No one should have to navigate the SEND system alone
You don't understand the acronyms. You don't know what you're entitled to. You're terrified of saying the wrong thing and making it harder for your child.
This is why we built Alongside SEND.
The moment Alongside SEND was built for
It's 3am. The letter in your hand uses words you don't recognise. Your child is asleep. Tomorrow you have to function. Tonight, you need something steady.
- Judith Reece, founder
Quietly present
Never replaces a lawyer, nor your child's teachers, nor those who are helping support them in school, or from the medical profession. It just sits alongside you - for 3am, for the meeting, for the question you didn't think to ask.
Meet Asha, your companion for SEND
Built for parents navigating the SEND system in England. Covers EHCPs, tribunals, school finding, benefits, letters, and first steps. Grounded in the Children and Families Act 2014 and SEND Code of Practice. Screen-reader compatible. Calm by design.
What Asha does
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Translates your letters
Turns diagnosis and referral letters into plain English - without losing the detail your clinician needs you to know.
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Prepares you for meetings
Helps you name what matters, and surfaces the questions you didn't think to ask.
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✓
Covers the whole SEND journey
First steps, EHCPs, tribunals, school finding, benefits, letters, provision tracking.
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✓
Sits with you when it's hard
Honest, never frightening. Calm pacing. Real language. Always there at 3am.
What Asha isn't
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Not a lawyer.
We never diagnose, treat, or replace clinical advice.
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Not a generic chatbot.
Purpose-built for SEND. Grounded in the SEND Code of Practice and real family experiences.
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Not falsely optimistic.
We name the hard thing, then offer the next step.
Start with SEN Helper - free
Not sure where to start? SEN Helper maps your whole situation across education, health, social care, and benefits, then points you towards the right support. No cost. No commitment. No sign-up required.
Open SEN HelperAsha doesn't work alone
Behind every conversation, Asha draws on a team of specialists — each built for a specific part of the SEND journey. You never need to know who to ask for. Asha works that out and brings the right person in.
Meet the specialists
Asha brings in the right specialist at the right moment. You just talk to Asha, and she works out what you need.
Nia - First steps
For parents at the very beginning, helping you understand the basics and take practical first steps.
Paige - EHCP
Works through EHCPs section by section, checking provision and identifying gaps.
Rae - Correspondence
Helps you draft professional, clear letters to schools and local authorities.
Ava - Meetings
Prepares you for annual reviews with clear priorities and the right questions.
Vera - Appeals
Guides you through the SEND Tribunal process, deadlines, and evidence requirements.
Tia - Provision tracking
Monitors whether EHCP provision is being delivered and helps build evidence.
Remi - School placement
Explores school options, matching your child's EHCP to potential settings.
Dee - DLA
Sits with you through the DLA application, helping you describe needs clearly.
You share what's happening,
as much or as little as you like
1. You tell Asha what is happening
Share as much or as little as you want. Where you are in the process. What you are worried about. What you need help with. Your conversations are private and nothing is retained between chats.
2. She explains what comes next
The SEND process has stages. Asha tells you where you are, what happens next, and what you need to prepare.
3. She helps you prepare
Meetings with the SENCO. Annual reviews. Tribunals. She helps you know what to ask, what to say, and what to push back on.
Designed for how it actually feels
Calm pacing. Quiet design. Built to be used on the worst days.
Emotionally aware
Navigating SEND is exhausting and often adversarial. Asha acknowledges the emotional burden before offering practical steps.
Legally informed
Asha draws on the Children and Families Act 2014, the SEND Code of Practice, and tribunal case law, and references the law where it helps your situation.
Clear boundaries. Always.
When something is outside her scope, she says so - and points you to the right person.
Your data, your terms
Your conversations stay on your device. Plain-English privacy. No sharing with third parties or local authorities, ever.
No overwhelm
No notifications. No streaks. No pressure. Presence, not performance.
Who it's for
Three ways people come to us.
Different starting points. Same commitment - calm, credible, human support when it matters most.
For you and your family
Your child has been diagnosed with ADHD, autism, dyslexia, or another need. You are trying to get them support. The school is saying "we are doing all we can." You do not know if that is true.
You need someone who knows what "all we can" actually means. Someone who can sit with you at 3am when the letter arrives. Someone who can help you prepare for the meeting, understand your rights, and know when to push back.
Asha was built for this moment.
Simple. Honest. No tricks.
We know raising a child with SEND brings significant extra costs. Our pricing reflects this.
SEN Helper - Free
A free custom GPT available on ChatGPT. No sign-up required.
General SEND navigation, appointment preparation, letter explanation.
Asha Basic
One-time payment. Full access. Yours.
- Full specialist support across every stage of the SEND journey
- Upload documents (EHCPs, reports) up to 20MB
- Unlimited messages
- Updates as SEND regulations change
- Private and secure - nothing shared with third parties
- One-time payment - no subscription
- Does not use ChatGPT - runs independently with instant access by email
- No conversation memory
Asha Premium ⭐
Annual subscription. Cancel anytime.
- ✨ Asha remembers your entire SEND journey
- Never repeat yourself across sessions
- Access from any device with all conversations saved
- Build context over months and years
- All features from Basic tier
- Full specialist support across every stage
- Upload documents (EHCPs, reports) up to 20MB
- Unlimited messages
Note: Asha is currently trained using England's SEND framework and regulations. Versions for Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland to follow.
Why memory matters for SEND families
Basic (no memory)
Perfect for focused questions about specific documents or situations. Each conversation starts fresh. Great for one-off questions, but you will re-explain your child's needs each time.
Premium (with memory)
Asha remembers your child's diagnoses, their EHCP history, your previous assessments, and past tribunal preparation. Pick up where you left off. Never explain yourself twice. Built for the long journey.
Premium works best for families managing ongoing SEND support who want continuous guidance, not just one-off document help.
Financial hardship
We understand that some families are facing significant financial pressure. If the cost is a barrier, please contact us. We offer reduced rates and payment plans. No family should be unable to access support because of cost.
You want to help. So do we.
If you are a school, SENCO network, MAT, charity, or local authority SEND team, we can work with you to create tools that help parents arrive to meetings better prepared, reduce the emotional temperature, and free up your time for complex cases.
Co-designed with your team. Piloted with real families. Refined based on feedback. Impact reporting. Training for staff.
We do not do generic solutions. Every tool is built for your specific context and needs.
Contact us to discuss pricing and scope.
Get in TouchWhy we built this
I have spent 20 years in pharmaceutical R&D strategy and digital health transformation, at companies like AstraZeneca and GSK. I know how to navigate complex systems. I know how evidence works and what levers actually move things.
And I still felt completely lost.
My daughter has disabilities. I have sat in the meetings. I have read the letters that use language designed, it sometimes feels, to confuse rather than inform. I have watched parents fight battles they should never have to fight, translating jargon they should never need to understand, just to get basic support for their children.
All that expertise, and I still could not find the path. Still could not quiet the fear. Still could not bridge the gap between what the system offered and what a frightened, exhausted parent could actually reach.
That is when it became impossible to ignore: knowledge is not navigation. Expertise does not dissolve fear.
The information exists. The pathways exist. But no one is sitting with families through the hard parts.
So we built Alongside SEND. A companion that acknowledges fear before offering information. That turns a wall of jargon into a next step. That is there at 3am if that is when you need it.
- Judith Reece, founder
About us
Built by people who understand complex systems and care deeply about the families navigating them.
Judith Reece
Founder
Judith consults to the health services and life sciences industry. She believes in the power of innovation and AI to help people. A granny who delights in beautiful contradictions, devoted to her visually impaired daughter's guide dog despite being allergic to animals. Her world moves to a rhythm where family, purpose, and curiosity collide, always anchoring progress in real human need.
Advisors
Natasha
Natasha consults to the pharmaceutical industry and keeps our work grounded in what families actually need. She is mum to James, who is 9.
Lottie
Lottie believes AI can help us all be the best people we can be, but knows we have to use it right. She keeps us honest about impact and ethics.
Ang
Ang teaches people how to use AI effectively and believes literacy is the key to solving our biggest social challenges. She helps us make complex technology accessible.
Honest answers
Yes. Try the free SEN Helper first. It covers general SEND navigation and basic questions. No sign-up, no payment details. If it works for you, then consider getting Asha.
No. Asha runs independently - no ChatGPT account, no third-party subscription, nothing to set up. You get instant access by email the moment you buy.
Yes. Your conversations stay on your device. We do not see them. We do not sell data. We do not share anything with third parties or local authorities.
No. If you need a tribunal appeal or legal representation, Asha will tell you. She helps you understand the system, but she is not a lawyer.
Asha is designed for every stage. Whether you are waiting for a diagnosis, applying for an EHCP, or preparing for tribunal, she will meet you where you are.
Asha is currently built for the English SEND system. If you are outside England, register your interest and we will let you know as we build towards it.
The moments that matter most deserve a companion who understands them
Whether you are a parent trying to find the path, a school wanting families to arrive better prepared, or an organisation looking to extend your reach - we would like to hear from you.
Get in touch
Email: hello@alongsidesend.co.uk
For organisations: Contact us to discuss licensing, white-label options, and custom development.
Support: support@alongsidesend.co.uk
We aim to respond within a few working days.
Free SEND Resources: theaiark.org