Parents' Toolkit: SEND

SEND (special educational needs and disabilities) resources, activities and support to help you and your family during lockdown.

Supporting wellbeing

Five ways to incorporate mindfulness into your child’s day

Mindfulness can be a helpful concept for a child to practise. Here are some top tips as well as activities you can do at home.

Five ways to support children’s mental health

Top tips for supporting your children's mental health from clinical psychologist, Dr Hazel Harrison.

Pablo: Seven techniques for helping kids keep calm

Try these simple relaxation and mindfulness activities together and help your child learn to calm down when they feel stressed or anxious.

5 reasons why recognising your emotions is important

Child mental health expert, Shahana Knight, shares her insight into why it's important to try to understand and recognise your emotions.

Five steps to help with children's wellbeing

Clinical psychologist, Dr Hazel Harrison, outlines five steps you can use to help support children's wellbeing, as well as your own.

Childline: Calm zone

Childline's "calm zone" offers a safe space with calming activities, including breathing exercises, games and videos to help let go of stress.

Activities and learning

Bring the Noise: SEND music activities

A series of music activities, from delivering a story with songs to encouraging children to explore music using objects and sensory materials.

Top tips to support your child's reading at home

Language development expert, Tara Parker, suggests some top tips to help you make the most of your child's reading time.

Bring the Noise: Introductory music lessons

A set of introductory music lessons for use with young disabled learners or those with additional support needs.

CBeebies: Makaton with Justin and Mr Tumble

Using a sign language called Makaton, Justin and Mr Tumble help children learn how to communicate and develop language skills.

CBeebies: Magic Hands – BSL poetry

Ashley, Donna, Aimee and Simon translate poetry with British Sign Language. Watch poems and join in with the theme song.

CBeebies: Dyspraxia – How Tree Fu Tom can help

Help your child develop foundation motor skills with Tree Fu Tom's magic spell sequences developed to support children with movement disorders.

Tips and advice

Place2Be: Supporting children during times of uncertainty

Tips and resources for supporting your child through unsettling times.

National Autistic Society: Top tips for lockdown

Downloadable top tips for adults and families for managing uncertain times.

Family Fund: Coronavirus help and support

Government advice and details of organisations that can support you.

Dyslexia Assist: Help for parents

Help with FAQs from Dyslexia Assist, created by parents for parents.

National Deaf Children's Society: Coronavirus support

Advice for parents of deaf children, including information on school closures and accessing hearing aid repairs and batteries.

Covid-19: Five ways RNIB services can help

Find out what help and support is available for blind and partially sighted people.

UCL: Managing the transition to homeschooling

Top tips for managing the transtion from school to homeschooling for young people with SEND.

UCL: Communication and interaction

Resources to help families support pupils with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Speech, Language and Communication Needs.

Council for Disabled Children: What does the Coronavirus Act mean for my family?

Exploring what the Coronavirus Act 2020 means for children and young people with SEND.

Personal stories

National Autistic Society: Coronavirus personal stories

Real life examples of challenges autistic people and their families are facing.

Lockdown sees special needs family group started

More than 200 families of children with special needs have joined a Facebook group to help them through the coronavirus lockdown.

Lockdown with autism: Why it’s hard and how to help

The coronavirus pandemic is making life difficult for everyone, and autistic people are facing some very specific challenges.

How home schooling helped my child with SEND

Sarah Barker describes her son's transition from mainstream school, to home schooling, then to special school.

'He's autistic... that's not all he is'

Eliza talks about her young son, Isaac, and gives her advice for other parents whose children are on the autistic spectrum.

Newsround: What is life like as a young carer for a sibling?

Meet young people who help care for their siblings who have additional needs.

'Music transformed my autistic son's life'

When musician Amy Newhouse-Smith’s son Sam was diagnosed with autism she turned to music as a way to build a "lovely connection" with him.