The BSA can provide information about stammering and its effects on children and provide you with information and support.

Parent partnership services provide accurate and unbiased information on the options available to you. They may provide you with training to guide you through special educational needs (SEN) procedures and processes or link you to organisations and groups that can help.

You can find your local parent partnership service through your local authority or the National Parent Partnership Network.

Independent parental supporters

Independent parental supporters can help you through the procedures involved in dealing with your child's SEN. They work under the guidance and supervision of your local parent partnership service and are usually trained volunteers.

While an independent parental supporter helps you understand what is happening, they will not make decisions about your child. Although your local parent partnership service should be able to give you access to an independent parental supporter, you can also choose a friend, a parent or someone from a voluntary organisation to support you. You may request that you are accompanied to significant meetings by any of these.

An independent parental supporter may help you by:

• explaining your rights and responsibilities
• finding further sources of information, support and advice for you
• helping you to understand what is happening during SEN procedures and processes such as School Action, assessment and statementing
• helping you to prepare for and attend visits and meetings
• helping you to make phone calls, fill in forms and write letters and reports
• helping you to express your views and communicate with schools and local authorities
• listening to your worries and concerns
• providing you with ongoing and general support.

Other voluntary organisations

Advisory Centre for Education (ACE) an independent advice centre for parents, offering information about state education in England and Wales for five to 16 year olds. They offer free telephone advice on many subjects like exclusion from school, bullying and special educational needs.

Independent Panel for Special Education Advice (IPSEA) has independent experts who will give you free advice about your child's special educational needs.

Advice for parents with disabled children:

Contact a Family provides advice, information and support to families with disabled children across the UK.

Parents for Inclusion works to enable disabled children to learn, make friends and have a voice in ordinary school and throughout life.

Click on the following links to open a PDF, use the back button on your browser to return to this resource. To save the handout to your computer, right click and choose 'Save as'.

Text for this page: Get more advice on the options available
Text for this whole section: When your child has complex needs