ADVICE & GUIDANCE
A specialist in your corner.
Practical guidance for parents around autism, ADHD and Moderate Learning Difficulties, at any age and stage.
Most parents arrive with a stack of half-answered questions about diagnosis, school, meltdowns, homework, sleep, screens, friendships and the SENCO who won't reply. You don't need another leaflet. You need someone who knows the law, the research and what works in real homes.
I sit alongside you. We work out what to ask for and put it in writing. Everything is grounded in current UK guidance: the SEND Code of Practice, NICE pathways for autism and ADHD, and the Equality Act, all translated into plain English.
GROUNDED IN
UK SEND best practice for autism, ADHD and MLD
- ✦SEND Code of Practice 0–25 · graduated approach §6.44
- ✦Children and Families Act 2014 · EHCP rights §36
- ✦Equality Act 2010 · reasonable adjustments
- ✦NICE CG128 · autism diagnosis
- ✦NICE NG87 · ADHD diagnosis & management
- ✦DfE EBSA & MLD guidance · AET · ADHD Foundation · nasen
Common situations
✦The situations parents bring to me, grouped by topic.
AUTISM
We're waiting for an autism assessment, what do I do now?
Support starts before diagnosis. We'll map your child's profile against the SEND Code of Practice (§6.23, schools must not delay support waiting for a diagnosis), build a needs-led picture, and prepare what to ask of school in the meantime.
School says my autistic child is 'fine in class' but melts down at home.
Classic after-school restraint collapse. We unpick masking, sensory load and demand stacking, and build a regulation plan that works at the school gate, in the car and at the kitchen table.
I think my child might have a PDA profile.
We work in a PDA-aware way, declarative language, low-demand days, collaborative problem-solving. Not behaviourist, not ABA, not reward charts.
ADHD
How do I get an ADHD assessment in the UK?
Two routes: NHS via your GP (NICE NG87 pathway, long waits in most areas) or Right to Choose (still NHS-funded, often faster). I'll help you draft the GP letter and decide which route fits your family.
My child has ADHD and homework is destroying us.
Executive function, not effort. We build chunking, externalised structure, body-doubling and a homework charter you can share with the class teacher as a reasonable adjustment.
Are stimulant medications the only option?
No. NICE NG87 recommends non-pharmacological support first for primary-age children. Strengths-based coaching, environmental adjustments and parent skills programmes all sit alongside (or instead of) medication.
MODERATE LEARNING DIFFICULTIES
What counts as MLD in the UK?
DfE defines MLD as attainment significantly below expected levels even with appropriate differentiation, combined with difficulties acquiring basic literacy, numeracy, language or concepts. It's a recognised SEN category in the SEND Code of Practice (§6.30, Cognition & Learning).
School keeps saying my child is 'just behind', should I push for assessment?
Yes, if the gap is widening despite quality-first teaching. We'll prepare the evidence, work samples, progress data, observations, that triggers Assess–Plan–Do–Review and, if needed, an EHC needs-assessment request.
How do I support learning at home without it becoming school 2.0?
Multi-sensory, over-learning, chunking, visual scaffolds, and a hard line on protecting play, rest and the parent-child relationship. We'll build a home approach that doesn't burn anyone out.
SCHOOL & EHCP
How do I request an EHC needs assessment?
Any parent can request one directly from the Local Authority under §36 of the Children and Families Act 2014, you don't need the school to do it. I'll draft the letter with you and pull together the evidence pack.
School refused SEN Support. What now?
The SEND Code of Practice (§6.44) requires schools to follow the graduated approach. We'll write back citing the duty, request a formal SEN Support plan, and escalate to the Local Authority or SENDIASS if needed.
My child is refusing school (EBSA).
Emotionally Based School Avoidance is recognised in DfE attendance guidance. We work on safety, regulation and a slow reintegration plan, never sticker charts or sanctions for an anxious child.
What I can help you write
✦Most parents leave a call with something written and ready to send.
How a call runs
✦A typical 45-minute advice call.
01
Listen
You tell me what's going on. I take notes and ask questions. No script.
02
Map
We map what's happening against the SEND graduated approach and your child's profile.
03
Draft
I draft the email, script or request in your voice, so you're not stuck on the wording.
04
Send
You send it. I stay alongside for replies, follow-ups and the next round.
A note on language: I follow each family's preference, whether that's identity-first ("autistic"), person-first ("has ADHD"), or "moderate learning difficulty" as defined in the SEND Code of Practice. Support is strengths-based across autism, ADHD and MLD.
NEXT STEP
✦Bring me your hardest question.
The first conversation is free. Just you, me, and a clear plan.
ASSESSMENT
No cost. No pressure.