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Fine motor skills activities to do at home

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Fine motor skills activities to do at home

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How do we support speech and language difficulties in school?  

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How do we support speech and language difficulties in school?  

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Speech Link – Children from EYFS to year 2 are screened each year on speech link. Speech link tests both the understanding of language and speech pronunciation. It then creates a program tailored to your child to focus on the area they need to work on.

Colourful semantics- This is a program designed to work on ordering sentences both verbally and in written form. It uses colours to label different parts of the sentence (who, what, when etc). The colours help children to sort the order of the sentence and remember the different types of words they need to order a sentence.

Lego therapy – This is to help children learn to speak in a group confidently. There are three roles in each session which are rotated in each session:

1. The Engineer (also known as the Architect) – uses the instructions to tell the others what to do.

2. The Supplier – supplies the builder with the bricks to build the model

3. The Builder – follows the instructions to build the model

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How can you support speech development in 4-6 year olds?

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How can you support speech development in 4-6 year olds?

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Pay attention when your child talks to you.

Get your child's attention before you talk.

Praise your child when she tells you something. Show that you understand her words.

Pause after speaking. This gives your child a chance to respond.

Keep helping your child learn new words. Say a new word, and tell him what it means, or use it in a way that helps him understand. For example, you can use the word "vehicle" instead of "car."  You can say, "I think I will drive the vehicle to the store. I am too tired to walk."

Talk about where things are, using words like "first," "middle," and "last" or "right" and "left." Talk about opposites like "up" and "down" or "on" and "off."

Work on groups of items, or categories. Find the thing that does not belong in a group. For example, "A shoe does not go with an apple and an orange because you can't eat it. It is not round. It is not a fruit."

Help your child follow two- and three-step directions. Use words like, "Go to your room, and bring me your book."

Ask your child to give directions. Follow his directions as he tells you how to build a tower of blocks.

Play games with your child such as "house." Let her be the parent, and you pretend to be the child. Talk about the different rooms and furniture in the house.

Watch films together on TV or a tablet. Talk about what your child is watching. Have her guess what might happen next. Talk about the characters. Are they happy or sad? Ask her to tell you what happened in the story. Act out a scene together, or make up a different ending.

Use everyday tasks to learn language. For example, talk about the foods on the menu and their colour, texture, and taste when in the kitchen. Talk about where to put things. Ask her to put the napkin on the table, in your lap, or under the spoon. Talk about who the napkin belongs to. Say, "It is my napkin." "It is Daddy's." "It is Tamara's."

Go to the supermarket together. Talk about what you will buy, how many things you need, and what you will make. Talk about sizes, shapes, and weight.

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Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust - CYP Website

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Parent and carer advice sessions for early years children

We offer 30-minute online or telephone sessions with one of our therapists. The sessions are for parents and carers only. Please do not include your child in this session.

Contact us to request a session using the contact details below. Use the title 'SALT parent/carer early years advice session' in the subject of your email.

Early years settings and school advice sessions for staff

These sessions help staff to support children with speech, language and communication needs within the setting. Our therapist will explain how to write their advice directly into the child's SEND support plan.

You can discuss up to 4 children (for early years) during a 45-minute session which takes places online.

We tailor the advice to individually named children. We'll need parental carer consent before you request a session. We can do anonymous sessions if the parent/carer does not give consent.

Infant Language Link and Speech Link

Infant Language Link and Speech Link assessments and interventions run alongside speech and language therapy school advice sessions.

Infant Language Link is an award winning, evidence based online package. It helps to raise the attainment of all children with speech, language and communication needs across Reception and Key Stage 1.

The standardised assessment identifies 8 key areas of language. It provides:

classroom strategies and resources

targeted interventions

specific supplementary teaching to allow school staff to actively support children.

The Speech Link package helps identify and support children aged 4 to 8 years with developmental speech sound difficulties. Launched in 2003, it helps schools across the UK decide who needs to see a speech and language therapist, as well as those at risk of literacy difficulties.

Speech Link helps support staff work effectively with children's common speech sound errors.

Accessing SpeechLink

Schools have access to the SpeechLink Helpdesk, 0333 577 0784. Or you can email office2@speechlink.co.uk for more information.

How to request an early years setting advice session

To request a session, complete the early years advice session form . Email the form to us using the address below and the title 'SALT Early Years Advice Session' in the subject of your email.

How to request a school advice session

To request a session, complete the schools advice session form . Email the form to us using the address below and the title 'SALT School Advice Session' in the subject of your email.

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Speech and language therapy - Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust - CYP Website

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We offer 30-minute online or telephone sessions with one of our therapists. The sessions are for parents and carers only. Please do not include your child in this session. Contact us to request a session using the contact details below. Use the title 'SALT parent/carer early years advice session' in the subject of your email.

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Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust

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Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust

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Resources for Children's Speech and Language

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Children's Speech and Language resources to download

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Cerebral Palsy is a term used to cover several neurological conditions.

Cerebral Palsy can affect muscle control, coordination, and tone, reflexes, posture and balance. Often a person with Cerebral Palsy will display signs of the condition, but the effects can vary greatly from person to person.

What are the different types of cerebral palsy?

The NHS describes three different categories of Cerebral Palsy, it is also possible to have a combination of categories which is referred to as 'Mixed Cerebral Palsy'.

Spastic Cerebral Palsy - This affects muscle stiffness or weakness. Click here to learn more.

Athetoid Cerebral Palsy - This affects muscle tone, causing involuntary spasms. Click here to learn more.

Ataxic Cerebral Palsy - This affects balance and coordination. Click here to learn more.

The affect Cerebral Palsy has on individuals ranges from the very mild, to more severe cases that can make it difficult for people to control their limbs.

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Life with Cerebral Palsy: Archie's Story | BBC Teach

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Supporting children, adults & their families affected by Cerebral Palsy. This website is a useful net based resource only, providing information, support & advice for those affected with and by cerebral palsy in the uk.

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Down’s syndrome is when you’re born with an extra chromosome. You usually get an extra chromosome by chance, because of a change in the sperm or egg before you’re born. People who have Down’s syndrome will have some level of learning disability. This means they’ll have a range of abilities. Some people will be more independent and do things like get a job. Other people might need more regular care.

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Explaining Downs Syndrome to Primary/Junior School aged children

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NCMH (National Centre for Mental Health)

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https://www.downs-syndrome.org.uk/about-downs-syndrome/

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This video, 'Chromosomes R Us', is a short film by actors who have Down's syndrome video explaining how Trisomy 21 occurs.

It was made by Shabang Inclusive Learning in collaboration with Mediapreview, Huddersfield. Down's syndrome (or Trisomy 21) is a naturally occurring chromosomal arrangement that has always been a part of the human condition, being universally present across racial, gender or socioeconomic lines in approximately 1 in 800 live births. Down's syndrome usually causes varying degrees of intellectual and physical disability and associated medical issues.

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About Down's Syndrome | Downs Syndrome Association

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This video, 'Chromosomes R Us', is a short film by actors who have Down's syndrome video explaining how Trisomy 21 occurs. It was made by Shabang Inclusive Learning in collaboration with Mediapreview, Huddersfield.

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Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental condition whereby individuals find it difficult to focus their attention and to control their behaviour.  Individuals with ADHD usually cannot concentrate for very long and may do or say things without thinking of the consequences.

ADHD affects individuals across the lifespan and is more commonly seen in boys than girls.  It is estimated that 1 or 2 children in every 100 will have significant ADHD.  In many cases, ADHD coexists with other conditions including Autism, Tourette’s Syndrome and ODD.

There are three core symptoms of ADHD: inattention, impulsivity and hyperactivity.  Examples include:
-Not paying attention to detail

-Easily distracted

-Losing things

-Impulsivity

-Blurts out answers

-Interrupts conversations

-Difficulty with taking turns

-Hyperactivity

-Always on the go

-Fidgety

-Cannot sit still

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How Is ADHD Diagnosed?
There are three subtypes of ADHD;

predominantly inattentive subtype

predominantly inattentive and impulsive subtype

Combined subtype - inattentive, impulsive and hyperactive

At present, there is no simple test for ADHD. For a diagnosis, a detailed assessment needs to take place with a specialist who has an interest in this area. An assessment will examine the impact of the individual's difficulties including when they started occurring, assessing the severity of the symptoms and, via school feedback, seeing if symptoms are present in several settings.

What Causes ADHD?

ADHD is believed to be a highly genetic condition. It is difficult to know what exactly causes ADHD, however, it is believed to be linked with the chemical dopamine which is a neurotransmitter in the brain. Consequently, this means that messages are not being sent effectively in the brain. Additionally, there are some environmental factors which can contribute towards the development of ADHD. These include diet, exercise, parenting techniques, and prenatal risk factors.

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Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder - Lanc UK

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There are three subtypes of ADHD; predominantly inattentive subtype predominantly inattentive and impulsive subtype Combined subtype - inattentive, impulsive and hyperactive At present, there is no simple test for ADHD. For a diagnosis, a detailed assessment needs to take place with a specialist who has an interest in this area.

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Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a condition that affects people's behaviour. People with ADHD can seem restless, may have trouble concentrating and may act on impulse.

Symptoms of ADHD tend to be noticed at an early age and may become more noticeable when a child's circumstances change, such as when they start school.

Most cases are diagnosed when children are under 12 years old, but sometimes it's diagnosed later in childhood.

Sometimes ADHD was not recognised when someone was a child, and they are diagnosed later as an adult.

The symptoms of ADHD may improve with age, but many adults who were diagnosed with the condition at a young age continue to experience problems.

People with ADHD may also have additional problems, such as sleep and anxiety disorders.

Getting help

Many children go through phases where they're restless or inattentive. This is often completely normal and does not necessarily mean they have ADHD.

But you should discuss your concerns with your child's teacher, their school's special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO) or a GP if you think their behaviour may be different from most children their age.

It's also a good idea to speak to a GP if you're an adult and think you may have ADHD, but were not diagnosed with the condition as a child.

What causes attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)?

The exact cause of ADHD is unknown, but the condition has been shown to run in families.

Research has also identified a number of possible differences in the brains of people with ADHD when compared with those without the condition.

Other factors suggested as potentially having a role in ADHD include:

being born prematurely (before the 37th week of pregnancy)

having a low birthweight

smoking or alcohol or drug abuse during pregnancy

ADHD can occur in people of any intellectual ability, although it's more common in people with learning difficulties.

How attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is treated

For children with ADHD, although there's no cure, it can be managed with appropriate educational support, advice and support for parents and affected children, alongside medicine, if necessary.

For adults with ADHD, medicine is often the first treatment offered, although psychological therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) may also help.

Living with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

Parents of children with ADHD

Looking after a child with ADHD can be challenging, but it's important to remember that they cannot help their behaviour.

Some day-to-day activities might be more difficult for you and your child, including:

getting your child to sleep at night

getting ready for school on time

listening to and carrying out instructions

being organised

social occasions

shopping

Adults with ADHD

Adults with ADHD may find they have problems with:

organisation and time management

following instructions

focusing and completing tasks

coping with stress

feeling restless or impatient

impulsiveness and risk taking

Some adults may also have issues with relationships or social interaction.

Page last reviewed: 24 December 2021
Next review due: 24 December 2024

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Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

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Read about attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a condition that affects people's behaviour.

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Dyspraxia (also known as developmental coordination disorder – DCD) is a surprisingly common condition affecting movement and coordination in children and adults. It is a hidden condition which is still poorly understood.

Each person’s experience of dyspraxia/DCD is different and will be affected by a person’s age, the opportunities they have had to learn skills, environmental demands and the support/understanding shown by people around them. There are, however, some common signs of dyspraxia/DCD.

Difficulty coordinating large and small body movements is the main feature of dyspraxia/DCD. Physical signs of dyspraxia/DCD include the following:

Movements appear awkward and lack smoothness

Extra physical and mental effort is required to carry out movements that others manage easily

Poor spatial awareness means more trips, bumps and bruises.

Difficulty learning the movements required to carry out new practical tasks.

Difficulty transferring motor skills to new situations or activities.

Many people with dyspraxia/DCD have difficulty organising themselves, their equipment and their thoughts. Some also experience problems with attention, memory and time management.

Some people with dyspraxia/DCD have difficulty keeping up with conversations and there may be long, awkward pauses before they respond to a question or comment.

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Developmental co-ordination disorder (DCD), also known as dyspraxia, is a condition affecting physical co-ordination. It causes a child to perform less well than expected in daily activities for their age, and appear to move clumsily.
This topic is about DCD in children, although the condition often causes continued problems into adulthood.

Find out more about DCD in adults.

Symptoms of DCD

Early developmental milestones of crawling, walking, self-feeding and dressing may be delayed in young children with DCD. Drawing, writing and performance in sports are also usually behind what is expected for their age.

Although signs of the condition are present from an early age, children vary widely in their rate of development. This means a definite diagnosis of DCD does not usually happen until a child with the condition is 5 years old or more.

Find out more about symptoms of DCD in children.

When to seek medical advice

If you're concerned about your child's health or development, talk to a GP or health visitor, or speak to a nurse, doctor or special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO) at your child's school.

They may refer your child to an occupational therapist, paediatrician, or another health professional who can assess them and try to identify any developmental problems.

Find out more about diagnosing DCD in children.

Causes of DCD

Doing co-ordinated movements is a complex process that involves many different nerves and parts of the brain.

Any problem in this process could potentially lead to difficulties with movement and co-ordination.

It's not usually clear why co-ordination doesn't develop as well as other abilities in children with DCD.

However, a number of risk factors that can increase a child's likelihood of developing DCD have been identified.

These include:

being born prematurely, before the 37th week of pregnancy

being born with a low birth weight

having a family history of DCD, although it is not clear exactly which genes may be involved in the condition

the mother drinking alcohol or taking illegal drugs while pregnant

Treating DCD

There's no cure for DCD, but a number of therapies can help children to manage their problems.

These include:

being taught ways of do activities they find difficult, such as breaking down difficult movements into smaller parts and practicing them regularly

adapting tasks to make them easier, such as using special grips on pens and pencils so they are easier to hold

Although DCD does not affect how intelligent a child is, it can make it more difficult for them to learn and they may need extra help to keep up at school.

Treatment for DCD will be tailored to your child and usually involves a number of different healthcare professionals working together.

Although the physical co-ordination of a child with DCD will remain below average, this may be less of a problem as they get older and develop coping strategies. Some children may continue to have problems.

However, difficulties in school - particularly producing written work - can become much more prominent and require extra help from parents and teachers.

Find out more about treating DCD in children.

Dyspraxia or DCD?

While many people in the UK use the term dyspraxia to refer to the difficulties with movement and co-ordination that first develop in young children, this term is used less often by healthcare professionals.

Instead, most healthcare professionals use the term developmental co-ordination disorder (DCD) to describe the condition.

This term is generally preferred by healthcare professionals because dyspraxia can have several meanings.

For example, dyspraxia can be used to describe movement difficulties that happen later in life because of damage to the brain, such as from a stroke or head injury.

Some healthcare professionals may also use the term specific developmental disorder of motor function (SDDMF) to refer to DCD.

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Developmental co-ordination disorder (dyspraxia) in children

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Read about developmental co-ordination disorder (DCD), also known as dyspraxia, a condition that affects physical co-ordination.

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As a teacher, enabling all children to achieve their potential at school is your goal. But the number of children with additional needs is rising and it can be difficult to know how to support students with lesser known conditions such as dyspraxia. The consequences of not recognising and supporting children with dyspraxia are, however, serious and long lasting.
Impact of dyspraxia on educational attainment

Children with dyspraxia are less likely than their peers to achieve 5 or more GCSE's at grade A* - C. This is a real concern as falling short of this academic threshold limits a person's employment options and may mean they are unable to continue in education. The link between qualifications and earning potential is well known, so the risk of economic disadvantage is set for people with dyspraxia from a young age.

Adults who responded to a recent Dyspraxia Foundation survey said that early recognition of their difficulties and access to support helped their learning and educational attainment. By contrast, people without a formal diagnosis felt they had underachieved academically:
"Lack of recognition meant lack of support throughout my education, which I feel meant I didn't achieve my full potential" (survey respondent)
Dyspraxia is one of the most common developmental disorders of childhood, affecting at least one child in every class, yet teachers receive little (if any) training about dyspraxia either before or after qualification. As a result, dyspraxia remains a 'hidden disability' and children are missing out on the understanding and support they need to achieve academic and personal success.

There is, therefore, an urgent need to raise teachers' awareness and understanding of this missed and misunderstood condition.

What is dyspraxia?

The core feature of dyspraxia, known to health professionals and researchers as developmental coordination disorder (DCD) is poor gross and fine motor coordination. Movement difficulties make it hard for children to master everyday tasks such as:

getting dressed (e.g. managing buttons, pulling on socks),

using cutlery,

riding a bike; and

sitting squarely on a chair.

Teachers report problems including:

writing,

using scissors,

doing PE; and

packing away equipment at the end of the day.

While dyspraxia can (and often does) overlap with other neurodevelopmental disorders (such as autism and ADHD) it is a separate condition that requires specific consideration. 'Symptoms' of dyspraxia often come to the fore at school, but caregivers will typically (although not always) remember that their child was late to reach developmental milestones such as crawling and walking.

Not just a movement disorder

Although dyspraxia is a movement disorder, problems with planning, organisation and time management are common. In fact, teenagers and adults say these difficulties cause them more problems than their coordination difficulties, perhaps because they've developed strategies to manage (or avoid) physical tasks over time, while organising themselves and their equipment becomes more difficult at secondary school and as adults.

There is growing evidence of a link between poor motor coordination and problems with executive functions such as organisation, planning, decision-making and working memory. If teachers want to help children with dyspraxia reach their educational potential, they must consider these non-motor difficulties as well as their more obvious coordination problems. Developing strategies for organisation and planning will not only benefit children at school but will also provide them with useful skills for life.

When we identify and get support right for children with dyspraxia, their confidence, skills and attainments grow. On the other hand, making inaccurate judgements about a child's true abilities, based on their written presentation and poor organisational skills can have serious consequences for their self-esteem and confidence. So what can teachers do to ensure children with dyspraxia fulfil their potential at school?

Strategies for success

Dyspraxia Foundation has produced a range of free resources addressing common physical, organisational and social challenges experienced by children with dyspraxia in early years settings, primary, secondary and post-16 education. Many of the recommendations are simple and require little time or money.

Strategies need to be tailored to children's individual needs however, as dyspraxia affects everyone differently. Strategies, tools and approaches are more likely to be successful (and used) if children are involved in identifying them.

Children don't have to have a formal diagnosis to benefit from these approaches. But if, despite these interventions, children aren't making expected progress then a referral should be made to an appropriate health professional (occupational therapy, physiotherapy, paediatrician) according to local procedures. Although often picked up at school, dyspraxia/DCD is a medical condition and should only be diagnosed when a paediatrician has ruled out all other possible explanations for a child's difficulties.

And finally, Dyspraxia Foundation has a special membership category for schools/colleges. So, if you want access to further information, webinars and resources to help you support children with dyspraxia to reach their potential, sign up today.

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Dyspraxia Foundation: How teachers can help children with dyspraxia succeed at school.

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As a teacher, enabling all children to achieve their potential at school is your goal. But the number of children with additional needs is rising and it can be difficult to know how to support students with lesser known conditions such as dyspraxia.

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Supporting individuals and families affected by dyspraxia/DCD

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JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser.

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We have a range of well selected learning aids, resources & fun games to help develop fine & gross motor skills suitable for those with dyspraxia. Our communication aids are a great resource for both the home & school setting.

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Autism is a lifelong developmental disability which affects how people communicate and interact with the world. More than one in 100 people are on the autism spectrum and there are around 700,000 autistic adults and children in the UK. Autism is a spectrum condition and affects people in different ways. Like all people, autistic people have their own strengths and weaknesses

Autistic people may face challenges with social communication and interaction; repetitive and restrictive behaviours; over or under sensitivity to light, sound, taste or touch; highly focused interests and hobbies; extreme anxiety and meltdowns/shutdowns.

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A definition of autism with an overview of communication, behaviours and interests, and sensory processing differences needed for an autism diagnosis.

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https://www.theottoolbox.com/fine-motor-skills/

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Fine Motor Skills impact function and hand use in small motor tasks. You may have heard the term fine motor skills before. If you are familiar with occupational therapy, then you know that fine motor activities are an integral part of OT interventions. The hands play an important role in most occupations that we perform. From writing, to tying, getting dressed, feeding ones self...most of our day to day tasks involve using our hands. So, when fine motor control and dexterity impacts functional performance, it can be a reason to work on motor control of the hands.

Here, we are covering all aspects of fine motor skills when it comes to children. We're covering fine motor development, each aspect of fine motor skills, and fine motor activities that are rooted in play and learning to develop these essential skills of the hands.

What are Fine Motor Skills?

Fine motor skills are the refined movements and actions of the hands, fingers, and wrists that enable precision and dexterity of movement. Fine motor skills can be broken down into different motor components that impact the ability to use the hands in functional tasks and tool use.

Fine motor skills are necessary for every task that a child completes. From play, self-care, to managing clothing fasteners, and coloring, motor skill development is needed for every aspect. Fine motor skill development is essential to pencil grasp and handwriting. Fine motor skills make up a huge part of learning and the school day (Read about the various fine motor skills needed at school.)

Motor skills like pincer grasp and hand strength are essential for a child's development and ability to use their hands in small motor movements.

what are the fine motor skills

Fine motor skills are made up of several components of motor skills using the fingers and hands. Related, and an important piece of the fine motor puzzle, are the core stability, strength and positioning of proximal positioning, strength, and gross motor skills. Developmentally proximal positioning, strength and stability and motor skills enable distal mobility and coordination.

So, what are the fine motor skills that make up overall fine motor dexterity and skill work?

Fine motor skills are made up of various motor components. These sub-areas impact mobility, tool use, manipulation of objects, strength, and endurance. These examples of fine motor skills are needed for everyday tasks like cutting with scissors, tying shoes, fastening buttons and zippers, coloring, and holding a pencil.

Let's cover all of these fine motor areas in more detail:

Also called bilateral integration, the movements of both hands together in activities requires processing and integration of both hemispheres of the brain to enable both hands working together at the same time, or bilateral movements. Without bilateral coordination, a child might appear to be clumsy or drop items, use primarily one hand in activities, or switch hands during tasks that require a dominant hand and a helper hand. Development of bilateral coordination skills is powerful in functional skills like self-feeding, handwriting, self-dressing, grooming, and more.

Gross grasp- Gross grasp is used when squeezing all of the fingers shut around an object, like when holding the handle of a suitcase. Gross grasp is important in tasks like handwriting and scissor use. To do these activities, you need to squeeze your whole hand shut and maintain endurance to complete the activity. Development of hand arch and thumb web space is important for these functional skills and gross grasp plays a part.

1. Translation is using your fingers to moving a little item from your palm to your finger tips (or your fingertips to squirrel the item into the palm). When you hold a coin in your palm and manipulate it to your finger tips to push it into a piggy bank or vending machine, you are demonstrating palm-to-finger translation.

2. Shift is moving an object using the pads of your fingers...adjusting the pencil grip is demonstrating finger shift. Another example might be manipulating a button or a zipper with the finger tips.

3. Rotation is rolling an object using the fingertips. Examples of rotation are rolling a pencil in your fingertips, turning a pencil over to use the eraser, or opening a bottle top by rotating the lid on your finger tips.

These fine motor skills are needed for functional tasks like managing a pencil or crayon during handwriting, opening containers, managing coins or small items, manipulating a spoon/knife/fork, adjusting the paper when cutting with scissors, and fastening buttons or shoe laces.

Neat pincer grasp- Neat pincer grasp uses the tips of the thumb and pointer finger to stabilize objects. When using a pincer grasp, children use the pads of the thumb and finger to stabilize the object. Neat pincer grasp is used to pick up very small items such as perler beads, a thread from a surface, or a needle. You might see the tip-to-tip grasp to pick up a sequin or fuzz from clothing.

Open thumb web space- The thumb web space is that space between your thumb and pointer finger that makes an "O" when you make the "OK" sign. In order to grasp small items with your thumb and index finger, you need to oppose the tip of your thumb to the tip of your pointer finger. Not only do the tips of the fingers need to touch, but the thumb must rotate at the joint closest to your hand. This opposition is needed to manipulate and grasp small items like shoe laces, buttons, and zippers.

Separation of the sides of the hand- Separation of the sides of the hand refers to the imaginary line drawn from your wrist directly down the middle of your hand and between your ring finger and middle finger, separating the precision side of the hand (thumb, pointer finger, and middle finger) with the power side of your hand (pinkie finger and ring finger). These two sides work together in skilled activities with precision and power grasp in functional activities.

Eye-hand coordination- Eye-hand coordination, or Visual motor skills, refers to the coordination of visual input and the processing of that visual information for coordinated movement of the hands. These skills impact fine motor dexterity and motor movements in functional tasks for so many tasks while manipulating movements and objects. Eye-hand coordination is essential in handwriting, scissor use, threading beads, reading, throwing a ball, placing a cup on a shelf, coloring in lines, feeding, self-care, and much, much more.

Arch development- Arch support in the hand is related closely to the separation of the sides of the hand. Refinement of fine motor skills in the hand (the radial side) happens when the power half (the ulnar side) is stabilized. A functional fine motor grasp and manipulation of objects is more accurate when the ring and pinky fingers are flexed (bent) into the palm. This positioning stabilizes the MCP arch and allows for control of the pointer and middle fingers. Separation of the two sides of the hand allow for more precise use of the thumb. Hand separation starts when a baby bears weight through their arm and ulnar side of the hand while carrying a toy in the radial side. This simple activity developmentally lengthens the muscles of the ulnar side.

Thenar eminence strength (thumb side of the hand)- Separation of the sides of the hand divides the hand into halves. The thumb side has a fleshy mass below the base of the thumb called the thenar eminence. These muscles pull the thumb into a bent, flexed position and opposition. positioning stabilizes the MCP arch and allows for control of the pointer and middle fingers.

Hypo thenar eminence strength (pinkie side of the hand)- That same separation of sides divides the pinkie side of the hand. Along the length of the pinkie side is the power muscles which help with stabilization of the hand during precision tasks such as writing with a pencil or cutting with scissors. A cupped palm requires engagement of the hypothenar eminence in order to hold objects in the hand. Hand separation starts when a baby bears weight through their arm and ulnar side of the hand while carrying a toy in the radial side. This simple activity developmentally lengthens the muscles of the ulnar side.

Cylindrical grasp- A cylindrical grasp is one in which the whole hand is in contact with an object, and curved with thumb opposition. A common term for this grasp is gross grasp. A cylindrical grasp requires use and strength of the extrinsic muscles and intrinsic muscles of the hand in order to flex the fingers around curved objects. The thumb is positioned in flexion and abduction. A cylindrical grasp is needed in order to hold a broom handle, baseball bat, and ice cream cone.

Spherical Grasp- A spherical grasp is one in which the hand curves to hold a round or sphere-shaped object. The intrinsic muscles of the hands play a big part in this grasp. In order for the hand to curve, the metacarpal phalangeal joints need to abduct. Involved in this action are the interossei muscles and the hypothenar eminence. The interossei include the palmer interossei and the dorsal interossei. These allow the fingers to abduct and adduct in order to grasp smaller and larger sphere shaped objects. The hypothenar eminence includes three intrinsic muscles that allows the pinkie side of the hand to flex, rotate to oppose the thumb, and create the bulk of the pinkie side of the palm when curving around shapes like spheres.

Finger isolation- Finger isolation is the ability to isolate and use the fingers one at a time in functional tasks. Finger isolation is using one finger to perform a task. Pointing with the index finger, wiggling all of the fingers individually, and counting out the fingers on your hand are finger isolation. This finger isolation is needed for many functional activities, like dexterity in managing pencils, paintbrushes, and other tools, typing on a keyboard, tying shoes, finger games like "Where is Thumbkin?" and many other skills.

Core strength and stability- A weak core leads to weak fine motor skills distally. The engaged and strong muscles of the abdomen and upper body allow for strength and engagement of the upper arm, and in turn leads to dexterity and motor control of the hands. When the core is weak the hands can not effectively do their job to hold the pencil and manage tasks such as eye-hand coordination, bilateral coordination, and in-hand manipulation.

Precision- precision refers to the fine movements of the hand. Precision release is needed for stacking blocks without toppling them over, placing cards on a pile, opening scissors just a small amount, or placing small beads into a bowl. Precision is needed for a child to let go of an item in a controlled manner. If they are not exercising precision in release, you might see them rolling or tossing an object as they let go. They will knock over a stack of blocks, or over open the scissors when cutting lines, making their accuracy very choppy. Precision in grasp is related to the picking up of items. A graded lateral grasp is needed to cut with scissors and only squeeze the scissors halfway shut for accurate cutting lines in some situations. Around 3-4 years, a preschool aged child typically develops a greater variety of grasping patterns, including precision. They begin to grade their scissor strokes so that they can cut a line or shape without opening and closing the scissors completely. Precision in this skill occurs when the child is able to pick up very small items like beads with accuracy and graded movements.

Shoulder stability- Proximal stability of the shoulder is needed to support and stabilize distal movements. Activities that challenge the shoulder against gravity such as working on an inclined surface can strengthen and stabilize the shoulder girdle.

These are just a few examples of fine motor skills that are essential for functional development and effective manipulation of tools.

Fine Motor Activities

Almost every activity you see here contains developmental information and explanations of what skills your child will be working on with the activities. I love to discuss the basics of playful activities and why it helps with developmental skills and functional tasks like handwriting, scissor skills, dressing, and shoe tying.

The fine motor skills that we share in the creative activities below are some of our favorite ways to play! Read specifics about building fine motor skills through play.

This page is a huge resource of fun ways to play and learn while working on fine motor skills. Most activities here are easy prep and use recycled materials or items you might find around the home. Occupational Therapists can use these activities in treatment and parents can do these projects at home for quiet time or developmental skill-building.
Add these fine motor activities to your therapy tool box:
One way to work on fine motor skills is to use one material for a variety of skill areas. We've put together some resources to just that! Try these specific tools to work on fine motor skill development in kids:

1. Fine motor development with clothespins

2. Fine Motor Activities with Play Dough

3. Fine Motor Activities with Paper Clips

4. Fine Motor Activities with Craft Pom Poms or Cotton Balls

5. Fine Motor Activities with Playing Cards

6. Fine Motor Activities with Beads

7. Fine Motor Activities with Chalk

Fine Motor Skills Activities for Kids

Click around for fine motor fun and learning. At the bottom of this post you'll find fine motor activities sorted by category.

Pencil Grasp Trick Thumb IP Flexion- This simple strategy builds hand strength, flexion of the thumb IP joint, opposition, and rotation of the thumb CMC joint for functional use and an open thumb web space.

Fine Motor Play Dough Intrinsic Muscle Strength- Work on hand strength of the intrinsic muscles using play dough balls. Work on finger isolation as well and endurance needed for functional tasks such as coloring and handwriting.

Pencil Control Exercises- Work on functional grasp and eye-hand coordination, or visual motor skills with these pencil control exercises that will impact handwriting legibility in big ways.

Benefits of Stickers in Occupational Therapy - Work on precision, strength, and dexterity, as well as other ways to build motor refinement using stickers.

Neat Pincer Grasp Fine Motor Activity- Address fine motor dexterity and precision with neat pincer grasp activity you can do right now.

Buttoning Tips and Tricks- Build the skills needed to fasten and unfasten buttons using this fine motor activity that works on opposition, eye-hand coordination, open thumb web space, separation of the sides of the hand, and more.

Travel Sensory Diet Bag- Use these fine motor activities to add proprioceptive input in the form of heavy work through the hands.

Homemade Pencil Grip - Improve tripod grasp, open thumb web space, thumb IP joint flexion, and eye-hand coordination using this DIY pencil grip.

DIY Pick-Up Sticks- Address precision, graded grasp and release, motor skills, and more.

Gross Grasp with Recycled Containers- Build hand strength, cylindrical grasp, opposition, translation, and even in-hand manipulation using objects you have in the home.

Finger Isolation Fingerprint Activities- Work on finger isolation, separation of the side of the hand, arch strength, and refined motor skills.

Hand Dominance and Fine Motor with Scooping and Pouring- Build eye-hand coordination, precision, grasp and release, laterality, directionality, hand dominance, shoulder stability, crossing midline, and motor planning skills.

Clothes Pin Exercises and Pinch Grasp Types- Improve pinch and grip strength, eye-hand coordination, grasp and release, arch development, separation of the sides of the hand, hand dominance, and bilateral coordination.

Homemade Pegboard Activities- Improve precision, visual motor skills, tripod grasp, open thumb web space, in-hand manipulation skills, and more.

Creative Scissor Skills Practice- Develop scissor skills and the graded grasp and release needed to operate scissors through a variety of paper textures and cutting lines. Also provides resources for the visual motor skills, eye-hand coordination, and wrist stability, proximal stability needed for distal mobility in scissor use.

Precision in Grasp and Release of Fine Motor Skills- Picking up and releasing small objects or objects of differing weights requires precision, proprioception, and grasp dexterity. Work on refinement of these skills with a simple material.

Chain Link Counters Color Sort- Address bilateral coordination, hand strength, eye-hand coordination, and pinch skills.

Handwriting Warm Up Exercises- Use play dough to work on pinch and grip strength, tripod grasp, eye-hand coordination, wrist strength and stability, open thumb web space, flexed thumb IP joint, and opposition.

Homemade Lacing Cards- Address bilateral coordination, wrist extension, open thumb web space, tripod grasp, pincer grasp, eye-hand coordination, and more.

Motor Planning Fine Motor Maze- Improve finger isolation, motor planning, eye-hand coordination, motor control and other skills.

Hand Strengthening Building Activity- This activity develops hand strength, arch development of the intrinsic hand muscles, pinch, and grip strength, endurance, arch development, and opposition, as well as motor planning and problem solving skills. It's a fantastic fine motor STEM activity for children.

Fall Leaves Craft- Work on eye-hand coordination, bilateral coordination, pinch, grip, pincer grasp, wrist mobility and extension, and motor planning challenges.

Scarecrow Math Craft- Strengthen scissor skill development, eye-hand coordination, visual motor skills, direction following, motor skill development, and more.

Homemade Lacing Cards- Address bilateral coordination, wrist extension, open thumb web space, tripod grasp, pincer grasp, eye-hand coordination, and more.

Alphabet Discovery Bottles- Work on bilateral coordination, eye-hand coordination, pinch, grasp, and release.

Crayon shaving art- Work on finger isolation, hand strength, motor planning, arch development, wrist extension and stability, and more with this creative art activity kids won't forget!

Shape building- All you need are lollipop sticks to make this therapy tool! Work on hand eye coordination, motor planning, precision, grasp and release, problem solving, and more.

Dyed lollipop sticks- This activity helps with visual motor skill development, precision, grasp and release, and much more.

Block sculptures- Use blocks to work on grasp and release, precision, opposition at various grades, eye-hand coordination, motor planning, crossing midline, with an easy fine motor STEM activity.

Robin fine motor busy bag- Address tripod grasp and wrist extension with this fun feed the robin activity. Work on eye-hand coordination, grasp and release, open thumb web space, and more.

Cherry blossom patterns- Use a cherry blossom theme to work on precision, bilateral coordination, pincer grasp, eye hand coordination, open thumb web space, opposition, and hand strengthening skills.

DIY stacking cups - This activity helps with cylindrical grasp, motor planning, crossing midline, bilateral coordination, problem solving, wrist stability, proximal strengthening and stability, grasp and release, and motor planning skills.

Cotton Swab Letters- This coordination activity involves motor planning, eye-hand coordination, precision, grasp and release, and the ability to manipulate items located on a flat table surface.

Learn with Legos- Building with LEGO is such a powerful way to foster hand strength, manipulation skills, eye-hand coordination, and add heavy work through the hands and finger joints. Therapists often recommend using building blocks like LEGO to strengthen the hands, arch development, and adding heavy proprioceptive input through the hands.

Bubble Wrap Maze- Bubble wrap is another fine motor activity that offers heavy work feedback through the hands. It's a great way to fidget or to "wake up" the hands before a handwriting task. This bubble wrap activity also works on visual motor skills, coordination, and bilateral skills.

Foam Workout- This sensory play experience is a workout for the hands. Kids can make this sensory play material and work on upper extremity strength and coordination as well as stability needed for distal mobility. Especially addressed is wrist support and strengthening which enables a supported wrist when writing or cutting (or any fine motor manipulation activity).

Water Bead Sensory Box- This fine motor activity helps with manipulation skills of a slippery material so it can be a challenging eye-hand coordination, pincer grasp, and graded resistance task.

Handwriting With Cookie Cutters- Work on bilateral coordination, crossing midline with precision and a supporting hand, motor planning, and visual scanning across a midline.

Cursive Lines Fizzy Dough- Work on fine motor strength, arch development, opposition with resistance, eye-hand coordination skills, and more.

Empathy Beads- Threading beads is a great way to work on precision, eye-hand coordination, tripod grasp, bilateral coordination. Other skills that are addressed include pincer grasp, tripod grasp, open thumb web space, in-hand manipulation, and holding and manipulating loose objects within the palm of the hand.

Butterfly Craft- This fine motor craft challenges scissor skills with cutting a variety of resistances in papers. Work on placing materials to form the butterflies and picking up small pieces of paper against a flat surface. Glue skills are also challenged with this butterfly craft.

- Snap and connect blocks to work on hand strength, wrist stability against resistance, shoulder and elbow stabilization skills. This is a great way to work on fine motor strength and endurance. You'll find more Snap Block Light Sabers (Star Wars occupational therapy theme)Star Wars themed OT ideas in this post.

Handwriting with Foam Strips- Writing on a resistive surface offers feedback to improve strength and endurance when writing. The activity also builds motor planning skills.

Scissor Skills Flowers- Work on scissor skills with graded stopping and starting without cutting through a cupcake liner. This is a fine motor task that helps with scissor control and motor manipulation skills that carryover to many scissor skill tasks.

Caterpillar Math- Make a cute caterpillar craft with fine motor benefits!

Folded Paper Animals- Did you know that folding paper offers a powerful fine motor advantage? Skills addressed are finger isolation, graded resistance, finger strength, eye-hand coordination, bilateral coordination skills, and much more.

Fine Motor And Auditory Fireworks- This fine motor exercise works on bilateral coordination, thumb strengthening, finger isolation, eye-hand coordination, and offers heavy work input with auditory processing benefits.

In Hand Manipulation Ideas for Kids- These fine motor ideas include different ways to build dexterity and in-hand manipulation skills. The activities challenge translation, rotation, and manipulation of small objects from the palm to the fingertips and the fingertips to the palm.

Color Matching with Play Dough- Work on separation of the sides of the hand, in-hand manipulation, and heavy work feedback with resistance to place paper clips into different colored play dough. This is a great hand strengthening activity that improves strength and stability in the wrist as well.

Feather Beading- This fine motor task helps with bilateral coordination, pincer grasp, tripod grasp, and motor planning skills.

Crayon Play Dough - Play dough offers great heavy work feedback through the hands, as well as strengthening and an opportunity for heavy work through the fingers and hands. This crayon play dough recipe adds bold and vividly colored play dough and silk smooth resistance that kids will love to make AND play with!

Fine Motor Play with Tissue Paper- This fine motor activity for toddlers and preschoolers adds an auditory feedback component to developing grasps. Work on eye-hand coordination, bilateral coordination, motor planning, grasp and release of thin materials, and much more.

Golf Tee Hammering- Work on bilateral coordination, motor planning, hand eye coordination, strengthening of the shoulder and elbow. Hammering golf tees also offers wrist strengthening by holding the hammer in a neutral position against the resistance of hitting the hammer on the golf tee. This is a great fine motor activity that kids love!

Fine Motor Table Top Play with Tape - Working with tape offers a pincer and neat pincer task with resistance. When placing the tape, kids need to manipulate the sticky material and position it on the surface, building coordination skills and motor planning, bilateral coordination skills, and more.

More Fine Motor Activities

Pencil Control Worksheets - Build the motor planning skills needed to manipulate and maneuver a pencil within a writing space.

Manipulating Coins- Work on in-hand manipulation skills to hold and move coins from the palm of the hand to the fingertips and vice versa.

Pipe Cleaners Cardboard Box - Address bilateral coordination skills in a fine motor challenge that kids love. Work on shoulder and wrist stability as well as tripod grasp.

Icicle Scissor Skills- Work on scissor skills with a visual motor activity that helps kids with crossing midline, cutting simple shapes, and graded resistance.

Sunflower Craft- Pick up and manipulate handfuls of seeds with in-hand manipulation skills, arch development, and hand strengthening with this sunflower craft.

Even More Fine Motor Activities:

Need some specifics? Fine motor skills are essential for independence in handwriting and scissor skills.

Fine Motor Skills and Handwriting

Read more about fine motor skills and how they impact handwriting.

Fine motor skills are essential in the classroom, and they can impact learning. For more information, check out this resource on fine motor skills needed in the classroom.

Here is a resource on cursive writing, much of which requires pencil control, in-hand manipulation, and motor planning of fine motor movements in order to form letters. While there is evidence of cursive handwriting being a more efficient and functional form of written work in the child with dysgraphia or other handwriting concerns, there is a component of fine motor dexterity needed for cursive writing.

Fine Motor Skills and Scissor Skills

A s an occupational therapist, working on scissor skills with kids is one of my favorite goal areas. There are so many ways to get creative with modifications to paper, lines, and scissors. The fine motor activities that work on the muscles and dexterity needed for scissor use are fun, too! Stop back soon as we add new activities all the time.

Fine Motor Activities based on Skill Area:

How to Practice Fine Motor Skills

Simple activities that use the small muscles of the hand are ideal for practicing fine motor skills. While child development and age level plays a role in the practicing of fine motor activities, these fine motor practice ideas can be simple ways to develop hand strength, coordination, pinch, and dexterity:

Use tweezers to drop crumbled paper into a cup

Pinch, squeeze, and roll playdough

Manipulating clothing fasteners: zipping zippers, buttoning buttons, snapping snaps, connecting belt buckles, tying shoes

Placing beads into ice cube trays

Squeezing colored water with pipettes into cups

Tracing stencils

Cutting straws into small pieces and threading them onto a pipe cleaner

Cutting yarn and gluing it onto paper

Positioning rubber bands around small toys...and then taking the rubber bands back off again.

Playing board games. These board games are great for developing pencil grasp.

Why is Fine Motor Important?

We've already covered many of these areas, but in the world of occupational therapy, fine motor development is essential for functional participation. SO many daily tasks are impacted by fine motor development. This functional participation allows us to learn, grow, and interact with the world around them.

In children, fine motor skills allow them to experience the world around them.

Fine motor skills enable feeding- Development of fine motor skills through play enables grasp of food, utensils, and the ability to scoop food, hold a cup without spilling, cut with a knife, spread butter or peanut butter, cut food, use a fork. Other considerations include opening food containers, managing a lunch box, opening and closing plastic food baggies, holding a tray of food, and much more.

Fine motor skills enable grooming and hygiene- With the development of fine motor skills, we are able to hold grooming utensils such as combs and toothbrushes, squeeze toothpaste, pick up small objects, use tweezers, open containers, squeeze out a "just right" amount of shampoo, conditioner, or lotion, use and wash with a washcloth, manipulate and hold soap, and much more.

Fine motor skills enable handwriting skills- holding a pencil, using a functional pencil grasp, coloring, writing at the correct pencil pressure, erasing, and much more.

Fine motor skills impact scissor use- This includes holding scissors, cutting shapes, manipulating paper, cutting with correct speed, starting and stopping scissors at the appropriate place, and much more.

Fine Motor Skills and Clothing management- Getting dressed is greatly impacted by fine motor development. Tasks such as managing buttons, zippers, snaps, buckles, shoe tying, hair ties, and other clothing tasks require fine motor strength and dexterity.

This is only the beginning. Relatively every functional task that we do includes aspects of fine motor. Consider your daily tasks. In every way, fine motor skills are included in some manner or another. From seat belt buckles to typing a message on your phone. Fine motor activities are a part of every day, all day long.

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The OT's Guide to Fine Motor Skills - The OT Toolbox

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This massive collection of fine motor activities includes everything you need to know about fine motor skills in kids.

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How To Make an Easy Origami Butterfly (in 3 MINUTES!)

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Audiobooks

You could put these on in the car or when you are cooking dinner and share the stories together. It is a great way to develop a love of stories and books without having to read words on a page. It allows the child’s (and your) imagination to run wild and you can discuss the story with them.
Try Audible by amazon - https://tinyurl.com/2ur2afde

If you have a CD player you can still buy lots of stories second hand or brand new on CD.

Echo reading

Echo reading is a rereading strategy designed to help students develop expressive, fluent reading. In echo reading, the adult or confident reader reads a short segment of text, sometimes a sentence or short paragraph, and the student will echo it back.

To help learners focus on their reading fluency, various aspects of reading aloud have been separated into six key elements. Each aspect works in partnership with the others to produce a rich and vibrant reading performance:

Pitch: The musicality of the reading voice – including tone and intonation.

Power: The strength given to the reading voice – including volume and stress.

Pace: The speed and rhythm at which we read.

Punctuation: The adherence to and understanding of the marks an author has placed upon the page.

Pause: The knowing of when not to read and for how long.

Passion: The emotion of the reading – including empathy and sympathy and the development of a reader’s love for the written word.

Read alternate pages

Try reading a page and then letting them read the next page. Or you take it in turns to read each paragraph. This breaks it down for the children but also helps them keep pace when reading enabling them to follow along wit the story.

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Every child can be a reader - Barrington Stoke

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Immersive Reader, included in OneNote Learning Tools, is a full screen reading experience to increase readability of content in OneNote documents. Learning Tools is designed to support students with dyslexia and dysgraphia in the classroom but can support anyone who wants to make reading on their device easier.

1. To use Immersive Reader in OneNote, open OneNote and select View > Immersive Reader.

2. To listen from a certain point on your page, select that word.

Immersive Reader has several options to make it easier for you to read text from OneNote.

Text options

The Text options menu lets you:

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Parts of speech

Parts of Speech controls grammar highlighting and helps readers understand complex sentences. Learn more: Highlight parts of speech.​​​​​​​

Reading preferences

Voice options

Shortcut keys for Immersive Reader

Use keyboard shortcuts to navigate.

Learn more

Transform speech to text in OneNote

Change text size

Basic tasks in OneNote for Mac

Troubleshooting: Nothing happens when I press play in Immersive Reader

Additional resources for educators

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Immersive Reader, included in OneNote Learning Tools, is a full screen reading experience to increase readability of content in OneNote documents. Learning Tools is designed to support students with dyslexia and dysgraphia in the classroom but can support anyone who wants to make reading on their device easier.

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St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

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This page will give you lots of information about the ADHD Service at St George's Hospital.
Here are some questions that we often get asked by young people: Q. Why am I going to see a nurse or doctor? Q. What will the nurse or doctor ask me? Q. What does having "ADHD" mean? Q. How does medication help? Q. Where can I get more information about ADHD?
One of our service users, Kate, is going to help us answer any questions you may have. Kate was 7 years old when she was diagnosed with ADHD by our team. She has offered to tell you about her experiences.

Q. Why am I going to see a nurse or doctor?

Some children are asked to come to see us by their teachers or parents/carers. These adults might have noticed you are finding it difficult to concentrate at home or school.

The nurses and doctors in our team work with children and their families who may have:

What to expect at the appointment?

The nurses and doctors will ask you and your parent's questions about how you are finding things at school and home.

This will just be a chat and nothing to worry about. There will be no tests. There are toys all around the room that you can play with whilst everyone talks.

What does having "ADHD" and "ADD" mean?

ADHD affects the way your brain works. Having it is a bit like having a "racing car brain".

It means that it can go really, really, really fast.

The problem is, it sometimes goes a bit too fast and the brakes don't work so well.

Children with ADHD might find it hard to pay attention in school because their mind is zipping around all over the place, bursting with new ideas. That is great!
This video shows a helpful way of understanding ADHD:
But sometimes, children might need some help to slow it down so that they can look after their racing-car brain.

Doctors can give children some medicine that can sometimes help with this.

ADD also affects the way your brain works. The difference is that a child with ADD is not as hyperactive as a child with ADHD.

Some children describe it as like getting lost in a big daydream, like being asleep but with your eyes still open.

Daydreaming can be really fun, and some children with ADD have brilliant imaginations. This might be something that children don't notice they are doing.

When this happens, it can be a bit tricky because they might not be paying attention to what is going on around them.

Doctors can give some medicines that can sometimes help with this.

How does medication help?

The doctor or nurse might suggest that you try taking some tablets. This can help you to concentrate and focus better. You might try different ones until you find the right tablet for you.

Here is a video that can help explain how an ADHD brain works and how medication works:
Websites Young Minds Kids Sleeps Doctor Apps Mindshift app Videos Books
ADHD tablets can come in different shapes and sizes. Kate thought it would be funny to give them all characters:

Where can I get more information about ADHD?

If you would like to talk to us more about ADHD then we would be happy to see you. You might also like to check out the links below. There are lots of websites and videos available to help young people understand ADHD. We think these ones are good:

The Survival Guide for Kids with ADHD, by J.F. Taylor

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ADHD Kids Zone - St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

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This page will give you lots of information about the ADHD Service at St George's Hospital. One of our service users, Kate, is going to help us answer any questions you may have. Kate was 7 years old when she was diagnosed with ADHD by our team. She has offered ...

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Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust

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Skip to main content

Autism (also known as autism spectrum disorder or ASD) is a lifelong condition that affects how people communicate and relate to others and how they process information.

An autistic child or young person may see and understand the world differently to their peers and they may have difficulties with friendships or relationships. They may also have specific and passionate interests, can have unusual reactions to sensory input like smells, sensations or sounds, and they may find change or unfamiliar situations difficult.

Parents: How do I request a referral for an autism assessment?

If you feel your child may have autism and you would like a referral, please speak to your GP, health visitor, or other professional involved in your child's care (e.g. paediatrician, speech and language therapist, psychologist). We now have a single point of access for all autism and ADHD referrals, to help us ensure you see the right team. Take a look at this flyer for more information. As part of the referral process we will contact you to complete a questionnaire about your child. We can provide support with this if you need it.

Professionals: How do I request a referral for an autism assessment?

Referring professionals will need to complete the referral front sheet and submit it with a clinic letter outlining the main reasons for referral (see forms and guidance below). GP's should send this via ERS and other external and internal professionals should send referrals direct to Ryegate Appointments (scn-tr.ryegate.appointments@nhs.net). Once received and being processed the single point of access (SPA) will organise the collation of the relevant questionnaires with parents and schools.

The below is a list of the current accepted refers. Please note we do not currently accept referrals from SENCOs, but are looking to do this in the near future.

GPs

Educational and clinical psychologists

Speech and Language Therapists

Community Paeditricians, Neurodisability Consultants and other SCFT Clinicians including Psychologists and CAMHs clinicians

Early Years Teachers

How long is the wait for an assessment following referral?

The members of the assessment team will look at all referrals. If a referral is accepted, we will offer an appointment as soon as possible but unfortunately there is a waiting list. Depending on the pathway your child is waiting on and the impact of Covid, the waiting time will vary. We are always working to reduce waiting times.

What autism support is available?

Across the city there is a wide range of support whether you are waiting for an assessment, have been diagnosed or just think you might value a little more help. In addition, we have a range of information and resources on our website to help you support your child, whether they have been diagnosed with autism or are waiting for an assessment. To find out more about specific areas of support, such as parenting and sleep, visit our resources and support page.

Sheffield Children's Hospital and Sheffield City Council are also working together to contact all families on the waiting list to to have a conversation about the support available to you. If you are interested in the range of support available take a look at this information sheet.

Take a look at our autism mythbuster - read some of the most common myths about autism and find resources to help.

You might also be interested in...

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Autism - Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust

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What is autism? Autism (also known as autism spectrum disorder or ASD) is a lifelong condition that affects how people communicate and relate to others and how they process information. An autistic child or young person may see and understand the world differently to their peers and they may have difficulties with friendships or relationships....

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A definition of autism with an overview of communication, behaviours and interests, and sensory processing differences needed for an autism diagnosis.

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Katie, 11, has cerebral palsy and has always wanted to be a model. She had her dream come true at London Fashion Week (LFW).

The condition affects her leg muscles and makes it difficult to walk.

She has had operations to help her move, but still needs to use a walker sometimes.

It didn't stop her modelling and she walked down the catwalk and had an amazing time.

She has a message for other children with disabilities who want to get into modelling.

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Katie: 11-year-old with cerebral palsy who walked in fashion week

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Katie, 11, has cerebral palsy and has always wanted to be a model. She had her dream come true at London Fashion Week (LFW). The condition affects her leg muscles and makes it difficult to walk. She has had operations to help her move, but still needs to use a walker sometimes.

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People across the globe will be marking World Down Syndrome Day today.

The awareness day was first celebrated in 2006, and has been officially observed by the United Nations since 2012.

It is a day to raise awareness of the genetic condition. This year, the theme of World Down Syndrome Day is: With Us Not For Us.

The theme aims to discourage people from pitying those with Down's Syndrome, and instead to work together with them to create a more equal society.

One of the ways people mark the day is by wearing colourful socks - so if you see somebody out today in colourful socks, this might be why.

Read on to find out more about the condition...

Down's syndrome is a genetic condition which typically affects someone's learning and physical features.

It is not a disease, an illness or a condition that someone can catch.

How does Down's syndrome affect a person?

People who have Down's syndrome have different personalities and abilities to each other, just like anybody else.

Typically, everybody with the condition will experience some level of difficulty learning, so it might take a person with the condition a little longer to process information, carry out a task or learn new skills.

People may also share common physical characteristics (for example, a smaller mouth and one individual line across the palm of their hand), but they will look like their parents just like anybody else.

Individuals with Down's syndrome may be more likely to have some health problems - for example, with their hearing - so children with the condition might go to the doctor a little more often to keep on eye on their health. It can also cause speech problems, so a person might have speech therapy to help with this.

The majority of people with the condition walk and talk, go to ordinary schools, play sport if they wish and lead a fairly typical life.

The Down's Syndrome Association explains: "The level of support that a person with Down's syndrome needs as they grow older will be different from person to person."

How common is Down's syndrome?

About one in every 1,000 babies is born with the condition. There are currently about 60,000 people in the UK with Down's syndrome.

It is a little more likely for a woman to have a child with Down's syndrome if she has a baby when she is older.

It occurs completely by chance in all races, in all countries across the world.

What causes Down's syndrome?

Down's syndrome is a genetic condition, which means it is caused by something in a person's genes.

Our bodies are made up of billions of tiny cells, and each cells contains genes. Genes are grouped together in structures called chromosomes.

Genes contain important information that determine features like our eye colour and whether we are a boy or a girl.

Usually, cells contain 46 chromosomes. But Down's syndrome happens when all or some of the cells in a person's body has 47 chromosomes due to an extra copy of chromosome 21. This is why you might also hear the condition being called trisomy 21.

Professor Jerome Lejeune proved that this is what causes Down's syndrome in 1959.

There are three types of Down's syndrome:

* Trisomy 21 - All the cells have an extra chromosome 21 (most people with Down's syndrome have this type)

* Translocation - The added genetic material on chromosome 21 is attached to another (around 4% have this type)

* Mosaic - Some cells in the body, not all, have an extra chromosome 21 (this is the least common type)

Why is it called Down's syndrome?

Down's syndrome is named after Doctor John Langdon Down who first published information about the condition in 1866.

Since then, we've learned a lot more about the condition.

Are you doing anything to mark World Down Syndrome Day? Let us know in the comments below!

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It's World Down Syndrome Day. Down's syndrome is a genetic condition that can affect someone's learning and physical features. Let us know if you're doing anything to raise awareness!

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Meet Grace, Rupert and Connor, who all have Tourette's Syndrome.

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Robbie suffers from absences where he does not know where he is.

Although they don't last very long, they have the potential to be very dangerous in certain circumstances.

Robbie is very aware of this but takes a risk when doing physical activities that he enjoys like judo, rugby and skiing.

Robbie is very active with his friends who all know about the absences and know what to do to get help.

Robbie's friends believe that the absences do not stop the friendship and don't change Robbie as a person because he is just like any other friend.

Robbie has to take regular medication to prevent them and also attends a group where people with epilepsy come together to talk about their condition.

This clip is from the series Same but Different.

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PSHE KS2: Coping with epilepsy - Robbie's Story

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Robbie suffers from absences where he does not know where he is. Although they don't last very long, they have the potential to be very dangerous in certain circumstances. Robbie is very aware of this but takes a risk when doing physical activities that he enjoys like judo, rugby and skiing.

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She talks about how she feels about the condition and how she finds ways to do things differently.

The youngster has developed interesting ways to identify letters that look similar - she uses touch and feel to help her tell which letter is which.

Sophie talks about the things she enjoys and is good at and how her dyslexia does not affect her whole life but only parts of it.

Friendship is very important and Sophie's friends know her strengths and how to help and support her, building her confidence.

This clip is from the series Same but Different.

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PSHE KS2: Coping with dyslexia - Sophie's Story

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Sophie is a nine year old girl who suffers from dyslexia and struggles with reading and spelling. Relevant for teaching PSHE at KS2 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and 2nd Level in Scotland.

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PSHE KS2: Down’s Syndrome - Alexandra’s Story

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We meet triplet Alexandra who unlike her other two sisters, has Down’s syndrome. Relevant for teaching PSHE at KS2 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and 2nd Level in Scotland.

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He does not want to be treated differently because of his disability and doesn't like it when people are being too nice to him.

The youngster talks about how his friends help to look after him, especially when he is being teased or bullied.

Theo uses Braille to help him read and has some big print and magnified pages to help him to learn.

He has developed his other senses so that he can live as full a life as possible.

This clip is from the series Same but Different.

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Coping with visual impairment - Theo's Story

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Theo is a ten-year-old boy with a visual impairment. He does not want to be treated differently because of his disability and doesn't like it when people are being too nice to him. Relevant for teaching PSHE at KS2 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and 2nd Level in Scotland.

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ARCHIE: My name is Archie, I'm ten years old, and I've got cerebral palsy. Charlie's my twin brother. He's got the same disability as me. We've got a lot of things in common, and we do lots of things together. It affects my legs, because the signal from my brain can't properly get down to the legs, so they're not as strong.

ARCHIE: So... whenever I stand up, my legs feel like jelly. The doctors projected that I would never be able to speak, I would never know my parents, I would never be able to eat, and I would never be able to wheel myself.

ARCHIE: Wheelchair basketball is very good, because it allows me to play with other people that feel the same way, and have the same disability, and we can just play together. Our team is called Lewisham Thunder. Kyle and Deon are two of my friends at basketball.

DEON: My name is Deon and I'm 13 years old.

KYLE: And my name's Kyle and I'm 10. Archie is a good player.

DEON: He likes to defend a lot, but he sometimes attacks.

KYLE: And he's got a brilliant right hand.

DEON: Sometimes people think just because we're in wheelchairs we can't play sports, but that's not it. If we're in wheelchairs we can still play Olympic sports.

ARCHIE: My coach is called Steve. Steve inspires me because, he's on the England team, and he brings a message that you can still do what you want to do.

ARCHIE: I spend half of the time out of my chair, and I crawl when I'm not in my chair.

ARCHIE: My favourite bit of gardening is doing archaeology with Charlie and my dad. Charlie, let's have a competition who can find the most pieces. I can't do things as quick as other people.

ARCHIE'S DAD: Do you want to lie down and have a look? Bet the frogs are probably hiding under those logs there.

ARCHIE: I can't wheel as fast as other people, or I can't... maybe, speak as fast as other people. Well I'm sure I can, but... I can still do exactly the same things, it just takes time.

ARCHIE: That's you! Oh. What a lovely run. I especially like playing FIFA 12, with my brother. Two - nil. I know it's a video game, but... I picture myself... being the player. I picture myself scoring all the goals. Yes! Oh! Being in that West Ham shirt, because it helps. Oh, what a cracking goal. What a cracker.

ARCHIE: In real football obviously there's going to be a disadvantage for me, but in FIFA there's no disadvantage. It helps me with something that I might not be able to do, but I can do in a video game.

ARCHIE: I do not need any help academically. It's only one half of my body that doesn't work. My brain works. I like school, because... it gives me a chance to see my friends. Kai and Hector are good friends. ...yellow thing. Well...

KAI: Oh, he's just ate your head off.

ARCHIE: They help me take my plate. They help me get my coat. They help me around school. They go down in the lift, they go up the lift, and we always play together. Always.

HECTOR: I'm Hector.

HECTOR: And we're friends with Archie.

KAI: Yeah. We really kind of play army games.

HECTOR: And games where we have to hide, and then Archie has to come and find us.

KAI: And we kind of play stunt games. We have to do some stunts.

HECTOR: Like jumping over his wheelchair. We kind of include Archie in everything we play because most of them are quite simple, but fun games.

ARCHIE: Another thing I play at break is table-top cricket. Basically it's cricket played on a table and it's really fun.

ARCHIE: I don't really think it's my place to sort of, tell people what to do. But if I had to send a message it would be, I would like me to be treated with some respect. If you want to push me you've got to ask if you want to push me. If you want to hold the door, then please do but just ask. Or just ask me if you want me to hold the door, because I can.

ARCHIE: I don't think being a wheelchair user makes me different as well. Of course I might look different, but it doesn't make me feel different. I'm just the same but on wheels, that's all I am.

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KS2 PSHE: Archie's Story - Cerebral Palsy

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ARCHIE: My name is Archie, I'm ten years old, and I've got cerebral palsy. Charlie's my twin brother. He's got the same disability as me. We've got a lot of things in common, and we do lots of things together.

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BBC Two - Inside Our Autistic Minds, Chris Packham invites us inside his autistic mind

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Chris Packham helps autistic people reveal what’s really going on inside their minds.

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By Amanda Morin

Some of the biggest names in movies, music, and sports are people who struggled in school with learning and thinking differences. Here are a number of the celebrities who found their passion and overcame their challenges.

Whoopi Goldberg (dyslexia)

Long ago, before Whoopi Goldberg was diagnosed with dyslexia and before she knew how common this learning difference is, kids in school called her "dumb." But her mother told her not to listen to them. Her mom told her she could be anything she wanted to be. Goldberg believed her and grew up to become a comedian and talk-show host - and one of only about a dozen people to have won a Grammy, an Academy Award, an Emmy, and a Tony Award. She says that thinking differently has been a factor in helping her succeed.

Daniel Radcliffe (dyspraxia)

As the star of the Harry Potter movies, actor Daniel Radcliffe can be seen zipping around on his broomstick and saving the day during Quidditch matches. In real life, he has dyspraxia, or developmental coordination disorder (DCD), which can make it difficult for him to tie his shoes. Handwriting also continues to be a challenge. He was 9 when his mother encouraged him to audition for a play. "I was having a hard time in school," he said. His mom thought acting would boost his confidence. She was right!

Steven Spielberg (dyslexia)

Legendary film director Steven Spielberg wasn't diagnosed with dyslexia until he was in his 60s. School administrators thought he was lazy. He was bullied by classmates, and his troubles in school played a part in his career. Not only did making movies give him a place to channel his energies, but feeling like an outsider helped him co-write The Goonies, a hit movie about a quirky group of friends who didn't quite fit in at school. He said finding out as an adult that he has dyslexia was like "the last puzzle piece to a great mystery that I've kept to myself."

Justin Timberlake is many things. He's a singer-songwriter, actor, and entrepreneur. He's also one of the many adults - and musicians - in the U.S. who have ADHD. Early in his career, Timberlake co-starred on Disney's All New Mickey Mouse Club with Ryan Gosling, who as a child was diagnosed with ADHD and was bullied before he became a Mouseketeer and movie star.

Cher is an Academy Award‒winning actress and Grammy-winning singer. But she struggled in school with undiagnosed learning differences. "I couldn't read quickly enough to get all my homework done and for me, math was like trying to understand Sanskrit," she wrote in her autobiography The First Time. "The only way I learned was by listening to the teachers in my classroom." She didn't find out about her dyslexia until years later when she took her child to get evaluated for learning and thinking differences.

Octavia Spencer (dyslexia)

Octavia Spencer has won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for her acting. She's also a children's author who knows what a challenge reading can be for some kids. That's because Spencer has dyslexia. She vividly recalls how scared she was as a child when she had to read aloud in class. "I was paralyzed with fear because I kept inverting words and dropping words," she has said. However, she stresses that dyslexia shouldn't prevent kids from pursuing their dreams. "[It] doesn't really mean that you're not intelligent - it just means that your brain functions differently," she has said.

Former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow has dyslexia. His father and brother do, too. Learning differences can run in families. He was diagnosed in elementary school and found ways to work around his reading difficulties. Tebow is one of many NFL players who have been open about their learning and thinking differences. "It has to do with finding out how you learn," he said. "I'm not somebody that opens a playbook and just turns and reads and reads. So I just made flashcards. I take each one, and then boom, when I'm traveling, I just flip through it. That really helped me. Writing it down, flipping through and quizzing myself, that was a great way for me to do it."

Henry Winkler (dyslexia and math issues)

Keira Knightley (dyslexia)

After Keira Knightley was diagnosed with dyslexia at age 6, she used her love of acting to help motivate her to read. Knightley struck a deal with her parents that if she worked on her reading every day, they would agree to hire her an agent. The Pirates of the Caribbean star made good on her half of the bargain, using movie scripts to practice reading. She went on to become one of Hollywood's highest-earning actresses.

Anderson Cooper (dyslexia)

CNN news anchor Anderson Cooper hasn't let dyslexia stand in the way of his success. He also won't allow his reading issues to stand in the way of his love for books and literature. His own book, Dispatches from the Edge: A Memoir of War, Disasters, and Survival, was on the New York Times best-seller list.

Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has built an empire with his best-selling cookbooks, prime-time TV shows, restaurants, and cookware. He also has dyslexia and said he didn't finish reading his first book until he was 38. " I get bored easily," he said. But the sci-fi sequel to The Hunger Games managed to keep him engaged. "I read Catching Fire. I loved disappearing into a story."

Award-winning TV journalist Lisa Ling struggled in school from the time she was a child all the way through college. She eventually dropped out of college, went on to become a producer, special correspondent and, eventually, an investigative journalist with her own show. While reporting on ADHD, she discovered that her own struggles are because she, too, has ADHD. It was a relief and allowed her to look at herself in a new way. "In a strange way I do feel like it has helped me. I can hyperfocus on things that I am excited and passionate about," she has said.

About the author

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Celebrities With Dyslexia, ADHD, and Dyscalculia

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Some of the biggest names in movies, music, and sports are people who struggled in school with learning and thinking differences. Here are a number of the celebrities who found their passion and overcame their challenges. Whoopi Goldberg (dyslexia) Long ago, before Whoopi Goldberg was diagnosed with dyslexia and before she knew how common this learning difference is, kids in school called her "dumb."

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Dyslexia is a learning difference which primarily affects reading and writing skills.

However it does not only affect these skills. Dyslexia is all about how you process information.

Dyslexic people may have difficulty processing and remembering information they see and hear, which can affect learning.

And when we're almost all stuck at home studying, that can cause huge challenges if not managed in the right way.

"It must be quite overwhelming"

Mollie King is an ambassador for the British Dyslexia Association. She was diagnosed with dyslexia when she was in primary school.

"I was about 9 years old when I got the diagnosis," she says. "Suddenly everything made sense... I now understood why I found my reading so hard compared to my classmates.

"I found homework so hard because I learned through having a conversation and having a teacher talk to me about something."

When you're working at home on your own and not having conversations with friends and teachers that can make learning really tough. And if you have dyslexia, with virtual deadlines, it can be even tougher.

"It must be so overwhelming at points... If someone said to me you've got to read this quicker now all that's going to do is make me read more words in the wrong order... I'm best when I'm most relaxed and have time to process things."

And that's the key to getting a grasp of your dyslexia. Time to process.

Top tips for managing your dyslexia:

Setting the scene - make sure you're in a quiet place and minimise your distractions.

Take a brain break - take time out to help process information into bite size chunks... BUT don't watch TV!

Keep a learning journal - like a scrapbook it will help you keep track of what you've learnt.

Mollie and Donna from the British Dyslexia Association have shared their insights into how best you can handle your dyslexia in lockdown and help you form strategies that will have a positive effect on your learning, whether you are remote-learning or in the classroom.

Dyslexia can be your superpower

Mollie, who's a member of the girl group 'The Saturdays', and now a Radio 1 presenter, says her dyslexia has never held her back - and she's not met anyone who's dyslexic that hasn't had the "fire in their belly" to work hard.

Dyslexia is definitely not something to hold you back, and in some ways can actually be a superpower

She says being dyslexic has only meant she, like many others, have just had to work that bit harder.

Whilst recognising that learning in lockdown must be incredibly challenging if you have a learning difference like dyslexia, identifying and understanding how to manage it can actually make you better equipped to deal with difficult circumstances, like home learning.

And with that determination to succeed it can be your superpower.
How have you been handling your dyslexia in lockdown? Do you have any tips for what's worked for you? Let us know.

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Mollie King on dyslexia: In some ways it's your superpower - CBBC Newsround

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Dyslexia is a learning difference which primarily affects reading and writing skills. However it does not only affect these skills. Dyslexia is all about how you process information. Dyslexic people may have difficulty processing and remembering information they see and hear, which can affect learning.

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ADHD and What I Would Tell #MyYoungerSelf | Michael Phelps

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The list below aims to include solely those that have spoken directly about their ADHD and includes links to sources. It is important to celebrate those who publicly talk about their ADHD.

The information purposely does not include individuals who are rumoured to have ADHD but for whom there is not primary evidence. To help reduce misinformation on those individuals we've listed them here.

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The list below aims to include solely those that have spoken directly about their ADHD and includes links to sources. It is important to celebrate those who publicly talk about their ADHD. The information purposely does not include individuals who are rumoured to have ADHD but for whom there is not primary evidence.

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Join the movement for change

Dyslexic Thinking has transformed the world we live in. It has helped dyslexics to invent things we can't live without, imagine what others couldn't see, and solve problems that others couldn't crack. And now our thinking is vital for the future. Join our global movement to change how the world views and values dyslexia. Together, we can redefine dyslexia - for good!

Tell the world you are Made By Dyslexia

For decades, dyslexics have been expected to 'fit in', measured for the very skills we find challenging. Now, technology is replacing the need for these skills and Dyslexic Thinking skills are the 'in demand' skills in the new world of work. The workforce of today and tomorrow needs Dyslexic Thinking, and dyslexics should no longer be expected to 'fit in' but 'stand out', and focus on our strengths. Share your dyslexic brilliance using our toolkit below, with email signatures, social banners and more.
TOOLKIT

Take the Dyslexic Thinking Test

80% of dyslexics leave school unidentified. Could you be one of them? Take our Dyslexic Thinking Test and see if you have the skills the workplace of today and tomorrow needs.
TAKE THE TEST

D . S P O T

re-defining dyslexia

The D.Spot vodcast series reveals all there is to know about dyslexic thinking... and why the world needs more of it right now.

Made By Dyslexia interviews

Watch these inspiring films featuring successful dyslexics.

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Dyslexic Thinking has transformed the world we live in. It has helped dyslexics to invent things we can't live without, imagine what others couldn't see, and solve problems that others couldn't crack. And now our thinking is vital for the future. Join our global movement to change how the world views and values dyslexia.

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Climate activist Greta Thunberg on why being on the spectrum is her “superpower”

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Disability in Sport ft. Ade Adepitan | Voice Box | Childline

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Dyscalculia is a specific and persistent difficulty in understanding numbers which can lead to a diverse range of difficulties with mathematics. It will be unexpected in relation to age, level of education and experience and occurs across all ages and abilities.

Mathematics difficulties are best thought of as a continuum, not a distinct category, and they have many causal factors. Dyscalculia falls at one end of the spectrum and will be distinguishable from other maths issues due to the severity of difficulties with number sense, including subitising, symbolic and non-symbolic magnitude comparison, and ordering. It can occur singly but often co-occurs with other specific learning difficulties, mathematics anxiety and medical conditions.

(BDA Definition)

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Dyscalculia Day - March 3rd 2023 - British Dyslexia Association

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About 6% of people have dyscalculia. Studies into the causes of dyscalculia are about 30 years behind research into dyslexia. Dyscalculia can affect…

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Until recently, dyscalculia was thought of as being an umbrella term for all maths learning difficulties but since 2019 that is no longer true as we now have a definition of dyscalculia which was developed by the British Dyslexia Association dyscalculia committee and was accepted by SASC (SpLD Assessment Standards Committee) who regulated assessment in 2019.
Find out more about dyscalculia
A full definition of dyscalculia

Dyscalculia is a specific and persistent difficulty in understanding numbers which can lead to a diverse range of difficulties with mathematics. It will be unexpected in relation to age, level of education and experience and occurs across all ages and abilities.

Mathematics difficulties are best thought of as a continuum, not a distinct category, and they have many causal factors. Dyscalculia falls at one end of the spectrum and will be distinguishable from other maths issues due to the severity of difficulties with number sense, including subitising, symbolic and non-symbolic magnitude comparison, and ordering. It can occur singly but often co-occurs with other specific learning difficulties, mathematics anxiety and medical conditions.

What is significant about this definition is that it suggests that maths learning difficulties are a continuum with dyscalculia at the extreme end. In other words, lots of people may have maths learning difficulties which arise from other conditions such as dyslexia where key issues associated with dyslexia, like working memory, difficulties with information retrieval, processing speed, sequencing, will impact on maths learning. Likewise, difficulties with spatial awareness, lateral thinking, and visual perception, which are associated with dyspraxia, will also affect maths learning. And other important issues like maths anxiety, which is a very real condition and causes the brain to freeze, as well as environment and social issues such as school absence, stereotyping, culture, maths curriculum, and methodology of teaching can all impact.

People with dyscalculia may share all the above difficulties, but what makes them distinct is their lack of number sense which is a cognitive function associated with the left parietal sulcus and the frontal lobe. Humans and animals are born with a built-in sense of number for survival purposes.

The issue with the dyscalculia is being able to relate the digits in our numerical system with the magnitude or value of a number - so they have no meaning. In the same way that dyslexics have difficulties with matching sounds with graphemes or letters that directly impact on the development of reading and spelling, people with dyscalculia don't have a sense of number and its relationship with magnitude. They could not automatically answer the question, "Would it be sensible to pay £4000 on a pair of shoes or £48 on a small slice of Tesco cheddar?" The relationship or mapping of that number to its value does not develop naturally. It can of course be learned to some degree with much instruction.

In normal development, a sense of number will evolve so a small child may not know how much a pair of shoes should cost at age 4 but by the time they are 10 they might. Everyone is different of course and issues may be mild or severe. But because it has an aetiology, it can be inherited and run in families.

How can it be informally identified?

All young children start by counting in ones but then they learn to become more efficient and can count on from a given number and step count. They start to know if their answers are way off the mark, they develop a sensible sense of numbers and magnitude.

Children with dyscalculia hang on to immature counting systems - usually in ones - they cannot generalise, i.e. use mathematical information in another context, and basically do not have a sensible sense of what numbers are. They tend to learn by rote and procedure and some even go onto to achieve a GCSE so they can often do a calculation but cannot explain what they are doing. They are often better at algebra and geometry. Their difficulties are exclusive to maths and no other subjects.

Adults with dyscalculia tend to have difficulties with time and money, being able to plan their day with regard to travel times or how long a task should take. They may also struggle with budgets and costs.

How can it be diagnosed?

Guidelines for assessors are clearly outlined by SASC but unfortunately not everyone follows them. A good diagnosis of dyscalculia would include general ability assessment, domain general cognitive assessment such as working memory, processing speed and phonological processing, and domain-specific assessment for dyscalculia i.e. specific tests for number sense, symbolic and non-symbolic magnitude comparisons and fluency. It would also include attainment in numeracy with an error analysis as well as attainment in literacy.

Sometimes only attainment in numeracy without domain specific testing is assessed and this will not give an accurate diagnosis as some people score poorly on maths tests for other reasons and are misdiagnosed as dyscalculic, and sometimes people with dyscalculia score OK on maths tests because they have memorised procedures and are not diagnosed as dyscalculic. All assessors should have an APC (Assessment Practising Certificate). BDA, SASC and Patoss have lists of approved and registered assessors.

How can it be supported in children?

There are very specific ways of establishing a sense of number that include the use of concrete manipulatives such as Cuisenaire Rods, Diene's apparatus, dot patterns, Numicon. The child is taught to visually internalise what a number (rather than a digit) looks and feels like. The child learns to match digits or numerals with visual quantities and learns how numbers can be deconstructed to make other numbers or quantities and reconstructed; in much the same way the children with dyslexia are specifically taught to match letters to sounds and how to deconstruct and reconstruct words from letters and sounds. This takes away the fear of numbers and establishes a sense of what numbers mean. With these basic tools they will never become Einstein in maths, but they will know if they are being over charged and learn to cope in a world of numbers and money.

How can it be supported in adults?

Adults need to develop their own reference points. At a very basic level: a can of coke should not cost more than £1.50 [at the time of writing] right through to interest rates, salaries, pensions etc. They will probably need someone to help them establish these references and they may need to write them down. The main areas of difficulty are estimating traveling times and distances, household budgets, changing recipes, accounts, discounts (percentages), money and what is good value, measurements and using different types of measure, currency and conversions, ordering. The list is almost endless; we use maths every day.

What percentage of the population are dyscalculic?

As the definition is very new, the figures of people who have been properly assessed and diagnosed need to be collated. But it is estimated that about 3% of the population have dyscalculia. However, a great many more have maths learning difficulties. 60% of people with dyslexia for example will have maths learning difficulties. If 10% of the population have dyslexia that is about 5 million people and therefore 3 million have maths learning difficulties from dyslexia alone. A few of those may also have dyscalculia.

Maths anxiety is being increasingly recognised. Many people with dyscalculia have maths anxiety. This is not dissimilar to PTSD where a learned bad memory will trigger a subconscious reaction that closes down the higher thinking brain. Children as young as 6 are now being diagnosed with maths anxiety. We need to look carefully at how we teach maths in schools as apart from children with dyscalculia, all children are born as good mathematicians with a good sense of number.

Find out more about dyscalculia
Check your own numeracy level

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What is dyscalculia and how can it be spotted and supported in children and adults?

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Until recently, dyscalculia was thought of as being an umbrella term for all maths learning difficulties but since 2019 that is no longer true as we now have a definition of dyscalculia which was developed by the British Dyslexia Association dyscalculia committee and was accepted by SASC (SpLD Assessment Standards Committee) who regulated assessment in 2019.

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Dyslexia is a learning difficulty which primarily affects reading and writing skills. However, it does not only affect these skills. Dyslexia is actually about information processing. Dyslexic people may have difficulty processing and remembering information they see and hear, which can affect learning and the acquisition of literacy skills. Dyslexia can also impact on other areas such as organisational skills.

(BDA Definition)

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Buy The Colour Monster by Llenas, Anna (ISBN: 9781787412736) from Amazon’s Book Store. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.

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Ten percent of the population are believed to be dyslexic, but it is still often poorly understood. With the right support, the strengths and talents of dyslexic people can really shine.

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Ten percent of the population are believed to be dyslexic, but it is still often poorly understood.

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What you feel is who you are... Explore a world of emotions with this stunning peep-through picture book. Richard Jones' enchanting illustrations and the lyrical text make each and every feeling come to life to help children understand the emotions they experience. "This little book is a wonderfu...

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Breathing Makes It Better: A Book for Sad Days, Mad Days, Glad Days, and All the Feelings In-Between

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https://www.nhsggc.org.uk/kids/healthcare-professionals/paediatric-occupational-therapy/fizzy-programme/

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Fizzy Programme

The Fizzy and Clever Hands Programme has been developed by therapist in Kent Community NHS Trust.

Beginners (level 1)

Intermediate (level 2)

Advanced (level 3)

The FIZZY and Clever Hands Programmes are recommended by occupational therapy as programmes for schools to use to assist in the development of motor skills for those children who find this challenging.

It can be helpful to use this programme when you are concerned about a child's motor skills. It can help you to establish whether or not a referral to occupational therapy is required or can be used while a child is waiting to be seen by occupational therapy.

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https://www.nhsggc.org.uk/kids/healthcare-professionals/paediatric-occupational-therapy/fizzy-programme/

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Fizzy Programme

The Fizzy and Clever Hands Programme has been developed by therapist in Kent Community NHS Trust.

Beginners (level 1)

Intermediate (level 2)

Advanced (level 3)

The FIZZY and Clever Hands Programmes are recommended by occupational therapy as programmes for schools to use to assist in the development of motor skills for those children who find this challenging.

It can be helpful to use this programme when you are concerned about a child's motor skills. It can help you to establish whether or not a referral to occupational therapy is required or can be used while a child is waiting to be seen by occupational therapy.

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https://help-for-early-years-providers.education.gov.uk/physical-development/gross-motor-skills

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Learn more about gross motor skills as part of the early years foundation stage (EYFS), including advice from experts and suggested activities.

Contents

Why gross motor skills are important

Gross motor skills are the skills that children develop using their whole body. You can see this from a baby's earliest efforts to move and travel, to young children coordinating whole body movements. By using their whole bodies children become increasingly confident, agile and flexible.

All children need to be confident in their gross motor skills and movements. For some children this confidence will come in smaller steps and take longer to achieve. Be patient, giving them time and space, and encouraging words. Take expert advice for children with physical and mobility additional needs. This may increase childrens' development of muscular strength, ability to take well intentioned, safe risks and become increasingly well-coordinated.

Gross motor skills affect wellbeing and give children opportunities to socialise in play. Confidence and coordination in gross motor skills are essential for children in developing their fine motor skills.

Video

In this video, an early years expert explains the importance of gross motor skills in the early years foundation stage framework. There are also some tips on how to support children in this area.

What the EYFS framework says

Gross motor skills provide the foundation for developing healthy bodies and social and emotional well-being.

Statutory framework for the early years foundation stage, page 9.

What this means in practice

Children need access to indoor and outdoor environments that help develop their gross motor skills, with you to guide and support them, every day. Outdoors is where children have the freedom to be as physical as they can be.

Walking to local green spaces can help build children's stamina. If babies and children have to be pushed to a destination, on arrival, give them opportunities to move around on the woodland floor, the grassy area in the park or the pebbly beach.

When considering children's gross motor skills think of crawling, walking, running, jumping, hopping, skipping, creeping and slithering, spinning, turning, twisting, pushing and pulling. Babies need to have daily 'tummy time' to develop their muscles for sitting and crawling.

Older children engage in weight bearing skills and develop upper arm strength, mobility, control and balance. This could be by hanging from climbing equipment or lifting and manipulating large, heavy and awkward objects.

You should notice what children are doing physically and make sure that what they can use indoors and outdoors is challenging enough. You need to know about each child's physical development.

Children need to take safe risks. However, most children will self-regulate and not attempt movements that they are not confident with.

Consider what equipment you have in your setting that support gross motor skills such as den making materials. Try to have a variety of objects children can lift, transport and organise on their own.

Try to help children to be physically active for at least 3 hours each day.

Suggested activities

Moving house

You'll need:

'home' toys like plates and cups

children's furniture that is safe to move like plastic chairs

the furniture and resources in the home area

cardboard boxes and bubble wrap

sticky tape and masking tape

clipboards and pens

an improvised removal van

'Moving House' play supports the development of muscular strength, core strength, whole body coordination and the ability to carry objects safely.

Many children have moved from one home to another. Naturally, they want to roleplay this experience. Children may start 'moving house' themselves, which you can support. Or you may want to start the play.

Children will know where they want to move to. Prompt discussion about the type of home the children are moving from and to, for example a flat or a house? What kind of house?

Suggest that they check that they have a safe route and space to set up. They may need to discuss it with other children and adults.

Start with wrapping things up and putting them in boxes. The children will physically pick up and move the boxes and furniture, either to the new home or into the 'removal van'. They'll need support to ensure they do this safely, but they will want to get it right.

Have clipboards for making lists and checking that all possessions have arrived safely at the new house. These can be mark making or pictures.

Wrapping the smaller objects will help their fine motor skills. Making lists will support literacy. Talking about people living in different types of accommodation links with understanding the world. Roleplaying a significant life event will help them to handle their personal, social and emotional development during a real move.

Obstacle courses

You'll need some items from this list of suggestions:

You can also include fixed climbing equipment, outdoor furniture, paths and natural features, such as tree stumps or fallen branches.

You may observe children finding their own obstacle course with what is already there, travelling in lines, going over, going under and going through. Children may repeat the route, challenging themselves and others.

Get them to help you build a course. They'll try out different parts of the course as it is being built, testing that it works.

Once the obstacle course is constructed children will revisit it. Each time they will become increasingly skilful in negotiating the different spaces, pieces of equipment and the length of the course. They will also speed up and travel faster.

Some parts will feel like more of a risk than others and the children will enjoy this element of challenging themselves.

Children will constantly communicate, non-verbally and verbally as they negotiate the course. They'll instruct each other, expressing their emotions, and encouraging each other (communication and language). There are opportunities for you and the children to use mathematical language, words to describe quantity, size, length, speed, as well as to make comparisons (mathematics).

Other activities

Physical activity guidelines for children under 5 years from the NHS.

Learning through landscapes has ideas for outdoors activities.

What other nurseries and childminders are doing

"Since Covid I have changed my provision so that everything is outside. It is working very well indeed. The children love it and they're thriving in every way."

Julie, Childminder, Ilkley West Yorkshire.

"The children spend a lot of time being adventurous outside. Not everyone has been confident with this, but now we have regular online team meetings and practitioner confidence has blossomed."

Mandy, Naturally Learning, Truro.

"Everyone comes on our walks. One destination is a particular hill in the park. Walking up the hill is a struggle for young children to start with but over time we see them running up."

Julie, Childminder, Ilkley West Yorkshire.

Summary

Gross motor skills are all the skills that children develop using their whole body.

Children's development of gross motor skills affects their learning and development.

Children need access to outdoor areas every day.

Children need to take safe risks and will usually not attempt movements that they're not confident with.

Try to help children to be physically active for at least 3 hours each day.

Next steps

Involve parents and carers by sharing the children's achievements in developing gross motor skills with them.

Observe what the children are doing and notice movements that are more advanced, such as, twisting, slithering.

Consider how your routine and resources enable children to be physically active.

Review your curriculum to ensure you cover the requirements in the EYFS for this area of learning.

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Learn more about gross motor skills as part of the early years foundation stage (EYFS) including advice from experts and suggested activities.

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https://theimaginationtree.com/40-fine-motor-skills-activities-for-kids/

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Here is a collection of 40 fine motor skills activities for young children that are easy to set up and promote a whole range of skills. They're creative, open-ended, appropriate and varied with ideas for practising motor skills through art, sensory play and simple manipulative games, and there are so many to choose from!

One of the most important ways we can help our children while playing with them at home or in a childcare/ classroom setting is through setting up simple activities that help to develop fine motor skills. Young children need to be able to hold and use scissors and pencils appropriately before using them in a classroom context. We cannot expect them to be able to write if they haven't yet developed the strength needed in their hands and fingers.

There are plenty of easy ways to strengthen these muscles, practise co-ordination and develop hand:eye co-ordination using simple, everyday materials and a bit of creative fun! Here are 40 that we have done over the past few years with babies to 5 year olds. There are a million variations you could make from each of these to cater for your own child's particular interests and learning dispositions. Use these as a springboard and pin it for future reference too!

[ Herbal play dough with natural materials to explore]

My personal favourite tool for developing all fine motor skills is the humble ball of homemade play dough. It can be used in SO many ways by adding other combinations of materials to it, and automatically strengthens little hands as they roll, squeeze, twist and build with it. Here is a whole post about the benefits of playing with play dough and a handy guide to starting out with building your own play dough tool kit. Of course, baking with real dough is another wonderful way to play and learn simultaneously!
The many benefits of play dough (and a tool kit)
Other activities we have loved have included exploring sensory play materials, transporting small parts, threading beads, hands-on art projects, cutting and sticking, tearing and scrunching papers, opening and closing fastenings and countless others. Here is a selection of some of those favourites, all of which can be adapted for different age groups and abilities.
Threading with beads onto pipe cleaners Threading, posting and slotting toys for babies and toddlers Poking straws into holes Pasta necklaces Monster play dough Weaving around cardboard Fairy sparkle playdough Pipe cleaners and colanders Beads on spaghetti Hair rollers sticky construction First sewing basket Edible fingerpainting Making marks in fairy dust Decorating play dough eggs Mark making and scooping in lavender sensory salt Building 3D models Sorting and pattern making with shells Patterning with lego Lid posting game Snipping and doodling sticky stained glass windows Whisking up coloured sensory soap Salt dough alphabet modelling Pebble sorting Stacking cups Play dough cupcakes Foam and water window art

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40 Fine Motor Skills Activities - The Imagination Tree

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Here is a collection of 40 fine motor skills activities for young children that are easy to set up and promote a whole range of basic learning skills.

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https://www.understood.org/en/articles/6-fine-motor-activities-for-young-kids

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Play-dough and putty are often used as part of the heavy work component of a sensory diet. They can also help improve a child's fine motor skills. Encourage your child to squeeze, stretch, pinch and roll "snakes" or "worms" with the play clay. You can even have your child try to cut the play-dough with scissors. (Learn how to make three types of sensory-friendly slime, including putty slime.)

Different types of painting can help strengthen your child's hand-eye coordination and manual dexterity. Finger painting gives kids an opportunity to use their hands - and to get messy. Painting with a brush helps kids learn to hold a brush and gain greater control using it as a tool. (Paint-by-number kits are great for brush painting.) To add a little sensory play to the mix, you can even try scratch-and-sniff painting.

A new, clean sponge, some water and two bowls are all you need for another activity to build fine motor skills. Fill a bowl with water and leave the other empty. Your child can soak the sponge in the water and then squeeze out the sponge into the other bowl. It's a simple game that can strengthen hands and forearms. If you cut off a cube of the sponge and have a small chalkboard and some chalk, you can also do a "Wet-Dry-Try" multisensory handwriting activity.

Divide a handful of uncooked rice into two plastic bowls and have an empty bowl handy. Give your child small plastic tweezers and grab a pair for yourself. Then, have a race to see who can be the first to transfer their rice into the empty bowl using the tweezers. If your child is struggling because the grains of rice are too small, you may want to begin with O-shaped cereal or pony beads.

Fill a cup about a quarter full of water. Give your child an empty cup and an eyedropper or a clean medicine syringe. Have your child try to transfer the water from one cup to the other by drawing the water into the dropper or syringe and then dropping or squirting it into the empty cup. You could also give your child more cups, add food coloring to the water, and make this a color-mixing experiment.

6. Gardening and planting

Digging and gardening may seem like activities more suited to building gross motor skills, but there are parts of it that require smaller muscle control, too. For instance, transferring seedlings into a garden requires hand-eye coordination skills to safely carry the smaller plant to the new hole. Your child will also need to be able to grasp a trowel to dig and to use a pincer grasp when picking up seeds to plant.

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Fine motor skills activities can help kids get better at grasping, moving objects and using utensils. Explore fun ways to help young kids improve fine motor skills.

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What if we told you that being dyslexic can foster strengths that can help you excel? Here are several advantages reported by successful dyslexics that may help you along the way.
Nothing affects your chances at succeeding in school like not having the skills to read, spell, and write. This is, unfortunately, what dyslexia is all about. It can be the one impediment to achieving one's goals in work and life. But, what if we told you that being dyslexic can foster strengths that can help you excel? With the right approaches and support, you can turn this challenge around.

Some of the world's great thinkers, entrepreneurs, celebrities, authors, and billionaires happen to be dyslexic (see the Success Stories). But, as we all know, success requires perseverence. A study by Eberli, Peng, and Rice (2021) found that adolescents with dyslexia did not evidence any more creativity than their peers without dyslexia. That said, the authors reported that adults with dyslexia did have an edge over their non-dyslexic counterparts in creativity. This would suggest that, over time, individuals with dyslexia learn how to use their personal strengths to excel. Further research is needed in this area, but for now, read the above stories of successful adults with dyslexia for insight as to how they managed to go the distance. Hopefully, their stories will inspire you. Here are some of the advantages that are reported by successful dyslexics that may help you along the way. Keep in mind that these are based on these people's perceptions.

1. Strong memory for stories: Some individuals with dyslexia recall facts as if reading a good storybook rather than just as a list of random data. Having narrative reasoning on your side may help improve your memory and help integrate contextual information better. Perhaps acting or writing is in your future!

2. Excellent puzzle solving skills: Dyslexics might struggle in the reading department, but when it comes to solving puzzles, many are pros. They accurately identify the right shape and figure out complex problems like no one else can ever do. Rather than being a sequential thinker going from one idea to the next, many dyslexics thrive in environment that allow and foster simultaneous thinking in which ideas are connected via different routes than a straight line. This is why we see so many entrepreneurs with dyslexia.

3. Brilliant spatial reasoning: The scientists at the University of East London found that young dyslexics are excellent at remembering a virtual environment when compared to non-dyslexics. In this regard, many dyslexics succeed in fields like engineering, industrial and graphic design, architecture, as well as construction.

4. Great conversationalists: Reading words might not be their strength, but many dyslexics are quite profound in reading people when interacting with them. They will tell you exactly what the problem is and how you can go about solving it. They are also quite considerate of other people's thoughts.

5. Tremendous empathizers: Many dyslexics are also quite sincere when it comes to their personality. The experiences as a result of the reading and writing challenges can cause them to feel more empathic toward others who may struggle.

6. Wonderfully imaginative: Dyslexics can really envision a fantastic view of the world. They make great use of their imaginations, hence all the artists, actors, and authors with dyslexia. They have a keen sense of curiosity and interest.

7. Abstract thinkers: Just when you thought all hope might have been lost, it turns out that dyslexic people can comprehend abstract ideas. They are good philosophers. They understand things that are not tangible, many of which are innate human qualities, such as bravery, love, and deception.

8. Think outside of the box: It's nice to stick to standards, but if you really wish to go far, you have to think originally, as evidenced by today's entrepreneurs. One of the more advantageous qualities in many dyslexic people is their ability to think outside of the box. They come up with excellent, unorthodox ideas that are not only fresh, but lucrative as well.

9. Critical thinkers: Another trait that some dyslexics possess is their ability to use logical reasoning. They know exactly what the difference in two topics really is and will use critical thinking to solve a problem.

10. Astutely analyze stories told or read to them: Instead of reading, dyslexics can still get ahead by analyzing the stories that are being told or read to them out loud. Although they may have their friends, family, or text-to-speech technology doing the reading for them, because of their strong spoken language comprehension abilities, they understand the plot and the story. Many can keep track of all the characters and plot twists and turns better than some non-dyslexics.

These are only 10 of the traits that can come with being dyslexic. We are sure you have other ideas of what has worked for you. Send your tips to our Facebook page. You never know-your tip may be just the ticket to help someone at a time of need. Success Starts Here!
Jillian Petrova is an experienced educator working with an online academic consultancy. Edited by Joanne M. Pierson, Ph.D, CCC-SLP.

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What if we told you that being dyslexic can foster strengths that can help you excel? Here are several advantages reported by successful dyslexics that may help you along the way. Nothing affects your chances at succeeding in school like not having the skills to read, spell, and write.

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How To Explain Dyslexia To Your Child

Knowing you have dyslexia is a good thing.

How do you explain dyslexia to a child?

Never take away time doing something they enjoy and which gives them confidence.

How to explain dyslexia to a teacher:

Does dyslexia mean someone has special gifts?

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How To Explain Dyslexia To Your Child Knowing you have dyslexia is a good thing. Never take away time doing something they enjoy and which gives them confidence. Does dyslexia mean someone has special gifts?

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Dyslexia is a learning difficulty that lots of people have. It affects about one in ten people in the UK, including adults as well as children.

If somebody has dyslexia, they may have difficulties with their reading, writing or spelling.

It doesn't affect intelligence and it is not a disease or an illness - it is a condition that someone is born with.

The British Dyslexia Association hold an annual event called Dyslexia Week to raise awareness of the condition.

In 2020, the week will run from 5-11 October.

Read on to find out more about dyslexia and also check out our Newsround Special on it here.

Getty Images

What is it like having dyslexia?

Some people learn special techniques to help them to live with dyslexia on their own, whilst others may need special support to help them to do this.

Figures suggest that even though the condition is quite common, there are a lot of people who are living with it without knowing that they've got it. This means that they are 'undiagnosed'.

As with many learning difficulties and conditions, not everybody with dyslexia has the same experience.

Some people might struggle with their reading and writing, while another person with dyslexia might find maths more tricky.

One experience that is quite common is finding it difficult to remember things.

This can affect tasks like going to the shop or remembering what to pack for a particular trip.

People with dyslexia often have good skills in other areas, such as creative thinking and problem solving.

Another way that people with dyslexia might experience the condition is finding that words move about on the page when they try to read.

This can make school work difficult to complete without special help and support.

Radio 1 DJ Mollie King, who has dyslexia, explained: "The prospect of reading out loud in class filled me with dread. It got to the stage where I was so panicked that I'd make up an excuse to leave the room when it was my turn. That's when my teacher suggested I get tested for dyslexia."

When I was diagnosed with dyslexia at the age of 10, it came as a huge relief. I'd been feeling like I was stupid and somehow worse than my classmates, and I didn't understand why. But with the diagnosis, everything clicked into place. I knew I wasn't worse than everyone else - I was just different.

How do you manage dyslexia?

There are lots of different ways that children with dyslexia manage their condition. It also depends on their experience of it and how it affects them.

Some children who struggle to remember things may use a voice recorder to set reminders.

Children who have trouble reading might use a coloured overlay over the top of their text to help them to read.

"Reading through a coloured sheet really helps - the colour that works for me is yellow," explains Mollie. "If I put it over, it means I can read from left to right and it stops the words popping out on the page."

Others may benefit from special learning techniques or personal tutoring.

Dyslexia is caused by differences in the language areas of the brain and the connections between them.

It often runs in families and it can affect people of any age from any country.

Dyslexia can't be cured and people who are born with dyslexia have it all their lives - but it can usually be managed if a person is given the right support.

People with dyslexia can go on to be as successful as somebody without the condition - like successful businessman Sir Richard Branson.

Speaking to BBC Newsbeat, Mollie King has some great advice for anybody who is living with dyslexia.

"You're not alone - it's something to be proud of we shouldn't be embarrassed or ashamed and really focus in on those things you are good at," she said.

"For me it knocked my confidence because I couldn't keep up with the pace they read at [in school]. Focus on those things that you're good at - maybe you're sporty or maybe you're very creative."

Dyslexia isn't something that defeats you. The key is being diagnosed as early as possible. It breaks my heart that there could be people out there struggling through life unnecessarily because they've not been diagnosed, and are still feeling stupid the way I did. The better we all understand dyslexia, the more we can help people who have it to reach their full potential.

Getty Images/BBC

If you watched CBBC's music talent show 'Got What it Takes?' then you may remember Georgie.

Georgie has dyslexia and finds it hard reading things like song lyrics.

"It's something that I've found difficult and people don't always understand what it means to have dyslexia" Georgie said.

Georgie says she didn't wanted 'to make a big deal' out of having dyslexia and says it's just something she has.

But she still finds it hard and and hopes that other kids know that it's ok to struggle sometimes.

"I've had so many supportive messages, it's been amazing and that's why I wanted to talk about having dyslexia, I want other people know it's a completely normal thing."

Georgie isn't alone, she even had a special message from musician Freya Ridings who also has dyslexia.

"It was so amazing to get the message from Freya, she has achieved all the things she's achieved.

"That makes you feel as if nothing can stop you from doing the things you want to do."

And, Georgie said Freya is right: "Dyslexia is a superpower!"

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Dyslexia is a learning difficulty that lots of people have. It affects about one in ten people in the UK, including adults as well as children. If somebody has dyslexia, they may have difficulties with their reading, writing or spelling.

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Home | Adult Dyslexia Centre | Berkshire

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The Adult Dyslexia Centre has been supporting dyslexic adults in the Thames Valley since 2003 from its base in Maidenhead, Berkshire.

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https://www.madebydyslexia.org/

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Please click the link below to go to our online portal for learning plans. If you are having difficulties accessing the site please contact the school office.

Learning plans are reviewed on a 6 week basis and I will update you via the newsletter to check the portal.

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Provision Map is designed and supported by a team of teachers with a combined experience of over 60 years in the classroom. Abigail, our resident SENCO has 20 years experience working in SEN and is always on hand to help with expert advice. We know what it is like to work in a school and our expert team do their very best to support you every step of the way.

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Home - Learning Plans & Provision Map Writer

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Provision Map is designed and supported by a team of teachers with a combined experience of over 60 years in the classroom. Abigail, our resident SENCO has 20 years experience working in SEN and is always on hand to help with expert advice.

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Children Young People and Families Online Resource

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Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) | Children Young People and Families Online Resource

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Our Children and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) works with young people who are experiencing significant, severe and complex difficulties with their mental health.

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Children Young People and Families Online Resource

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Our Occupational Therapy team are pleased to introduce our online workshops. These sessions are designed for parents, carers and those working with children and young people. Our aim is to help you understand the sensory needs that a child or young person may be experiencing. It offers strategies, practical advice and tips on how you can enable a child or young person to manage their sensory needs on a daily basis.

Please see below for more information on the sessions and how to register.

Early Years sensory processing workshop

This sensory processing workshop focuses on how to support younger children (0-5 years). This session can be attended by parents/carers and early years staff/childminders in order to understand a child's needs and how these can be best supported.

School Years sensory processing workshop

This sensory processing workshop focuses on how to support school age children (5-11 years). This session can be attended by parents/carers and school staff supporting a child or young person in order to understand the young person's needs and how these can be best supported.

School Years + sensory processing workshop

This sensory processing workshop focuses on how to support young people (11-19 years). This session can be attended by young people themselves, parents/carers, siblings and educational staff in order to understand the young person's needs and how these can be best supported.

Important information about your personal data

When you visit the link for the training session, Berkshire Healthcare Foundation Trust will use the information you provide for service development purposes. Your email address will only be accessible to those Berkshire Healthcare staff involved in the delivery of the training.

Personal data will be deleted after the webinar, your information will not be shared with any third party and you will not be contacted by Berkshire Healthcare as a result of this training, unless safeguarding concerns arise from the session around your own, or your child's wellbeing. If this is the case, data will be used to escalate appropriately to the safeguarding team.

Cameras and microphones will remain disabled throughout the session, however, please note that if you do not select 'Join as a guest' at the time of the training, your name will be visible to other attendees. Please select 'Join as a guest' when you enter and choose a name unrelated to you.

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Occupational Therapy | Children Young People and Families Online Resource

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Occupational therapy for children up to the age of 19 living in Berkshire

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https://cypf.berkshirehealthcare.nhs.uk/our-services/children-and-young-peoples-integrated-therapies/speech-and-language-therapy/

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Children Young People and Families Online Resource

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Speech and Language Therapy | Children Young People and Families Online Resource

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Speech and language therapy for children and young people up to the age of 19 living in Berkshire

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Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service

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Coronavirus (COVID-19): We are not allowing visitors to any of our hospital or inpatient sites in order to protect our patients and staff who care for them from the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus). This is with effect from Monday 23 March 2020 until further notice.

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Buckinghamshire | Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service

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Coronavirus (COVID-19): We are not allowing visitors to any of our hospital or inpatient sites in order to protect our patients and staff who care for them from the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus). This is with effect from Monday 23 March 2020 until further notice.

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Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust - CYP Website

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The Occupational Therapy Service see children from 0-19 with a Buckinghamshire GP, or a Buckinghamshire Educational Health and Care Plan (EHCP). Children and young people will be seen in clinic or in school setting depending on their needs.

Children and young people fitting our criteria for high or urgent health and social care needs and will be seen for a face to face assessment.

Children and young people requiring postural control advice/equipment who are at risk of developing contractures, respiratory complications or other ill health as a result of not being positioned correctly.

Children with severe developmental delay

Children requiring home equipment to be safe or to enable others to care for them safely

Dysphagia support (postural support/equipment)

Sensory based eating/drinking support if impact on weight/failure to thrive

Post-surgery rehabilitation

Equipment for hospital discharge

Equipment in school setting such as seating or moving and handling equipment.

Sensory behaviours causing significant participation concerns such as school refusal or break down of family/home setting.

Sensory behaviours resulting in harm to self or others.

Assessment for Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD)

Support for Chronic Fatigue

Educational health and care assessments as requested by the local authority.

Children and young people who are on a Chid in need plan/Child Protection plan/LAC/Trauma background and those with significant level of vulnerability within the family will also be considered for face to face assessment.

To make a referral into the service please complete our referral form .

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Occupational Therapy - Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust - CYP Website

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The Occupational Therapy Service see children from 0-19 with a Buckinghamshire GP, or a Buckinghamshire Educational Health and Care Plan (EHCP). Children and young people will be seen in clinic or in school setting depending on their needs.

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Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust - CYP Website

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Parent and carer advice sessions for early years children

We offer 30-minute online or telephone sessions with one of our therapists. The sessions are for parents and carers only. Please do not include your child in this session.

Contact us to request a session using the contact details below. Use the title 'SALT parent/carer early years advice session' in the subject of your email.

Early years settings and school advice sessions for staff

These sessions help staff to support children with speech, language and communication needs within the setting. Our therapist will explain how to write their advice directly into the child's SEND support plan.

You can discuss up to 4 children (for early years) during a 45-minute session which takes places online.

We tailor the advice to individually named children. We'll need parental carer consent before you request a session. We can do anonymous sessions if the parent/carer does not give consent.

Infant Language Link and Speech Link

Infant Language Link and Speech Link assessments and interventions run alongside speech and language therapy school advice sessions.

Infant Language Link is an award winning, evidence based online package. It helps to raise the attainment of all children with speech, language and communication needs across Reception and Key Stage 1.

The standardised assessment identifies 8 key areas of language. It provides:

classroom strategies and resources

targeted interventions

specific supplementary teaching to allow school staff to actively support children.

The Speech Link package helps identify and support children aged 4 to 8 years with developmental speech sound difficulties. Launched in 2003, it helps schools across the UK decide who needs to see a speech and language therapist, as well as those at risk of literacy difficulties.

Speech Link helps support staff work effectively with children's common speech sound errors.

Accessing SpeechLink

Schools have access to the SpeechLink Helpdesk, 0333 577 0784. Or you can email office2@speechlink.co.uk for more information.

How to request an early years setting advice session

To request a session, complete the early years advice session form . Email the form to us using the address below and the title 'SALT Early Years Advice Session' in the subject of your email.

How to request a school advice session

To request a session, complete the schools advice session form . Email the form to us using the address below and the title 'SALT School Advice Session' in the subject of your email.

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Speech and language therapy - Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust - CYP Website

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We offer 30-minute online or telephone sessions with one of our therapists. The sessions are for parents and carers only. Please do not include your child in this session. Contact us to request a session using the contact details below. Use the title 'SALT parent/carer early years advice session' in the subject of your email.

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Slough's Local Offer provides information online about services, support and activities for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) aged 0-25. Slough's Local Offer website has Google Translator to translate and read webpages with customise options to suit individual needs or preferences.

For people who do not have access to internet, Slough's Local Offer information can be found in a number of other ways. The Family Information Service offers a 9am-5pm telephone service on 01753 476589 and we can post or email the required information. You can speak to us at our regular outreach sessions which are held in the community venues such as libraries or schools. The Local Offer can be accessed on line at your local library.

Information on the Local Offer is updated regularly. Please share your feedback on Slough's Local Offer. It is important to help us develop and improve the site.

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Slough's Local Offer provides information online about services, support and activities for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) aged 0-25. Slough's Local Offer website has Google Translator to translate and read webpages with customise options to suit individual needs or preferences.

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This section is for children who live in Buckinghamshire

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Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND Local Offer)

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Our local offer advice and support for children and young people aged 0 to 25 years

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The Special Educational Needs and Disability Information, Advice and Support Service or SENDIAS

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(IPSEA) Independent Provider of Special Education Advice

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(IPSEA) Independent Provider of Special Education Advice

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IPSEA (Independent Provider of Special Education Advice) - helping children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) get the education they are entitled to by law

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All children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) can go to a mainstream education provider.

Read more about the education providers that children and young people with SEND can go to, including:

Parents and carers can also consider home education.

SEND school admissions

Without an EHC plan

If a child or young person does not have an education, health and care (EHC) plan, follow the normal school admissions process when applying for a school place.

Read about school admissions on the Buckinghamshire Council website, including how to:

apply for a school place

find a school place

appeal a school admission decision

With an EHC plan

If a child or young person has an EHC plan, parents, carers and the young person themselves can say which education provider they would like to go to.

They can do this when a new EHC plan is in draft form, or as part of an EHC plan annual review.

The council must consult with education providers before naming them in an EHC plan.

We will name the parents', carers' or young person's preferred education provider in their EHC plan, unless:

the education provider is unsuitable for the age, ability, aptitude or special educational needs of the child or young person

the attendance of the child or young person would be incompatible with the efficient education of others - and there are no reasonable steps the council can take to avoid this - or the efficient use of council resources (paragraph 9.79, SEND Code of Practice: 0 to 25 years)

Moving into Buckinghamshire (in-year application)

If you need to make an in-year application for your child or young person with an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan, use the contact the iSEND Service form.

Mainstream schools

Mainstream schools work with the council to make sure that:

the same level of support is given to all children and young people with SEND

they focus on getting the best results or outcomes for children and young people

When considering a mainstream school, it is important to:

look at the school's website to read the information on SEND (this is usually called the 'SEND information report' or 'SEND inclusion policy')

talk to the school about how they help children and young people with SEND

arrange a visit where possible to have a look around

Use our directory to find mainstream schools in Buckinghamshire, the link to their SEND information report can be found under SEND support (local offer):

Show me local mainstream schools

Changing from a mainstream school

If a parent or carer thinks that a mainstream school is not right for their child and is affecting their progress, they can ask to change schools during an EHC plan annual review.

This also applies to young people with SEND, who think that a mainstream school is not right for them.

Where possible, when making a decision about changing education provider, the council will seek advice from a panel of professionals called the SEND Placement Panel.

Mainstream schools with Additionally Resourced Provision

To help children and young people with SEND who have additional needs get a mainstream education, some schools are commissioned by the council to provide extra support.

Schools with Additionally Resourced Provision (ARP) are experts in particular areas. In Buckinghamshire these include:

speech, language and communication needs

communication and interaction needs (autism)

hearing impairment

physical disability

Use our directory to find schools in Buckinghamshire that offer ARP:

Show me local schools with Additionally Resourced Provision (ARPs)

Pupil Referral Units (PRUs)

Pupil Referral Units (PRUs) are types of school for children who aren't able to attend a mainstream school.

PRUs might be available to children who:

are permanently excluded from a mainstream school, usually for behavioural reasons

are experiencing emotional or behavioural difficulties

are being bullied

missed out on a school place

have been diagnosed with special educational needs (SEN), or in the process of getting a diagnosis

are suffering from an illness which makes mainstream school unsuitable

have a child themselves or are pregnant

Use our directory to find PRUs in Buckinghamshire.

Show me Pupil Referral Units (PRUs)

Special schools

If a parent or carer feels their child with SEND needs more help than a mainstream school can give them, they can consider a special school.

This also applies to young people with SEND, who feel they need more help than a mainstream school can provide.

All children and young people who go to special schools in Buckinghamshire have an EHC plan.

Special schools work with the council to help children and young people with SEND who have high-level needs.

Use our directory to see special schools in Buckinghamshire. You can use our helpful drop-down filters to refine your search by age and special educational needs, which will help you with your decision making.

This list includes Buckinghamshire special maintained schools and academies in Buckinghamshire.

Show me local special schools

Ability range of Buckinghamshire Special Schools

When considering the ability range of the school, the following guidance is useful:

You can use this guide to cross-reference with our school list below, so you are aware of what specialist provision in Buckinghamshire is for.
Average cognition or specific learning difficulties
Chiltern Way Academy must have a primary need of Social, Emotional and Mental Health or Communication and Interaction (Autism).
Moderate learning difficulties Severe learning difficulties or profound and multiple learning difficulties.
Independent schools

There are independent schools in Buckinghamshire, and outside the county, that parents, carers and young people can consider.

For independent schools other than specialist schools, it is likely that parents, carers, or young people will need to pay fees if the costs are deemed not to be an effective use of local authority resources.

In these cases, the council can pay the equivalent they would pay to a local mainstream school as part of EHC plan support.

Independent special schools can be more expensive than maintained special schools and special academies.

The local authority needs to consider requests for independent schools, and decide if they are an efficient use of resources.

This ensures that the council's funds are spent well to provide positive, fair and transparent support for all children and young people with SEND in Buckinghamshire.

Use our directory to see independent schools in Buckinghamshire and Out of County:

Independent special schools and colleges (section 41)

In some cases, parents may think that an independent special school or college is the best option for their child with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Independent special schools and colleges are run privately and don't have to follow the national curriculum. Instead of being funded by the government, independent schools and colleges usually charge fees.

For an independent school or college to be considered for a child or young person with SEND (and named in an EHC plan) it must be on an approved list by the secretary of state for education. This is known as "approved under section 41 of the Children and Families Act".
See independent special schools and colleges approved under section 41
Further education

At the age of 16, young people with SEND can choose between:

staying in mainstream or specialist full-time education

combining work with studying or training

Read more about SEND further education options.

Search our directory to find mainstream colleges in Buckinghamshire and Out of County. You can our filters to narrow your search and find colleges that support young people with SEND:

Show me mainstream colleges

Home education

A parent or carer can educate their child with SEND at home, rather than sending them to an education provider.

This is known as elective home education.

All children have a right to be educated at home, not just those with SEND.

If your child does not have an EHC plan and you want to educate them at home, you must:

tell your child's school, so they can inform the council

contact us if your child is not attending school

We will contact you to talk about the arrangements you are making to educate your child at home.

We will also put you in contact with an elective home education support worker, who will arrange a home visit to discuss your plans.

If your child has an EHC plan, you must:

tell your child's school, so they can inform the council

contact us if your child is not attending school

We will then arrange a review of your child's EHC plan.

After the review, your child's EHC plan will be updated with any changes, including the place where they will be educated.

We will continue to review the EHC plan annually.

EOTAS

EOTAS stands for Education Otherwise Than At School. It is a form of education funded by the local authority for those children or young people for whom school or college is not appropriate. It is likely that an EHC Plan is in place, but this is not a certainty.
Find out more about EOTAS

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All children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) can go to a mainstream education provider. Read more about the education providers that children and young people with SEND can go to, including: Parents and carers can also consider home education.

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Dyscalculia is a specific and persistent difficulty in understanding numbers which can lead to a diverse range of difficulties with mathematics. It will be unexpected in relation to age, level of education and experience and occurs across all ages and abilities.

Mathematics difficulties are best thought of as a continuum, not a distinct category, and they have many causal factors. Dyscalculia falls at one end of the spectrum and will be distinguishable from other maths issues due to the severity of difficulties with number sense, including subitising, symbolic and non-symbolic magnitude comparison, and ordering. It can occur singly but often co-occurs with other specific learning difficulties, mathematics anxiety and medical conditions.

(BDA Definition)

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Dyscalculia - British Dyslexia Association

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What is Dyscalculia? Dyscalculia is a specific and persistent difficulty in understanding numbers which can lead to a diverse range of difficulties with...