. Families are often told about procedures, timescales, reforms, consultations, and legal processes. They are given advice about what they should do next, what might happen in the future, and what changes may be coming. Yet very little is said about the reality that families live every single day while

Do you ever wonder when families like ours will stop having to fight for the most basic support our children need? For us, it feels like a battle that has lasted a lifetime. Our son, W, will be 13 this year, and for as long as we can remember, we've been advocating, chasing answers, attending appointments, completing forms, and explaining the same things over and over again. The exhausting part isn't just the fight itself. It's what that fight has done to him. After years of

We're thrilled to announce that Harvey the Hedgehog: Why Don't I Feel Safe? by Lyndsay Critchlow is officially out now!. This beautifully written children's story provides a gentle introduction to the experiences of children with Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA), a profile within the autism spectrum characterised by an anxiety-driven need to avoid everyday demands and expectations. Harvey the Hedgehog likes knowing exactly what will happen next. So when a new path, a new

There is a phrase I keep hearing at the moment. "Maybe it's worth waiting until we know what's happening with SEND reform." Or worse: "There's no point challenging it now because everything is going to change anyway." Every time I hear those words, my heart sinks. Because while adults debate policy, write reports, hold consultations, and discuss the future of SEND, there are children sitting in classrooms right now who are struggling. Children who wake up every morning with a

Every child deserves the opportunity to thrive, reach their potential, and feel valued within their community. Yet achieving this goal is not the responsibility of one individual, one service, or one organisation alone. It requires all of us families, educators, health professionals, social care teams, community groups, and leaders to work together with a shared commitment to placing children at the heart of everything we do. Children grow and develop in different ways, and t

I’m going to be honest, because sugar-coating this doesn’t help anyone anymore. The damage in the SEN world is already being done. This isn’t something that might happen in the future it is happening right now, to families, to children, and to young people who are already fighting just to be understood. And if you are in this world, you feel it. You don’t need statistics or reports. You live it every single day. The appeal process was never easy. It was always draining, stre

The current climate leaves me feeling deeply unsafe. It’s not just the situation itself, but the overwhelming uncertainty surrounding it that amplifies my anxiety. Each day seems to bring new challenges and unexpected developments, creating an environment where stability feels like a distant memory. I feel powerless to influence or control anything within this tumultuous landscape, and that loss of control creates a constant sense of unease that’s hard to shake. It’s as if we

I am feeling an overwhelming sense of frustration and exhaustion this morning as I grapple with the relentless fight for Special Educational Needs (SEN) support. It is a battle that seems to drain every ounce of energy I possess. Often, I find myself reaching these critical points where I feel as though I have poured all my resources, both emotional and physical, into advocating for those with SEN.

I know we are all pretty much feeling this at the moment, and it’s a sentiment that resonates deeply within many families. For some of...

I thought I would start out my blog by talking about something that significantly affects the life of my family. Anxiety. We as a family...