Managing special education needs: helping and involving parents

This paper reviews a period of enormous change and flux in the English education service. It notes that a number of the supports and sources of advice traditionally available to parents of young people with special educational needs and to the young people themselves are now reduced, are being changed or are in the process of being removed. It proposes a new emphasis for service professionals, administrators and the voluntary bodies working in the area of special educational needs. The central premise is that the work and role of the voluntary bodies, in supporting young people with special needs and their parents, should be welcomed and confirmed as a vital element within the educational process. A range of practical service strategies is proposed which is intended to sustain a user friendly educational service during a time of massive change. A model for confirming the potentially significant role of the voluntary bodies in this important area of educational need is offered.