Latest News for Parents & Carers

September will soon be here and the government has announced that all children in England will be expected to return to school. For many children, this will be the first time they will be going back into school since March. Contact has published new Back to School information for families in England, who may be feeling worried or confused about what’s to come. Contact is also hosting a Q&A session on their Facebook page on Thursday 27 August between 2.00pm-4.00pm, offering parents the opportunity to ask Contact’s parent advisers any questions that they may have about going back to school.

A 15-year-old boy with autism has been cleaning a town’s road signs and cutting back hedges to keep him “focused” during and after lockdown. Joseph Beer, who also has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), has been cycling around Chatteris, Cambridgeshire, tidying things up. Good for you Joseph!

The Council for Disabled Children has been coordinating a series of conversations with children and young people about their experiences of the pandemic. Children and young people share their experiences of not being at school and consider what schools can do to support them when they return to education settings in September.

The National Autistic Society is very excited to announce that Spectrum Live: Back to School episode will be live on the 24 August. Save the date in your diaries and join them!

The Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) has launched a report on the impact of lockdown on its members. Covid-19 has forced the closure of all RDA centres in the UK, leaving many disabled people unable to access their regular exercise and social activities. The report shows significant negative impact on physical and mental wellbeing, confidence levels and social skills.