External Resources
This section is for your personal use only, it is a collection of useful sources of support and information, none of the links on this page are affiliated with LDSA and use of these resources are at your own risk. By proceeding down this page and clicking on any external link you accept these terms.
Financial Resources
Money can be very difficult when you are struggling with advocating for your child, supporting their education and balancing all of lifes expenses. Having a child with additional needs brings it's own unique financial challenges. Below are some resources of financial support available. Their individual criteria are specific to each source, and we are not able to comment on or influence any financial decisions made by any of these external sources
Family Fund
Family Fund is a project focussed on improving the lives of disabled and seriously ill children in the UK. They provide grants for items (from sensory toys to washing machines), holiday/short breaks, and technology for your child to use at school or home. It is a means tested fund - this means you need to be on certain benefits or have an income under a certain threshold to qualify.
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Carer's Allowance
Carer's Allowance is a benefit for people who spend at least 35 hours a week caring for a child or adult who is receiving certain disability benefits. You do not have to live with or be related to that person. It does not depend on National Insurance contributions, but it is taxable. There is a cap on how much you can earn from work and still be entitled to Carer’s Allowance.
How do I qualify?
To qualify, the person you care for must receive the care component of the Disability Living Allowance at the middle or higher rate, the daily living component of the Personal Independence Payment, or Attendance Allowance.
You must also:
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be aged 16 or above
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not be in full-time education
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earn no more than £128 per week, (after tax, National Insurance and pension deductions).
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TO APPLY AND FOR MORE INFORMATION, CLICK HERE
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DLA -Disability Living Allowance
DLA is a financial benefit paid to the carer or disabled person and is comprised of 2 aspects: Care and Mobility. You do not need a diagnosis to apply for DLA for your child, it is based on their level of need, day and night. If you are providing significantly more support to your child with SEND than a child of a similar age who does not have SEND, you could be entitled to DLA.
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The process for applying is daunting - the form is long and asks you to input all the negative things about your child. It is important to remember these forms need to be filled in acurately, documenting the daily struggles you face. Ensure you are clear about the level of support required - it may be helpful to include a diary of your daily care routine.
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PLEASE NOTE: This is NOT a means tested benefit. This means you will not be asked for any financial information in order to qualify.
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For more help on filling in the DLA form, CLICK HERE
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To fill in the form, CLICK HERE
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Legal Resources
It is vital as advocates for our children that we understand the system and guidence with which the schools are duty bound to adhere to.
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Quoting directly from Codes of Practice leaves little in the way of 'wiggle room' when you are fighting your case.
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To become familiar with the Government's SEND code of practice:
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School and Exams
Courses to signpost teaching assistants supporting children with autism:
Special arrangements for young people with SEND during exams Schools can make their own arrangements for pupils and students during internal exams. For public or external national exams, they must apply for special arrangements to be put in place. These can also be called access or assessment arrangements. Your child's school will need to have evidence of the pupil's SEND, and this can be achieved by various means, such as Ed Psych reports, clinic letters, Occupational Therapy reports/assessments. The special arrangements they can request may consist of some or all of the below: "extra time a separate room either in a small group or alone a reader a scribe a prompter to keep students focused an oral language modifier a computer instead of handwriting assistive software (screen reader/voice recognition) exam papers in different formats, such as digital supervised rest breaks" (Quoted from the National Autistic Society) Please contact your school or SENCo to find out more about the different support that can be put in place for your child.
Parent Courses
Low demand parenting courses - ideal for those with children who are on the autistic spectrum with PDA/PDA traits