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Guerrilla Mum

Guerrilla Mum

Surviving the Special Educational Needs Jungle

Ellen Power

Paperback: £14.99 / $24.95

2010, 234mm x 156mm / 9.25in x 6in, 160pp
ISBN: 978-1-84310-999-0, BIC 2: VSK JNS

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Getting the educational provision you need for your special needs child can feel like an uphill struggle. This book offers clear guidance on how authorities such as Local Education Authorities, schools, the National Health Service and the Government function, what the law entitles your child to, and how you can fight most effectively for the education they need.

Basing the book on her own experience of bringing up two sons with special educational needs, Ellen Power describes how she worked with - and in some cases challenged - the authorities to get the right education for her children. Outlining what she did, how she did it, and how you can do the same, she explains clearly the implications of the Special Educational Needs code of practice and the Disability Discrimination Act, as well as giving advice on diagnosis, assessment, and dealing with the authorities. Further sections look at how to address issues such as transition between schools, and bullying.

Interweaving real-life experience with practical advice, Guerrilla Mum is essential reading for parents of children with special educational needs and disabilities.

Blog posts

‘Guerrilla Mum’ on Making Each Half-Term Count for Students with SEN

28 October 2010

"It is already half term, and the end of the school year seems to be a long way off, as we plunge into a series of cold wet days. However, in terms of Individual Education Plans (IEPs) and statements of SEN the school year is approximately one sixth over. This is time we can never get back, and children with SEN need each half term to really count..."

Ofsted report on special education in the UK: JKP authors offer views from parents and professionals

15 September 2010

Today, we offer perspectives from two JKP authors on yesterday’s Ofsted* report, titled ‘special educational needs and disability review: a statement is not enough’. A Parent’s Perspective… Ellen Power is a parent of two children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) and author of the new book, Guerrilla Mum: Surviving the Special Educational Needs Jungle. Below is...

Interview with Ellen Power – Part 5: My Top 5 Back-to-School Tips for Parents of Children with SEN

27 August 2010

"My boys go back to school next week. I can’t believe how quickly the holidays have passed by! In addition to all of the usual preparation, next week I will be performing some extra tasks to make sure that the school year gets off to as smooth a start as possible. Here are my Top 5 Back-to-School Guerrilla Tips..."

Interview with Ellen Power – Part 4: How to create an educational system that fully meets the needs of children with SEN

26 August 2010

"When you look at it on paper it is difficult to see why the current system for meeting the needs of children with SEN is so prone to failure. On paper it seems to work, but in practice there are some big weaknesses that lead to its failure."

Interview with Ellen Power – Part 3: Where does SEN fit into the academies and free schools models?

25 August 2010

"I have had email correspondence with our children’s school and government on this issue, and I have to say that they are all very vague about how SEN will be managed in academies and free schools."