Information for parents and carers of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)
Helpful information for parents and carers with a children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
Special educational needs and disabilities updates
Read our Special educational needs and disabilities news updates.
Use of Personal Assistants, Direct Payment Workers and Agencies during COVID-19
Read our guidance on the use of Personal Assistants, Direct Payment workers and agencies during COVID-19. Covering the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), practical considerations and other advice so that short breaks undertaken in this way can happen safely.
Activities and groups
Find local Groups
- Autism Group website.
- The Ark website
- Challengers - virtual sessions
- TVAP website
- Camp Mohawk website
- Swing and Smiles website
For further clubs and activities search the Local Offer directory
Parks and nature reserve
Go to our parks, play areas and open spaces around the Wokingham Borough directory listing to view a map of local parks and nature reserves.
Free online counselling for young people aged 11-18 years
Free online counselling
Kooth is a free online counselling and emotional well-being support service providing young people aged 11-18 years (up to 19th birthday) in Wokingham with a safe and secure means of accessing support with their emotional health and wellbeing needs from a professional team of qualified counsellors.
On Kooth you can:
- Chat to our friendly counsellors
- Read articles written by young people
- Get support from the Kooth community
- Write in a daily journal
For further information and how to access the service go to the Kooth website.
Find out how Kooth can help you by watching the video below
Kooth - Free, safe and anonymous online support for young people from XenZone on Vimeo.
Watch the Kooth Chat video
Kooth - Chat from XenZone on Vimeo.
Molehill Mountain – an app to help autistic people with anxiety
Molehill Mountain smartphone app aiming to help autistic adults understand and self-manage their own anxiety. The app has been developed by UK research charity Autistica and researchers at King’s College London with input from autistic people.
Further information about the App can be found on the King’s College London website.
Support for parents and carers
School Nurse Advice and Support Line
Berkshire Healthcare is launching a new school nursing advice and support line for children, young people and their families, to offer health advice and referral into the service for on-going support if needed. The line will be available from 9am until 4.30pm, Monday to Friday.
You can access this service by dialing 0118 931 2111 and selecting ‘Option 4’ to speak to a School Nurse from our team.
Local carer support services
- Wokingham Parent Carer forum SEND Voices website. You can also keep update to date via the SEND Voices Facebook page.
- Dingley Promise website.
- Parenting Special Children website
- ASD Family Help Facebook page
- Autism Berkshire website. You can also keep up to date via Facebook and Twitter.
- Me2 Club website. Me2 also has a Facebook Parent Forum page for local families to support each other.
- Promise Inclusion website
- Home-start Wokingham District
Wiggly Worms
Support from family worker for families of children 0-5 with a diagnosis of ASD or waiting for an assessment. Contact Brambles service by phone 07900 071 017
Training for parents and carers
Digley Promise - children under 5
Dingley Promise offer support to families who have a child aged between 0 and 5.
For information on the support they provide visit the Dingley Promise website.
Autism Berkshire
Autism Berkshire a various of online workshops including support around benefits, transition, sleep difficulties, food refusal and more.
For dates of workshops and to register to take part, visit the Autism Berkshire web page.
Parenting Special Children
Parenting special children are running workshops and events:
For dates and to book a place on a workshop visit the Parenting Special Children website
The Autism Group
The Autism Group are running workshops and events.
For details of the workshops and how to book your placce go to the autism group website calendar.
Contact for families with disabled children
Contact have adaped their workshops to be online, visit their website for further information.
Cost of living help
If you are struggling to pay for food, energy bills and other household essentials, help is available. If you have children using Free School Meals you could get additional support in the school holidays. Go to our cost of living help web section.
Citzens Advice - One front Door
Visit the Citzens Advice Wokingham website for advice and information on welfare benefits, debt, housing, employment law or helping to access services from other charities and services in the Borough.
Wokingham Charity and Community Hub
Find out what the Wokingham Charity and Community Hub do and which organisation are part of the group.
SEND Local Offer Directory
Search the directory for local support information and advice services
Funding for low income families to support children with complex needs
Family Fund grants are available for families on a low income, raising a child or young person aged 17 or under with a long-term disability, disabling condition or life-limiting illness.
For further details on the eligiblity criteria and how to apply visit the Family Fund website.
Training for professional and volunteers
View the local area Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND) training directory for courses that are available for professionals and volunteers working with children and young people who have SEND.
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