Tina Cockram, SEND Family Support

02/09/2026

Back to school… those dreaded words. Most parents and children are in constant fight or flight right now.

For many families, September brings excitement and relief that the children will no longer be under their feet.

For a SEND family, it can bring something very different.

The weeks leading up to the return can be filled with:

💭 Pre-empting anxiety, overwhelm and l meltdowns
💭 Worrying about whether school really understands your child
💭 Questioning whether the support will actually be in place
💭 Trying to prepare your child for change when change itself feels impossible
💭 Having meetings, chasing professionals and advocating… again
💭 Holding everything together for your child while quietly falling apart yourself.

And then there is the first term.

For many children, the first term is hard.
For a child with additional needs, it can feel enormous.

New routines.
New expectations.
New adults.
New classroom.
New sensory demands.
New pressures.

And for parents, there can be that constant feeling of “How long will it be before it all starts to unravel again? How long will it be until I have to go in school because my child is not coping, how long until the first school absence.

So if you’re not feeling excited about September, you are not failing.

If you’re already tired before your child has even walked through the school gates, I see you.

You aren’t being dramatic.
You aren’t being “that parent.”
You are anticipating what you already know can be incredibly difficult for your child.

You know your child. ❤️

This September, perhaps we can stop asking:

“How do we get this child to fit into school?”

…and start asking:

“What does this child need to feel safe enough to learn?”

If September is already sitting heavily on your shoulders, you don’t have to navigate it alone please ask for the link for a free check in call and we can walk through this together.

Tina

18/08/2026

Who can relate?

06/08/2026

Are you over 16 and have a diagnosis of autism and your local authority is Manchester City Council. Then take a look at the AutismWise Project funded by Manchester City Council, lots of therapy sessions, connecting with other like minded individuals. It’s a great project with lots of opportunities

How does it work? AutismWISE stands for Wellbeing, Information, Support and Empowerment. We are a dedicated and inclusive signposting service for Autistic residents with a Manchester City postcode, designed to...

30/07/2026

This is very thought provoking…..what would you tell yourself? What advice would you give?

30/07/2026

25/07/2026

Isn’t parenting hard? Even harder as a parent to a neurodivergent child. This is when all traditional parenting gets thrown out of the window. We seek approval and advice from others. We know making the wrong choice could result in pushing them too hard and then as a result there is a huge set back that can take months to undo, but then we live with the turmoil of, but am I pushing enough? It’s hard to know, we are constantly seeking that light bulb moment but until then we just have to go with what our gut is saying and working with the child and encouraging growth and independence where possible….its no mean feat.

We spend an immense amount of energy looking for validation from all the wrong places. We look for proof that we are succeeding in the approval of our own parents, the advice of expert checklists, or the quiet, competitive score-keeping that happens with other families in our social circles.

But none of those audiences actually matter.

The outside world only sees the performance. They see the curated milestones, the polite public behavior, and the neat logistics of a family schedule. They aren't in the room when the lights are low, the day is exhausted, and a real emotional crisis is unfolding across the kitchen counter. They don't know the actual climate inside your walls.

Your child is the only one who holds the full ledger. It doesn't matter how it looked from the outside; it matters how it felt on the inside — and the only ones who felt it were those at the receiving end of it. They are the ones who will inherit the raw reality of how they were handled when they made a mistake, whether their voice possessed actual authority under your roof, and whether your presence felt like a secure harbor or a minefield they had to carefully navigate.

They don't care about your perfect intentions or the external validation you chased; they only care about how safe it felt to be a human being in your presence.

Let go of the need to perform for the crowd. Focus your energy strictly on the relationship sitting right in front of you — because when the dust settles, the only score that ever truly counts is the one written in the quiet memory of the person you raised. ❤️

Image Quote Credit: ❣️

19/07/2026

Please take note and please don’t be discouraged….!

If you're told the LA isn't "doing" EHCPs/EOTAS any more, show this: Until any changes are implemented, the current statutory framework remains in place. Local authorities will therefore continue to be able to arrange education otherwise than at a school or further education college under section 61 of the Children and Families Act 2014 where they are satisfied that it would be inappropriate for the special educational provision specified in an EHCP to be made in a school or college. https://consult.education.gov.uk/accountability-and-special-schools/send-reform-education-other-than-at-school/supporting_documents/send-reform-education-otherwise-than-at-schoolpdf-1

19/07/2026

Please sign the enclosed petition. The future of EHCPS is very uncertain and the threat to reduce provision within them and parent choices is very concerning.