Parenting Special Children over the years

Read about how we developed as a charity, from its formation in 2006, to where we are now in 2024

Ruth’s Story

I am a parent of 3 young adults, two of whom are neurodivergent.  My main inspiration and why I started Parenting Special Children was my daughter who is autistic, ADHD and was diagnosed with Global Developmental Delay at the age of 2.

At the point of diagnosis over 20 years ago there was very little support available and certainly no information to guide me to organisations who would be able to offer support.  This meant that I felt very isolated and really didn’t know who to turn to, it was a whole new world to navigate without any support.

In 2006 I trained to be a practitioner to deliver specialist parenting courses so that I could help other parents and carers navigate the world of special educational needs and all that encompassed and Parenting Special Children started.

PSC started with specialist parenting courses and we developed our services according to the needs of families and the PSC practitioners who were all parent/carers of children with special educational needs.

Our next steps were the diagnosis support service now the Helpline, a sleep service with NHS trained practitioners, workshops on Autism and ADHD and as you explore the website you will see how many services we have developed over the years.

Peer support, lived experience has been at the heart of what we offer and we very much hope that as you navigate life with your child or young person that you find the support that you need through the charity.