Cerebra

Practical Support for Families of Children with Brain Conditions

Who It’s For: Families caring for children from birth to age 16 with any brain condition — including autism, ADHD, Down’s syndrome, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, learning disabilities and developmental delay. No formal diagnosis is required to access many of their services. Available to families across the UK, free of charge.

What They Offer: Cerebra is the national charity dedicated to helping children with brain conditions and their families discover a better life together. Unlike many charities, their focus is on delivering tangible, practical support directly into family life — not just information. They offer a renowned Sleep Advice Service with one-to-one telephone support, a free toy and book lending library, bespoke equipment designed and built for individual children, a legal rights service, parent guides, and face-to-face support through regional officers. Everything they offer is free, grounded in research, and shaped by what families tell them they actually need.

Support Includes:

• Sleep Advice Service — one-to-one telephone support, guides and workshops to help children and families get better sleep; a pervasive and often overlooked challenge for neurodevelopmental families
• Free toy and book lending library — specialist books for adults and children, and sensory toys chosen for children with brain conditions, posted directly to families
• Cerebra Innovation Centre — designs and builds bespoke, custom-made equipment for individual children who cannot find suitable solutions elsewhere
• Legal Rights Service — practical help for families facing difficulties accessing support and services they are entitled to
• LEaP project — problem-solving support running alongside the legal service
• Regional Officers — face-to-face help with form filling, DLA applications, letters, meetings and local signposting
• Parent guides and factsheets — on health, social care, financial, educational and legal issues
• Video podcast series — The Calm in the Complicated — guidance for families navigating brain conditions

Referral / Access: Self-referral. No referral or diagnosis needed for most services. Contact Cerebra directly by phone or email, or access resources and the library directly via the website. Services are free for all UK families caring for a child with a brain condition aged 16 or under.

Why This Matters: When your child has a brain condition, the everyday things that other families take for granted — a good night’s sleep, finding the right toy, understanding your legal rights, filling in a form — can feel impossibly hard. Cerebra exists specifically for those moments. They don’t just signpost; they pick up the phone, post you a library book, build a piece of equipment for your child and sit with you through the paperwork. For families who feel like they are constantly fighting the system alone, Cerebra is the quiet practical support that can change everything.