Sunflower Autism Consultancy

🌻 If you need help navigating your child’s support at school or with:

✨ Strategies that help at school
✨ EHCP advice
✨ Understanding your child’s rights

🌻 Good news! We can help you with these things.

😊 Email Katie: [email protected] to arrange a free 30 minute call to find out how she can help you and you’re family.

😊 Hi everyone!

✨ A Little note to say Katie Quickenden and I will be taking some time off to be with our own children over August so things may be a bit quieter on the page.

💛 But do still feel free to post in our FB group (link in bio) if you feel you need to rant or ask anything as we’ll be checking in and you have 2700 other experts in this group in the form of other SEN parents.

😅 See you on the other side!

😊 A productive morning today speaking up for Bromley SEND families.

🌻 This morning I attended a meeting organised by Bromley Parent Voice with alongside representatives from Obimi Peter Fortune MP and the Dyslexia Association of Bexley Bromley Greenwich and Lewisham

📝 It was a productive and important conversation. Together, we raised the concerns we are hearing from families across Bromley around the current SEND system, the proposed SEND reforms, and the very real challenges families are facing when trying to access the right support.

😔 We discussed how Bromley’s SEND services can feel fragmented, with families often having to navigate multiple services and professionals without clear communication or a joined-up approach.

💛 Ultimately, it is families and children who are being failed when the system doesn’t work together effectively.

🤨 It was encouraging to have the opportunity to bring together different perspectives and experiences and to have these concerns heard directly.

💪🏻 The next step is action. A meeting will be arranged with representatives from Bromley Local Authority and those of us involved today, so that we can continue the conversation and, importantly, look at practical solutions for improving SEND support across Bromley.

🌻 There is a huge amount of work to do, but bringing people together and making sure the voices of children, young people and their families are heard is an important step forward.

✨ Thank you to Bromley Parent Voice for organising the meeting and to everyone who contributed.

✨ Would your child enjoy a SEN Nature Club?

🍁We’re exploring the idea of launching a Sunflower SEN Nature Club for neurodivergent children aged 3–10 years in Hayes, Kent during the week time .

🌻 The sessions would be gentle, inclusive and child-led, giving children the opportunity to explore nature, build confidence, develop friendships and enjoy the outdoors in a safe, supportive environment.

🌿 We would have a qualified forest school teacher leading our sessions and resources alongside our neurodiversity consultants & parents would stay for the session.

💛 This could be especially beneficial for children who are currently out of school, whether due to EBSA, home education, awaiting a suitable school placement, or any other reason.

😊 If this is something you would be interested in for your child please like, comment or PM us to let us know as we need to know if enough people are interested to run the sessions.

😊💛 A great meeting in my role of neurodiversity champion at St Mary’s, Hayes, Kent this morning along with members from another church and Rev Amanda discussing ways to make our churches more inclusive. 🌻✨

😢 Just to name a few.

✨ I’m pretty sure it’s better for your self esteem and mental health to know you have ADHD.

💛 That way you can be kind to yourself about the things you find hard, celebrate the things your doing well & learn how to navigate life with your type of brain.

🙌🏻 And just as importantly you find your tribe and a feeling of belonging instead of feeling like an outsider.

🌻 If you are a late diagnosed adult processing your diagnosis or a young person looking to understand yourself better get in touch to arrange a free chat to see if our support is a good fit: [email protected]

😬 Do the summer holidays fill you with anxiety?!

✨🌻 I have been speaking to a lot of parents about the upcoming summer holidays.

😎 Every Autistic/ADHD child and each family is different of course, some enjoy spending time with extended family, others enjoy the structure of day camps whilst some children love the reduction of pressure that the holidays can bring.

💛 The holidays can bring up so many emotions for parents, relief the school term is over, anxiety about juggling everything and meeting everyone’s needs, trying to create memories whilst ensuring everyone has enough down time. It’s a lot!

💫🌻 I think the most important thing is to try to avoid comparison and be kind to yourself because all families/children are different and you are doing you’re best!

😊 Hopefully some of these practical tips will be helpful for you if you’re feeling some of these emotions.

👇 If this was helpful do like, share and comment so others can also see them.

🌻 And if you feel you need someone to talk to who can offer understanding and advice based on professional and lived experience do PM or email us to arrange a free chat with one of our neurodiversity consultants to: [email protected].

🧁 My daughter asked for a cupcake for breakfast… and I said yes.

🙀That answer might surprise some people.

💛 But she has a very limited number of safe foods because of sensory differences around eating. While this is often associated with autism, it can affect children with ADHD too. On top of that, her medication suppresses her appetite.

💜 From the outside, it might look like I'm spoiling her or ignoring healthy eating. The reality is very different.

🍰At the moment getting enough calories into her is far more important than insisting on the "perfect" breakfast. (Don't worry—we'll be offering fruit and other nutritious foods throughout the day too!)

✨ Sometimes, parenting a neurodivergent child means letting go of what things "should" look like and focusing on what your child actually needs.

🌻 Does this sound familiar? Do share if so to raise awareness and feel free to PM to arrange a free advice call. 😊