Families / Work with a specialist
One-to-one specialist support
Sometimes a family needs more than advice: time with someone who has deep experience of exactly what your child is facing. Jessie will introduce you to the right person from our specialist team, and only if you need them.
The right specialist for your child, without the search.
LED BY JESSIE HEWITSON
SEND agony aunt for The Times, author of books on autism and ADHD
What our specialists cover
Sessions can be for you, for your child, or for the whole family.
Emotionally based school avoidance
When anxiety is making school feel impossible.
Demand avoidance (PDA)
Approaches that lower pressure and rebuild cooperation.
Sensory differences and regulation
Understanding sensory needs and what helps your child stay regulated.
Burnout and emotional wellbeing
Recognising burnout and supporting recovery at home.
Eating, ARFID and nutrition
Support with restricted or anxious eating.
Home education
Planning and support if your child is learning at home.
Mentoring for young people
Sessions for your child or teenager, with someone who gets it.
Parenting support and family coaching
Practical strategies for routines, behaviour and family life.
How it works
You don't need to work out who you need. That's Jessie's job..
01
Talk to Jessie
A free 30-minute call about your child, your family and what has been hard.
02
Meet the right specialist
If a specialist would help, Jessie introduces you to the right person and sends you their booking link.
03
Book and pay online
Choose a time that suits you. Sessions last 50 minutes and take place online.
04
Keep it joined up
For members, specialist sessions feed into your family's plan, so everyone is working in the same direction.
Support works best when home and school are doing the same thing. With your agreement, your specialist can work with the school directly, so you are not left passing messages between the two.
Home and school
We work directly with your child's school
Talking to the school
Your specialist can speak to your child's SENCO, class teacher or head of year about what is happening and what helps.
Joining school meetings
Your specialist can join a meeting with the school online, alongside you, to explain your child's needs and agree next steps.
If the school already works with us
Some schools work with ThriveND directly. If yours does, your specialist can link up with the team already supporting the school.
Strategies the school can use
Practical, written strategies to share with staff, so your child gets the same approach in class as at home.
Time spent with the school is booked and charged in the same way as a session. If you need help checking or challenging an EHCP or the support in place, see Is my child getting the right support?
Rates
Members pay less
Member rates for every specialist.
Non-members
You don't need to be a member to see a specialist. Member rate plus 15%.
Rates vary by specialist session, and Jessie will confirm the rate before you book.
The people behind ThriveND
CO-FOUNDER
Jessie is the SEND agony aunt for The Times and the author of Autism: How to Raise a Happy Autistic Child and ADHD: How to Raise a Happy ADHD Child. She leads ThriveND's work with families: the first call, the plan, and deciding which specialist, if any, a family needs.
Jessie Hewitson
CO-FOUNDER
Alex leads ThriveND's operations, project delivery and strategy. She has more than 20 years' experience leading strategy and change programmes, including delivering projects alongside consulting firms, and founded the advisory practice Savvy Accounting in 2016. She oversees how ThriveND runs, from bookings to school projects.
Alex Ardizzone
Behind Jessie is a team of specialists: former head teachers, senior SENCOs, and people who work with neurodivergent young people every day.