Further information

Parenting Special Children was founded in 2006 by Ruth Pearse, the CEO of the charity, as she found a gap in support services for local families with special needs children, when her own daughter was diagnosed. Our aim is to improve the well-being of parents/carers so they are better able to support their children. We believe that vulnerable children need resilient carers. We also work directly with the children as well as deliver training to professionals working with them.

Our services are holistic and address the needs of the whole family and extended family. They include:
-Helpline, over phone, email and social media
-Specialist parenting workshops and courses
-Sleep courses and clinics
-Specialist workshops, courses and peer support for families of children with early life trauma.
-Support groups for parents/carers (e.g. Male Carers and Dads group)
-Annual topic-based conferences and guest speaker events
-Family Fun events
-Training opportunities for professionals working with families of disabled children
-Social and educational sessions for young people to meet with others in similar circumstances
-Transition to adulthood information and support groups.

We are now working with families and professionals across the country through online workshops and courses.

PSC is a beneficiary led organisation as more than 80 of the staff and volunteers, including trustees, are parents/carers of children or young people with special needs, in addition to having professional backgrounds. Our families are at the very heart of all we do; they inform, influence and shape our work and we are proud today to have supported more than 10,000 parents/carers and over 1,800 professionals through our various services over the last 16 years.