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This short film aims to give children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities information about the Local Offer.

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Walsall Council provides a Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Local Offer that offers information to children and young people, and their families, about issues that may affect them and services that they may find use.

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Description of Walsall Families Information Service

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From the QMGS website under policies.

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Dyslexia, Dyslexia traits and Dyspraxia.

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Social Emotional Mental Health and Well Being

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Also known as DCD

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Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

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Also known as ASD or ASC

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You will find more information on the wide range of services that are available to support all areas of your child or young person’s life.  This includes support with education, physical and mental health, social care, leisure activities and moving towards independence and adulthood.

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Here you will find help, advice and information about the services available for your child or young person from birth to 25 years with a Special Educational Need or Disability (SEND).

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Local Offer Birmingham | SEND Advice, support and Information

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Advice and information about the support and services available in Birmingham for your child or young person with a Special Educational Need or Disability (SEND)

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Visual and Hearing Impairments

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Autism West Midlands | Supporting the Autistic Community

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We use our passion and expertise to enrich the lives of people on the autism spectrum and those who care for them.

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Whole School SEND YouTube channel. Part of their Condition specific videos.

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Independent Provider of Special Education Advice (known as IPSEA) is a registered charity 

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Independent Provider of Special Education Advice (known as IPSEA) is a registered charity 

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IPSEA offers free and independent legally based information, advice and support to help get the right education for children and young people with all kinds of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). We also provide training on the SEND legal framework to parents and carers, professionals and other organisations.

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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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The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information Advice and Support Services offer information, advice and support for parents and carers of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). This service is also offered directly to young people.

The service is free, impartial and confidential.

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About SENDIASS SENDIASS stands for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information Advice and Support Service. It's a free, impartial, and confidential service offering information to young people with special educational...

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Guidance on the special educational needs and disability (SEND) system for children and young people aged 0 to 25, from 1 September 2014

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Guidance on the special educational needs and disability (SEND) system for children and young people aged 0 to 25, from 1 September 2014.

Applies to England

Documents

Details

This statutory code contains:

details of legal requirements that you must follow without exception

statutory guidance that you must follow by law unless there's a good reason not to

It explains the duties of local authorities, health bodies, schools and colleges to provide for those with special educational needs under part 3 of the Children and Families Act 2014.

The code, which applies to England, is for:

headteachers and principals

governing bodies

school and college staff

special educational needs (SEN) co-ordinators

early years providers

other education settings

local authorities

health and social services staff

Other SEND guides are also available.

Thank you for your feedback

Report a problem with this page

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Guidance on the special educational needs and disability (SEND) system for children and young people aged 0 to 25, from 1 September 2014.

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This site was created for young people, carers and professionals to pool together lots of helpful resources from across the internet that are available to help support your mental health and well-being.

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Is this your domain?Connect it to your Wix website in just a few easy steps:

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Your online mental wellbeing community

Free, safe and anonymous support

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Kooth is your online mental wellbeing community. Access free, safe and anonymous

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The ADHD Foundation Neurodiversity Charity is an integrated health and education service offering a unique lifespan – strength based service, for the 1 in 5 people who live with ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Dyscalculia and Tourette’s syndrome.

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© 2020 ADHD Foundation Registered Charity Number 1120898 (England and Wales) 3rd Floor, 54 St James Street, Liverpool L1 0AB

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To help with achieving this vision the Local Authority has produced, as required by law, a 'Local Offer' which sets out the support they expect to be available for children and young people in Sandwell with special educational needs and disabilities.

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For children, young people and families with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)

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Helping you support autistic children and young people since 2007

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Since 2016, this group of young people, ages 15-25, have shared their voices and lived experiences to steer, influence and advise the work we do. As well as advising on AET materials and strategy, Panel members speak at events, co-deliver training and support autism education networks.

Find out how this group of young people are supporting, co-producing and advising the AET.

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Helping you support autistic children and young people since 2007

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We are the UK's leading charity for people on the autism spectrum and their families. Since 1962, we have been providing support, guidance and advice, as well as campaigning for improved rights, services and opportunities to help create a society that works for autistic people.

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We are the UKs leading charity for autistic people and their families. Since 1962, we have been providing support, guidance and advice, as well as campaigning for improved rights, services and opportunities to help create a society that works for autistic people.

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We support parents and carers to navigate the journey of SEN with our resources and supportive team who are always on hand to help you and your family.

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Going for gold

It is impossible to measure the pride we have in the amazing achievements of our children and young people. With the support and commitment of their families and our staff, we see endless stories of success.

One such example is Kieron's story, an ex-pupil of our Lakeside School. In this short video, his mum and a member of the school's staff talk warmly about Kieron's journey and how he is now focused on making it to the 2024 Olympic Games.

He's a champion already in our eyes!

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SEN Advice for Parents & Carers of SEN Children - Witherslack Group

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It is impossible to measure the pride we have in the amazing achievements of our children and young people. With the support and commitment of their families and our staff, we see endless stories of success. One such example is Kieron's story, an ex-pupil of our Lakeside School.

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Walsall Children's Speech and Language Therapy service works collaboratively with families, education, social care, private, voluntary and independent sector, children centres and other health providers, adhering to jointly agreed protocols.

The services works with a range of people who have difficulties in the following areas:

Speech/pronunciation

Language development - understanding and use

Social communication

Dysphagia (swallowing difficulties)

Dysfluency

Voice disorders

Alternative and augmentative communication users

Hearing impairment

Cleft palate

To provide training to families and other professionals to increase their skills to manage difficulties and enhance communication.

The service operates from a range of school, community clinics, children's centres and resource centres across Walsall.

Training

Walsall speech and Language Therapy are able to offer a range of training on how to support children and their communication and swallowing needs. Please also look at our 'Traded Services' leaflet for more detail around what training packages we can offer.

For further information on the courses we offer please contact the team on walsall.slt@nhs.net.

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Speech and Language Therapy (Children) Walsall Children's Speech and Language Therapy service works collaboratively with families, education, social care, private, voluntary and independent sector, children centres and other health providers, adhering to jointly agreed protocols.The services works with a range of people who have difficulties in the following areas: Speech/pronunciation

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SEND (special educational needs and disabilities) resources, activities and support to help you and your family during lockdown.

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SEND (special educational needs and disabilities) resources, activities and support to help parents support their family.

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The British Dyslexia Association (BDA) has been the voice of dyslexic people since 1972. We are a membership organisation working to achieve a dyslexia-friendly society for all.

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

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

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A boy called Leo made a film about his ADHD

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A boy called Leo made a film about his ADHD

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Leo makes a film at school about his ADHD

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What IS ADHD, anyway? And how do you EXPLAIN it to people? We teamed up with the ADHD tribe to bring you simple explanations of the most common ADHD challenges, with metaphors submitted by the community and animated by Edward! Enjoy!

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16% of autistic people and their families think the public understand autism in a meaningful way.

We want to change this and create a society that works for autistic people, and with your help, we can. Share our new film, ‘What is autism?’ this #AutismAwarenessWeek, narrated by our ambassador, Alan Gardner.

Visit www.autism/org.uk to learn more about autism.

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Immersive Reader is part of the Learning Tools included in Microsoft Office 365 and Office 2016 applications. How to find Immersive reader in popular apps like OneNote Online, 2016 and iOS iPad, and  Word Online.

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Immersive Reader - Great free reading tool for Dyslexic / SEND / EAL Students in Office 365

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Celebrities including Sir Richard Branson, Keira Knightley, Orlando Bloom and Maggie Aderin-Pocock join expert teachers from two world leading dyslexia schools to share their wisdom and expertise in these inspirational Dyslexia Awareness Training films produced by Made By Dyslexia.

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Dyslexia Awareness Part 1: Module 1 - About Dyslexia

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The Dyslexia-SpLD Trust continues to recruit Parent Champions across the UK to spread the word about support available from the dyslexia sector.

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What is dyslexia? - Kelli Sandman-Hurley

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What is dyslexia? - Kelli Sandman-Hurley

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TED talk - Dyslexia affects up to 1 in 5 people, but the experience of dyslexia isn't always the same. This difficulty in processing language exists along a spectrum -- one that doesn't necessarily fit with labels like "normal" and "defective." Kelli Sandman-Hurley urges us to think again about dyslexic brain function and to celebrate the neurodiversity of the human brain.

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What is dyslexia? - Kelli Sandman-Hurley

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Specific Learning Difficulties affect the way information is learned and processed. They are neurological (rather than psychological), usually run in families and occur independently of intelligence.

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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.

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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...

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We provide advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem. We campaign to improve services, raise awareness and promote understanding.

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We’re the UK’s leading charity fighting for children and young people's mental health.

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YoungMinds | Mental Health Charity For Children And Young People

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YoungMinds are a mental health charity for children, young people and their parents, making sure all young people can get the mental health support they need.

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Our vision is a world where children and families are supported effectively to build on their strengths and to achieve their goals in life.

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Our use of cookies

We use necessary cookies to make our site work. We'd also like to set optional analytics to help us improve it. We won't set optional cookies unless you enable them. Using this tool will set a cookie on your device to remember your preferences.

For more detailed information about the cookies we use, see our Cookies page

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Necessary cookies enable core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility. You may disable these by changing your browser settings, but this may affect how the website functions.

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About Us | Who We Are and What we do at The Anna Freud Centre

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MindEd for Families – children and teens

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MindEd for Families – children and teens

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Are you a parent or carer who is concerned about the mental health of your child or teenager? Do you just want some hints and tips on parenting? MindEd for Families has advice and information from trusted experts and will help you to understand what problems occur, what you can do to best support your family, and how to take care of yourself. MindEd for Families is written by a team of specialists and parents, working together. You do not need to register to use these resources.

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Movement Matters is the UK umbrella organisation representing the major national groups concerned with children and adults with coordination difficulties, a condition called Developmental Coordination Disorder (or DCD) and sometimes referred to as ‘dyspraxia’.

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Movement Matters UK

Movement Matters is the UK umbrella organisation representing the major national groups concerned with children and adults with coordination difficulties, a condition called Developmental Coordination Disorder (or DCD) and sometimes referred to as 'dyspraxia'.

Movement Matters was formed early in 2011 to act as an umbrella group to bring together the key bodies involved in Developmental Coordination Disorder/Dyspraxia in the UK.

This includes DCD-UK, the Dyspraxia Foundation, and the National Handwriting Association.

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Developemental Coordination Disorder, DCD, Dyspraxia, ADHD SPLD, support and information, Movement Matters

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Movement Matters is the UK umbrella organisation representing the major national groups concerned with children and adults with coordination difficulties, a condition called Developmental Coordination Disorder (or DCD) and sometimes referred to as 'dyspraxia'. Movement Matters was formed early in 2011 to act as an umbrella group to bring together the key bodies involved in Developmental Coordination Disorder/Dyspraxia in the UK.

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Read about occupational therapy, which provides support to people whose health prevents them doing the activities that matter to them.

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Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB)

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Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB)

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One of the UK’s leading sight loss charities and the largest community of blind and partially sighted people.

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This page outlines the professionals and guidelines supporting your child in schools across the UK and gives access to the relevant legislation in your country.

An overview of the support process, who to contact and how to get started is covered in our section Getting the Right Support and you may want to read What to look for when Choosing a School.

If your child has complex needs, please also visit: Thinking about school - children with complex needs.

Professionals

A number of professionals will be supporting your child and ensuring their access to education. The key specialist professionals who you'll be communicating with are below:

Learning Support Assistants support a child who has disabilities in the education setting and may also adapt learning materials outside of lesson time.

SENCos / ALNCos / ASN teachers are members of staff at the education setting who is responsible for coordinating the support for children with disabilities.

QTVIs are education specialists who will visit the education setting to make an assessment of your child and will make recommendations for your child's access and support. They will provide education support until the age of 25 or until your child leaves education.

Habilitation specialists (RQHS) will support your child with learning mobility and independence skills.

Accessing the curriculum

We have a large amount of guidance, resources and training for teachers, teaching assistants and QTVIs about how to make the curriculum accessible for children and young people with vision impairment. Visit our Education Professionals section for full details.

You can also use our Education Policy Statements to help you with specific types of support such as deployment of teaching assistants or accessible formats for exams.

You may find that the justifications for some of your child's needs come more easily than others. Make a note of any way in which they're struggling to access their work in a diary and each time it happens, and you'll have a good idea of what needs addressing at each review meeting. Equally, make a note of anything that's working really well to give credit where it's due and define a solid, positive base from which to build further plans.

Country-specific guidance

England

Children with a vision impairment will often be given support plans in school, coordinated by their school's SENCo and reviewed once per year.

There is a separate statutory organisation in each Local Authority called the Information, Advice, and Support Service (IASS) which may be able to help you with area specific education advice. These can usually be found by searching for "IASS" plus the name of your Local Authority on any internet search engine.

Education, Health and Care Plans (ECHPs)

EHCPs are legally binding support plans that may be given to those with severe or multiple needs. Your QTVI will let you know whether or not your child may be eligible for an EHCP.

The EHCP will cover all areas of life. Parents and young people can have control of a personal budget to buy support detailed in the EHCP which could cover training and support for developing independent living skills (habilitation and mobility), therapeutic treatments, specialist equipment and training, and support workers.

You, your child, your child's school, and the QTVI all need to agree on the EHCP before support can be put in place, reviewing plans annually.

SEN guides

Read our updated England SEN guide that looks at the processes around ensuring a child with special educational needs gets the appropriate support.

Legislation

Wales

Children with Additional Learning Needs (ALN) are supported by the ALN framework, which was introduced on 1 September 2021. Statements and Individual Education Plans will be phased out by Summer 2024. Those receiving support in education for the first time after 1 September 2021 will come under the ALN framework and may have an Independent Development Plan (IDP). Those receiving support before 1 September 2021 will continue with previous arrangements until they are transferred to an IDP.

Independent Developments Plan (IDP)

An IDP is a statutory plan maintained by a school or local authority that sets out a description of an individual's ALN, the additional learning provision (ALP) in place to account for their needs, and other associated information. IDPs are flexible and will vary and change depending on the needs of the learner.

SNAP Cymru provide information, advice and support for parents, children and young people who have, or may have, special educational needs or disabilities, and may be able to help with specific questions or concerns: Home - SNAP Cymru.

There is a FAQ on the ALN system available on the government website: The additional learning needs transformation programme: frequently asked questions.

Legislation

Scotland

Your child should be provided with the support they require according to their individual needs. If your child is identified as having a vision impairment then, with your permission, the Local Authority will be notified by your ophthalmologist via the Clinical Audit System at point of diagnosis. Your child will be entered on to the Visual Impairment Network for Children and Young People (VINCYP) pathway for support from the Local Authority. Scottish systems refer to Additional Support Needs (ASN).

Child's Plan and Coordinated Support Plan

These are parent-led support documents that will be developed to ensure your child's development in all areas of life. Support will be provided based around these plans and may be involve professionals from the health, social, and education sectors all working together.

The support available to your family is outlined on the VINCYP website.

Legislation

Northern Ireland

The way that education support is provided in Northern Ireland is currently changing. Please get in touch with your family support officer for individual advice and guidance by calling 0303 123 9999 or emailing [email protected] .

The Government's education website outlines the structure of the support that will be available under the New SEN Framework | Department of Education (education-ni.gov.uk).

Legislation

Further support

Our team of regionally based Children, Young People and Family Support Officers are here to help. If you can't find what you're looking for, or you'd like to talk further about any of the above, then please get in touch with us by emailing [email protected] or calling us on 0303 123 9999.

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How your child will be supported in a mainstream school

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This page outlines the professionals and guidelines supporting your child in schools across the UK and gives access to the relevant legislation in your country. An overview of the support process, who to contact and how to get started is covered in our section Getting the Right Support and you may want to read What to look for when Choosing a School.

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What is an Education, Health and Social Care (EHC) plan? (updated 2019)

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This short session is designed to help parents, carers and professionals understand the Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) process.

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Introduction to the Annual Review Process by SENDIASS.

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Introduction to the Annual Review Process by SENDIASS.

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This short session is designed to help parents, carers and professionals understand the Annual Review Process of Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs).

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Introduction to the Annual Review Process

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Better lives for children with crohns and colitis

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Better lives for children with crohns and colitis

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CICRA: better lives for children with crohns and colitis

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We use cookies on our website, some of which are essential for our site to work and some help to improve the performance of our site. Click accept if you agree to all performance related cookies. To learn more about cookies, including how we use them, please view our privacy policy at cicra.org/privacy.

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CICRA: better lives for children with crohns and colitis

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charity supporting children with crohns and colitis, and their families. We lead research into better treatments, support children and families with relevant information, work with health professionals to improve care and give children a voice to increase public understanding of crohns and colitis.

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Help with exams for children and young people with IBD

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Help with exams for children and young people with IBD

# data[].attributes.headline
An Introduction to Acquired Brain Injury.

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An Introduction to Acquired Brain Injury.

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Whole School SEND YouTube channel. Part of their Condition specific videos.

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An Introduction to Acquired Brain Injury

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Common Features of Speech Language and Communication

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Common Features of Speech Language and Communication

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Speech and Language UK: Changing young lives

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Difficulties with speech sounds can include:

Muscles used to create different sounds. This can be due to muscle weakness and may be linked to conditions such as cerebral palsy.

Sending messages from the brain to make different speech sounds. This may sometimes be described as 'dyspraxia'.

Learning and using different sounds to make words. This can be called 'phonological difficulties'.

Phonological difficulties

Some children have difficulty in learning and using sounds in the right places for words.

Usually, most children will be using a full range of speech sounds by the time they are 5 years-old. Some children, however, will have difficulty in developing these skills. Primary-aged children may be experiencing difficulties if they:

Only use a small number of sounds.

Are swapping one sound for another e.g saying 'tat' instead of 'cat'.

Are missing the ends off words.

Have difficulty with vowel sounds e.g. saying 'poor' instead of 'pear' or 'pot' instead of 'pat'.

Have difficulty with long or complicated words like 'banana' or 'aeroplane'.

Good sound skills are needed when learning to talk. They are also important for developing reading and spelling.

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Difficulties with speech sounds can include: Muscles used to create different sounds. This can be due to muscle weakness and may be linked to conditions such as cerebral palsy. Sending messages from the brain to make different speech sounds. This may sometimes be described as 'dyspraxia'. Learning and using different sounds to make words.

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This is What It's Really Like to Have ADHD

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This is What It's Really Like to Have ADHD

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ADHD isn't just one story – it's the stories of thousands of people around the world.  It's the stories of children, of college students, of adult adhd.  It's more than their symptoms: it's the story of their struggles and their successes.

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This is What It's Really Like to Have ADHD

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Keira Knightley OBE - Made By Dyslexia Interview

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Keira Knightley OBE - Made By Dyslexia Interview

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Keira Knightly OBE talks about being Made By Dyslexia.

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Keira Knightley OBE - Made By Dyslexia Interview

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This is often linked with Autism.
Sensory processing issues are difficulties with organizing and responding to information that comes in through the senses. Kids may be oversensitive to sensory input, under sensitive, or both.

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Sensory processing issues are difficulties with organizing and responding to information that comes in through the senses. Kids may be oversensitive to sensory input, undersensitive, or both.

What are sensory processing issues? The term refers to trouble managing information that comes in through the senses. These issues, sometimes called sensory processing disorder or sensory integration disorder, can have a big impact on learning and on everyday life.

This guide can answer basic questions about sensory processing issues. You'll also find expert advice, strategies to use at home, and information on the best supports for your child at school.

Snapshot: What sensory processing issues are

In some people, the brain has trouble organizing and responding to information from the senses. Certain sounds, sights, smells, textures, and tastes can create a feeling of "sensory overload." Bright or flickering lights, loud noises, certain textures of food, and scratchy clothing are just some of the triggers that can make kids feel overwhelmed and upset.

There are two types of sensory processing challenges, and many kids experience a mix of the two. One is oversensitivity (hypersensitivity). This leads to sensory avoiding - kids avoid sensory input because it's too overwhelming. The other is undersensitivity (hyposensitivity). This causes kids to be sensory seeking - they look for more sensory stimulation.

Often, kids with sensory processing issues are oversensitive. They try to avoid sensations they find intolerable.

But some kids seek more sensory input, not less. They may want to touch things and feel physical contact and pressure. They may also be undersensitive to pain and have an unusually high tolerance for it. That's why they may prefer playing rough and not understand if they're hurting someone.

Some kids may be both sensory avoiding and sensory seeking. They may be oversensitive to some sensations, and undersensitive to others. A child's reactions can also change from one day to the next, or even throughout the day, depending on the environment or situation.

Sensory processing issues aren't a specific learning disability. But they can still have a large impact on learning.

Sensory processing issues signs and symptoms

What you or your child's teacher might see depends on two things. The first is the trigger - the sensory input that's overwhelming your child. The second is the type of sensory processing challenge your child has.

Kids who are sensory avoiding may react to a wide range of triggers. These can include loud sounds, uncomfortable clothing, crowded spaces, or certain food smells or textures, among others. Whatever the trigger, the reaction can sometimes be extreme.

Here are some other signs you might see in your child:

Is easily overwhelmed by people and places

Seeks out quiet spots in noisy, crowded environments

Is easily startled by sudden noises

Is bothered by bright light

Refuses to wear itchy or otherwise uncomfortable clothing

Avoids touching people or hugging them

Has a strong reaction to the texture or smell of certain foods

Refuses to try new foods and has a very limited diet of preferred foods

Gets upset about small changes in routine or environment and avoids trying new things

Kids who are undersensitive to sensory input have the opposite situation. They often have a need for movement. And they may seek out input like spicy or sour tastes and physical contact and pressure.

Here are some other signs you might see in your child at different ages:

Constantly touches objects

Plays roughly and takes physical risks

Has a high tolerance for pain

Often squirms and fidgets

Is constantly on the move

Invades other people's personal space

Often gets distracted or feels anxious

Is clumsy and uncoordinated

Keep in mind that kids aren't always one or the other. Some kids may be sensory seeking in certain situations and sensory avoiding in others, depending on how that child is coping or self-regulating at the time. That's why it's so important to observe your child's reactions and to try to anticipate what triggers them.

What can co-occur with sensory processing issues

Sensory processing issues aren't a diagnosis on their own. But they often co-occur with two conditions: ADHD and autism. Kids don't have to have ADHD or autism to have sensory processing issues, however.

Some of the signs of ADHD may look similar to the signs of sensory processing issues. Kids with either of these conditions might need to be in constant motion, for instance. But the reasons would be different.

Possible causes of sensory processing issues

Researchers are looking into biological reasons for these issues. Some research suggests they can be genetic. Researchers are also looking into birth complications and other environmental factors. But so far, there's no known cause of sensory processing issues.

ADHD and autism often co-occur with sensory issues. They don't cause them, however.

How sensory processing issues are diagnosed

Sensory processing issues aren't a formal diagnosis, although they used to be diagnosed as "sensory processing disorder." You might hear a professional evaluator say something like, "Your child has trouble processing sensory information."

There are a few tests professionals can use to identify sensory processing issues. These include Sensory Integration and Praxis Tests (SIPT) and the Sensory Processing Measure (SPM) checklist.

Occupational therapists (OTs) are often qualified to identify and create treatment plans for sensory challenges in kids. Other professionals may be able to identify sensory processing issues, too. These include:

How professionals can help with sensory processing issues

There are no medications for sensory processing issues. But there are professionals who can help your child learn strategies to cope with sensory challenges.

OTs often work with kids with sensory issues. They help kids find ways to be less overwhelmed by sensory input. You may have heard of a treatment known as sensory integration therapy. But more often therapists might create what's called a sensory diet.

This is a tailored plan of physical activities. It helps kids learn to calm themselves and regulate their behavior and emotions. And that makes them more open to learning and socializing.

Here are some things that might be included in a sensory diet:

Jumping jacks

Rolling on a therapy ball

Push-ups

Hopping up and down

Climbing ladders and going down slides

At school, your child might be able to get accommodations through a 504 plan. (If your child has an IEP for another issue, it could include accommodations for sensory issues, too.) The teacher may also give your child informal supports.

Classroom accommodations to help kids with sensory processing issues might include:

Allowing your child to use a fidget

Providing a quiet space or earplugs for noise sensitivity

Telling your child ahead of time about a change in routine

Seating your child away from doors, windows or buzzing lights

Allowing your child to take exercise breaks to self-regulate

How you can help your child with sensory processing issues

It's important to find support for you, too:

Key takeaways

Kids with sensory processing issues can be oversensitive, undersensitive, or both.

Occupational therapists can help kids learn to manage their sensory challenges.

Understanding your child's reactions and triggers is key to helping your child cope.

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Starting secondary school with Special Educational Needs (SEN)

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Starting secondary school with Special Educational Needs (SEN)

This film was recorded before the Covid-19 pandemic.

As a parent or carer of a child with special educational needs, or a child with an educational health & care plan the very idea of moving from primary to secondary school can feel daunting. Here are 5 top tips from an experienced inner city secondary school special educational needs co-ordinator, SENDCo, to help.

1. Create a one page profile about your child noting the difficulties and barriers they face at their primary school, and the strategies that work and that don’t work. This will help the school understand the world of your child quickly, from the people who understand them best, you. Things to consider when pulling it together; what’s currently working well at primary school? Can these strategies be replicated at the secondary school? Situations for your child to avoid, and main concerns about secondary school?

2. Visit the school on a regular school day with, and without, your child. When there, ask as many questions as you like; the school is new to you so don’t feel anything is silly to ask. What do you see are the barriers when you walk around; take notes if you need to.

3. Request a multi-agency meeting that will bring all key adults and agencies connected to the support and care of your child together in one meeting. Any key adult involved with the child would attend this meeting; class teacher, TA, parents, educational psychologist, communication interaction team, speech & language therapist etc. Your current primary SENDCo will be able to co-ordinate this with their secondary school equivalent. Bring along the one page profile, multiple copies if possible, so that it can be shared with everyone, and questions following your visit to the school.

Sample questions to ask:

Where can my child go if they are struggling/anxious/having a meltdown?

What happens at break and lunch time when it is unstructured time?

How can my child get help with reading/spelling/maths/homework?

How will support in assessments work?

Will my child get a Teaching assistant?

4. Ensure you have a named contact at the secondary school and their contact details. This can be the form tutor, SENDCo or head of year. Ask the school which is the best way of contacting them.

5. Consider what needs to be shared with your child:

Transition plan - between the professionals. Lists of multiple individuals and agencies could be overwhelming for the child.

Transition booklet – a go-to guide for the child with named staff and photos of key adults and rooms that they can keep in their bag or locker.

Avoid making your child anxious by saying things like "I don't know how it works, I don't know who to ask". Hopefully with a named contact this shouldn't happen.

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Starting secondary school with Special Educational Needs (SEN)

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SENDCo Trudi Skinner gives advice for parents of SEN children about to start secondary school.

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Everything you'll need as a parent to survive the start of secondary school.

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Starting secondary school - BBC Parents' Toolkit - BBC Bitesize

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Advice for parents who have a child starting secondary school this year, with tips on the emotional and practical sides of the transition.

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Supporting a child moving to secondary school with Dr Radha

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Supporting a child moving to secondary school with Dr Radha

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Dr Radha Modgil gives her advice on how to best prepare your child practically and emotionally for the start of secondary school.

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This film was recorded before the Covid-19 pandemic.
Dr Radha Modgil gives her advice on how to best prepare your child practically and emotionally for the start of secondary school.

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Supporting a child moving to secondary school with Dr Radha

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Dr Radha Modgil advises on how to support children moving to secondary school.

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Parents share their concerns before their child starts secondary school, including forming new friendships, new routines, and being overprotective. The film offers tips that can help you and your child prepare emotionally for these changes.

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This film was recorded before the Covid-19 pandemic.
Parents share their concerns before their child starts secondary school, including forming new friendships, new routines, and being overprotective. The film offers tips that can help you and your child prepare emotionally for these changes.

Tips:

Get your child to make a list of things they like about themselves, making sure they identify the attributes behind those qualities

Don't let your worries become their worries

Don't let them feel unsafe because you are constantly talking about safety

Prepare them for all of the new and fun opportunities that they'll have by talking to them about clubs and activities and encourage them to explore what's available

Increase the independence that you give them over the summer holidays or even their last months at primary school so that the jump to secondary feels natural

Let them know that should they need you, you are there for them and will help them no matter what

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Tips that can help you and your child prepare emotionally.

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Moving up! The transition to Secondary School

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Moving up! The transition to Secondary School

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Moving Up! The transition to secondary school (SUBTITLED)

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Selective Mutism, sometimes called Situational Mutism, is an anxiety-based mental health disorder which usually commences in early childhood. Those with SM speak fluently in some situations but remain consistently silent in others.

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Selective Mutism, sometimes called Situational Mutism, is an anxiety-based mental health disorder which usually commences in early childhood. Those with SM speak fluently in some situations but remain consistently silent in others. They may have a blank expression, or appear 'frozen' when expected to speak.

With early intervention the prognosis for recovery is good, but in some cases it may persist and last right through a child's school life and sometimes even into adulthood. It is important to understand that those with SM want to speak, but find themselves physically unable to do so due to their anxiety.

Communication is crucial, it is a fundamental human right. "
John Bercow,
The Bercow Report

Diagnosis

The essential feature of Selective Mutism is the persistent failure to speak in specific social situations (e.g. at school, with peers and/or the teacher), despite being able to speak in other, more familiar situations. For the diagnosis to be made, the condition has to be sufficiently strong to:

Interfere with the child's education and social and cognitive development.

The duration of the disturbance is at least one month beyond the first month as school.

The failure to speak must not be due to a lack of knowledge of the language.

The condition cannot be better explained by a communication disorder (e.g. stuttering) or:
Any other abnormality.

For unknown reasons, Selective Mutism appears to be more prevalent amongst girls and more cases are reported from migrant and multi-lingual families.

Further help and information

Information on how to get help with Selective Mutism can be found via the link below:
How to get help

Please also see our extensive range of leaflets for parents, teens & adults, and professionals in the Information section:
Information

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Selective Mutism, sometimes called Situational Mutism, is an anxiety-based mental health disorder which usually commences in early childhood. Those with SM speak fluently in some situations but remain consistently silent in others. They may have a blank expression, or appear 'frozen' when expected to speak.

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Tourette Syndrome is an inherited, neurological condition, the key features of which are tics, involuntary and uncontrollable sounds and movements. TS is a complex condition and a large number of people with the condition will also experience co-occurring features and conditions.

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Tourettes Action is a support and research charity working to improve the lives of people living with Tourette Syndrome. Our services include online live-chat and email support, a befriender network, information, webinars, events and resources.

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Leading ADHD experts give real-life answers to questions submitted by ADD adults and parents raising children with attention deficit disorder across a range of topics covering symptoms, school, work, and family life. Download the accompanying slide presentations here: additudemag.com/adhd-expert-webinars-index (look for the episode number).

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Witherslack Group - Special Educational Needs podcast. 

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Witherslack Group - Special Educational Needs podcast. 

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What is bullying?

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Advice for parents and carers to help keep children safe from bullying, wherever it happens.

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We believe that young people with SEND should have equal life chances as they move into adulthood.

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Funded by Department for Education (DfE), we provide expertise and support to local authorities and their partners to embed preparing for adulthood from the earliest years. We work to ensure that young people with SEND achieve paid employment, independent living, housing options, good health, friendships, relationships and community inclusion.

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Giving Everyone Equal Life chances as they move into Adulthood Funded by Department for Education (DfE), we provide expertise and support to local authorities and their partners to embed preparing for adulthood from the earliest years. We work to ensure that young people with SEND achieve paid employment, independent living, housing options, good health, friendships, relationships and community inclusion.

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Rise Above is where you will find interesting and useful stuff from the web and beyond to get us all talking about the things that matter to us. You’ll find inspiring and useful stories, videos, games and advice.

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Rise Above is where you will find interesting and useful stuff from the web and beyond to get us all talking about the things that matter to us. You'll findinspiring and useful stories, videos, games and advice.

There are lots of waysyou can get involved. Sign up and sign in to comment, share your ideas with Team Rise Above or have a say on what we feature on the site.

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Rise Above is where you will find interesting and useful stuff from the web and beyond to get us all talking about the things that matter to us. You'll findinspiring and useful stories, videos, games and advice. There are lots of waysyou can get involved.

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Android Apps for Learners with Dyslexia / Reading and Writing Difficulties

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Android Apps for Learners with Dyslexia / Reading and Writing Difficulties

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Android Apps for Learners with Dyslexia / Reading and Writing Difficulties

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Details
A3 sized PDF poster - revision 1.4, published 2019
Description

After we produced our wheel of iPad Apps for Learners with Dyslexia / Reading and Writing Difficulties, we received regular requests for a similar wheel for tablets and smartphones that use the Android operating system. IPads are used much more frequently than Android devices in schools, but over the past few years some schools have started to allow the use of Android tablets and many parents have been buying them for home use. More educational apps are now available for Android tablets and smartphones. Android apps can also be used on some Chromebooks.

The first version of our Android Apps for Learners with Dyslexia / Reading and Writing Difficulties was created in October 2015. It has been updated regularly since then. Over the past four years it has been downloaded over 10,000 times.

The latest version (1.4) keeps the same broad categories as previous versions, but the following apps have been removed, either because they are no longer available for Android devices, or because other apps proved significantly more useful for people with reading and writing difficulties: Read Me Stories, Easy Text to Speech, KNFB Reader, Dictus and Swype. Six apps have been added: Google Text to Speech, ClaroSpeak, Envision AI, Eye Games Dyslexia, Easy Dyslexia and Dysgraphia Aid, and Mindly. Icons and links for other apps have been updated, as required.

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After we produced our wheel of iPad Apps for Learners with Dyslexia / Reading and Writing Difficulties, we received regular requests for a similar wheel for tablets and smartphones that use the Android operating system. IPads are used much more frequently than Android devices in schools, but over th...

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5 STEP TEACHING ASSISTANT MODEL TO INCREASE STUDENT INDEPENDENCE

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