“If it can happen to them, it can happen to any of us.”

Those words stopped me in my tracks this week. I had just finished reading a post by Michael Charles (Specialist Solicitor in Schools and Special Needs Law), drawing on a paper written after a consultation held at St George’s House, Windsor Castle. It brought together professionals, advocates and parents who are raising the alarm about a terrifying and heartbreaking safeguarding failure. One that every parent of a child with additional needs should know about.

What Is FII and Why Should You Be Concerned?

At the centre of the report is a term you may not have come across before: Fabricated or Induced Illness (FII). It refers to situations where a parent is accused of inventing or exaggerating their child’s illness. At first glance, it sounds like something rare and serious, a form of abuse that professionals should identify.

But what the report reveals is deeply worrying. The term is being used against parents who are advocating for their children with additional needs. This is not a historic issue. It is happening now.

A Safeguarding System That Is Failing Families

FII is not a medical diagnosis. There is no test, no clinical criteria. The label is built on outdated and discredited theories such as “Meadow’s Law”, which claimed that if a parent presents with multiple children who have unexplained symptoms, they are likely to be causing harm.

This idea led to well-known miscarriages of justice, such as the wrongful convictions of Sally Clark and Angela Cannings. Families were destroyed. Parents were wrongly vilified. In some cases, lives were lost.

Despite this painful history, the same flawed thinking remains embedded in today’s safeguarding approach. The report is clear. FII is being used to punish parents, especially mothers, who are educated, neurodivergent, disabled or simply determined to get the right support for their children.

When Advocacy Is Treated With Suspicion

We are living in a time when more children than ever are being diagnosed with autism, ADHD, sensory processing differences and rare conditions. Parents spend hours researching, asking questions, seeking second opinions. We challenge decisions because we have to. The system is broken and we must navigate it ourselves.

But it is this exact behaviour that some professionals are viewing as suspicious. Parents who question reports or request further assessment are being labelled as difficult or manipulative.

Who Is Being Targeted?

The report highlights some disturbing patterns.

• Mothers of neurodivergent or chronically ill children are disproportionately accused.
  
  
• Educated and articulate parents are more likely to be seen as problematic.
  
  
• Requests for EHCP reviews or specialist referrals are sometimes misread as signs of fabrication.
  
  

It often starts with a school report or a referral from a professional who may not fully understand neurodivergence or trauma. Parents might express worry, sadness, or exhaustion. These are normal emotions in the context of raising a child with additional needs. But they are recorded as “alerting behaviours”.

From there, social workers and clinicians, under pressure to act quickly, begin investigations. Children are removed from their families, sometimes without trial. Parents are left trying to prove they are not harming the very children they are doing everything to protect.

The Impact of False Allegations

One doctor quoted in the report said they had seen only one genuine case of FII but had encountered 17 false accusations. Another described the trend as a modern witch hunt.

Even when cleared, parents can face:

• Isolation from friends, family and community
  
  
• Permanent digital alerts within NHS and social care systems
  
  
• Ongoing emotional trauma
  
  
• Lifelong stigma and suspicion
  
  

Children who are already struggling with trauma or sensory issues are placed in unfamiliar environments. Separation from safe and loving parents can cause serious emotional harm. All because someone decided to act on a hunch.

When the System Turns on You

Imagine already being exhausted by your child’s daily needs. The appointments, meltdowns, school meetings, sleepless nights. Then suddenly, the very system that is supposed to help you starts treating you like a threat.

You stop asking for support. You second-guess everything you say. You worry that telling the truth could be used against you.

This is the reality for many families.

Why This Should Matter to Every Parent

This is not something that happens to other people. These parents could be you. They could be me. They are often just like us. Informed, loving and determined to do the best for their children.

This is a child protection failure hiding in plain sight. Not because people are malicious, but because systems have been built on fear, outdated assumptions and a lack of understanding. It is a culture that criminalises compassion and treats parental knowledge as a risk.

Many of the professionals involved are not acting with cruelty. They are under-trained, overworked and working within flawed guidance.

What Needs to Change?

If we want a world where parents can speak honestly and advocate for their children without fear, then things must change. The report calls for:

• National guidance that is grounded in evidence, not suspicion
  
  
• Clear boundaries around the use of FII in complex or unclear cases
  
  
• Compulsory training in neurodivergence, trauma and rare conditions
  
  
• Legal regulation of FII referrals to protect families
  
  
• A cultural shift in safeguarding that respects emotional honesty
  
  
• A public inquiry into the misuse of FII and support for those wrongly accused
  
  

Cathie Long, one of the contributors to the report, said:
“I continue to be in contact with numerous parents accused of FII… They need a voice, and they need to be heard and understood.”

You Are Not Alone

At The Therapeutic Couch, we know what it feels like to be raising children with additional needs. We understand the constant emotional labour, the fear of being judged, the pain of watching your child struggle in systems that do not support them. We also know what it feels like to be dismissed when you speak out.

That is why we are sharing this today. Not only to inform, but also to remind you: we see you.

If you have ever worried that your honesty or advocacy could be used against you, this report validates that fear. And it invites all of us to demand better.

Have You Been Judged for Speaking Up?

• Have you been treated differently for advocating for your child?
  
  
• Have you ever felt punished for questioning a report or diagnosis?
  
  
• Have you kept quiet about your exhaustion because asking for help felt risky?
  
  
• Have you been made to feel like your child’s difficulties are not real?
  
  

You are not imagining it. You are not alone.

Let’s speak up when we see injustice. Let’s work for a safeguarding system that truly protects families.

And if you ever find yourself in the middle of something like this, know that you have a community here that stands with you. Because caring for your child should never be a crime.

Join the conversation in our private Facebook group, The Therapeutic Couch – a safe space for parents walking this difficult path together.

Looking for ways to support your child through trauma and overwhelm? Explore therapeutic art and mindful resources at Mind Full Of Art.