RESOURCES

At Dream the Change, we endeavour to help families of Children with SEND find all that you need in your day-to-day life, including: 

- Providing you with the legal advice you may need
- Referring you to the medical information and services available 
- Helping you obtain any grant you are entitled as a family 
- Supporting your SEND child/ren with special toys and learning equipment 
- Organising SEND-friendly social activities for you and your child/ren 
- Arranging after-school and weekend clubs for your child/ren 
- Giving you advice about managing your children’s behaviour and school selection 
- Connecting you with a trained mentor who can be your first point of contact if you need any help and who can direct you to the right direction if you need advice. 

Our dream is to establish extracurricular centres for children, aged 5 to 12 years, with special education needs and disabilities (SEND) which will be adapted to meet their needs and provide After School Clubs. We also want them to function as a respite centres for parents, carers and families of these children, acting as a hub where you can meet up to support each other. Our application for running our first After School Club was successfully approved by Essex Active in March 2020 but the plan has temporarily been delayed due to the COVID-19 outbreak. 

We firmly believe that each child is an individual and has their own strengths, interests and needs. We think that children with special needs should have the same opportunities as their peers, be able to participate in social/leisure activities, and have chance to make new friends with youngsters who have similar interests. 

Becoming part of a group or a member of a team at an After School Club can work well for children with SEND, helping to boost their confidence and social skills. Our aim is to support you and your child to successfully gain access to activities and venues alongside both their disabled and mainstream peers.