England only
Due to differences between England and other parts of the UK, we can only guarantee accuracy for families in England right now. We plan to expand coverage in the future.
Getting Started Guides
A beginner's guide to AI
5 min read
No jargon. No tech knowledge needed. Just a plain English explanation.
If you've heard people talking about AI and ChatGPT but you're not quite sure what any of it means, this guide is for you. We'll explain what AI actually is, what it can do, and how SEND Parents Help uses it to give you expert guidance on your child's needs.
What is AI?
AI stands for artificial intelligence. It's software that can read and understand text, then write a helpful response. Think of it like a very knowledgeable assistant that you can have a conversation with by typing.
You type a question in your own words, and AI writes back an answer. It doesn't just search the internet for links like Google does. It reads your question, understands what you're asking, and writes a personalised response just for you.
Google Search
You get a list of links. You read each page yourself and piece together the answer.
vs
AI Assistant
You get a direct answer written for your situation. Ask follow-ups, and it remembers the conversation.
What is ChatGPT?
ChatGPT is one of the most popular AI tools. It's made by a company called OpenAI. You can start using it for free in your web browser or as an app on your phone. You don't need to download anything special.
Using ChatGPT feels like texting. You type a message, and it replies. You can ask it questions, have a conversation, or even give it a document to read and comment on. It's surprisingly easy once you try it.
How does SEND Parents Help use AI?
SEND Parents Help is a specialist assistant that runs inside ChatGPT. We've given it an expert knowledge base covering SEND law, EHCPs, DLA, school issues, and local authority processes in England. When you ask a question, it draws on this specialist knowledge to give you accurate, detailed guidance.
Think of it this way: ChatGPT is the engine, and SEND Parents Help is the specialist driver. You get the power of AI with the accuracy of genuine SEND expertise.
What can I actually ask it?
Anything about your child's special educational needs. You don't need to know the right terminology. Just describe your situation in your own words.
My child gets extra support at school but isn't making progress. Should I push for a formal education plan?
The school wants to exclude my son for behaviour linked to his ADHD. Is that legal?
We've been waiting 18 months for a speech therapy assessment. What can I do to speed things up?
My daughter is turning 16 and I'm worried about what happens to her support after school.
Is it safe?
Your conversations go directly to ChatGPT or Google. We cannot see, access, or store anything you type or upload. The only connection to us is our knowledge base, which provides SEND guidance to help answer your questions, but receives no personal information.
We use anonymous usage data to improve the knowledge base. For example, we can see what ChatGPT is requesting from our knowledge base, but we have no way of knowing who made the request or what was said in the conversation.
Not at all. If you can send a text message or use WhatsApp, you can use ChatGPT. It really is that simple. Type your question, read the answer, and ask follow-ups if you need to. There are no complicated settings or menus to learn.
Tips for getting started
Give details
The more you tell the assistant about your situation, the better the answer. Mention your child's age, their diagnosis, and what stage you're at.
Ask follow-ups
If something doesn't make sense, just say "can you explain that more simply?" or "what does that mean?". You can keep asking until you understand.
It's not legal advice
The assistant gives expert guidance based on current law and practice, but for complex legal cases you may also want to speak to a professional.
England only
SEND law is different across the UK. Our knowledge base covers England specifically.
Ready to try it?
You'll need a free ChatGPT account first. It takes about 2 minutes to set up.
ChatGPT is the AI tool that powers SEND Parents Help. You'll need a free account to use our custom assistant. Here's how to set one up.
What you'll need
Just one of the following:
Google
Gmail account
Microsoft
Outlook, Hotmail, work
Apple
Apple ID
Email
Any email address
A free ChatGPT account is all you need to get started with SEND Parents Help. Free works fine for trying it out and asking questions. If you're working through SEND paperwork, we'd recommend a paid plan (from around £7/month, cancel anytime) for higher message limits and better file uploads.
Step-by-step setup
1
Go to the ChatGPT website
Open chatgpt.com in your web browser. You'll see a welcome page with a Sign up button. Tap or click it.
2
Choose how to sign up
You'll see buttons for Continue with Google, Continue with Microsoft, and Continue with Apple. Tap any of these to sign up instantly using an account you already have. If you'd rather not, enter your email address and create a password instead.
3
Verify your email
If you signed up with an email and password, OpenAI will send you a verification email. Check your inbox (and your spam or junk folder, just in case) and click the verification link. If you used Google, Microsoft, or Apple sign-in, this step happens automatically.
4
You're in
That's it. You'll see the ChatGPT chat screen with a text box at the bottom. You're ready to start using SEND Parents Help.
You don't need a paid subscription to get started. The free plan works fine for basic questions, but has some limits: around 10 messages every 5 hours with the best model, and about 3 file uploads per day. If you find yourself using it regularly, ChatGPT Go (around £7/month, cancel anytime) is the sweet spot, with roughly 160 messages every 3 hours and much more generous file uploads. ChatGPT Plus (around £20/month) adds even higher limits, but Go covers most needs. If ChatGPT asks you to upgrade and you're not ready, just dismiss the message and carry on.
Using ChatGPT on your phone
ChatGPT works in your phone's web browser, but there's also a free app available for iPhone and Android. The app lets you use voice input, which some parents find easier than typing.
Trouble signing up?
If you run into problems, here are the most common fixes:
Verification email not arriving?
Check your spam or junk folder. Gmail sometimes files it under Promotions.
Already have an account?
If you've ever used ChatGPT before, just tap Log in instead of Sign up. You can reset your password if you've forgotten it.
Using a school or work email?
Some organisations block sign-up emails. Try a personal email address like Gmail, Outlook, or Yahoo instead.
Account ready? Let's go
Now open our SEND Parents Help assistant and ask your first question.
Get personalised feedback on EHCPs, DLA forms, letters, and more.
One of the most powerful things you can do with SEND Parents Help is upload a document and ask the assistant to review it. Whether it's a draft EHCP, a DLA form, a letter from the local authority, or a school report, the assistant will read it and give you specific, personalised feedback.
What can I upload?
You can upload almost any document type. The most common ones parents share with SEND Parents Help are:
Strong first uploads
Draft or final EHCPs for the assistant to review section by section
DLA forms you're working on, so the assistant can check your descriptors
Letters from the local authority that you need help understanding
School reports or SEN Support plans you want to discuss
Professional reports (educational psychologist, speech therapist, etc.) to help build your case
What makes the answer better
The more context you give, the more useful the response. Tell the assistant what you want it to focus on, and mention any background that might help. For example, "My child is 8 and has a diagnosis of ASD. Can you check if this EHCP has enough detail in Section F?"
ChatGPT accepts all the common file types:
PDF
Word
Excel
PowerPoint
Text
Images
CSV
Paper documents work too. If you have a printed letter or form, take a clear photo with your phone and upload the picture. ChatGPT can read text from images. Make sure the lighting is good and the whole page is visible.
In the message box at the bottom of the screen, look for the + (plus) button on the left side. Click it to open a menu where you can choose Upload from computer or connect cloud storage like Google Drive or OneDrive.
3
Pick your file
Select the document from your computer. You'll see the file name appear in the message box, confirming it's attached and ready to send.
4
Tell the assistant what you need
Type a message explaining what you want help with, then press Enter. For example: "Can you review this EHCP and tell me if anything is missing?" or "I'm working on my DLA form, can you check my descriptors?"
How to upload on your phone
In the ChatGPT app, tap the + (plus) button next to the message box, then choose a file from your phone's storage or take a photo. In your phone's web browser, you'll see the same + button.
Account limits and upgrading
With a free ChatGPT account, you can upload around 3 files per day. Each file can be up to 512MB. This is plenty for trying things out. If you need to upload more, you can use our free Combine Docs tool to merge them into one PDF, or use our free Doc to Text tool to convert documents and paste the text in instead.
If you're actively working through SEND paperwork, we'd recommend ChatGPT Plus (around £20/month, cancel anytime) or ChatGPT Go (around £7/month) for much more generous file uploads and message limits. Google Gemini is another option with generous file upload limits on its free tier.
What kind of help can the assistant give?
Once the assistant has read your document, you can ask it to do all sorts of things:
For EHCPs or reports
Can you review this occupational therapy report and tell me what support the school should provide?
Can you compare the speech therapy recommendations in this report with what's in my child's education plan?
For letters or decisions
I'm filling in a disability benefits form. Can you check my answers and suggest improvements?
The school sent home this exclusion letter. Have they followed the correct process?
Privacy and your documents
Your conversations go directly to ChatGPT or Google. We cannot see, access, or store anything you type or upload. The only connection to us is our knowledge base, which provides SEND guidance to help answer your questions, but receives no personal information.
We use anonymous usage data to improve the knowledge base. For example, we can see what ChatGPT is requesting from our knowledge base, but we have no way of knowing who made the request or what was said in the conversation.
Instead of just uploading a file, tell the assistant what to focus on. "Check if the provision in Section F is specific and quantified" gets better results than "look at this".
One document at a time
You can upload multiple documents, but the assistant gives better feedback when it can focus on one thing at a time.
Ask follow-up questions
After the assistant reviews your document, ask about specific sections or points you're unsure about.
Redact personal details if you prefer
You can black out names, addresses, or other details before uploading if that makes you more comfortable. The assistant can still review the content.
When you start chatting, ChatGPT will show you something like:
"Some info will be sent to sendparentshelp.com"
That's us! This lets the assistant fetch the latest expert guidance from our knowledge base. Tap Always allow so you won't be asked again.
Your conversations go directly to ChatGPT or Google. We cannot see, access, or store anything you type or upload. Our knowledge base provides SEND guidance but receives no personal information. Privacy policy
