PARENTS across the land are struggling with home schooling during lockdown.

But for those who have children with special educational needs it can be daunting.

In some cases it isn’t just about getting them to learn, but the worry of getting the child to return to school, plus the impact on mental health after the pandemic.

The broad spectrum of children and teenagers with conditions ranging from anxiety and behavioural disorders to autism and Asperger’s spectrum disorder, makes it hard for authorities to offer home school help which will be suitable for everyone.

However, parents say they struggle to get help at the best of times and for many the coronavirus lockdown has been especially difficult.

Maggie Cleary, who has a son with special educational needs, helped form the Southend SEND Facebook group to support parents. It now has 400 members.

She said: “Our parents are experiencing many negative and positive experiences during the lockdown.

“One parent is considering home-schooling her six-year-old with special educational needs. The mother says that all of the words that school hasn’t been able to teach to her daughter in six months, she can now read.

“One child is performing academically four years behind her peers in mainstream school, has secondary cancer and is getting a welfare call once a week and work sent home that she can’t do.

“She has been told to stay in her room as she is high risk. Her parents are dealing with huge meltdowns and daily verbal abuse. This is all caused by anxiety, uncertainty and no routine.”

Many schools have been maintaining contact with Education Healthcare Plans of those with special educational needs in the form of weekly contact and sending work home, but there has been little in the way of online classrooms or live-streamed sessions on Youtube for children who need such support.

Even when support is available it is not guaranteed to be effective outside the school environment.

Ms Cleary added: “Our school has their own risk assessment weekly on my son, keep in regular contact and have given work but he is unable to work at home.

“Home is home and school is school like many other SEND kids. This is the problem. Home is their safe place. There are lots of children that are striving being at home but it shows how complex and different they all are.

“ I worry I will not get him back in to school in September especially as he has been a school refuser for the last year. He had only just started to go back to a new school.”

Another parent, who asked not to be named, said her son’s school was supportive, but the lockdown has had a negative impact on her son’s mental health.

She said: “He will not wash, brush his teeth, get up, come out of his room, change his clothes or sleep. It’s heart breaking to see him step forward and now desperately slide back to how he was a year ago.”

Anne Jones, councillor responsible for children and learning, said: “In conjunction with local parent groups, the council, including its partners in the area, have totally revised the Local Offer website, the platform on which all SEND information, advice and support is published. This contains an enormous amount of information, advice and support, including a number of resources for parents and schools to use.”

The council has been criticised by some parents for delaying assessments during the lockdown.

Ms Jones said: “We are committed to ensuring all SEND children that require an Education, Health and Care Plans and Needs Assessment are able to receive the support they need. However, the unprecedented times we currently find ourselves in unfortunately means there some of these assessments will take longer than usual.

“We are continuing to process any existing assessments through our weekly Education Health and Care multiagency panel meetings.”

“In line with government guidance, the majority of Southend schools remain open for children of those unable to work from home and vulnerable children, including those with Education, Health and Care Plans. We have worked closely with schools to support them in putting procedures in place to keep in regular contact with those vulnerable pupils who are not attending school.”

Council advice and support is available at https://livewellsouthend.com/