Northampton group helps dads with SEND children

Piotr Maciaszek says it is lonely being a parent of a child with special issues and the other fathers he meets in the group help address that

A man who joined a support group for fathers of children with special educational needs (SEND) said "as men and dads we need to get involved".

Piotr Maciaszek, 44, from Northampton, is part of SENDS 4 Dads, set up in 2015 because most local SEND support groups were aimed at women carers.

Mr Maciaszek said: "We give each other emotional support, but also practical advice on how to handle issues."

The organisation is holding its first "Dadstock" event on 15 July.

Mr Maciaszek discovered his son Simon, 12, was autistic in 2016, but when he started attending support groups in Northampton, "I was usually the only man in the room".

At SENDS 4 Dads, "we develop good quality bonding opportunities for dads and their children, usually they revolve around sports", he said.

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"In my experience, as men we are just more than happy to delegate anything to do with childcare to the women in our lives," he added.

He said getting involved improved fathers' bonds with their children.

Paul Meadows set up the group after realising there was "no support for dads at all"

The group was founded by Paul Meadows, 49, from Northampton, after he went through "a particularly bad period of mental ill health".

Mr Meadows, whose son Connor has autism, described having felt alone and isolated.

"A lot of the [state health or educational] services will go direct to the mum, we're pretty much left out of things," he said.

"And as men, we find it very hard to talk about feelings, about issues we're having and that causes mental health issues and a strain upon relationships.

"I saw there weren't any support for dads or groups at all - so it was either a case of wait for them to be set up or go ahead and do it myself, so that's what I did."

For Mr Maciaszek, the group has helped address the loneliness of "being a parent of a child with special issues".

"When I meet with other dads here I don't have to explain things, I just say what I have a problem with and they come up with examples, explaining how they dealt with issues themselves - and that's all you can ask for."