Useful Links
On this page links can be found to a range of local and national websites which provide advice and information for parents of children with a Special Educational Need or Disability.
CAMHS Early Intervention Team have created a series of 5 webinars to support parents in supporting their child(ren) with understanding anxiety, including some strategies to manage anxiety, particularly with the current circumstances of COVID-19 and Lockdown in mind.
Each webinar is under 25 minutes long and can be paused at any time. They recommend that you begin by watching the ‘What is Anxiety?’ and ‘Strategies to Manage Anxiety’ webinars, as these will provide a general understanding and may be referred to in the other webinar presentations.
https://www.surreylocaloffer.org.uk/localoffer
The Surrey Local Offer website is a must for parents of children with a Special Educational Need or Disability. It details what the local authority has to offer for children and their families and provides a wealth of advice from choosing a school for your child, what to do if you are concerned your child has an additional need as well as detailing events and support groups that can be accessed in the local area.
http://www.sendadvicesurrey.org.uk/
The Surrey SEND Information, Advice and Support Service website offers advice and support to parents of children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.
https://www.surreycc.gov.uk/people-and-community/family-information-service
This is another branch of Surrey County Council’s website which offers advice and information to parents of children with a Special Educational Need or Disability.
https://www.freeoutreach.org.uk/Resources-for-working-from-home/
Freemantles have been working on ways to support parents who are trying to manage/teach their children with autism at home. Visit this link for more information. Freemantles have also put together a guide for parents which is attached at the bottom of this page.
https://www.ymcaeastsurrey.org.uk/our-services/disability/face2face/
face2face is a befriending service for parents who have children with additional needs, who live in Surrey. All the befrienders are parents of children who have additional needs, are trained and receive supervision.
http://www.familyvoicesurrey.org/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/SpelthorneFVS/?ref=share
Family Voice Surrey champions the needs and rights of SEND families in Surrey: families with children or young adults up to the age of 25 who have special educational needs, chronic illnesses, including mental health conditions, or disabilities. We work by linking in with families to get their feedback on real issues and try to promote positive change.
http://www.surreychildrenstherapies.co.uk/stakeholders/parents/
This website provides information about Surrey’s Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy and Speech and Language Therapy services. As well as information regarding what these services offer there are a range of practical advice sheets available to download.
http://www.sabp.nhs.uk/mindsightsurreycamhs/parents-and-carers
The Mindsight Surrey CAMHS website provides parents with information about the service and contact details. Mindsight Surrey CAMHS aims to provide help and support to children and young people when they begin to feel emotionally or mentally unwell.
http://www.autism.org.uk/ and http://www.nassurreybranch.org/home.html
The National Autistic Society website has a wealth of information about autism. There is also a Surrey Branch website which is a volunteer-run support group. They offer a variety of local meetings, talks, parent programmes and activities for families with children and adults with autistic spectrum disorders.
https://www.freeoutreach.org.uk/Resources/
Freemantles Outreach is a part of the Surrey Autism Outreach service and support primary schools in the west of Surrey. Their aim is to support pupils with Autism and related difficulties within their school setting and the staff who work alongside them. They do this through school visits and through providing a range of training opportunities. The team also give email or telephone advice to both parents and professionals.
http://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/
The British Dyslexia Association website has a parents section detailing support, advice and resources for children with learning difficulties associated to Dyslexia.
This is a website aimed at parents of children with speech and language difficulties. It includes a range of information and downloadable resources.
http://mommyspeechtherapy.com/
Helpful speech tips and techniques to help your child speak clearly.
Young Minds is a charity supporting young minds to feel empowered whatever their challenges.
Mind is a mental health charity, there to make sure no one has to face a mental health problem alone.
https://www.sossen.org.uk/advice_centres.php
Sos!sen is a national charity aiming to empower parents and carers of children with SEN. They offer free, friendly, independent and confidential telephone helpline for parents and others looking for information and advice on Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND). They concentrate on helping people to find their way through the legal and procedural maze which is so daunting to so many who try to obtain satisfactory provision for a child’s special needs.
For parents of children with autism or a special educational need or disability please find a link below to a free course entitled:
https://www.schudio.tv/courses/preparing-autistic-send-children-for-going-back-to-school
Preparing Autistic & SEND Children for going back to school (when we don't know when that will be). This website is packed with a wealth of information and practical strategies to support us in negotiating these unpredictable times.
Information for parents of children aged 10 years or older:
Kooth is an online mental health service for young people and in Surrey they have lowered the age of access to make it available to 10 year olds. Young people aged 10 or over can now log on to Kooth's website and begin accessing free counselling, advice and wellbeing support. Please see the attached document for further information. If you are interested in accessing this service, please set up an account with your child and explore the resources together.