A2ndVoice - Autism Support Group - Tooting

25/09/2026

IF WAITING WERE AN OLYMPIC SPORT, SEND PARENTS WOULD NEED A BIGGER MEDAL CABINET.

Frankly, we've been training for years.

We wait for referrals, assessments, diagnoses, appointments, reports, EHCPs, school places, funding, transport and provision. We wait for Annual Reviews, the paperwork from the Annual Review, the amended paperwork from the Annual Review, and occasionally the actually amended this time paperwork from the Annual Review.

We wait months for Tribunal dates and then watch in awe as someone who has also had months manages to submit their evidence at 11:59pm on the final day.

We wait for replies to emails. We wait for returned phone calls. We wait for people to do things they were supposed to do weeks ago. Sometimes we wait so long that we have to send an email asking for a response to the email asking for a response to the original email.

Elite-level waiting. Years of training.

But SEND parenting teaches you another kind of waiting too.

You learn to ask a question and leave the silence there while your child processes it. You wait for words when words aren't coming. You wait outside school, beside beds, through appointments and meltdowns. You wait for the new food to be touched, the haircut to become possible, sleep to arrive, anxiety to loosen its grip.

And then there are the bigger waits: the friend, the invitation, the independent journey, the milestone other families barely noticed passing because, for them, it simply happened.

Sometimes it comes later. Sometimes it comes differently. Sometimes you eventually realise you've been waiting for your child to reach a destination that was never actually theirs.

That's the strange contradiction of SEND parenting.

Our children teach us how important it is to wait. The system teaches us how completely unacceptable waiting can be.

I will wait while my child processes. I will give them the extra minute, hour, month or year they need. There is no stopwatch on becoming yourself.

But children waiting months or years for assessment, education, therapy, provision or support isn't patience. It isn't character-building. And it isn't something families should simply be expected to get better at enduring.

So yes, give SEND parents the gold medal for waiting.

We'd just rather our children didn't have to pay the entry fee.

Tales of a SEN Parent

24/09/2026

23/09/2026

I keep hearing the same sentence from parents further down this road than me.

“You think it’s hard now. It doesn’t stop at 18.”

And I don't think we talk about that enough.

Because your child turns 18.

But their needs don't turn 18.

They don't suddenly need less reassurance, less advocacy, less help navigating the world or less support to stay safe.

And you don't suddenly stop being their carer.

If anything, some parents describe reaching adulthood and discovering that the world around their child gets smaller.

School ends.

College eventually ends.

Children's services end.

Familiar professionals disappear.

Eligibility changes.

Thresholds change.

And suddenly there can be this enormous space where everyone spent years talking about preparing for adulthood…

but nobody seems terribly clear about what adulthood is actually supposed to contain.

Research backs up what families have been saying for years. Ofsted and the CQC have described a “cliff edge” in support. Research has found parents continuing to advocate, coordinate services and make transitions happen long after childhood has officially ended.

Meanwhile, the caring continues.

The appointments.

The forms.

The phone calls.

The worry about what happens next.

The fight for meaningful days, friendships, work, activities, independence, care, safety and somewhere to belong.

And perhaps one of the hardest questions of all:

“What happens when I can't do this anymore?”

So this post is for the parents ahead of me on this road.

The parents of 18-year-olds.

25-year-olds.

35-year-olds.

50-year-olds.

The parents who didn't graduate from being a SEND parent when their child graduated from school.

I see you.

And I think the rest of us need to hear much more about the world you're navigating.

Because support shouldn't have an expiry date simply because childhood does.

06/05/2026

'ACTION FOR AUTISM' (incorporating 'Autism Moves' and 'Artistes for Autism' We have been running our 'Action for Autism' projects for over six years and have made a difference to so many neurodivergent young people. Based on the Autism Movement Therapy® method sessions are held weekly during term-t...

08/04/2026

As part of World Autism Acceptance Week, we’re proud to be hosting a Relaxed Session in collaboration with a2ndvoicecic 💙

Join us on 10th April, 5pm–7pm for a calmer, more inclusive Flip Out experience—designed with reduced noise, softer lighting, and a supportive environment for those who prefer a quieter session.

We’re committed to creating a space where everyone can have fun, feel comfortable, and be themselves.

📩 For booking enquiries, please contact: [email protected]

08/04/2026

Stewarts Road Adventure Playground

08/04/2026

What's FREE online webinars are on this week at Autism Central?

Tuesday 7th April
1. Victimisation, Bullying & Recovery.
2. Child - parent violence, behaviours of concern & de-escalation.
3. Parents of Autistic Adults with Learning Disabilities.

Wednesday 8th April
1. AAC for Non-Speaking Family Members.
2. Behaviour, Distress & Relationships.
3. School Induced Emotional Burden (Autistic & ADHD Students).
4. Play in Childhood: Neurodivergent affirming play &how to support it.

Thursday 9th April
1. Identify, Diagnosis & Family Dynamics.
2. Neurodivergence, Friendships & Relationships.
3. Parental wellbeing & taking care of yourself.
4. Grandparents virtual meet up - Autism & Family Life.

www.autismcentral.org.uk/events

A2ndVoice - Autism Support Group - Tooting

08/04/2026

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