SEN Nanny

[dianasrainbow]

So after working as a SEN TA in London for 3 years, 2 years as an SEN Teacher overseas, a degree in Education Sciences with a specialism in Autism i am now thinking to become a nanny/tutor/early intervention therapist for children with ASD. The only thing is ...i dont't seem to find parents that are looking for a nanny for their child with Autism. Any idea why? Where should i look? I just don't get it. There are loads of ads from parents/agencies looking for nannies but only a few looking for a nanny for someone with Autism.

I can't link as I'm on my phone but SNAP are an agency that specialise in childcare for special needs.

Autism diagnosis happens around age 3 I think. Some may be diagnosed earlier and some later. What happens post diagnosis, does that open up early intervention services from local authority?

Perhaps ask on the special needs children board. Parents on there may be able to say what happens pre/post diagnosis and how hard it is to find early intervention services. Do the parents work long days, or do they tend to work shorter days, so are home more?

Where are you and are you willing to relocate? I fell into ASD Nannying after a job offer on here which was live-in so moved for that. It didn't work out but it did get me into a nice (part-time) job with a family who HEd their child with Autism when I relocated again. I got that job through a childcare website rather than an agency though. SNAP are the main SEN agency.

I am now looking after a child with ASD before/after school a few days a week, which is a lot more common for children on the spectrum because, as Cindy explains, most diagnosis' don't occur until they are past the age of needing full time care, so it may be that you have to go down that route and supplement the job with another. It's difficult. I'd love to specialise in nannying children on the spectrum but the hours just aren't there often. I'm having to leave this job at the end of the school year as I just cannot carry on juggling my two jobs (three full days and the three before/after school days), and financially it makes more sense to drop my before and after school work and keep the solid days.

Good luck though, it is very difficult nannying children with SEN (the normal difficulties of course but mostly the isolation, it is a lonely job made much harder when you are nannying a child with SEN who needs a significant amount more attention so even when out and about you can't often chat to others in the park or anything to have that adult contact) but it's also very rewarding.