Surviving the Special Educational Needs System

'Our children were supposed to be ''included'' in mainstream but in reality were ''excluded'' until they went into special needs placements where they were accepted and valued, exactly as they were, even though that was different to the ''norm''. They are polite, kind, decent people – but people who have difficulties.' – Sandy RowSome children's 'difficulties' do not present in an obvious way, which makes diagnosis problematic, and access to help unforthcoming. This was the experience of Sandy Row, whose own children's special educational needs (SEN) were undetected for more than ten years. Sandy's family endured misdiagnoses and unsatisfactory explanations for their children's experience of bullying and struggling in mainstream school.Dealing with very practical issues such as: getting a Statement of Special Educational Needs for you child – and how to challenge it if it is wrong, Sandy uses her family's experience as the basis for this indispensable guidebook which will empower other parents to demand help for their own children. She challenges some established literature on SEN she believes is too theoretical and impenetrable, and instead she provides an effective resource for those seeking accessible answers about their right to help and service provision.