The SEN co.

The SEN co. Early years Specialist Advisor for children with SEND and Social Communication Difficulties aged 0-7.

Today’s session didn’t exactly go to plan… and sometimes that’s absolutely AMAZING! 😂🥰I arrived with activities planned,...
02/10/2026

Today’s session didn’t exactly go to plan… and sometimes that’s absolutely AMAZING! 😂🥰

I arrived with activities planned, but instead I found myself at a party hosted by Elsa from Frozen! ❄️👑

There was music, marble runs, He-Man, Bane and even Rubble! Somehow, we all ended up locked in jail… so obviously we had to find the keys (yes, keys!) to free ourselves! 🔑😂

We played with the balloon pump, trying to make bubbles fly all the way up to the ceiling, and then we had SO much fun with the spiky ball. The infectious laughter that came from that part of the session had us all laughing! 🥰

And you know what? That was the session we needed today.

Sometimes my sessions don’t go to plan, and that’s the magic of them. ✨

Every session is individual and tailored to the child I’m working with. Because no two children are the same, and what works beautifully for one child might not be right for another.

That child benefited from this session just as much as they would have benefited from the activities I originally planned.

So if you work with children in a nursery, school or other setting, remember:

The child in front of you is the most important part of the plan. ❤️

Be flexible. Follow their lead. Notice what engages them. And don’t be afraid to change the plan when the child needs something different.

Sometimes the best sessions are the ones you never planned. 🥰

Have you ever asked your child to do something and then immediately repeated yourself because they didn’t respond?You’re...
16/09/2026

Have you ever asked your child to do something and then immediately repeated yourself because they didn’t respond?

You’re definitely not alone.

But sometimes the child isn’t ignoring us.

They may simply still be processing.

Try giving one short instruction, then pause.

For example:

“Shoes on.”

Then wait.

You may be surprised by how much difference that little pause can make.

And if your child needs visual support alongside the words, that’s absolutely okay too.

Communication support isn’t about finding one perfect strategy.

It’s about finding the ways that help your individual child understand, express themselves and feel understood.

15/09/2026

Sometimes a picture can communicate something much more clearly than a long explanation.

A First/Then board is a simple way of showing:

What is happening now → What is happening next.

Try keeping it really simple.

FIRST: Shoes on
THEN: Garden

Rather than giving a long verbal instruction and expecting your child to remember all of it.

And remember that every child is different.

If a visual increases distress, don’t assume you need to push through it. Think about why it might not be working and adapt the approach.

Visuals should support communication — not become another demand. ✨

✨Communication is more than talking.✨When we think about communication, we often think about a child saying words.But co...
14/09/2026

✨Communication is more than talking.✨

When we think about communication, we often think about a child saying words.

But communication starts long before spoken language.

A child communicates through:

• Eye gaze
• Gestures
• Pointing
• Facial expressions
• Sounds and vocalisations
• Body language
• Bringing you an object
• Taking you to something they want
• Showing you something
• Copying actions
• Reaching
• Signing
• Using pictures or symbols
• And, of course, spoken words

There is actually a LOT that needs to happen before a child can use spoken language effectively.

They need opportunities to notice and engage with people, understand what others are saying, take turns, imitate, make choices, understand that their actions can influence what happens next and develop ways of communicating their wants, needs and ideas.

So if your child isn’t talking yet, or isn’t using as much language as you’d expected, don’t feel that you simply need to “get them talking”.

Look at the communication that is already happening.

What are they trying to tell you?

What are they showing you?

And how can we give them more ways to communicate?

Communication doesn’t have to look one particular way to be meaningful.

Sometimes the first step isn’t getting more words.

It’s helping a child realise:

“You understand me.”

And that can be incredibly powerful.

If you’re worried about your child’s communication, you don’t have to wait until you know exactly what the problem is before asking for support. 💛

🌟 Could I come along to your SEN coffee morning or children’s group? 🌟I’ve been thinking about how I can make The SEN Co...
09/09/2026

🌟 Could I come along to your SEN coffee morning or children’s group? 🌟

I’ve been thinking about how I can make The SEN Co even more accessible to families in our local community — and I’d love to start getting out and about! 💛

Do you run a SEN coffee morning, parent group, Stay & Play, toddler group or children’s group where you’d like someone to come along and offer a little extra support?

I’d love to visit!

I can come along and give parents the opportunity to:

✨ Ask questions about their child’s development or additional needs
✨ Talk through challenges they may be experiencing at home or in the community
✨ Get practical ideas and strategies they can try
✨ Chat about communication, behaviour, sensory needs, routines, transitions and more
✨ Find out more about support available to them
✨ Simply have a friendly, informal conversation with someone who understands SEND

There doesn’t need to be a diagnosis either — sometimes you just have that feeling that something isn’t quite right, or you’re struggling with something at home and don’t know where to start.

I’m not there to diagnose or tell parents what they should be doing. My aim is to listen, share practical ideas and help families feel a little more confident about their next steps. ❤️

So, if you’re a nursery, preschool, playgroup, Stay & Play leader, community group or run another children’s group and think having The SEN Co pop along could be useful for your families, please get in touch.

Based in Chelmsford and happy to travel locally.

[email protected]

I’d love to meet more of the wonderful families and groups in our local community! 🌈

Tag a group or setting who you think might be interested, or send me a message if you’d like to chat.

🌟 Tuesday Tip: Give them time to respond 🌟One of the simplest things we can do to support a child’s communication is als...
08/09/2026

🌟 Tuesday Tip: Give them time to respond 🌟

One of the simplest things we can do to support a child’s communication is also one of the easiest to forget…

⏳ Give them time.

If you ask a question, give an instruction or offer an opportunity to communicate, try waiting a little longer than feels natural.

For some children, especially those with speech, language or social communication difficulties, processing what has been said can take extra time.

Instead of repeating the question or adding more words, try:

✨ Ask once
✨ Pause
✨ Give them time to process
✨ Watch for any response — a word, gesture, look, sound or action
✨ Celebrate their attempt to communicate

Remember: communication isn’t just talking.

That pause might feel like a long time to us, but for a child it can be the difference between not responding and having the opportunity to show us what they know.

Try it… and see what happens when you give them a little more time. 💛

Let’s talk about PDA.PDA is a term many parents are hearing more and more, particularly within conversations around auti...
02/09/2026

Let’s talk about PDA.

PDA is a term many parents are hearing more and more, particularly within conversations around autism.

You may hear it described as Pathological Demand Avoidance or increasingly as Persistent Drive for Autonomy.

For some children, everyday demands can trigger an incredibly strong need to regain control or autonomy.

And this is where understanding what’s happening underneath the behaviour can make such a difference.

What might look like:

❌ “They just won’t do it.”
❌ “They’re being difficult.”
❌ “They’re refusing everything.”

Could actually be:

➡️ Anxiety
➡️ Feeling overwhelmed
➡️ A need for control
➡️ Difficulty with uncertainty
➡️ Feeling unable to meet the demand

This doesn’t mean there are no boundaries.

It means we may need to think differently about how we present those boundaries and demands.

I’ll be sharing more about PDA over the next few days because this is such an important topic. 💛

Have you heard of PDA before?

💛 TO ALL OUR LITTLE ONES STARTING SCHOOL TOMORROW…To every little one starting school for the very first time, changing ...
01/09/2026

💛 TO ALL OUR LITTLE ONES STARTING SCHOOL TOMORROW…

To every little one starting school for the very first time, changing schools, moving up to a new class or heading into a new school year…

I’m wishing you the biggest good luck! 🌟

And to all the parents and carers — I’m sending you a huge hug too. 🤗

Tomorrow might feel exciting, overwhelming, emotional… or a mixture of all three. And that’s completely okay.

Please remember that every child is different. Some children settle straight away, while others need much more time, support and understanding. There is no “right” way to feel or settle into a new environment.

And parents, please remember:

💛 You know your child best.
💛 If something doesn’t feel right, it’s okay to ask questions.
💛 It’s okay to ask for support.
💛 It’s okay to speak up for your child.
💛 And it’s okay to say, “I’m not sure this is working for my child — can we talk about it?”

You don’t have to navigate it all alone.

I’m always around if you want to have a chat, ask a question or simply need someone to listen. ❤️

Wishing all our little people the most amazing start to their next chapter. 🌈

Big hugs,
Hannah x

🌈 STRUGGLING TO KNOW WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR CHILD BECOMES OVERWHELMED?Sensory needs can have such a HUGE impact on our chi...
29/08/2026

🌈 STRUGGLING TO KNOW WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR CHILD BECOMES OVERWHELMED?

Sensory needs can have such a HUGE impact on our children — from meltdowns and dysregulation to difficulty concentrating, transitions, sleep, movement and everyday activities.

But knowing what to actually do can feel overwhelming. 💛

That’s exactly why I created my SENSORY SUPPORT TOOLKIT 🧰✨

Designed for parents, carers and professionals supporting children with additional needs, it gives you practical, easy-to-use sensory strategies that you can start using at home or in your setting.

Inside you’ll find support around the 8 sensory systems, along with practical strategies and printable visuals to help you understand and support your child’s sensory needs.

✨ Simple
✨ Practical
✨ Easy to use
✨ Created from my experience supporting children with SEND

And it’s just £7! 🎉

If you’ve ever thought:

❓ “Why is my child constantly seeking movement?”
❓ “Why do certain noises upset them so much?”
❓ “Why do they seem to need MORE sensory input?”
❓ “What can I actually do to help?”

…this toolkit could be a great place to start. 💕

💻 The Sensory Support Toolkit – £7

👉 Comment SENSORY below or message me and I’ll send you the details to purchase.

If you know another parent who is constantly trying to understand their child’s sensory needs, please tag them or share this post. ❤️

SENDSupport AutismSupport AutismParents Neurodiversity SensoryActivities SensoryStrategies SpecialEducationalNeeds AdditionalNeeds ParentSupport TheSENCo EssexSEND ChelmsfordSEND

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