Helplines
These are the numbers we'd want pinned to our fridge. Helplines for parents navigating autism, ADHD, PDA, SEND rights, mental health, and everything in between. Look for the green dot to see what's open right now, or filter by what you need.
Emotional support and listening for anyone struggling to cope.
Listening service. Does not offer advice or intervention. Free from all phones including pay-as-you-go with no credit.
Free 24/7 text support for anyone in crisis or struggling with their mental health.
Text-based only. Useful when you can't make a phone call or your child is in the room.
Suicide prevention support for under-35s, or anyone worried about a young person.
BSL video interpretation available. Callback service if lines busy. Text/email responses may take up to 24 hours. Language Line available for non-English speakers.
Confidential support for children and young people on any issue.
This is a number for your child, not for you. Make sure they know it. BSL interpreter available. Will not appear on phone bill.
Advice and emotional support for parents worried about their child's mental health (up to age 25).
Can arrange a 50-minute follow-up call with a specialist within 3–5 working days. Translation service available. Webchat same hours as phone.
Autism information, advice and support for autistic people, families and carers.
Also runs a separate Parent-to-Parent emotional support line (0808 800 4106) and dedicated lines for education rights, school exclusion, and transition. Telephone interpretation service available.
Advice on any aspect of caring for a disabled child: diagnosis, benefits, education, EHCPs, rare conditions.
Press 1 for education adviser, press 2 for all other enquiries. Interpreter service available. Also runs a bookable Listening Ear service for emotional support.
Any parenting or family issue including behaviour, SEN, bullying, family breakdown.
Best evening and weekend coverage of any non-crisis parenting line. Webchat Mon–Fri 10.30am–9pm. WhatsApp replies during helpline hours. Formerly known as Parentline Plus.
Free independent legal advice on SEND education rights, EHCPs, school exclusions, tribunal appeals.
Very limited phone hours. Website has extensive free legal guides and template letters. Separate Tribunal Helpline available by booking.
SEN provision, EHCP process, school support and tribunal appeals.
Term-time only. Hours change weekly and are published on their website and Facebook page. Pre-registration recommended. One of the few SEND helplines with evening slots.
Mental health information, treatment options, local services and legal rights.
Also runs a separate Legal Line for mental health law queries. Email replies within 5 working days. Not a crisis line.
Emotional support for anyone affected by mental health problems, including those supporting someone else.
Fills the evening gap. Open 7 days including bank holidays. Standard rate call. Good option for parents who need to talk after the children are in bed.
Any parenting concern including child wellbeing, behaviour, family stress and money worries.
Can connect to Children 1st Money Wellbeing Team for financial worries. 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
Support and information about Pathological Demand Avoidance, from people with lived experience.
No phone helpline. Email-only support service. Worth contacting for PDA-specific guidance that generalist helplines can't provide.
What's not covered here
Most specialist helplines only operate during weekday office hours. If your child has a meltdown at 8pm on a Saturday and you need autism-specific guidance, the specialist lines will be closed. Your options outside office hours are the crisis lines above, SANEline (open every evening until 10pm), and Family Lives (weekends 10am–3pm). There is no PDA-specific phone helpline in the UK; the PDA Society operates email-only support. SEND legal advice is particularly limited: IPSEA's drop-in line is Friday only, and SOS SEN's hours vary weekly during term time. We wish this list was longer. These are the gaps in UK provision, and we think it's better to be honest about them than to pretend they don't exist.
Neuroequipped provides this information as a public resource. We are not affiliated with any of these organisations. We verify numbers periodically but helpline hours and services can change. If you find a number that's out of date, please let us know at team@neuroequipped.com. Last verified: April 2026.