After my son was diagnosed, I felt lost and unable to speak to anyone that understood me as a mother from the South Asian Muslim Community. I realised it was due to the lack of understanding of having a child with additional needs in my community. This gave me the confidence to start a support group for myself and every parent with a child that has additional needs. I want to break the cultural barriers and help make additional needs and disability acceptable and eradicate the stigma associated with having a disabled child.

The Dare 2 B Different logo features a colourfully spotted frog.Rehena Khatun, Founder of Dare 2 b Different

Fellow parent-carer, Rehena, recently shared with us information about the new parent support and well-being group that she set up for parents and carers of children with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND).

The group is called Dare 2 B Different, and they aim to remove cultural barriers to support carers of children with additional needs.

They hold weekly peer support sessions (term-time Mondays, 9:30-11am) at Levenshulme Sure Start Children’s Centre, where they invite other services that support families of children with SEND. The group also runs half-termly coffee mornings at Birchfields Primary School (open only to parents/carers of children who go to Birchfields).

The Dare 2 B Different logo features a colourfully spotted frog.

Dare 2 B Different

Upcoming Sessions

29 April : Focus on oral health

4 May : Eid Party

13 May : Visit from Manchester’s Autism Navigator.

20 May : Focus on well-being

Social Media

You can join their private group on Facebook or follow them on Instagram @daretobedifferent2023.