School’s out, different routines and round-the-clock care. Parents of children with special needs are faced with their biggest challenge of the year when it comes to the six long weeks of summer.

Sometimes the best plans are the most simple; a bus ride, a walk to the park or playing in the garden. Whatever you choose, the holidays must take in the needs of the whole family. Don’t be too ambitious; it will be exhausting for everyone. Some general preparation will make all the difference:
Holiday activities for children with SEND
Look on this website, check out play schemes, and investigate local groups on the National Autistic Society and Mencap websites. These offer opportunities to try out new activities like climbing or roller-skating with families in the same position, or to book your SEND child into supported sessions. Speak to friends and other parents; join forces for days out and set up play dates. Get ideas from forums like Mumsnet on special needs and the Special Needs Jungle website.
Evenings spent on the internet is time well spent.
Create a calendar
Plot a weekly calendar, maybe shopping on Mondays, swimming on Wednesdays.
Then set out a daily task list with regular activities and set mealtimes, this will put routines in place. Include some quiet time, creative time and even time for schoolwork. Prepare your child for these changes and stick to routines as much as possible. Liaise with school so that similar timetables with the same strategies and visual supports are used at home. Put it on the wall, talk about it and make it familiar for all the family.
Taking children with SEND away for a holiday
Some parents put holidays away in the ‘too difficult to do’ box, but there are plenty of centres in the UK and abroad that are set up for families with a disabled or special needs child. These centres consider the whole family and can cater for specific needs of your child, both physical and sensory. Consider travel times (and traffic jams); remember, a holiday nearby is still a holiday.
If you’re going somewhere new, help others to understand your child’s needs, call ahead and speak to the centre or a rep.
If you are flying, check out the Good Schools Guide to the UK's airports which will tell you what assistance and facilities are available at the airport:
Good Schools guide to flying with SEND children (opens link in new window).