SENDSorta - Parent Carer App

05/06/2026

EHCP Annual Reviews are not just a meeting.

They are your chance to check whether the plan still matches your child’s needs.

A good annual review should look at:

your child’s progress
what is working
what is not working
whether outcomes need updating
whether Section F provision is still right
whether the placement is still suitable
whether the EHCP needs to be amended

The review should happen at least every 12 months, but do not wait until the meeting to prepare.

Before the meeting, ask for reports and professional updates. Read them carefully. Write down anything missing or inaccurate.

During the meeting, be clear about what you want changed.

After the meeting, keep a close eye on the timeline.

The local authority should make a decision after the review — usually whether to maintain, amend or cease the EHCP.

And if you are not happy with the final decision or final amended EHCP, you may have a right of appeal.

The key thing is this:

Appeal deadlines matter.

Write the dates down. Keep copies of letters. Do not assume you have unlimited time.

Annual reviews can feel routine, but they can change everything.

Save this post before your next review and share it with another SEND parent who needs to prepare.

05/06/2026

05/06/2026

Do not give up on social care support.

Sometimes another parent tells you something that changes everything.

For us, it was:

“Ask for a social care assessment.”

At first, I did not even really know what that meant. I just knew we were exhausted, overwhelmed, and badly needed some kind of respite.

The first assessment did not lead to support.

We were told we did not need help from social care and that school should put an Early Help plan in place.

But school did not know what to do.

Months passed.
We chased.
We made calls.
We tried to get the system to speak to itself.

Eventually, it became too late to complain about some of what had happened because of complaint time limits.

That was a hard lesson.

So we tried again.

The second time, we were prepared.

We read up.
We watched training.
We gave written evidence.
We made sure our words could not be misunderstood or twisted.

And finally, we got support.

Direct Payments meant we could hire a personal assistant and get a few hours of respite each week.

That support made a huge difference to our family life.

So if you feel overwhelmed, ask for help.

And if the first answer is no, that does not always mean the door is closed.

Families need support too.

The state has duties around children’s welfare, family wellbeing and keeping families together — and respite can be part of that picture.

Save this post if you are thinking about asking for social care support, and share it with another SEND parent who may need encouragement.

04/06/2026

04/06/2026

04/06/2026

Applying for DLA can feel overwhelming.

When the form arrived, I put it off for months.

Not because it was not important but because it felt huge.

The questions force you to write down, in detail, the extra care your child needs. And that can be deeply emotional.

When I finally sat down to complete it, I had help from our health visitor. I honestly do not think I could have done it without her.

We were both nearly in tears a few times.

But it was worth it.

DLA is not just about financial support. It can also open doors.

It can help with:

extra costs
carer discounts
evidence for disability-related services
access to support that asks for proof
feeling a little less alone with the practical load

So if the form is sitting there and you keep avoiding it, you are not failing.

It is hard because it asks you to describe the hard bits.

Ask for help. Take it slowly. Do one section at a time.

And remember: getting support for your child is not something to feel guilty about.

Save this post for later and share it with another SEND parent who may need the nudge.

04/06/2026

I wish someone had explained EHCPs earlier.

When I first heard the word EHCP, it sounded complicated and official and I honestly did not think it applied to us.

Then I visited a specialist school for my daughter.

The school was amazing. The facilities, the understanding, the support. Everything felt like exactly what she needed.

At the end, someone asked:

“How do we get our child admitted here?”

The answer shocked almost everyone in the room:

“You need an EHCP.”

And even more shocking?

The process could take months.

Out of 7 parents there, 6 of us did not know that an EHCP was needed.

That moment taught me something important:

If your child may need extra support, specialist provision, or a clear legal plan for their education, do not wait until you are desperate to learn about EHCPs.

An EHCP can open doors but the process takes time.

Save this post if you are at the start of your SEND journey, and share it with another parent who needs to know this earlier than we did.

03/06/2026

For many parents of non-speaking or speech-delayed children, the dream is not perfect speech.

It is hearing one clear attempt.

A sound.
A word-shape.
A “no.”
A “help.”
A “mum.”
A sign that their child’s voice is there — and could grow.

That is why I made SpeakToMe.

It is not an AAC app.
It is not a signing app.
It is a speech-practice app for children who are showing early signs of vocal speech and families who want to build on those moments.

Because speech matters.

Not because it is the only way to communicate. It isn’t.

But because a voice is always with the child.
It can be used when a device is not nearby.
It can be understood by more people.
It can help a child say no, ask for help, express pain, call for someone, or be heard in a world that does not always wait.

SpeakToMe uses something many children are already motivated by — access to their tablet or iPad — and turns it into short, repeated opportunities to try using their voice.

A child does not need perfect words to start.

A sound can matter.
An attempt can matter.
A tiny vocal moment can be the beginning of something bigger.

SpeakToMe is for families who have heard something — and want to give it every chance to grow.

Try it here:

SpeakToMe gives parents and carers a short, supervised speech practice routine for non-verbal and minimally verbal children. See how it works, take the fit check, and decide if it is right for your child.