Like many professionals and families, we are alarmed by some of the rhetoric deployed in the debate about the system that supports disabled children and those with special educational needs (SEND).
It is unacceptable for children and young people with SEND needs and their families to have their experiences dismissed.
The current system is not working well but improving it will require listening to a broad range of opinions and experiences. Artificial characterisations of what is normal risk increasing stigma, reducing participation, and ultimately worsening outcomes.
Claims that widespread overdiagnosis is the main cause of problems in the SEND system do not reflect the reality for families who wait far too long for an assessment and for the support their children need to reach their potential in education.
We agree that schools should be able to offer support far more quickly, regardless of diagnosis, backed by a new model of specialist teams wrapped around schools through a partnership of local authorities, the NHS and others.
At its core, our education system must have shared aspirations for all children to be able to attend school, participate, learn and progress. Where simple adjustments mean students can take part in school life more confidently, they should be put in place.
As the future of the SEND system continues to be subject to speculation, all politicians and those with a national platform must consider the impact of their words carefully and refrain from sensational and ill-thought-out comments that have a real impact on children and families across the country. Those families are right to expect better.