Mums of autistic girls create special app for parents

Two mothers who created an app to help parents of children with special needs connect hope it means no one will feel alone.

Kate Dunn, who's daughter Ophelia has non-verbal autism and ADHD, met the mother of Sophia, also diagnosed with autism, Nisha Warburton, in a carpark outside their specialist nursery in Bolton, Greater Manchester.

Nisha said: "You go from feeling like the only person who is dealing with such a situation to recognising that actually a lot of people are."

In their free time, or while their children were asleep, the pair decided to make the app, called SEN2gether, to create a community as well as to share information and tools for parents.

With almost 2,000 sign-ups within its first month, the pair have created a growing private community of parents and carers where they can share what works, ask questions as well as find local connections and guidance.

"We are just mums. We do not have a background in business or digital app making but what we notice is people love it and recognise it, and we are growing and developing it everyday," Nisha said.

Kate said: "There's not one family that we speak to, who is not going through something."

Speaking of her daughter Ophelia's diagnosis, she said: "We were told that she was deaf, we were given a hearing aid and then we finally got her autism diagnosis.

"You try to be strong for your child even though mentally you are falling apart."

A recent government review found that there is a risk of people being over-diagnosed with ADHD and autism in England.

But, for Kate and Nisha, the findings make them feel more isolated.

"It does feel disappointing because a lot of our families then may question is this valid, do the public think this is a valid diagnosis when we know the daily struggles," Nisha said.

"So regardless of the actual diagnosis label we know that the daily challenges don't just disappear with or without a label."

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