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Communication and interaction refers to a child or young person’s ability to use and understand verbal and non-verbal communication techniques to show their understanding, explain their needs and reason in different situations. Communication happens when one person sends a message to another person either verbally or non-verbally. Interaction happens when two people respond to one another – a two-way communication. A child or young person who has difficulties with communication and interaction may receive support or intervention for: Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN) Learners with speech, language and communication needs have difficulty in communicating with others. This may be because they have difficulty saying what they want to, understanding what is being said to them or they do not understand or use social rules of communication. Learners with SLCN may find it difficult to:

• Express themselves verbally using words or sentences

• Understand words that are spoken to them or follow instructions

• Play and interact with their peers in a social setting

• Develop relationships with their peers as easily as their peers

• Follow classroom routines which could then manifest into disruptive behaviour

• Develop literacy skills (speech, language or communication) at a similar rate as their peers

• Develop confidence and self-esteem

Autistic Spectrum Disorder is included within this,

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The Graduated Response

The graduated approach is a four-part cycle

The cycle increases in detail and frequency to identify the best way of securing adequate progress for children and young people.

Where a pupil may have SEND, this graduated approach should be coordinated by the SENCO

Assess:
All pre-school settings, schools and colleges should monitor and review the progress and development of all children and young people.

High quality teaching, differentiated for each child or young person is the first step in meeting the needs of pupils who have or may have SEN

Most children and young people can make progress if they are taught in this way

Where some children and young people do not make expected progress from starting points, they may be identified as possibly have SEN

In some cases external professionals may support the school in assessing a pupil’s needs

Plan:
Where a child or young person’s progress in an educational setting or school gives cause for concern, trained staff should work in partnership with parents and carers to develop a plan to ensure make sure that children or young people with SEN or disability receive the support they need for their future learning and development

Provision designed to support the pupil's progress will be put in place, including considering recommendations by external professionals

Class and subject teachers, supported by the Senior Leadership Team should regularly assess progress for all children or young people

Where a child or young person is falling behind or making inadequate progress (given their age and starting point) they should be given extra support

Do:
If a child is identified as having SEN, an individual plan will be drawn up to support them.

The SENCO will advise and support colleagues

Small-step SMART targets are set for the pupils to work towards

Parents and carers should be included in this cycle, so that they can say what they think and make suggestions about assessments, targets and planning

Review:

Review and evaluation of the effectiveness of the support and the difference it has made to the child or young person’s progress

The SEN Code of Practice says that plans should be reviewed at least termly.

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Some learners require special educational provision because they have a physical or sensory disability which inhibits their ability to use one or more of their senses, or physical movement.

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The Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice: for 0-25 years (2014) states that cognition and learning refers to the support for learning difficulties when learners cognitively develop at a slower pace than their peers, even with appropriate differentiation. Learners with cognition and learning needs may find it difficult to:

• Understand basic concepts

• Acquire basic skills in Reading, Writing and Maths resulting in a lack of confidence to use and develop the skills they do have

• Apply logical reasoning to social and academic situations

• Solve problems

• Develop communication and social skills expected of their age which can lead to immature social and emotional understanding

• Develop fine and gross motor skills

• Organise themselves

• Remember facts, numbers, timetables, grammatical rules etc.

• Socialise with their peers of the same age

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Right to choose- If a GP needs to refer you for a physical or mental health condition, in most cases you have the legal right to choose the hospital or service you'd like to go to. This will include many private hospitals if they provide services to the NHS, and it does not cost the NHS any more than a referral to a standard NHS hospital. For more information see website above

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Did you know?

If a GP needs to refer you for a physical or mental health condition, in most cases you have the legal right to choose the hospital or service you'd like to go to.

This will include many private hospitals if they provide services to the NHS and it does not cost the NHS any more than a referral to a standard NHS hospital.

You can also choose a clinical team led by a consultant or named healthcare professional, as long as that team provides the treatment you require. Find out more about choosing a hospital or consultant and choosing a mental health service.

You can book your appointment via the NHS e-Referral service. It can be done while you're at the GP surgery, or online, using the shortlist of hospitals or services provided in your appointment request letter. The shortlist is selected by your GP, so make sure you tell them about your preferences during the appointment.

To agree on the shortlist, you and your GP can compare information about hospitals or consultants on this website, including quality outcomes, waiting times, parking and travel. Use the services near you link to make an informed decision before booking.

You have the legal right to ask for your appointment to be moved to a different provider if you're likely to wait longer than the maximum waiting time specified for your treatment.

The hospital or integrated care board (ICB) will have to investigate and offer you a range of suitable alternative hospitals or clinics that would be able to see you sooner. Read the guide to waiting times for more information.

Find out more about:

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Find out about your right to choose where you have your NHS treatment.

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Leicester City local offer Bitesize videos

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Leicester City local offer Bitesize videos

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Some great videos to help you if you have any questions about SEND

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Support and advice

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This website places cookies on your computer to improve your experience. By continuing to browse the site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. For more details, see our privacy policy. I agree

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The British Dyslexia Association is the voice for the 10% of the population that are dyslexic

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My Self Referral - Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland

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My Self Referral - Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland

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Are you a young person under 18 who is seeking guidance about your mental health in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland?

Your journey starts here, where you can find self help information, make an onward referral yourself to some services, or ask us to help you find a way forward by using the “Do self referral” link within the picture tiles below.

We are able to review your referral between 8am and 4pm, Monday to Friday (excluding Bank Holidays). If you submit a referral after this time it will not be reviewed. We hope to review your referral within 7 days.

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Are you a young person under 18 who wants to get help for your mental health in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland? We can help you to find the right support. Here you can...

Scroll to find out more

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My Self Referral * Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland

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Are you a young person under 18 who wants to get help for your mental health in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland? We can help you to find the right support. Here you can... Scroll to find out more

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Online learning: free courses and resources for all Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland families. Plus, specialist emotional and mental health learning for teenagers.

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inourplace | Solihull Approach – Online courses for emotional health and wellbeing.

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Understanding your pregnancy, labour, birth and your baby

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inourplace | Solihull Approach – Leicestershire | inourplace

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Leicestershire | inourplace Your online space for nurturing emotional wellbeing SELECT LANGUAGE: In paid partnership with: Free online courses for all parents, carers, grandparents and teens Nurturing emotional health and wellbeing from bump to 19+ years Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust has partnered with the Solihull Approach to offer free access to expertly designed online courses

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Children Well-being Practitioners (via CAMHS)

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Children Well-being Practitioners (via CAMHS)

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Children Well-being Practitioners (CWPs) – Supporting Young People’s Mental Health

CWPs work within the Primary Mental Health Team (PMHT), part of the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS). They provide support for young people (ages 6-18) experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties, using Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) principles.

Who Can They Help?

CWPs support young people and families across Leicester, Leicestershire, and Rutland, working with other services to ensure the right care is provided.

What Support Do They Offer?

Assessment to determine if the service is right for you.

Support for issues like:

Low mood (withdrawal, irritability, appetite changes)

Anxiety and panic

Sleep difficulties related to anxiety or low mood

Mild phobias (e.g., fear of spiders/dogs)

Early signs of obsessive-compulsive behaviours

How to Access the Service?

GP Referral – Speak to your GP, who will assess your needs and refer you if appropriate.

Self-Referral – You can complete an online form, which will be reviewed to find the best service for you.

What to Expect?

Assessment (60-90 minutes, in person or online)

Intervention (6-8 sessions, weekly or biweekly)

Signposting to self-help resources or referrals to other relevant services

Early support can prevent mental health difficulties from worsening. If you think this service could help, speak to your GP or complete a self-referral form.

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Introducing The Children and Young People’s Low Intensity CBT Service | Leicester

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Learn more about The Children Well-being Practitioner’s (within CAMHS) who offer intervention to young people with common mental health difficulties.

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Confidential help and advice

It’s safe and easy for you to speak to a qualified health professional. Just send a message, you don’t have to give your name.

Discreet and quick. It only takes one message to start making a difference. You’ll get confidential advice from trained health staff in your area.

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Professional help

friendly staff

Need to talk? Whatever's on your mind, we can help. Even if you just need someone who understands or want advice for a friend.

The teams we work with help lots of people like teenagers in schools, parents of young children and mums with new born babies.

Health professionals

start messaging

Set-up a messaging service and support more people, more easily with the resources you already have.

You'll start conversations earlier, stop problems escalating and make connections where it's hard to reach.

I thought it would be awkward or embarrassing but it's actually not. Thanks for helping. ANONYMOUS USER

Happy with the quick and professional response and that my worries are being addressed and taken seriously. YOUNG PERSON, YEAR 10

I was struggling so much today but having someone at the end of a text that's willing to help is great. FIRST TIME PARENT

hello

I love being part of this service!
It's a valuable addition. STAFF FEEDBACK

hello

It's a great tool to provide a service to our client group in an accessible way. STAFF FEEDBACK

hello

We are excited to have this opportunity to engage with the young people in our area. STAFF FEEDBACK

hello

Parents are enjoying having this as an additional way to access advice. STAFF FEEDBACK

hello

We've had contacts from young people that would not have contacted us before. STAFF FEEDBACK

hello

Young people can 'park' a question, even out-of-hours, knowing it will be responded to appropriately. STAFF FEEDBACK

Confidential

and anonymous

It can be easier to say something difficult in a discrete message. Your conversation will be confidential, if a health professional is very concerned you're in danger, they may involve other services to help keep you safe.

Trusted

safe and secure

We work with teams across the UK so you will get help from health professionals near you. Staff share secure electronic records of conversations so you never have to repeat yourself and all teams follow strict confidentiality rules.

Convenient

helping everyone

Health professionals say setting-up a messaging service is a safe and manageable way for small teams to speak directly with lots of people. Messaging helps provide support at a time that suits everyone.

Need to talk?

how it works

We'll confirm receipt of your message immediately then you'll speak to a health professional who will listen, ask questions and support you. You only have to share what you feel comfortable with and you can ask questions too.

Most teams reply during normal office hours. If you message out-of-hours they'll reply when they're next in. You should always hear back from someone within 24 working hours at most.

If you need help in the meantime contact your doctor, visit a NHS walk-in centre or call NHS 111. If it is an emergency, dial 999 or visit A&E.

Your network provider will charge your usual rate for messages you send.

Start a chat

Health teams

set-up a service

We've been helping clinical teams set-up healthcare messaging services since 2012. As an NHS team we understand how to support you all the way. We will help you take the quickest route to setting-up a safe, secure and successful service so you can stay focused on providing high quality care.

"You have a great enthusiastic team of professional, experienced, supportive people"Zoe Warren, Professional Lead, School Nursing, Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

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Need to talk? Whatever's on your mind, we can help. Even if you just need someone who understands or want advice for a friend. The teams we work with help lots of people like teenagers in schools, parents of young children and mums with new born babies.

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A fantastic free resource which allows you to get advice about your child who has or has not got a diagnosis of Autism.

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Some great strategies for supporting your child if they become dysregulated.

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Online support and intervention for Child Anxiety

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Online support and intervention for Child Anxiety

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CAMHS – the Children and Young People’s Low Intensity CBT Service. 

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CAMHS – the Children and Young People’s Low Intensity CBT Service. 

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The Children and Young People’s Low Intensity CBT Service consists of Children Well-being Practitioner’s who offer intervention to young people with common mental health difficulties, which are impacting on their daily life and stopping them from doing things they enjoy or things they need to do. They help young people using the principles of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).

Children Well-being Practitioner’s (CWPs) work within the Primary Mental Health Team (PMHT) which is part of the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS)

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My Voice matters - A Guide for Parents: How to understand and support your child's mental health

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My Voice matters - A Guide for Parents: How to understand and support your child's mental health

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Growing up can be challenging for children and adolescents. They experience a variety of emotions, pressures and the stress that everyday life can bring.

As a parent, it can be difficult for you to know how to best support your child during these times.

This leaflet has been created, with the support of Parent Practitioners who work for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), to provide advice on how to help your child navigate life's challenges and what to do if you are concerned about their mental health.

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The Local Offer for children and young people with SEND

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The Local Offer for children and young people with SEND

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Family Information is ran by Leicester City Council serving the people, communities and businesses of Leicester.

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SENDIASS Training

As part of our work, we offer training to parents & carers, children & young people and professionals in Leices...

Support for Young People

If you're under the age of 25, have special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and live in Leicester city, we're here to help you.

Get Advice

We offer impartial information and advice about the law on special educational needs and disability. Our expertise c...

SENDIASS stands for Special Educational Needs and Disability Information Advice and Support Service. We were formerly called the Parent Partnership service and have been supporting parents and carers in Leicester City since 1999.

Welcome

Welcome to SENDIASS

SENDIASS Leicester offers free, confidential and impartial information, advice and support to parents and carers of young people aged 0-25 with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) as well as young people themselves.

How we can help

We can offer you advice and information on key issues like Special Educational Needs and provision. We can also offer support on Education, Health and Care Needs Assessments and Plans and matters relating to social care and health.

We can also give you practical support with tasks such as:

Understanding complicated documents and reports

Completing paperwork

Attending meetings with you to ensure your views are heard

Contact us to discuss how we can support you.

About

What is SENDIASS?

SENDIASS stands for Special Educational Needs and Disability Information, Advice and Support Service. We were formerly called the Parent Partnership service and have been supporting parents and carers in Leicester City since 1999.

Who we support

At SENDIASS Leicester we can provide information and advice for:

Parents and carers of children and young people aged 0 - 25 in Leicester City who are concerned about their child/young persons educational progress

Children and young people aged 0 - 25 in Leicester City with SEND who are concerned about the educational progress they are making or the support they are receiving

Get Started

The information, advice and support we provide is confidential, impartial and non-judgemental, so don't hesitate to contact us to discuss your needs.

You can also find out more in our SENDIASS Frequently Asked Questions.

What is an Information, Advice and Support (IAS) service?

How must information, advice and support services be run to meet the minimum standards?

What must information, advice and support services do to meet the minimum standards?

SENDIASS Leicester was formerly known as the Parent Partnership Service Leicester.

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Supporting children, young people and carers with special educational needs

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Service description
Due to the increased demand for our speech and language therapy service, which has risen rapidly since the COVID-19 pandemic, children and young people may experience longer than usual waiting times. We are doing all we can to reach children on our waiting lists as quickly as possible while maintaining a good standard of care. We recognise that having to wait longer is frustrating but please bear with us while we manage this busy period. Our website has a range of resources that can help parents and settings to support children and young people with speech and language needs or eating and drinking difficulties. If you have significant concerns and would like to speak to someone from the speech and language therapy team, please contact the speech and language therapy office on 0116 2955256. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
We are a team of speech and language therapists and support workers who provide episodes of care to children and young people across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.

We support children and young people who have difficulties with:

Speech, language and communication skills

Eating, drinking and swallowing skills

We work in episodes of care. At the end of an episode of care, parents and carers may be given strategies to support their child. Children and young people can be re-referred to the service if they need further specialist support from a speech and language therapist.

We work in partnership with a range of other agencies and colleagues including schools, Early Years settings, children's centres, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, medical teams and the voluntary sector.
How are we currently working?
Click here to find out what our service can offer.

Click here to watch a video about our response to Covid-19.
Utilising ReachDeck for text-to-speech and translations
ReachDeck, a web accessibility toolbar, is available on this website to help you understand our content and interact independently. Features of the ReachDeck toolbar, which can be launched by clicking the orange 'Speak' icon in the bottom right hand corner of your screen, include:

Text-to-speech: reads the text out loud with highlighting

Translation: translates the text into over 100 languages

Screen mask: provides a screen tint overlay

Picture dictionary: displays the meaning of a word through illustration

View this video to find out more about the ReachDeck toolbar:

Referral criteria

If your child meets any of the above criteria then they can be referred to our service by -

Who to contact if you need an interpreter or information about disabled access

Please ask the professional referring into our service to let us know if an interpreter is needed for your appointment. Alternately, requests can be made by contacting us on 0116 295 5256.

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Children's Speech and Language Therapy Service Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland | Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust

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Find out more about the children's speech and language therapy service available across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.

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Social, Emotional and Mental Health needs (SEMH) is an overarching term for learners who show difficulties in one or more of the following: managing their emotions, social interaction or mental health. Learners with SEMH needs may find it difficult to:

• Participate in group work or social situations

• Discuss their feelings

• Understand the feelings of others

• Show empathy or excitement when engaging in a conversation with their peers

• Follow instructions

• Concentrate for long periods of time

• Work independently due to lack of self-confidence

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Working together with your child's school - a parent guide

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Working together with your child's school - a parent guide

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A useful visual to help your child with routines.

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Get advice on reading to children, how to read aloud, encouraging older children to read and helping reluctant readers with exciting, page-turning books. We also have useful leaflets full of tips and advice for you to download and tips for carers and foster families.

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Understanding and Supporting my child's ADHD

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Understanding and Supporting my child's ADHD

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Supporting a child with sensory difficulties

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Supporting a child with sensory difficulties

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Children’s sleep charity: The charity supports parents by offering them workshops, clinics and written material for their children who are having sleeping issues. The service uses more of a behavioural approach and works along with the families ensuring they are fully supported.

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Children’s Sleep Blog - Fostering Sweet Dreams for Your Little Ones

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Fostering Sweet Dreams for Your Little Ones

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Articles and stories to help keep your child healthy and happy.

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The best possible start in life - Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland

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Health for kids - Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland - Everything You Wanted To Know About Health

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A great video to watch with your child about starting secondary school.

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Contact is the UK charity for families with disabled children. We give advice and information about any aspect of raising a disabled child, including help in the early years, finances, education, emotional and practical support

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Health for Kids/ Grownups is specifically for parents and carers of primary school aged children.

This website contains information to support you during a child’s primary school years.

The information provided is concise, clear and easy to understand. The content is therefore conversational and avoids the use of detailed medical terminology wherever possible.

The website is primarily a health information and promotion website, covering important features of a child’s health and development, including healthy minds, healthy bodies, health issues and where to get professional help and support.

Users can also find out about accessing support from local services. This website is not about managing serious illnesses, for which more specialist websites already exist, but we’ve signposted to them where they are applicable.

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The best possible start in life - Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland

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Health for kids - Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland - Everything You Wanted To Know About Health

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Headspace for kids: Learn to meditate and live mindfully with hundreds of themed sessions on everything from stress to sleep. Bite-sized meditations for busy schedules and SOS exercises in case of sudden meltdowns. Free trial then monthly or yearly subscription.

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Unlock hundreds of mood-boosting meditations, relaxing sleep exercises, focus music, and more with our biggest offer of the year.

It's the healthiest, happiest deal you'll find this Black Friday, and it won't last long.

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Meditation and Sleep Made Simple - Headspace

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Live a healthier, happier, more well-rested life in just a few minutes a day with the Headspace app.

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Dreamy Kid: Children have been showing signs of stress, technology-fatigue, and anxiety starting at younger ages. It is a science-based fact that only 10 minutes of meditation is a great life-tool to find inner-harmony and balance amid their busy lives. With Dreamy Kid, just play it as they fall asleep or awake. They will begin a life-long journey that will centre them with tools for all situations.

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The original Kids Meditation app, DreamyKid, has over 250K downloads in its first year! In just minutes every day, help your kids live healthier and happier lives with DreamyKid, The Kids Meditation App. Free and subscription plans for everyone plus free for schools and organizations that work with children.

Meditation categories for kids 3 - 17 include General meditations (sleeping, confidence-building, positive-thinking, etc.) and Issue-Based (ADD/ADHD, anxiety, overeating, etc.). Included is a timer, gentle background ambiance selections, link to our online community and so much more.

The DreamyKid meditation app is FREE to use for schools, hospitals and anyone that is accredited and works with children. Please click here to learn more on how to get started. Our vision is to see mindfulness used as a fun and accessible practice for kids of any age.

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Kids Meditation App | DreamyKid Meditation Just For Kids

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The original Kids Meditation app, DreamyKid, has over 250K downloads in its first year! In just minutes every day, help your kids live healthier and happier lives with DreamyKid Meditation For Kids. Free and subscription plans for everyone plus free for schools and organizations that work with children.

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The Solihull Approach: A team of professionals within the NHS. They are a ‘not for profit’ organisation. The Solihull Approach is all about emotional health and well-being. They provide online courses and face to face groups for parents

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inourplace | Solihull Approach - Online courses for emotional health and wellbeing.

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inourplace | Solihull Approach | Online courses for parents

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inourplace | Solihull Approach : Online courses dedicated to improving emotional health and wellbeing in parents, children, teenagers, adults and grandparents.

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1-2-3 Magic: 3-Step Discipline for Calm, Effective, and Happy Parenting Paperback – Picture Book, 2 Mar. 2016 by Thomas Phelan PhD (Author) Since kids don't come with a manual, 1-2-3 Magic is the next best thing. DR Thomas Phelan has developed the #1 selling child discipline book in the country-a quick, simple, and scientifically proven way to parent that actually works! Using his signature counting method, DR Phelan helps parents to quickly, calmly, and effectively stop behaviours like tantrums and meltdowns, whining and pouting, talking back, sibling rivalry and more in toddlers, preschoolers, and middle schoolers. DR Phelan also covers how you can easily establish positive routines with children ages 2 - 12 around: bedtime, dinnertime, homework, getting up and out in the morning, and tips for strengthening your relationship with your kids. Millions of parents from all over the world have used the award-winning 1-2-3 Magic to raise happier families and put the fun back into parenting, combining love and logic to make you a more peaceful parent with a happy kid.

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Menphys offers Activity Clubs and Respite for children and young people across the community. These include partnerships with local sports teams, specialist providers and respite organisations. We aim to provide our members with the chance to have fun, socialise and discover new activities in a safe engaging environment.

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Menphys offers Activity Clubs and Respite for children and young people across the community. These include partnerships with local sports teams, specialist providers and respite organisations. We aim to provide our members with the chance to have fun, socialise and discover new activities in a safe engaging environment.

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111 Option 2 - There is now a simpler way for people to find the right support in a mental health crisis.

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111 Option 2 - There is now a simpler way for people to find the right support in a mental health crisis.

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What is a mental health crisis?

If a person’s mental or emotional state gets worse quickly, this can be referred to as a mental health crisis or a mental health emergency. If this happens, it is important to get help quickly.

A mental health crisis can mean different things to different people, but often means that you no longer feel able to cope or be in control of your situation. It can cause a significant disruption to your life and your ability to function.

You should call NHS 111 and select option 2 for crisis mental health support if you are worried about:

thoughts about your life not being worth living or about harming yourself

feeling out of control or unable to cope

feeling anxious about leaving the house

hearing voices or seeing things that others can’t

If you or someone else have physically harmed themselves, or if their life is at risk, then you should still call 999 or go to A&E.

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NHS 111 offers new mental health service

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People in crisis can now access urgent help in England by calling 111 and talking to trained staff.

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WeHeartCBT is a collection of resources aimed at helping children and young people who are struggling with symptoms of anxiety and/or low mood. Resources are based on a Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) approach and are for mental health professionals, schools and parents/families.

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Resources

for schools

For practitioners

For practitioners

Teaching materials for schools based on the UK National Curriculum and a Whole School Approach to mental health.

For practitioners

For practitioners

For practitioners

Free resources for practitioners delivering CBT based interventions with children, young people and families.

self-help

For practitioners

self-help

Useful resources for children, young people and families struggling with feelings of low mood and//or anxiety.

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Free cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) resources to support children and young people struggling with low mood/depression and/or anxiety.

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Find advice, information and support around all things relating to autism.

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Autism Space | Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust

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A dedicated space for autistic people and their family members to discover advice, information and support.

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Services available to support a range of needs and challenges

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Services available to support a range of needs and challenges

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Self Help Resources • Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland

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If a referral made through this website meets the qualifying criteria then the Children and Young People Mental Health Triage and Navigation service will then refer that to a secondary service for review. Meanwhile, you and or your parent or carer may find some of the following services helpful:

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Are you a parent of a child with SEND? Here is a forum who are all parents who offer a wide range of support for families. Scan the QR code and join the forum.

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Special Needs Jungle is registered at Companies House as a not-for-profit organisation, Company Limited by Guarantee. Registration Number 9162844.

Many families do not get the help they need because they do not know where to look or how to cut their way through the increasingly complicated system. We aim to highlight resources and inspire and empower families to do this successfully by providing resources, tips, facts and examples.

We decided to become a not-for-profit organisation in 2014 because we wanted to be able to raise funds to expand on activities providing resources, training and information for parents and carers of children and young people with special needs and disabilities.

We know from experience that our work has a positive impact. However, we realised that without finding sources of funding it would be impossible for us to continue to provide the same high-quality information indefinitely, without financial support.

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Special Needs Jungle provides parent-centred information, news, resources and informed opinion about SEN, disability, children’s health and SEN politics

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Find out more about dyslexia here, where you will find expert articles and videos.

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At a glance

Working memory refers to how we hold on to and work with information stored in short-term memory.

Kids use working memory to learn and follow directions.

You can build working memory games into your child's daily life.

Does your child have a hard time keeping one bit of information in mind while doing something else? For example, you're making spaghetti together, and your child's in charge of the sauce. But your child leaves to answer a text and forgets to come back and stir. Working memory challenges can cause trouble with tasks like these.

Working memory refers to how we hold on to and work with information that short-term memory stores. (In the past, the term working memory was used interchangeably with short-term memory.) It's part of a group of skills called executive function.

Kids use working memory all the time to learn. It's needed for things like following multi-step directions or solving a math problem in your head. You can help your child improve working memory by building simple strategies into everyday life.

1. Work on visualization skills.

Encourage kids to create a picture in their mind of what they've just read or heard. For example, say you've asked your child to set the table for five people. Have your child imagine what the table should look like, and then draw it. As kids get better at visualizing, they can describe the image instead of drawing it.

2. Have your child teach you.

Being able to explain how to do something involves making sense of information and mentally filing it. Maybe your child is learning a skill, like how to dribble a basketball. Ask your child to teach you this skill. Teachers do something similar by pairing up students in class. This lets them start working with the information right away rather than waiting to be called on.

3. Try games that use visual memory.

There are lots of matching games that can help kids work on visual memory, like the classic game Concentration (or Memory). You can also do things like give kids a magazine page and ask them to circle all instances of the word the or the letter a. License plates can also be a lot of fun. Take turns reciting the letters and numbers on a license plate and then saying them backwards, too.

Simple card games like Crazy Eights, Uno, Go Fish, and War can improve working memory in two ways. Kids have to keep the rules of the game in mind. They also have to remember what cards they have and which ones other people have played.

5. Encourage active reading.

There's a reason highlighters and sticky notes are so popular: Jotting down notes and underlining or highlighting text can help kids keep the information in mind long enough to answer questions about it. Talking out loud and asking questions about the reading material can also help with working memory. Active reading strategies like these can help with forming long-term memories, too.

6. Chunk information into smaller bites.

Ever wonder why phone numbers and social security numbers have hyphens in them? Because it's easier to remember a few small groups of numbers than it is to remember one long string of numbers. Keep this in mind when you need to give your child multi-step directions. Write them down or give them one at a time. You can also use graphic organizers to help break writing assignments into smaller pieces.

Using multiple senses to process information can help with working memory and long-term memory. Write tasks down so your child can look at them. Say them out loud so your child can hear them. Walk through the house as you discuss the family chores your child needs to complete. Using multisensory strategies can help kids keep information in mind long enough to use it.

8. Help make connections.

Help your child form associations that connect different details and make them more memorable. One way is to grab your child's interest with fun mnemonics. (For instance, the made-up name "Roy G. Biv" can help kids remember the order of the colors in the rainbow - red, orange, yellow, and so on.) Finding ways to connect information helps with forming and retrieving long-term memory. It also helps with working memory, which is what we use to hold and compare new and old memories.

Key takeaways

Teaching kids ways to visualize thoughts can help improve their working memory.

Card games and other fun activities can help build working memory.

Finding ways to connect information can help your child with long-term memory as well as working memory.

About the author

About the author

Amanda Morin is the author of "The Everything Parent's Guide to Special Education" and the former director of thought leadership at Understood. As an expert and writer, she helped build Understood from its earliest days.

Reviewed by

Reviewed by

Thomas E. Brown, PhD is a clinical psychologist and director of the Brown Clinic for Attention and Related Disorders.

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Working memory games can help kids get better at remembering and using information. Here are eight simple ways to improve working memory in your child.

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SingingHandsUK - YouTube

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The Wellbeing Pack

Support for Children, at home and in school

Does your child worry, feel fearful or overwhelmed?

Do they have trouble concentrating or sleeping?

Do they need support managing difficult emotions?

The 30 page pack is filled with wellbeing exercises to support children’s mental health, extended meditations and a kids corner with a wellness activity pack.

The one minute pause meditations can be used at home, schools, family sessions. Just take a minute, breathe and relax

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Sensory Circuits at Home: Sensory circuits are short and snappy sensory motor activities which helps to set children up for the day. Children participate in a 10-15 minute session beginning with Altering, Organising and then Calming.

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Regulation is something everyone continually works on whether we are aware of it or not. We all encounter trying circumstances that can test our limits. If we can recognize when we are becoming less regulated, we are able to do something about it to manage our feelings and get ourselves to a healthy place. This comes more naturally for some, but for others it is a skill that needs more attention and practice. This is the goal of The Zones of Regulation​.

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Live Safe is a space for information and support on staying safe in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.

There’s no doubt about it. Talking about violence and where it leads is tough. It can be hard to know where to turn for advice. But by understanding how these things affect our community, our health and our wellbeing, we can make a powerful, positive change, together.

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Making our community a safe place to live

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This website is packed full of ideas to help you understand and own your diagnosis.

It's written with advice from adults and young people in the UK who have FASD and a whole team of experts and families.

We also would really like to hear from you. Contact us!

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Me & My FASD. Learn about FASD. Explore and have fun!

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This website is packed full of ideas to help you understand and own your diagnosis. It's written with advice from adults and young people in the UK who have FASD and a whole team of experts and families. We also would really like to hear from you. Contact us!

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Children's speech and language

A collection of tips and advice to help with children's speech and language skills.

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Children's speech and language - BBC Tiny Happy People

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A collection of films and articles offering advice to help improve children's language learning skills.

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Afasic supports and provides information for families with children and young adults who have Speech Language and Communication Needs (SLCN) with a focus on Developmental Language Disorder (DLD)

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Afasic supports and provides information for families with children and young adults who have Speech Language and Communication Needs (SLCN) with a focus on Developmental Language Disorder (DLD)

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Information and Support

We are here to help provide information and support to children, young people, and families affected by Speech, Language and Communication Needs.  Our current services include:

Providing a confidential, specialist telephone helpline service for carers and parents

Organising online courses for parents of children diagnosed with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD)

Organising courses for children with Speech, Language, and Communication Needs who are leaving Primary School and starting Secondary School

Providing priority information on new/updated publications and events across the UK

Information booklets that can be purchased from our website, to help with things such as Accessing Speech and Language Therapy or Claiming Benefits https://www.afasic.org.uk/shop/

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SLCN & DLD SLCN Speech, Language and Communication Needs Events There are many ways that you can help to raise funds Afasic Helpline

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Discover how a Speech and Language UK assessment can support you with fully identifying your child’s strengths and needs, applying for or maintaining an EHCP or choosing the right school

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Speech and Language UK: Changing young lives

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Tailored support for parents when choosing a school for a child with difficulties with talking and understanding words