nonSENse: A story for every family fighting the SEN system

by Rosie Sully

The system is failing. These parents refuse to.

Amy is at breaking point. Her son Mason is drowning in a mainstream school that won’t listen, won’t adapt, and won’t admit it’s failing him.

Julia smiles through it all, but she’s fighting a lonely war for her son Theo. up against shifting rules, shrinking budgets, and a system that hopes she’ll simply give up.

Angela stays quiet, but she sees everything. And she cannot shake the fear that her daughter Sienna isn’t safe in the special school that promised to protect her.

Each week they gather with other parents and carers stitched together by exhaustion, outrage, and a love that refuses to be ignored.

What begins as a support group becomes a lifeline. A rebellion. A circle of people who have nothing left to lose and everything left to fight for.

Through tribunals, safeguarding scares, midnight paperwork, council battles, laughter that borders on hysteria, and moments of solidarity that feel like oxygen, these families learn the the system may be broken, but together, they are not.

Raw, darkly funny, and fiercely hopeful, nonSENse explores the chaos and courage of navigating Special Educational Needs in a world built for someone else’s child. It’s a story of friendship, fury, resilience and the unstoppable power of parents who refuse to give up on their children.

259 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 20, 2026

Reviews

[Chantelle Ramsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so uplifting, I absolutely loved it. Told with real empathy and kindness, it follows a support group as they navigate the highs and lows of raising children with special needs. Each character is distinct yet deeply relatable, and I really appreciated how the author brings every one of them to life as an individual. Too often, parents can feel invisible when caring for children with additional needs, and this story gently restores their presence and humanity.

The humour is spot-on, the compassion shines through every page, and the whole book feels like a warm hand on your shoulder.

[Nick & Benedicte Symcox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful and completely real

This story is a delight. I recognise every single character and have lived several of the stories. There's just enough teaching and guiding for those that need it, intertwined in a beautifully simple telling of what life is as a SEN parent.
Parent carers will read it and feel less alone. "Ordinary" parents and professionals will hopefully read it and recognise that we are exalt like them... Doing the bare essential for our children... Yet having to fight for that essential.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've just finished this book today after reading it in a week and cannot recommend it enough.
This is a fictional yet realistic story about the struggle of parenting SEN children and the fights you have to endure to get your kids what they need.
It's an easy read, beautifully written and extremely relatable.

[Bobbi Maguire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Told with a really good understanding of the SEND system and genuine understanding of what parents go through.
Loved the diverse mix of parents - disabilities, ethnicities etc. This made it very true to life and the plot lines were sensitively handled.
Looking forward to the next book in the series.

[Stacey Asplin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A love letter to the families who never get the easy version of the story. It’s the truth told sideways, funny, furious, tender, and unashamedly real. There was something familiar in every one of the characters either from my own experience or friends I know with disabled children.

[Dr Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a teacher this book is very relatable and reflective of what I see happening in class and the frustrations of parents. It is very well written.