SEND Advocacy Blog

Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) is a profile on the autism spectrum where a child experiences extreme anxiety when faced with everyday demands and expectations. Unlike typical demand avoidance, PDA-driven behaviour is rooted in anxiety rather than defiance. Understanding PDA can make a significant difference to how parents and schools support a child effectively.

Adopted children are disproportionately represented in SEND statistics, and many adoptive parents find themselves navigating a system they were not prepared for. Understanding how adoption intersects with special educational needs is an important first step in getting the right support in place for your child.

Flow is the state of being completely absorbed in an activity, where time seems to disappear and effort feels effortless. For neurodivergent children, accessing flow can be both more intense and more difficult than for their neurotypical peers. Understanding what triggers flow, and what blocks it, can help parents and educators create the right conditions for learning and wellbeing.

A Request for Change is a formal mechanism used within the SEND Tribunal process that allows either party to amend the issues under appeal. Understanding when and how to use one can be important for parents who find that the scope of their appeal needs to shift after proceedings have begun. This post explains the process clearly and what to expect.

Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria, or RSD, describes an intense and often overwhelming emotional response to perceived criticism, failure or rejection. It is strongly associated with ADHD and can have a significant impact on a child's self-esteem, relationships and school experience. Understanding RSD helps parents and educators respond with empathy rather than frustration.

If you are pursuing an EHC Plan content appeal at the SEND Tribunal, you will quickly become familiar with the working document. It is a live, editable version of your child's EHC Plan that both you and the local authority use to identify areas of agreement and disagreement throughout the appeal process. Getting to grips with how it works is essential for anyone navigating this stage.

An invisible disability is a condition that has a substantial effect on a person's daily life but is not outwardly visible to others. For children with SEND, this often means their needs are misunderstood, minimised or overlooked entirely. This post helps parents understand the term, why recognition matters and how to advocate for a child whose needs are not always easy for others to see.

Misophonia is a condition where specific sounds trigger intense emotional or physical reactions, often including anger, anxiety or disgust. For children with SEND, it can make everyday environments like classrooms or dining halls extremely difficult to manage. This post helps parents understand what misophonia is, how it presents and what reasonable adjustments can help.

Special Educational Provision refers to the educational support that is additional to, or different from, what is normally available to children of the same age in a mainstream setting. Understanding exactly what counts as SEP is important for parents, because it determines what a local authority is legally required to secure for your child through an EHC Plan.

Exam season can be a particularly stressful time for students with SEND, and the support available to them is not always as visible or straightforward as it should be. Whether it is extra time, rest breaks or a separate room, knowing what to ask for and how to ask for it can make a real difference to how a young person performs.

Access arrangements are formal adjustments made to exams and assessments for students who have a learning difficulty, disability or medical condition that puts them at a disadvantage in standard exam conditions. They are not an unfair advantage but a way of ensuring a level playing field. This post explains what is available, who qualifies and how to make sure your child gets the support they are entitled to.

Sensory Processing Disorder describes a condition where the brain has difficulty receiving and responding to information that comes in through the senses. For children with SEND, this can mean everyday sensory experiences such as noise, light, texture or movement become overwhelming or, in some cases, barely noticeable at all. Understanding SPD helps parents and schools create environments where a child can actually learn.

Dyscalculia is a specific learning difficulty that affects a person's ability to understand and work with numbers. Often described as the maths equivalent of dyslexia, it is more than just struggling with arithmetic. For children with SEND, dyscalculia can affect everyday tasks, confidence and academic progress. This post helps parents understand what it looks like and what support is available.

Tourette's Syndrome is a neurological condition characterised by repetitive, involuntary movements and vocalisations known as tics. It is often misunderstood and can be difficult for children to manage at school without the right awareness and support in place. This post helps parents understand what Tourette's Syndrome is, how it affects children and what schools should be doing to help.

Neurodiversity is a term used to describe the natural variation in how human brains work and process information. It encompasses conditions including autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia and more. Rather than viewing these differences as deficits, the neurodiversity movement recognises them as part of normal human variation. Understanding this concept helps parents and educators approach SEND from a more positive and informed perspective.

A blog post on Dysgraphia for parents and carers of children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities ("SEND")

A blog post on Post 16 education for parents/carers of children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities ("SEND")

A blog post on parent carer trauma amongst parents and carers of children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities ("SEND")

A blog post on Disability Living Allowance ("DLA") for parents/carers of children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities ("SEND").

A blog post on reasonable adjustments for parents/carers of children & young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities ("SEND")