DETAILS OF EVENT

Early identification and access to networks of support make a crucial difference to parents of disabled children, and for parents struggling to come to terms with concerns about their child’s development.

Our accessible and jargon-free course gives practitioners practical ideas about how they can support disabled children and their families. We know that very young children fall into two distinct categories: those who have presenting disabilities, and those with slowly emerging disabilities.

Services for children with evident disabilities tend to be easier to plan for in partnership with parents – concerns such as integration, bullying, and appropriate play materials can be addressed, and reasonable adjustments made to enable the child with their social and emotional development and learning.

However, it is children with additional needs that slowly emerge as they grow that give workers the most cause for concern.

While most care settings have policies and measures in place to share concerns, clear procedures are imperative when discussing emerging concerns and supporting distressed parents seeking ongoing support.

It is not unusual for most workers to feel out of their depth and unskilled when approaching parents, so we will address clear pathways of support for all concerned.

Our workshops aim to help professionals:

• Increase understanding of disability, including hidden disability

• Increase awareness of the effect of disability on the family

• Enable more effective communication with parents

• Enable a better start to a working relationship with parents ofchildren with SEND.