Support for parents of children with additional needs

Services run by Hertsmere Leisure Children’s Centres

Free Drop-in Support Group for all Parents/Carers

• Do you find your child’s behaviour difficult to manage?
• Would some friendly professional support and advice be helpful?

• Download leaflet (pdf, 124k)

Rainbow Support Group, Bushey

• Are you a parent/carer of a child with a diagnosed or undiagnosed disability?
• Do you have a concern about your child’s behaviour?
• Would you like help and support as well as general information and practical tips?
• Do you feel you could offer support to other parents/carers of children with disabilities?
• Would you be interested in listening to the occasional speaker on various topics? (I.e. Money Advice)

• Download leaflet (pdf, 111k)

Parents of Children with Special Needs, Potters Bar

A Support Group in Potters Bar for Parents and their Children with Special Needs/Disabilities. Angry, bewildered or just feeling alone – you need not be:Come and meet our small friendly group for coffee. We meet on the second Wednesday of each month at The Furzefield Children’s Centre, 9.15am – 11.00am approx.

• Download leaflet (pdf, 73k)

Early Support

Early Support is for families with disabled children under five and anyone who regularly works with them. There is a wide range of people using Early Support, including;

• families with young babies leaving hospital with medical and support needs
• older children where the need for extra help becomes clear only in the second or third year of life
• children who have obvious and multiple significant factors affecting development and learning
• children who have less obvious difficulties. 

Early Support website can be accessed at
 www.direct.gov.uk/en/caringforsomeone/caringforadisabledchild/dg_10027494

Have you heard of the Early Support Family File?

It helps families

• Share information about themselves
• Keep track of multiple contacts
• Discuss priorities and then make a plan with everyone who is involved with their child.

If you have a young child with a disability and you have not received a family pack and would like one of our workers to introduce you to Early Support please call your local Children’s Centre.

For more information and a range of resources please visit the Department of Education's website on
www.education.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople/sen/earlysupport

The difference Early Support makes to families

"Our youngest son, A, is almost three but is profoundly autistic .... I had heard about [Early Support] and thank goodness I listened to their advice because what a huge difference having C as our key worker has made to our lives. C explained the scheme to me and introduced the Family File. The book on autism alone was worth its weight in gold, it was so user-friendly and contained all the advice and information that we had been lacking before. I could phone C if I needed help or a shoulder to cry on."

"Early Support was the only relevant, practical help we received before our son was diagnosed with Autism. It has empowered us as a family and provided us with good information and advice. The burden of having to coordinate everything ourselves was lifted while our full involvement was maintained. Information about our child was shared with all the professionals involved and this meant we did not have to repeat our story over and over again"

(Quotes are taken from The Department of Education's Website)

Services offered by other organisations

Hub Update

A summary of courses, groups and activities for children with additional needs.

• Course details (pdf, 77k)

Time out for ADHD and ASD

A free course for parents and carers of children aged 6-14 run by Specialist Behavioural Coaches from ADD-vance. This 6-week course is designed to meet the needs of parents/carers and to help them build on existing skills in supporting their children with ADHD and ASD.

• Download details (pdf, 80k)

Dancing with Lauren

Dance classes for people with learning disabilities.
www.wedocare.co.uk

• Download details (pdf, 80k)

Complete Guide to Parenting a Child with Additional Needs

Free course for parents: This relaxed and informal course is run by trained and very experienced facilitators who also parent children with additional needs.

Lakeside School Lemsford
Lane, WGC AL8 6YN.

• Download details (pdf, 180k)

Complete Guide to Parenting a Child with Additional Needs

Free course for parents: This relaxed and informal course is run by trained and very experienced facilitators who also parent children with additional needs.

Allsorts Children’s Centre, St Mary’s C of E High School
Lieutenant Ellis Way, Cheshunt.

• Download details (pdf, 177k)

Welwyn Garden City - What's on Summer 2012

See the new Welwyn Garden City Schools Partnership website for activities for you and your family, support from the School Family Workers and links to other local services
www.wgcschoolspartnership.co.uk

• Download courses info (pdf, 631k)

AsPi Evening

A social evening for young people with High functioning Autism or Aspergers and their parents/carers at The Pines Shortbreaks, Wed 25th April 2012
Please book due to limited availability

• Download details (pdf, 273k)

Does your child have ASD or ADHD?

Understanding Behaviour Which Challenges

Free, one-day workshop for parents/carers of children aged 5-15 by ADD-vance specialist ASD/ADHD trainers.

• Download leaflet (pdf, 123k)

Does your child have ASD or ADHD?

Practical Toolkit to Help Manage Emotions

Free, one-day workshop for parents and carers of children aged 5-15 by ADD-vance specialist ASD/ADHD trainers

• Download leaflet (pdf, 123k)

The Hertfordshire parent partnership service

We are holding a series of Parent/Carer Forums across Hertfordshire during February and March 2012, for parents of children with special educational needs and disabilities, to find out about services available for their children, talk to professionals and to meet other parents.

• Download leaflet (pdf, 123k)

Parenting Teenagers with Additional Needs through Transition to Adult Services

Led by 2 qualified facilitators with a wealth of personal & professional experience

• Download leaflet (pdf, 120k)

KIDS East HUB and KIDS West HUB

The KIDS HUB services are new information and support services for parents and carers of disabled children and young people across Hertfordshire. The services aim to provide a “one-stop-shop” for parents to help them find the information they need..

• Download leaflet (pdf, 120k)

Extra money if you have a child with a disability

This factsheet tells you about the benefits that you might be able to claim for a disabled child and for yourself if you are looking after a disabled child.

Section 1 gives information about the main benefits you can claim if your child lives at home. Section 2 looks at what happens to benefits if you child is away from home, for example, in hospital or being ‘looked after’ by the local authority.

• Download worksheet (pdf, 120k)

Early Years Workshop for children with special needs and/or a disability (SEND)

Do you have a child aged 0-5 years with special educational needs and/or a disability (SEND)? Do you want to find out what support may be available for your child?
Do you want to find out what support may be available for you?
Do you need help finding the right early years setting for your child?

• Download flyer (pdf, 120k)

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