# data[].attributes.body
A helpful guide for practical adaptive teaching strategies you can employ in your classrooms

# data[].attributes.body
These are currently under review with our board of governors. The website will be updated when they have been ratified.

# data[].attributes.body
Lots of strategies for QFT in the classroom.

# data[].attributes.body
Various methods to support students using assistive technology

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Review of Assistive Technology (Software) Jeff Howson (1)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Written by Dr Rebecca Gordon

Developmental dyslexia (herein referred to as dyslexia) is a neurodevelopmental condition typically attributed to children who demonstrate difficulties with reading and spelling, and where these cannot be explained by broader intellectual difficulties, socioeconomic status, exposure to effective education, or emotional problems ¹.

Reports of the prevalence of dyslexia differ depending on the report source and can range from 5% of to 20% of the population ². One of the reasons for such a broad estimate is the imprecise nature of diagnosis. For example, what is the cut off point for 'poor' reading? How is poor reading defined? Is it relative to the child's peers or their other academic abilities? However, prior to diagnosis is early identification, and this is one of the most challenging obstacles to diagnosing dyslexia. After all, a sought diagnosis is typically prompted by concern from a parent or teacher based on observed behaviours related to reading, writing and spelling.

In this blog, we consider three neuromyths (i.e., misunderstandings) and how they might contribute to a failure to identify those with an increased likelihood of being dyslexic, and prevent understanding of the long-term challenges dyslexic people face. These neuromyths are:

Neuromyth 1: Children with dyslexia experience visual stress and reverse letters and words
Neuromyth 2: Children with dyslexia are right-brain dominant
Neuromyth 3: Dyslexia goes away once children learn to read through remediation

When parents and teachers are unaware of the false nature of these statements, it affects the likelihood of dyslexia being identified early (or at all) and subsequently, unfortunately, often limits the interventions available. We also look at how these neuromyths might lead to poorer outcomes in adulthood.
Neuromyth 1: Children with dyslexia experience visual stress and reverse letters and words
Visual stress describes the sensation of distortions and discomfort when reading. In the past, it was thought to be a cause of dyslexia, and interventions used coloured overlays on text to alleviate this stress. However, research has begun to question the effectiveness of this approach ³. With regard to letter and word reversal, it is true that some dyslexic children make this mistake, but so do their peers. It is a very common developmental phenomenon in emerging literacy skills[1]. There is no evidence that this behaviour is linked to later problems in learning to read or spell. Importantly, children can have dyslexia without ever having experienced visual stress or reversed letters or words.

Visual-based neuromyths related to dyslexia likely evolved from the original description of this condition as "word blindness" ⁴. This was because individuals typically were in the average range for intelligence but could not develop literacy skills (i.e., reading). It was therefore thought that the difficulty must be related to the visual system (see Magnocellular theory of developmental dyslexia ⁵). However, this explanation has long since been dispelled as some behavioural and neuroimaging studies have presented evidence of phonological (i.e., sound-based) differences and anatomical differences in the brains of children with dyslexia compared to non-dyslexic children ⁶. The main issue with these misconceptions is that they can delay or prevent early diagnosis of dyslexia. For example, if letter or word reversal is believed to be a core component of dyslexia, and this behaviour is absent, a child may not be suspected of potentially being dyslexic, and their delayed literacy development may be attributed to general lower intelligence (or even laziness).

Dyslexia manifests in many ways, including being less able to recognise rhyming patterns, difficulty in breaking words into different sounds, and using vague or inexact vocabulary. Observable characteristics of dyslexia may also vary with age. At the early stages of reading, difficulties with decoding individual words may be evident. Later on, comprehension and fluency problems may be more obvious as reading demands increase. In adulthood, difficulties may focus around spelling and written expression. In addition, although difficulties with reading, writing and spelling have been identified as the core features of dyslexia, broader cognitive difficulties affecting, for example, memory, attention, and cognitive control have been found in some children ⁷ and adults ⁸.
Neuromyth 2: Children with dyslexia are right-brain dominant
This idea that some people are left-brained and others are right-brained comes from lateralisation research which used neuroimaging to demonstrate the association of some cognitive skills (e.g., language) with increased neural activity in a specific brain hemisphere (e.g., in the case of language, the left). From this arose the idea that the right side of the brain is more related to spatial and creative abilities. The research evidence, however, is that abilities such as language and creativity are reliant on the integration of both hemispheres. From these misinterpretations, the neuromyth that dyslexic people are right-hemisphere dominant has arisen to "explain" why they have difficulties with reading. Similarly, there is a related neuromyth that people with dyslexia are more creative (again, there is little evidence for this). Although hemisphere-specific cortical activation is a real phenomenon; lateral cognitive responsibility of specific skills such as literacy does not take into account the incredibly complex (and fully integrated) system that is the human brain. In fact, left-brain, right-brain dominance was discredited in the 1980s.

Aside from the obvious problem of expecting dyslexic children to be creative, this neuromyth is an extremely effective mechanism for the development of misguided educational techniques in place of interventions that could actually help children who struggle with reading, writing and spelling. Teaching techniques such as word-sound awareness, orthographic spelling rules and strategies to section words into affixes and roots have been shown to be effective interventions ⁹.
Neuromyth 3: Dyslexia goes away once children learn to read through remediation
This is arguably the neuromyth that has the most detrimental impact on the long-term outcomes for people with dyslexia. As mentioned previously, there is a growing body of evidence that broader cognitive difficulties related to dyslexia affect memory, attention, and executive functioning. Findings from studies with adults and children strongly suggest these difficulties persist long after reading and spelling have been improved by remediation ⁷. That is to say that dyslexia does not just disappear once an individual reaches adulthood. Its effects are lifelong. Studies with dyslexic adults have found increased forgetfulness, daydreaming and problems with planning and structuring written information. Such research indicates that dyslexia is not limited to phonological problems but can present very real challenges in adult life, such as the workplace. Adults with dyslexia have reported increased memory failure and difficulties with time management ⁸. This then affects career progression. For example, overall dyslexic people have to work longer and harder in their workplace to work at an equivalent level to their non-dyslexic peers ¹⁰. Related to this are real concerns about the impact of dyslexia on mental health and self-esteem, particularly due to ongoing stigma and lack of understanding around different ways of thinking. One study found that 85% of adults with dyslexia who had adjustments in higher/further education did not reveal their dyslexia to their employer. The reasons listed included fear of losing their job, discrimination, and being thought stupid ¹¹.

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash
So how can educators support individuals with dyslexia?
A diagnosis of dyslexia requires a clinical assessment. However, we can still be aware of certain behaviours that might have an increased likelihood of a dyslexia diagnosis. There is a growing body of research that suggests differences in cognitive control and attention in the early years (i.e., 3-5 year-olds) might predict reading difficulties in primary school children ¹². When a child reaches school, forgetfulness, difficulties following instructions, time management and attention are all areas of cognition which are typically areas in need of additional support in children with dyslexia. Obviously, it is difficult, if not impossible, to track performance in all these areas as children develop. However, if a child is struggling to acquire skills in literacy, there is benefit in being aware that these other abilities are also implicated in this. Equally important is to move away from the assumption that the absence of letter/word reversal, or advanced creativity, is a sure sign that the child is not dyslexic. It is also important to consider the persistence of dyslexia-related difficulties into adulthood, where external memory aids and time prompts could decrease the likelihood of task failure, and time adjustments and written instructions can reduce cognitive load for adults with dyslexia.
Resources
How to recognise dyslexia symptoms by age: www.healthline.com/health/dyslexia-symptoms-by-age
References
⁵Stein J. (2001). The magnocellular theory of developmental dyslexia. Dyslexia, 7, 12-36.

⁶Dehaene, S. (2009). Reading in the Brain: The Science and Evolution of a Human Invention. New York: Viking

¹⁰McLoughlin, D., Leather, C., & Stringer, P. (2002). The adult dyslexic: Interventions and outcomes (Vol. 14). John Wiley & Sons Incorporated.

[1] This is linked to the requirement to repurpose a part of the brain's visual system to recognise shapes as different letters depending on their direction and orientation (e.g., b, d, q, p), which is in conflict with the brain's usual practice of recognising objects irrespective of which way they are facing.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Written by Dr Rebecca Gordon Developmental dyslexia (herein referred to as dyslexia) is a neurodevelopmental condition typically attributed to children who demonstrate difficulties with reading and spelling, and where these cannot be explained by broader intellectual difficulties, socioeconomic status, exposure to effective education, or emotional problems 1.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Written by Matthew Slocombe

Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition predominantly diagnosed on the basis of differences in social communication and interaction and repetitive and restricted behaviours. Autistic people may experience sensory information differently from non-autistic people. Autism often co-occurs with other diagnoses, especially anxiety.

Autism is one of the most commonly diagnosed neurodevelopmental conditions. In the UK, it is estimated that at least 1-2% of children are diagnosed with autism, with 3-5 more times as many boys diagnosed than girls 1,2,3. However, this difference in diagnosis between boys and girls is thought to be due to a number of factors, such as autistic girls being more adept at 'masking' their traits, rather than a true reflection of differences in prevalence.

Like many characteristics that emerge through development, autistic traits are likely caused by a complex interaction between genetic and environmental factors. Various studies point towards autism being related to various genes. For example, autism is more common in children who have genetic disorders such as Fragile X Syndrome and Down Syndrome, suggesting that genetic factors contribute to autism. Studies of siblings also point towards genetic factors in autism. For example, 5-8% of autistic people's siblings also have autism, rising to 82-92% if the siblings are monozygotic twins - identical twins that share the same genes ⁴. It is important to note that autistic individuals have raised ethical concerns around research which seeks to identify biomarkers for autism, in terms of what the aim of such research is, and the extent to which it actually benefits autistic people. What is clear, however, is that it is currently not well understood how genes and environment interact in the development of autism.

Photo by Peter Burdon on Unsplash

Autism is often described as a spectrum condition which means that there is no one set of autistic-specific traits shared by all autistic people. Rather, autistic people can have different profiles of strengths and challenges across a range of characteristics. How much these traits impact autistic people's lives can also vary considerably. Many individuals diagnosed with autism are not held back in achieving their goals so that autism can be viewed as a difference, but for some children, their experience is of challenges in their development, friendships, and school lives, and in that sense, features of autism are sometimes described as difficulties. A better general understanding of autism can help with communication, which always relies on two people. The following paragraphs are to be understood within this context of diversity.

Autistic people can have difficulties in understanding verbal and non-verbal language. Some autistic people may have good verbal language skills but struggle to interpret the less-obvious meanings in communication, such as meaning conferred by gesture, tone of voice, and non-literal language such as metaphor. Other autistic people can have very limited verbal ability and have pronounced difficulties in communicating their thoughts. Autistic people can also have difficulties in inferring other people's feelings or intentions and in expressing their own emotions. These combined difficulties can make understanding and interacting in the social world challenging for autistic people.

Another common autistic trait relates to behaviours, interests and activities, including intense interests as well as repetitive and restricted behaviours. These can include a desire to keep to routines that they know well. Sometimes, autistic people can struggle with unspoken rules of the world, which can make the world an unpredictable place. By sticking to routines, autistic people are better able to know what is going to happen. Other repetitive behaviours might include hand flapping, rocking or repetitive use of an object like playing with a pen. These kinds of repetitive motor movements can help autistic people to manage stress.

Autistic people may also experience over- (hyper-) and under- (hypo-) sensitivity to different senses such as sound, light, smell, temperature and pain. For example, an autistic person who is sensitive to sound might experience background noises in a classroom as intensely loud and anxiety-inducing. Someone who may be hypo-sensitive to pain may not notice if they have cut or hurt themselves. The same person who might be hypo-sensitive to certain types of pain, might find different types of experiences painful, that other people would not.

Whilst anxiety is itself not a core feature of autism, many autistic people can suffer from anxiety. It is estimated that anxiety affects 40% of autistic individuals and is a common problem for autistic children 5,6. Most people would find managing sensory differences in unaccommodating environments, navigating uncertain situations, and difficulties in understanding social situations stressful.
Common incorrect believes about autism
There are a number of neuromyths related to autism which we discuss in the rest of this blog:

Neuromyth 1: Autistic children do not feel empathy
Neuromyth 2: Autistic children are unable to notice social rejection
Neuromyth 3: Autistic children with autism do not like to be touched
Neuromyth 4: Autism only occurs in boys
Neuromyth 1: Autistic children do not feel empathy
A common misconception is that autistic people do not feel empathy towards other people. This misconception is related to the finding that autistic people may have difficulties picking up on the subtle cues that convey how someone is feeling in some contexts. For example, cross-cultural studies have reported that some autistic people are better at recognising others' emotions that can be generalised to a broad range of contexts (e.g., happy, sad, afraid, angry, disgusted, surprised), compared to complex emotions that are bound to more specific contexts (e.g., interested, bored, excited, worried, disappointed, frustrated, proud, ashamed, kind, unfriendly, joking, hurt) ⁷. Likewise, an autistic person may understand how another person feels in a given context, but they may communicate this understanding differently. For example, it has been argued that autistic people actually are over-aroused by other people's emotions and become too overwhelmed to respond to these and shut down ⁸. Something to bear in mind is that no one empathises with everyone all of the time. Some autistic people may need additional support in understanding others' feelings in certain contexts, or they may need more support in communicating how they think others feel, although neither should be confused with the inability to understand other's feelings.
Neuromyth 2: Autistic children are unable to notice social rejection
Related to the empathy myth, is the misconception that children with autism are unable to notice social rejection. Because autistic people understand and communicate about the social world in a different way to non-autistic people (e.g., they might avoid direct eye contact or want to spend time on their own), it might appear that they are not interested in social relationships. An autistic person might also communicate differently about how they feel in a certain social situation. Whilst autistic people may interact differently in social situations to non-autistic people, as the testimonies of autistic people below highlight, they value friendships, notice social rejection and feel loneliness in a similar way as non-autistic people ⁹.
"Many times, autistics revert to isolation by default rather than preference. It is infinitely easier to back away and not try to be included instead of oafishly stepping in and attempting to convey your intent to be a part. Loneliness is the most predominant side effect of our unique design" "I want to be known as just someone who, uh, someone who works hard and also, someone who likes to be around others" "Learning to make connections with people-much as I desperately wanted to-was a bewildering process, for they kept changing, and I felt like an alien, always about to be exposed"
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
Neuromyth 3: Autistic children do not like to be touched
Different sensory experiences are a key feature in autistic people and many autistic people have sensitive sensory experiences, especially related to touch ¹⁰. Because some autistic people may have difficulty in quickly interpreting the social dynamics of a situation, they may also not see a particular instance of affection or touch as socially relevant. Indeed, a Swedish study has shown that hyper-responsiveness to touch predicts social difficulties in autistic adults ¹¹. However, different autistic people have different sensory profiles, with some individuals showing hyper-sensitivity to touch (i.e., may overreact to a touch stimuli due to hypersensitivity) and some showing hypo-sensitivity to touch (i.e. need more input to respond) ¹². Indeed, interviews with parents of autistic individuals showed large individual differences, with some autistic individuals liking to touch everything and others responding negatively to touch ¹³. However, sensitivity profiles in autism are currently not well understood, and further research in this domain is required ¹⁴.
Neuromyth 4: Autism only occurs in boys
While 3-5 times as many boys are diagnosed with autism than girls, this difference may not be a true indicator of actual prevalence 1,2,3. Because many autistic traits relate to social behaviour, and boys and girls have different social experiences, autistic boys and girls may develop different coping mechanisms. For example, autistic girls may be quieter than boys, or they may be more adept at 'masking' their traits due to societal pressures, both of which can make autistic girls' traits less visible than autistic boys. In addition, there are high levels of non-traditional gender identities in autistic people.
Resources
National Autistic Society: www.autism.org.uk

Autism Education Trust: www.autismeducationtrust.org.uk

NHS: www.nhs.uk/conditions/autism
References
¹ SIGN (2016) Assessment, diagnosis and interventions for autism spectrum disorders. Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network

² National Collaborating Centre for Women's and Children's Health (2017) Autism: recognition, referral and diagnosis of children and young people on the autism spectrum (full NICE guideline). National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

³ American Psychiatric Association (Eds.) (2013) Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: DSM-5. 5th edn. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.

⁴ Park, H.R., Lee, J.M. and Moon, H.E. et al. (2016) A short review on the current understanding of autism spectrum disorders. Experimental Neurobiology 25(1), 1-13.

⁵ White, S.W., Oswald, D., Ollendick, T., Scahill, L. (2009). Anxiety in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders. Clinical Psychology Review. 29 (3), pp. 216-29

⁶ Van Steensel, F. J., Bögels, S. M., Perrin, S. (2011). Anxiety disorders in children and adolescents with autistic spectrum disorders: a meta-analysis. Clinical child and family psychology review, 14(3), pp.302-317

⁷ Fridenson-Hayo, S., Berggren, S., Lassalle, A., Tal, S., Pigat, D., Bölte, S., ... & Golan, O. (2016). Basic and complex emotion recognition in children with autism: cross-cultural findings. Molecular autism, 7(1), 1-11.

⁸Fletcher-Watson, S., & Bird, G. (2020). Autism and empathy: What are the real links? Autism, 24(1), 3-6. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361319883506

⁹ Jaswal, V. K., & Akhtar, N. (2019). Being versus appearing socially uninterested: Challenging assumptions about social motivation in autism. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 42.

¹⁰ Tomcheck, S. D., Dunn, W. (2007). Sensory processing in children with and without autism: A comparative study using the short sensory profile. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 61, 190-200.

¹¹Lundqvist, L. O. (2015). Hyper-responsiveness to touch mediates social dysfunction in adults with autism spectrum disorders. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 9, 13-20. doi: 10.1016/j.rasd.2014.09.012

¹²Güçlü B, Tanidir C, Mukaddes NM, Unal F. Tactile sensitivity of normal and autistic children. Somatosens Mot Res. 2007;24:21-33

¹³Leekam, S. R., Nieto, C., Libby, S. J., Wing, L., & Gould, J. (2007). Describing the sensory abnormalities of children and adults with autism. Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 37(5), 894-910. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-006-0218-7

¹⁴Marco, E. J., Hinkley, L. B., Hill, S. S., & Nagarajan, S. S. (2011). Sensory processing in autism: a review of neurophysiologic findings. Pediatric research, 69(5 Pt 2), 48R-54R. https://doi.org/10.1203/PDR.0b013e3182130c54

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Written by Matthew Slocombe Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition predominantly diagnosed on the basis of differences in social communication and interaction and repetitive and restricted behaviours. Autistic people may experience sensory information differently from non-autistic people. Autism often co-occurs with other diagnoses, especially anxiety. Autism is one of the most commonly diagnosed neurodevelopmental conditions.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Written by Matthew Slocombe

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental condition clinically characterised by impulsivity, hyperactivity and poor attentional control. There are three subtypes of ADHD: predominantly inattentive subtype (who have less hyperactive behaviours), predominantly hyperactive subtype (who have less inattentive behaviours), and combined inattentive and hyperactive subtype.

Children with ADHD can struggle with controlling their attention, organising their thoughts and actions, and regulating their emotions and behaviour. As such, ADHD has implications for children's ability to learn and develop. Children with ADHD are more likely than their peers without ADHD to underachieve in school 1,2 and can have difficulty making friends ³. ADHD is also associated with poorer language skills 4 and higher rates of anxiety and depression 5,6. Whilst ADHD is most commonly characterised by difficulties, the flexible attention associated with ADHD can be beneficial for creative thinking and improvisation ⁷. As with many neurodevelopmental conditions, they are too often solely considered in terms of the difficulties students have as opposed to the strengths that children may also have. This is reflected in the language used, ADHD for example, may characterise children as having both a disorder and a deficit. The ADHD Foundation has, noted it may reduce stigma and improve outcomes to speak in terms of ADHC - attention dysregulation hyperactivity condition.

ADHD is relatively common, although prevalence varies across different countries and can depend on how ADHD is diagnosed. In the UK, it is estimated that approximately 1.7% of children have a diagnosis of ADHD, whereas studies from the US have reported rates of 8.8% ⁸. In terms of the different subtypes, 20% to 30% are diagnosed as predominantly inattentive, approximately 15% as predominantly hyperactive, and 50% to 75% as combined inattentive and hyperactive ⁹.
What causes ADHD to develop?
ADHD is what is known as a neurodevelopmental condition. This means that it emerges from changes in the brain that take place across development via a complex interaction between genes and the environment.

Whilst the current research cannot state for certain the exact causes of ADHD, several different factors are associated with higher rates of ADHD, suggesting that there may be multiple genetic and environmental causes. The latter include exposure to toxins such as cigarette smoke and pollutants, problems during pregnancy, and childhood trauma ¹⁰. ADHD is not caused by parenting style, although severe neglect and abuse are associated with higher rates of ADHD ¹⁰.

For most people who have ADHD, it is unlikely that there is just one genetic or environmental cause. Instead, ADHD is likely to be the result of an interaction between many small causes ¹⁰. How these different causes interact with each other is currently not well known, and the combination of factors that cause ADHD may differ between children.

It is important to note that having genes that are associated with ADHD does not necessarily mean ADHD will develop. A useful analogy here is to think about the construction of your home. Thick walls and poor ventilation can predispose a room to be a warm room. However, the actual temperature of the room depends on environmental factors, such as the outside temperature and whether or not the house has heating. It is the interaction between the room's construction and environmental factors that causes room temperature, in the same way as it is the interaction between genes and environment that can cause ADHD to develop.
What causes ADHD in the brain?
In the brain, ADHD is believed to be caused by difficulties with a function called inhibitory control. Inhibitory control acts like the brain's 'braking system' and plays a vital role in controlling the flow of activity around many different areas in the brain. Similar to how the brakes in a car are important for controlling speed and direction, inhibitory control is important for the coordination and control of our thoughts, attention, motor movements and emotions ¹¹.

One way the brain's inhibitory control system works is by activating plans in an area at the front of the brain called the prefrontal cortex ¹². These plans provide a structure that the brain uses to coordinate which thoughts and actions need to be activated and inhibited at specific times and in particular orders. It is thought that people with ADHD can struggle to keep these plans in the prefrontal cortex active, which causes the disorganised patterns of activation and inhibition in the brain that make controlling attention, action and emotions difficult.

Attention difficulties in ADHD can manifest in different ways. When the brain's braking system struggles to inhibit 'distractions', this can cause difficulties in maintaining attention on one task for a prolonged period; people with ADHD might 'flitter' from one task to another. However, when a particular activity is very rewarding, the brain's braking system can struggle to inhibit carrying on with the rewarding task, causing a behaviour called 'hyperfocus', where it becomes difficult to stop doing one particular task.

When the brain's braking system struggles with controlling thought and action, this can result in being driven by impulse. This can manifest in hyperactive behaviour and saying things without thinking about them first. Differences around control of thought and action can also cause difficulties in organising thinking, movement, language and complex tasks. People with ADHD can have disorganised sentences, difficulties in finding the right words and sentences to express their thoughts ⁶ and can often have poorer motor control ¹³.

Another role of the brain's braking system is to regulate emotions. As children develop, their inhibitory control systems become better at inhibiting activity in parts of the brain involved in emotions ¹⁴. As children with ADHD have difficulty with inhibiting strong emotions, they can become upset or excited very quickly. Poorer emotion regulation is likely to contribute to the higher-than-average rates of anxiety and depression in children and adults with ADHD 5,6.

Photo by Santi Vedrí on Unsplash
Common neuromyths related to ADHD
Neuromyth 1: Children grow out of ADHD
Neuromyth 2: Sugar causes ADHD
Neuromyth 3: ADHD stimulant medication can lead to drug problems later in life
Neuromyth 1: Children grow out of ADHD
Whilst most cases of ADHD are diagnosed between the ages of 6 to 12, many ADHD related difficulties children face can continue into adulthood. ADHD was indeed previously believed to be a condition that only affected children. However, follow-up studies have now shown that 15% of children with ADHD continued to meet the full diagnostic criteria later in adulthood, with a further 50% reporting significant ADHD related difficulties in adulthood 15,16. Whilst ADHD is often a lifelong condition, many learn to develop coping mechanisms for some of the difficulties they may experience as a result of their ADHD or have greater control over the environments they operate in to enable them to lead fulfilling and enjoyable lives.

A balanced diet is necessary to maintain good brain health and cognitive functioning. A common belief that you may have heard is that certain diets can be used as treatments for ADHD. However, the evidence-base for specific ADHD dietary interventions, such as supplements or reducing intake of specific foods or additives, is currently weak and inconclusive ¹⁷. A particularly prevalent belief is that sugar can cause ADHD and that reducing sugar intake may alleviate ADHD symptoms. There is little clear evidence for a causal link between sugar and ADHD. For example, a recent follow-up study of 2924 Brazilian children found that sucrose consumption was associated with ADHD, although only boys and only at age 6. When the same children were followed-up at 11 years old, change in sucrose consumption was not associated with change in ADHD prevalence, as would have been expected if sucrose was a contributing cause of ADHD ¹⁸. So why would there be an association between sucrose and ADHD at age 6? The authors suggest that it may have been ADHD causing higher sugar intake rather than sugar intake causing ADHD.

The above study highlights the complexity in teasing apart the direction of causality in ADHD and sugar. However, the relationship between diet and ADHD is far from well understood. As the causes of ADHD can vary for different children, it may well be the case that certain dietary changes can help some children but not others. This, together with the inconclusive evidence base, highlights the importance of seeking medical advice before considering making any dietary changes. It is important in this consideration that we guard against diagnostic overshadowing, whereby one diagnosis overshadows the possibility of other needs. All children can differ in terms of their responses to different foods, regardless of whether or not they have ADHD. If you do suspect there is an association between specific foods and your child's ADHD symptoms, the advice from the NHS is to first speak to your doctor. They will be able to advise you on whether any dietary modifications may be helpful and may also refer you to a dietitian.
Neuromyth 3: ADHD stimulant medication can lead to drug problems later in life Supporting children with ADHD
Photo by Dose Juice on Unsplash

Treatment for ADHD often involves stimulant medications such as methylphenidate (Ritalin), lisdexamfetamine and dexamfetamine (though some may be prescribed non-stimulant medication). It might seem strange that stimulants can help reduce hyperactivity. However, these types of medication work by stimulating the brain's braking system, and by doing so, help children to concentrate and control impulsive behaviour. Whilst ADHD is associated with higher rates of drug misuse, there is no evidence to suggest that stimulant medication increases the risk of drug misuse ¹⁵. The relationship between ADHD and substance misuse is complex: ADHD traits such as impulsivity and emotional dysregulation may themselves contribute to the association between ADHD and higher rates of substance misuse. However, the evidence on whether treating ADHD with stimulants affects the prevalence of substance misuse is mixed. Some studies have reported that stimulant medication has little effect on the prevalence of substance misuse in people with ADHD, whereas other studies have reported that treating ADHD with stimulants is associated with lower rates of substance misuse. Importantly, there is no evidence to suggest that stimulant medication increases the risk of substance misuse ¹⁹.

A good way of supporting children with ADHD is to understand their unique profile of strengths and needs. Using strengths to support areas of need will be one of the most effective ways of providing support. Whilst all children will be different, a good area to focus on (that will be of value to all children) is support developing their skills around organising thoughts and actions. This support might include providing additional structure to help young people with ADHD maintain plans in their mind, such as visual memory aids, or prompts to remind them of the sequence of activities in a task.
Useful websites https://adhdfoundation.org.uk/ https://www.youngminds.org.uk/ https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder-adhd/ References
Embedding regular routines in the classroom and at home are useful to provide a stable structure that children with ADHD work better within. Unexpected change can be very distracting for people with ADHD, and stable routines can help avoid this source of distractions and/or distress.

Even when external support is provided, children with ADHD can find maintaining their attention on one task challenging. Having ADHD means that it takes a lot of effort to maintain attention even when external supports are provided. They can find it very difficult to sit in one place and concentrate on one task. Varying tasks and providing opportunities for children to be physically active can be helpful to give all children's attention a break. Providing opportunities for children to carry out certain tasks in the classroom, such as handing out books and materials to other children, can help children address any needs around movement or stimulation in ways that may less explcilty draw attention to difficulties a child is experiencing and also support a sense of belonging within the classroom.

¹Fleming, M., Fitton, C. A., Steiner, M. F., McLay, J. S., Clark, D., King, A., ... & Pell, J. P. (2017). Educational and health outcomes of children treated for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. JAMA Paediatrics, 171(7), e170691-e170691.

²Breslau, J., Miller, E., Chung, W. J. J., & Schweitzer, J. B. (2011). Childhood and adolescent onset psychiatric disorders, substance use, and failure to graduate high school on time. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 45(3), 295-301.

³Ros, R., & Graziano, P. A. (2018). Social functioning in children with or at risk for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder: A meta-analytic review. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psycholog y, 47(2), 213-235.

⁴Korrel, H., Mueller, K. L., Silk, T., Anderson, V., & Sciberras, E. (2017). Research Review: Language problems in children with Attention‐Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder-a systematic meta‐analytic review. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 58(6), 640-654.

⁵Tannock, R. (2009). ADHD with anxiety disorders. In T. E. Brown (Ed.), ADHD comorbidities: Handbook for ADHD complications in children and adults (pp. 131-155). American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc..

⁶Brunsvold, G. L., Oepen, G., Federman, E. J., & Akins, R. (2008). Comorbid depression and ADHD in children and adolescents: consensus and controversy. Psychiatric Times, 25(10), 13-13.

⁷Hoogman, M., Stolte, M., Baas, M., & Kroesbergen, E. (2020). Creativity and ADHD: A review of behavioral studies, the effect of psychostimulants and neural underpinnings. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews.

⁸Verkuijl, N., Perkins, M., & Fazel, M. (2015). Childhood attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. British Medical Journal, 350.

⁹ National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. (2021, January). Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: How common is it? https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder/background-information/prevalence/

¹⁰Faraone, S. V., Banaschewski, T., Coghill, D., Zheng, Y., Biederman, J., Bellgrove, M. A., ... & Wang, Y. (2021). The world federation of ADHD international consensus statement: 208 evidence-based conclusions about the disorder. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews.

¹¹ Diamond, A. (2013). Executive functions. Annual review of psychology, 64, 135-168.

¹²Munakata, Y., Herd, S. A., Chatham, C. H., Depue, B. E., Banich, M. T., & O'Reilly, R. C. (2011). A unified framework for inhibitory control. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 15(10), 453-459.

¹³Kaiser, M. L., Schoemaker, M. M., Albaret, J. M., & Geuze, R. H. (2015). What is the evidence of impaired motor skills and motor control among children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)? Systematic review of the literature. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 36, 338-357.

¹⁴Pitskel, N. B., Bolling, D. Z., Kaiser, M. D., Crowley, M. J., & Pelphrey, K. A. (2011). How grossed out are you? The neural bases of emotion regulation from childhood to adolescence. Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, 1(3), 324-337.

¹⁵Young, S., & Gudjonsson, G. H. (2008). Growing out of ADHD: the relationship between functioning and symptoms. Journal of Attention Disorders, 12(2), 162-169.

¹⁶Faraone, S. V., Biederman, J., & Mick, E. (2006). The age-dependent decline of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a meta-analysis of follow-up studies. Psychological Medicine, 36(2), 159-165.

¹⁷ National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2016). Addendum to Clinical Guideline 72, Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng87/evidence/dietary-interventions-pdf-4844210798″

¹⁸Del-Ponte, B., Anselmi, L., Assunção, M. C. F., Tovo-Rodrigues, L., Munhoz, T. N., Matijasevich, A., ... & Santos, I. S. (2019). Sugar consumption and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): a birth cohort study. Journal of Affective Disorders, 243, 290-296.

¹⁹Zulauf, C. A., Sprich, S. E., Safren, S. A., & Wilens, T. E. (2014). The complicated relationship between attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and substance use disorders. Current Psychiatry Reports, 16(3), 436.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
NeuroSENse - Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Written by Matthew Slocombe Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental condition clinically characterised by impulsivity, hyperactivity and poor attentional control. There are three subtypes of ADHD: predominantly inattentive subtype (who have less hyperactive behaviours), predominantly hyperactive subtype (who have less inattentive behaviours), and combined inattentive and hyperactive subtype.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Patoss training and events are one of the biggest reasons to join and are available to a variety of member types.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
As part of our ongoing commitment to raise awareness of dyslexia and specific learning difficulties, the British Dyslexia Association has a comprehensive training programme. We deliver our expert training in a number of formats so that you can find a session to suit your needs, whether you are an organisation aiming to raise dyslexia awareness among your workforce or a dyslexia professional looking to gain a Level 7 accreditation and everything in between.

Live Virtual Training

We provide a rolling programme of free live information webinars to members of the public to raise awareness about supporting individuals with specific learning difficulties.

We also run live half and full day virtual training courses on specific topics:

Modules which can lead to an Accredited Level 2 or Level 3 qualification, suitable for any attendees including parents, carers, teachers, employers and professionals

CPD tailored towards specialist teachers and assessors in particular.

You can see our programme of live events here.
Please scroll down to view our specific topic courses.
Live Bespoke Training

We provide live information webinars, virtual training and in-person sessions about dyslexia, dyscalculia and supporting individuals with specific learning difficulties to a broad range of organisations:

Workplaces

Schools and other educational settings

Charities and public sector organisations

This can include modules of our accredited training or professional CPD.

We can schedule these sessions at times to suit you and can tailor this private training to be relevant to the needs of your delegates. You can see our price list here.

To book a bespoke training session for your organisation please email us at onsitetraining@bdadyslexia.org.uk

Accredited Training

We provide gold standard accredited training courses which are delivered online including:

Level 7 Diploma in Dyslexia Assessment and Intervention

Level 5 Certificates in Dyslexia; Literacy, Support and Intervention and in Dyscalculia and Maths Learning Difficulties; Support and Intervention

Level 4 Workplace Assessors Programme

Level 3 Various which can be undertake module by module

Level 2 Various which can be undertake module by module

Please scroll down to view our accredited courses.
eLearning/Online Training

We provide a comprehensive programme of eLearning/online training modules on specific topics:

Modules which can lead to an Accredited Level 2 or Level 3 qualification, suitable for any attendees including parents, carers, teachers, employers and professionals

CPD tailored towards specialist teachers and assessors in particular.

Please note: Access to eLearning/online modules are released on the first Thursday following the submission of your booking; and more specifically, providing payment has been made before the allotted time.

Please note: eLearning modules will automatically expire after 3 months, from the date that the module has been released.
Please scroll down to view our eLearning/online specific topic courses.
Payments

Payments can be made by credit/debit card or for businesses and organisations by invoice.

If you have any problems with the booking process please email us: training@bdadyslexia.org.uk

Professional Members Only - to book your discounted eLearning modules please email us at: elearning@bdadyslexia.org.uk

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The British Dyslexia Association is the voice for the 10% of the population that are dyslexic

# data[].attributes.body
Dyslexia Training

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
We offer a range of specialist services to schools, workplaces and families. Our webinars are either recordings of live events or were recorded specially as on demand events- you can view them at your convenience. Please ignore the published dates unless it states that the event is live.

# data[].attributes.body
http://addressingdyslexia.org/free-online-learning-modules

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Free Online Learning Modules | Addressing Dyslexia Addressing Dyslexia

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Free Open University Online Learning Modules Three free online learning modules, which support GTC Scotland Professional Standards, Professional Update…

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
OpenDyslexic is a typeface designed against some common symptoms of dyslexia.
.

# data[].attributes.headline
Easy classroom tips for Literacy strugglers

# data[].attributes.subject
Easy classroom tips for Literacy strugglers

# data[].attributes.headline
Some strengths of Dyslexia- there are many and using these strengths in the classroom will help children make progress 

# data[].attributes.subject
Some strengths of Dyslexia- there are many and using these strengths in the classroom will help children make progress 

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In truth, Calliope wasn't catching up. As peers began whizzing past her in reading, Taylor became more anxious and worried. Their collective frustration levels - both Calliope's and her parents-soon reached a breaking point, especially after they'd hired a private tutor to help speed up her reading in the fall of second grade.

"She'd have massive tantrums over homework," Taylor said. Calliope would be happy and fine all afternoon, but when it came time to do homework, she would refuse to begin. "She would scream and cry, then I would scream and cry," Taylor said. "I once crumpled up the whole assignment and yelled, 'What are we going to do?' "

Then one night, after four months of intensive (and expensive) tutoring, Taylor's husband, Matthew, was talking to Calliope's tutor on the phone when she mentioned the word "dyslexia." A light went on. Taylor recalled that up to that point, everyone had been very careful not to say the word, but the tutor suggested that it might be time to have Calliope officially evaluated in order to receive more targeted instruction.

An intensive two-day battery of tests provided the data that Taylor, by this time, already knew: Calliope had dyslexia. Although she was very bright and displayed above-average social skills, without intense and specific intervention, she would never "catch up" in reading.

Taylor now knows that an overly emotional response to homework is common in those with dyslexia: Calliope didn't know why she couldn't read either. Now with a diagnosis and intensive intervention, Calliope is entering seventh grade with her peers. She's able to accomplish all the work, although she requires more time. "I always disliked the words 'learning differences,' " Taylor said. "But the more I get to know about this, the more I think it's true."

This kind of anxiety and frustration can be largely avoided, said Wolf, who is also director of the Center for Reading and Language Research at Tufts University and author of " Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain."She and colleague Martha Denckla designed a simple test to quickly know whether there is a problem in the reading circuit very early on, as early as kindergarten or first grade. Called the RAN/RAS test (Rapid Automatized Naming/Rapid Alternating Stimulus), students are timed on how fast they can name letters, numbers, colors and objects.

RAN/RAS or a comparable evaluation is one of the single best predictors that there's something different in how the brain is putting together letters with their name, which is like a mini-version of the later reading circuit. While RAN/RAS cannot diagnose a reading problem, it does provide educators with a red flag, suggesting that students may need further evaluation.

In "Proust and the Squid," Wolf writes that if she were given five minutes with all teachers and parents everywhere, she'd want them most to know that "learning to read, like Red Sox baseball, is a wonderful thing that can go wrong for any number of reasons." For students accused of being stubborn or not working to their potential, often neither is true: Children with dyslexia need immediate and intensive intervention to connect the pieces of the reading circuit.
The Science of Reading and Dyslexia
The act of reading itself is anything but natural. Human brains weren't designed to read: There is no "reading center" of the brain, and there are no "reading genes." Instead, in order to read, each brain must fashion new circuits between parts originally designed to do other things, like retrieving the names for objects. These new circuits must not only combine many processes from different areas of the brain to form a specialized circuit just for reading -- in order to become a fluent reader, the circuit also needs to run lightning-fast, nearly automatic.

Wolf has spent her career studying how the brain reads and, in some cases, how it doesn't. "Because we have no pre-programmed wiring for reading [in the brain], we have to do something very different," Wolf said. "What the brain does have -- which is fantastic -- is the ability to make new circuits based on new connections among its already-there parts. So, when I said [in the book] we were never born to read, that is the absolute truth. We weren't. Each child has to do it by themselves."

Since each brain must learn to read from scratch, as Wolf put it, "many things can happen along the way." Dyslexia, originally called word-blindness, is a neurobiological condition describing the failure to read words and letters affecting an estimated 10-20 percent of schoolchildren, depending on whom you ask.

While classified as a "learning disability," dyslexia is not a brain disorder or a disease, nor is it flipping letters backward. Often the failure to read is in direct opposition to a brain's cognitive ability, leaving parents and teachers stymied when an otherwise intelligent child can't spell words they've seen a thousand times, or put a sentence together.

Dyslexia, Wolf said, is the result of a brain that's organized in a different way. In many children, this is because the right hemisphere tries to muscle the strengths of the left, specifically at tasks that are the domain of the left, like many language functions. When the reading circuit is being dominated by the right hemisphere, it takes longer for the information that goes to both hemispheres to get together.

In the dyslexic brain, there are several major areas that could develop problematically. (While there is no singular form of dyslexia, there are several profiles that appear most prominently.)

* Phoneme awareness, or knowing the sounds that correspond with letters and words, is the No. 1 deficiency in the dyslexic brain. "Our language is made up of 44 sounds called phonemes," Wolf said. "English is trickier because we have phonemes that can be expressed in different letters, and we have letters that can stand for different phonemes. It's an irregular language, and that adds to the complexity, but the underlying issue for many, but not all, children is problems in the basic representation of those phonemes." Wolf said there are multiple areas of the brain contributing to our ability to represent phonemes, and that many dyslexic children have issues with developing phonemes, as well as knowing which sounds are assigned to which letters.

* Fluency, or getting the reading circuit to work together quickly, is the second-biggest issue. "Children can have perfectly represented phonemes, but can't get the phonemes together with the letters, because there's a speed-of-processing issue," Wolf said. "And part of that may well be because that right hemisphere is taking a longer time and trying to do what the left hemisphere usually does, in getting that circuit to work very fast together. That can mean not just the phonemes aren't represented very well. It might also mean that letters aren't getting represented very well, and that the circuit is not becoming automatic."

* Comprehension is the third but no less crucial issue to reading. "After making letters and sounds work together, and getting the whole circuit to work in time, then words have to be connected to meanings and functions of grammar," Wolf said. "It takes explicit work to get the visual representation, meaning, sound and grammatical function all working together, and that's what dyslexic children must do." Wolf said that often this kind of dyslexia doesn't show itself until the child is older, third grade and up, when a child switches from learning to read to reading to learn.

"Some of our children can read words, but read them laboriously," Wolf said. "And by fourth grade they're a major failure and have never become fluent." Many of these children are bright and have compensated up to this point by memorizing words, but have never learned to read fast enough to comprehend what they're reading.

Understanding that these developments are nothing more than brain differences that can be aided with systematic and explicit instruction, Wolf said, is a large but necessary step for everyone involved: students, parents and teachers. When children find they're unable to read or read with much difficulty, they often believe that it's the result of a bad or broken brain. Some teachers may also unwittingly hold beliefs that reading happens for all children by a kind of osmosis.

Wolf insists that three decades of research has shown that neither are true, but keeping the truth about dyslexia hidden or misunderstood only hurts the students, their parents and the educators trying desperately to help them.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Understanding Dyslexia and the Reading Brain in Kids | KQED

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Reading is a skill humans aren't born with, but schools are designed to reward those whose brains are well-wired to read, which can complicate the learning experience for kids with dyslexia.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Third grade teacher Ms. Kim is really struggling with her student Aiden. Every day, he argues over simple things, seemingly just for the sake of causing trouble. He refuses to take responsibility for his behavior, even when caught in the act. And today, Aiden tore up a fellow student's art project after that student wouldn't let him use their red marker. His parents say he's the same at home. A school counselor finally suggests that many of these behaviors line up with the symptoms of ODD in kids-oppositional defiant disorder.

What is ODD?

Image: TES Resources

Oppositional defiant disorder, commonly known as ODD, is a behavioral disorder in which children are-as the name suggests-defiant to the degree that it interferes with their daily lives. The DSM-5, published by the American Psychiatric Association, defines it as a pattern of angry, vindictive, argumentative, and defiant behavior that lasts at least six months.

In an article on Headteacher Update, Dr. Nicola Davies sums it up this way: "The goal of a student with oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) is to gain and maintain control by testing authority to the limit, breaking rules, and provoking and prolonging arguments. In the classroom, this can be distracting for both the teacher and other students."

Between 2% and 16% of the population may have ODD, and we're not entirely sure of the causes. Scientists believe it could be genetic, environmental, biological, or a mix of all three. It's diagnosed more often in younger boys than girls, though by their teen years, both seem to be equally affected. It co-occurs in many kids with ADHD, with some studies indicating up to 50% of students with ADHD also have ODD.

What does ODD in kids look like?

Image: ACOAS

We all know that kids of a certain age, especially toddlers and teenagers, are pretty much always arguing and defying. In fact, those can be appropriate behaviors at those ages, as kids test the world around them and learn how it works.

However, ODD is a whole lot more than that, to the point where students with ODD disrupt their own lives and often the lives of everyone around them. Kids with ODD push the limits of defiance far beyond reason. Their problem behavior is much more extreme than that of their peers, and it happens much more often.

Defiance and arguing

Most kids go through a phase where "no" is their favorite word, but for students with ODD, that phase never ends. They question everything, all the time, and consistently refuse to comply with rules and requests. Their need for argument may lead them to deliberately annoy others in an attempt to create conflict. However, they usually refuse to take responsibility for their mistakes or behaviors, blaming others for everything.

Anger and irritability

These are the kids who seem angry all the time and fly off the handle at the slightest provocation. Their overreactions may devolve into temper tantrums, not just occasionally but frequently. Therefore, every conversation you have with them seems to be a struggle.

Vindictiveness

The ongoing anger of kids with ODD can lead to vindictiveness and a need for revenge. They are spiteful and retaliatory, holding grudges and demanding punishment for others.

Not surprisingly, these behaviors cause students with ODD to struggle both at home and in school. It's hard for them to make friends, and their schoolwork often suffers too. They may become depressed or anxious, or develop conduct or substance abuse disorders as they grow older. Early identification and treatment are vital to helping these kids.

How can teachers help kids with ODD?

It's vital that teachers and parents work together to help students with ODD. The experienced teachers in the WeAreTeachers Helpline group on Facebook suggest trying these methods at school and at home. Find more ideas at Pathway 2 Success.

Be consistent

"Instead of arguing, repeat your words and consequences," says Brandy T. "I use trigger words that I often repeat so the student knows I mean business. If a student tries to argue, I simply say either 'not now,' 'later,' or 'fix the issue!' The student then knows they can go to their chill-out space if they need to calm down."

Give them space to reset

Kids with ODD can learn to recognize when they're feeling overwhelmed and getting ready to challenge or defy. Giving them a safe space to calm down and rethink their choices can be beneficial. Calm-down corners have become popular in classrooms for this very reason. "Put out books, coloring, LEGO bricks, etc., in a place where they can go on their own when they feel like they need a break," says Tobey G. "Often immediately after activities with a lot of stimulation, these kids need a safe space to calm down. Let them decide if and when they need to excuse themselves."

Give them choices

Kids with ODD are looking for control. Rather than letting them drive the situation, you can give them a feeling of control while maintaining control yourself. "Always give choices," advises Holli A. "State your choices-then walk away. Give the student time to process and decide which choice to make. If they don't like the choices, don't engage. When they try to argue, repeat the choices, and walk away again. If the student still will not choose, they do not get to participate in their preferred activity."

As in other situations, it pays to stay consistent in your classroom rules and discipline. "After I give choices, I always reinforce the classroom rules and procedures and follow up with an appropriate consequence," says Kristel R. "You cannot falter; stick to your rules and follow through."

Offer positive reinforcement and appropriate rewards

Kids with ODD often respond to positive behavior reinforcement. It's helpful to offer them a chance to earn certain privileges, rather than taking those privileges away as punishment. For instance, give them the ability to earn screen time when they promptly do as they're asked, instead of threatening to take away screens when they defy.

When using a reward system, make sure that it is appropriate and isn't perceived as manipulation. Leslie L. uses a behavior tracking system and a reward system where students can turn in points for an incentive (iPad time, lunch with a teacher, etc.). "I also build breaks right into their schedule," adds Leslie. "And I try to be as patient and understanding as I possibly can."

Teacher Erica M. also uses a point system checklist with options A and B. If they do each one, they earn "points" for an incentive, which often is iPad time during the last 15 minutes of class. "Find an interest and use that to your advantage!" Erica says.

Avoid power struggles

Most teachers agreed: Stay out of those winless power struggles. As Kris W. said, "Pick your battles. A student of mine corrects me all the time, whether I am wrong or not. I answer back, 'OK, let's double-check that.' If I made a mistake, I correct it, and we move on; if he's wrong, I silently let him figure it out."

Make personal connections

Often kids with ODD are looking for a relationship with a teacher who can help them deal with problems on their own instead of making them stand out in a negative way. Building a connection with them will help get to the root of the behavior.

"Almost all of my students have ODD, and I have a great relationship with most of them," says Kendra J. "Find out what they are interested in and have conversations on their level during breaks." Allow them to set goals and decide together what the consequences will be if they don't meet the goal.

Carol H. says, "Find something at the student's interest level. I once had a middle school girl who hated all of her teachers and was out of control. She would curse at adults and peers, scratch, bite, and refuse to complete work. I found out she played soccer for a travel team. So did my son. A few weeks into the school year, she had a game adjacent to my son's, and I was able to watch her play. It changed everything. She is a freshman in college now, and we still keep in touch."

Find ODD Resources

This is just an overview of what students with ODD are facing. Educate yourself about the condition to find more ways to understand and help these kids in your classroom.

Online

Books

(Just a heads up, WeAreTeachers may collect a share of sales from the book links on this page. We only recommend items our team loves!)

Have more questions about kids with ODD? Come share your thoughts and ask for advice in the WeAreTeachers Helpline Facebook group.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What Teachers Need To Know About Students With ODD

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
What is ODD in kids, and how can teachers help their students with ODD? Learn what oppositional defiant disorder looks like in the classroom.

# data[].attributes.headline
FREE! kooth for mental well-being introduction for parents and carers

# data[].attributes.subject
FREE! kooth for mental well-being introduction for parents and carers

# data[].attributes.body
This free online event will help guide parents and carers in to the services provided by KOOTH - to support mental health of children

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
introduction to kooth for parents and carers

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
introduction to kooth for parents and carers tickets

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Introduction to Kooth for Parents and Carers

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Eventbrite - Kooth presents Introduction to Kooth for Parents and Carers - Tuesday, 4 May 2021 | Friday, 7 May 2021 - Find event and ticket information.

# data[].attributes.headline
FREE SESSIONS! Helping your ASD child with anxiety 

# data[].attributes.subject
FREE SESSIONS! Helping your ASD child with anxiety 

# data[].attributes.body
Free until the 25th April 2021. Sign up for more information

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Anxiety is very much part of growing up and is something that we will all face at some point in our lives. However, Autistic children can experience Anxiety more intensely and more frequently than other children. Throughout the following modules, we will consider how best to support children with Autism.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Anxiety: Helping Your Autistic Child to Help Themselves - Creative Education

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Anxiety is very much part of growing up and is something that we will all face at some point in our lives. However, Autistic children can experience Anxiety more intensely and more frequently than other children. Throughout the following modules, we will consider how best to support children with Autism.

# data[].attributes.body
Great video to help students understand their diagnosis

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
For Young People: What Is Autism? - Live Session and Q&A Recording

# data[].attributes.body
Amazing website for understanding autism

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Autism is a lifelong developmental disability which affects how people communicate and interact with the world. There are approximately 700,000 autistic adults and children in the UK.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Thurrock school health service

What we do

We offer health information, support, and advice to children, young people and their families who attend school in Thurrock. We aim to promote the physical, mental and emotional well-being of school aged children and young people (5-19 years) and seek to develop the skills they need to manage challenges they face in school, at home, in their personal lives or online.

The service focuses on:

Personal, social and health education (PSHE) and promotion of sexual health and healthy relationship education

Planned drop-in sessions for Secondary School children and young people and Primary School drop-in sessions for parents and carers

Supporting children at risk

Safeguarding for children and young people

Universal healthy lifestyle programmes throughout all schools

Routine and targeted hearing and vision screening for reception aged children

Development growth screening (National Child Measurement Programme) for reception and year 6 children

A targeted Healthy Lifestyle programme linked to the National Child Measurement Programme

Additional evidence-based health improvement programmes such as ASSIST

Health assessments for children and young people at key transitional stages

Working to reduce 'risky' behaviours (including alcohol and drug use)

Building strong, supportive relationships with local schools

Onward referrals and signposting to specialist services to further support the children, young people and families.

Close working with GPs and other health services, Thurrock Council, and the voluntary sector.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Thurrock school health service We offer health information, support, and advice to children, young people and their families who attend school in Thurrock. We aim to promote the physical, mental and emotional well-being of school aged children and young people (5-19 years) and seek to develop the skills they need to manage challenges they face in school, at home, in their personal lives or online.

# data[].attributes.headline
Student guide to managing mental health during COVID-19 

# data[].attributes.subject
Student guide to managing mental health during COVID-19 

# data[].attributes.body
Dyslexia, literacy and numeracy intervention
Please contact j.Coombes.scs@osborne.coop if you have forgotten your username or password

# data[].attributes.body
Support for families of children with SEND

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Families InFocus (Essex) is a parent-led charity, supporting families who have a child (or children) or young person up to the age of 25 with any Special Educational Need or Disability (SEND).

We have been supporting SEND families for over 25 years.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Families InFocus (Essex) is a parent-led charity, supporting families who have a child (or children) or young person up to the age of 25 with any Special Educational Need or Disability (SEND). We have been supporting SEND families for over 25 years.

# data[].attributes.body
Introduces and defines stereotypes

# data[].attributes.body
Building resilience

# data[].attributes.headline
What autism means and what it doesn’t mean

# data[].attributes.subject
What autism means and what it doesn’t mean

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Use BBC Bitesize to help with your homework, revision and learning from KS1 to GCSE. Find free videos, step-by-step guides, activities and quizzes.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Autism Together is now one of the country's leading providers of services and support to people with autism and their families. We campaign on behalf of all individuals affected by autism, we encourage all our supporters to get involved with fundraising and volunteering with us and offer comprehensive training and job development to our employees.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A better life for autistic people ABOUT AUTISM A better life for autistic people ABOUT AUTISM A better life for autistic

# data[].attributes.headline
Sensory diet to support children with ADHD

# data[].attributes.subject
Sensory diet to support children with ADHD

# data[].attributes.body
Try some of these ideas to help ADHD students

# data[].attributes.headline
A parents guide to supporting grief and loss. 

# data[].attributes.subject
A parents guide to supporting grief and loss. 

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Losing someone or something we love and feel close to is extremely difficult and painful. Grief is our natural emotional response to this loss, and it is a process rather than an event.

Your child, as well as you and other family members, may be grieving because of:

the death of someone in the family, like a parent, grandparent or sibling

the death of a friend, or someone they knew at school

the death of someone by suicide

an illness, such as cancer or dementia, of someone they are close to

the loss of a relationship, like someone moving away or no longer being a regular part of their life

the loss or death of a pet

How do young people respond to loss?
Every child and young person will react to, feel and express loss differently, and this will change over time. There is no right or wrong way for a young person to grieve.

Children and young people who have gone through a significant loss can feel:

It's helpful to remember that it is normal for your child to feel and experience these things after a loss, particularly if they have lost someone they were close to.

How can I help my child?

Talking to your child about loss

Explain to your child in an age-appropriate way what's happened, using clear language. We can find it difficult to say 'died' or 'dead' and might want to use softer expressions such as 'gone to sleep' or 'passed on'. But these expressions can be confusing.

Let them know that it's okay to feel however they feel, whether that's sad, overwhelmed, angry, worried or something else - and that there's no right or wrong way to grieve.

Be curious, empathetic and non-judgmental about how they're feeling, focusing on listening and providing emotional support.

Reassure them that you love them, they're not alone and they can talk to you whenever they need to.

If you're worried your child may be blaming themselves, reassure them that guilt is a common thing to feel - but that it is in no way their fault or responsibility.

If your child finds it difficult to talk, it might help to start a conversation while doing an activity. You can find our ideas here.

Especially with older children and teenagers, it's also okay to give them some space when they need it. Sometimes it helps to just sit together quietly, or to offer a hand squeeze or gentle hug.

Here are some other things that can really help:

1. Try to keep normal routines going as much as possible to provide a sense of security.

2. Reach out to your child's school to let them know what has happened and ask them what support they can provide.

3. Support your child to say goodbye. This could be attending gatherings such as the funeral, or other things like lighting a candle, letting off balloons, saying a prayer or poem or planting a flower or tree.

4. Spend quality time with your child to help them feel safe and relaxed. This can give them a break from the grief, even if just for a little while.

5. Encourage them to keep doing activities they enjoy. Reassure them that it's okay to feel happy, and that this does not take away from how much they care about the person they've lost.

6. Talk about the person who has died or been lost and share your memories together. You might want to create a memory box full of pictures and items that remind them of the person.

7. Encourage your child to express how they're feeling, by writing a letter to you, or to the person they have lost telling them all the things they want to say. They could also keep a diary, draw pictures or write songs or poems.

Young people's advice for other young people who are grieving

Take the next step, the next minute, the next day, one at a time

There is no one way to grieve

It's okay to be angry and to express your anger

There's no shame in having a big reaction

It's okay to feel nothing

It's okay not to be okay

It's okay to reach out for help

Don't feel guilty for having fun

You're not alone

Finding professional help

Grief has no set timescale, and it is normal to feel a whole range of emotions after a loss. Sometimes, however, a young person may feel they are struggling to cope over a much longer period of time.

Your child may need professional support if, over a prolonged period, they are:

feeling depressed or anxious

withdrawing from family, friends and activities

struggling to sleep

refusing to go to school

turning to less healthy coping mechanisms such as self-harming

talking regularly about wanting to join the person who has died

experiencing suicidal thoughts

acting like a much younger child

not believing that the person has died

Here are some ways you can find help for you and your child:
Pre-bereavement counselling
If you know that someone close to your child is going to die, pre-bereavement counselling can help them to think and talk about their feelings and worries. Some hospices and other charities offer this service, so speak to the professionals supporting your family to see what's available.
Emotional support services
Let your child know about the helplines, textlines and online chat services that are available to them, which are listed at the bottom of this page. Speak to your child's school about what they can provide, such as a teacher they can speak to or a buddying service.
Counselling and therapy
A counsellor or therapist can provide emotional support and help your child to make sense of their feelings. You can access free or subsidised counselling or therapy for your child through a bereavement charity (suggestions at the end of this page), your GP, your child's school and other local services you might be able to find online. If it's an affordable option for you, you can also find a private counsellor or therapist using the directories listed at the end of this guide.

Speaking to your GP
If you're worried about your child's mental health or wellbeing, you can speak to your GP (with or without your child) about next steps. Together you can discuss whether referral to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and/or an assessment by a mental health specialist is needed.

If you need support with your own grief, or you feel you're struggling to cope, it's really important that you get the help you need so you can be there for your child. You can speak to your GP about accessing free counselling or mental health support, or you can find counsellors, bereavement services and support groups listed below.

Where can I find support?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Parents Guide To Support - Grief and Loss

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Losing someone or something we love and feel close to is extremely difficult and painful. Grief is our natural emotional response to this loss, and it is a process rather than an event.

# data[].attributes.headline
Supporting your child with school related anxiety 

# data[].attributes.subject
Supporting your child with school related anxiety 

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
It's normal for children and young people to feel worried about something that's happening at school - for example, when starting a new school or during exams. Sometimes, however, school can become challenging, stressful or distressing over a much longer period of time.

If your child is feeling anxious about school, or not able to go, it can be exhausting for both of you. Mornings in particular can become really stressful for the whole family, as you try to juggle your child's feelings alongside the need to get them to school and get on with your other responsibilities such as work. Even if you manage to get your child to the school gate, you might know how difficult they're going to find the day - or know that you'll be facing the same problem tomorrow morning.

If you're in this situation, we've got advice to help you explore what's going on with your child, make changes at school that can help, and find the support you need if your child can't go to school.

About the term 'school refusal'

When anxiety builds up to the point that a young person cannot go to school, this is often called 'school refusal' - and you might hear the school or other professionals using this term. However, many young people and parents do not like this term because it implies that 'refusing' school is a choice, and you may prefer to use terms such as emotionally-based school avoidance (ESBA) or anxiety-related absence.

What makes young people feel anxious about school?

Young people can feel anxious about school for lots of different reasons. They might be worried about making friends or fitting in, find schoolwork or lessons confusing, feel pressured to learn in a certain way or find their relationships with teachers difficult.

Sometimes, going through difficult experiences outside of school - such as bereavement, an illness in the family or being a young carer - can also make it harder for a child to feel settled at school.

For some young people, the school environment isn't right for them, and trying to fit into it can create a huge amount of stress. This might be the case if they are struggling with their mental health, or have a neurodiverse condition or Special Educational Need (SEN) such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia or dyspraxia. This can make the school environment anxiety-provoking and exhausting, especially if their condition or need is undiagnosed or not being well supported.

Young people might show they're feeling anxious about school by:

not wanting to get up and get ready

saying they can't go

worrying a lot about small issues, such as having the right equipment for a lesson

feeling sick, or having stomach aches or headaches

not sleeping well

not doing schoolwork, or their grades dropping

being angry or upset, or acting out - at school or at home

withdrawing - seeming low, quiet or depressed

Finding out what's going on for your child

Sometimes it can be difficult to work out what's making your child feel anxious, and the first step is often helping them to identify exactly what's worrying them. Once you understand the problem, you'll be in a much better position to make changes that can help.

Young people can find it hard to explain what's causing their feelings, and might not be able to answer direct questions like 'what's going on?' Using an anxiety iceberg can help to open up the conversation - giving you a more relaxed way of exploring together what's causing their anxiety.

Watch our video to find out how to make an anxiety iceberg with your child.

If you're making an anxiety iceberg with younger children, you might want to draw images on the iceberg, or encourage them to write simple words. With older children and teenagers, you can ask them to write key words and phrases on the iceberg, or do this as a mind map, with 'school' in the middle and all the things they're finding difficult around the outside.

Through this exercise, you might identify worries such as arriving at school, finding the environment noisy or overwhelming, finding lessons confusing, feeling lonely through the day, or feeling uncomfortable during specific subjects.

Making changes at school

Once you understand what's going on for your child, you can use their anxiety iceberg or mind map to communicate with the school and ask for specific changes.

Follow these steps to start a conversation with the school:

Here are some examples of things you can ask the school for:

Remember that even though this situation can be really tough for you and your child, it's a good idea to maintain a positive relationship with the school. Recognise the support they're offering and any changes they're making. This will help you work together to make things better for your child.

Building a relationship with the attendance team at my son's school was hugely helpful, we were talking with them each day.

Strategies you can try at home

For more information and advice on managing anxiety, have a look at our guide for parents.

If your child isn't able to go to school at the moment

If your child isn't going to school at the moment, this can be incredibly stressful and exhausting for you - and really tough for your child. You might be worried about whether they will be able to get back to school or the impact on their education. Or, you might feel overwhelmed because you're juggling this alongside work and other family commitments.

If your child's anxiety about school has built up to the point where they can't go, it's a good idea to get them some professional mental health or SEN support - see our advice on this below.

Alongside requesting professional help, try to:

The school's SEN and attendance policies should be on their website. Knowing what these are can support you during meetings with the school.

This can help if your child is unable to go to school for a longer period of time and you need to ask for more support, including provision of alternative full-time education.

Encourage your child to get up, do some studying and stop for lunch at the same times they would if they were in school. This will make adapting back to school easier. Explain to your child that if they cannot go to school, they will need to study at home - at least until alternative arrangements are put in place. Ask the school to help you facilitate tasks and activities your child can do and use online resources such as BBC Bitesize.

Not going to school could leave your child feeling really isolated. Make sure they stay connected to the outside world by seeing friends and family, doing activities they enjoy and getting outside for walks and exercise.

Speaking to friends online can be really important if your child is feeling isolated at home. Sometimes, however, you might notice that your child is spending lots of time gaming or on their phone, and that this is getting in the way of important daily activities like spending quality time with family, learning, or sleeping and eating well. If this is becoming a problem, have a look at our guide to gaming or guide to social media for more information and advice.

Local authorities must provide alternative education if a child of compulsory school age is unable to attend school over a longer period of time. If your child cannot attend school because of a mental or physical health issue, the local authority should provide an alternative as soon as it is clear that they will be away from school for more than 15 days (either consecutively or over time). Find out how to request alternative education.

What will happen if my child doesn't go to school?

Parents often tell us they are worried about fines and prosecution, but schools generally consider this only if they feel there is no valid reason for the absence, or that parents aren't engaging with the problem.

If the absence is prolonged, the case may be referred to a local council Education Welfare Officer (EWO). They will arrange a home visit to find out more and discuss strategies. The school may also refer to other support, including from CAMHS.

Helping your child return to school after an absence

Getting back to school after weeks or months may feel extremely difficult for your child, but you and the school can help make it more manageable. Here are some things you can do to help:

Set small, achievable targets, such as visiting the building outside school hours or attending one lesson.

Request a home visit from a school staff member so your child can check in while feeling safe, see that the school cares and discuss any strategies that might help them.

Ask for a reduced timetable, with regular reviews to discuss building back up at a manageable rate.

Discuss changing classes or sets if your child thinks this would help.

Focus on qualifications needed for what your child wants to do next, perhaps dropping a less relevant GCSE to reduce stress.

My son wasn't questioned about his absence when he did feel able to pop in for favourite lessons, helping to ease him back into full days of education.

Getting mental health and SEN support

If your child is struggling with anxiety and it's affecting their day-to-day life, learning or relationships, it's a good idea to find some professional support. Speaking to the GP and finding them a counsellor or therapist are two good places to start. You can find more information about GPs, counsellors and other mental health services in our guide to getting help for your child.

If there is no other obvious reason for your child's inability to attend school, they may have an undiagnosed Special Educational Need (SEN) such as dyslexia, autism or ADHD.

If you think this is the case:

Speak to the school's SENCO or your GP to ask for a referral for an assessment.

While you are waiting for an assessment, you can also ask the SENCO to refer your child for support from other professionals, such as an Educational Psychologist or Speech and Language Therapist. These professionals can identify specific needs and make recommendations for additional support the school can put in place - even if your child hasn't had a formal diagnosis yet.

SEN support at school
If your child is diagnosed with SEN, extra support and adjustments should be put in place at school to help them attend and learn. This is called SEN support, and should be available within the school's existing resources. Speak to the school's SENCO in the first instance about how the school will support your child.
Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans
If you do not think your child's needs can be met by the school's existing resources, you can ask the local authority to carry out an Education, Health and Care needs assessment (EHC needs assessment). If the local authority decides your child needs additional support, they will then make an Education, Health and Care plan (EHC plan). This outlines how the extra support they need will be provided. Find out more about EHC plans.
Your Local Offer
Your Local Offer is the information, support and services available for young people with SEN, and for their parents and families. You can find out what support is available in your area by going to your local authority's website and searching for their Local Offer.

If you need more information and advice about getting the right education for your child when they have been diagnosed with a Special Educational Need (SEN), IPSEA can help.

If you need to talk through a problem, their Advice Line can provide support with any educational issue resulting from your child's SEN. You can also find lots of information, including information on assessments and diagnosis, as well as getting support from the school and local authority, on their website.

Finding more information and advice

Useful helplines and websites

While we take care to ensure that the organisations we signpost to provide high quality information and advice, we cannot take responsibility for any specific pieces of advice they may offer. We encourage parents and carers to always explore the website of a linked service or organisation to understand who they are and what support they offer before engaging with them.

You might also find this helpful

We have more tips and advice on supporting your child with school, and information about how you can get in touch with our Parents Helpline.

This page was reviewed in December 2022. It was created with parents and carers with lived experience of supporting their child or young person with school anxiety. We will next review the page in 2025. YoungMinds is a proud member of PIF TICK - the UK's quality mark for trusted health information.
Whether you love the page or think something is missing, we appreciate your feedback. It all helps us to support more young people with their mental health.

Please be aware that this form isn't a mental health support service. If your child is in crisis right now and you want to talk to someone urgently, find out who to contact on our urgent help page.

At YoungMinds we take your privacy seriously. If you'd like to read more about how we keep the information we collect safe, take a look at our privacy policy.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
School Anxiety and Refusal | Parent Guide to Support

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
If your child is anxious about school, or refusing to go to school at all, read our tips and advice on how you can support their mental health.

# data[].attributes.body
Suitable for visually impaired and dyslexic students.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
When you order your book, please tell us the:

font type, such as Comic Sans or Verdana

font size, such as 18 or 48

font strength, such as bold or normal

line spacing, such as single, 1.5 or double

paper colour for the pages

binding, for example spiral binding so books lie flat

To work out what's best, add a free copy of our sample book to your order - at the top of each page, there are clear details about the font and spacing used. When you know what you need, please donate the sample book to a school or library so others can order large print CustomEyes Books. You can also send it back to us at:

CustomEyes Books
Hillfields
Burghfield Common
Reading
RG7 3YG

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
When you order your book, please tell us the: font type, such as Comic Sans or Verdana font size, such as 18 or 48 font strength, such as bold or normal line spacing, such as single, 1.5 or double paper colour for the pages binding, for example spiral binding so books lie flat To work out what's best, add a free copy of our sample book to your order - at the top of each page, there are clear details about the font and spacing used.

# data[].attributes.body
Download

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
OpenDyslexic is a typeface designed against some common symptoms of dyslexia. If you like the way you are able to read this page, and others, then this typeface is for you!

# data[].attributes.body
Download

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
OpenDyslexic is a typeface designed against some common symptoms of dyslexia. If you like the way you are able to read this page, and others, then this typeface is for you!

# data[].attributes.body
Word talk

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
I've been speaking to parents and teachers about iPads at a number of events recently and have been struck by the number of people asking about apps to help with reading who don't know about the built-in ' Speak Selection' and 'Speak Screen' facilities. If all you want is to be able to have text read back from a document or a web page, there's no need to buy a special app for this when your iPhone or iPad can already do the job pretty well.

To access Speak Selection and Speak Screen, first tap on the Settings icon (usually on your iPad/iPhone Home screen), then select General, Accessibility and Speech. Make sure that Speak Selection and Speak Screen are turned on (i.e. the button is green). Next, tap on Voices to choose the voice that your device will use. The actual number of voices will vary depending on the iPad / iPhone you are using and its operating system - iOS 9 has more voices than earlier systems. If you don't like the default voice, try something else. The Siri voices in iOS 9 are pretty good, while some people like the English (Ireland) voice, Moira. You can also adjust the speed of the voice by adjusting the Speaking Rate.

If you choose Highlight Content, each word will be highlighted as it is read out, which helps many people to follow the text as it is being spoken.

How to Use Speak Selection

First of all, you have to select the text you want read out, which can be a little tricky until you get used to it.

If you want to select all of the text, which you would probably want to do, tap on a word, hold it for a second, then release to get an option to select all of the text. If you chose Select All, you will then have an option to Speak the text.

If you only want to select a short piece of text, for example a paragraph on a web site, double-tap on a word, then release to highlight it. You can then 'drag' the handles to select a specific section of the text.

Once you have selected the text you will have an option to read it out, using your preferred voice. If you don't get any sound, make sure you have the volume control on your iPad / iPhone turned up!

How to Use Speak Screen

Speak Screen is particularly useful as a tool for reading eBooks and long paragraphs of text. Note that it doesn't highlight each word as it is spoken. In most apps, e.g. the Kindle app, Speak Screen will automatically move on to the next screen and carry on reading until you press the Stop Button. As with Speak Selection, it can be a little tricky to get started - use a two-fingered swipe down from the top of the screen. If you have a case that extends over the edge of the display, you may have to take the case off to get your fingers close enough to the edge for the two finger swipe. Experiment until you find a method that works for you.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
I've been speaking to parents and teachers about iPads at a number of events recently and have been struck by the number of people asking about apps to help with reading who don't know about the built-in ' Speak Selection' and 'Speak Screen' facilities.

# data[].attributes.body
Speak selection in settings.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
I've been speaking to parents and teachers about iPads at a number of events recently and have been struck by the number of people asking about apps to help with reading who don't know about the built-in ' Speak Selection' and 'Speak Screen' facilities. If all you want is to be able to have text read back from a document or a web page, there's no need to buy a special app for this when your iPhone or iPad can already do the job pretty well.

To access Speak Selection and Speak Screen, first tap on the Settings icon (usually on your iPad/iPhone Home screen), then select General, Accessibility and Speech. Make sure that Speak Selection and Speak Screen are turned on (i.e. the button is green). Next, tap on Voices to choose the voice that your device will use. The actual number of voices will vary depending on the iPad / iPhone you are using and its operating system - iOS 9 has more voices than earlier systems. If you don't like the default voice, try something else. The Siri voices in iOS 9 are pretty good, while some people like the English (Ireland) voice, Moira. You can also adjust the speed of the voice by adjusting the Speaking Rate.

If you choose Highlight Content, each word will be highlighted as it is read out, which helps many people to follow the text as it is being spoken.

How to Use Speak Selection

First of all, you have to select the text you want read out, which can be a little tricky until you get used to it.

If you want to select all of the text, which you would probably want to do, tap on a word, hold it for a second, then release to get an option to select all of the text. If you chose Select All, you will then have an option to Speak the text.

If you only want to select a short piece of text, for example a paragraph on a web site, double-tap on a word, then release to highlight it. You can then 'drag' the handles to select a specific section of the text.

Once you have selected the text you will have an option to read it out, using your preferred voice. If you don't get any sound, make sure you have the volume control on your iPad / iPhone turned up!

How to Use Speak Screen

Speak Screen is particularly useful as a tool for reading eBooks and long paragraphs of text. Note that it doesn't highlight each word as it is spoken. In most apps, e.g. the Kindle app, Speak Screen will automatically move on to the next screen and carry on reading until you press the Stop Button. As with Speak Selection, it can be a little tricky to get started - use a two-fingered swipe down from the top of the screen. If you have a case that extends over the edge of the display, you may have to take the case off to get your fingers close enough to the edge for the two finger swipe. Experiment until you find a method that works for you.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
I've been speaking to parents and teachers about iPads at a number of events recently and have been struck by the number of people asking about apps to help with reading who don't know about the built-in ' Speak Selection' and 'Speak Screen' facilities.

# data[].attributes.body
Read aloud

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Read Aloud highlights each word as it reads your document to you. Use Read Aloud to hear your document narrated to you or to support your understanding when reading any Word document.

1. Open a document.

2. Click or tap where you would like Read Aloud to begin playing.

Place your cursor at the beginning of the document to read the whole document aloud.

3. Select Review > Read Aloud.

4. You can adjust what the document sounds like.

Select the Settings icon, then:

Drag the Reading speed control to adjust reading speed.

Use the Voice Selection dropdown menu to choose different voices for the reader. Select a voice and then press Play to hear it.

Select X to close Read Aloud.

See Also

Use Immersive Reader in Word

Office Accessibility Center

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Listen to your Word documents with Read Aloud

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Use Read Aloud to listen to all or some of your document.

# data[].attributes.body
Downloads

# data[].attributes.body
Videos

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
These are videos that we have found useful working with young people and families as well as videos they have suggested to us.

# data[].attributes.body
SEND Support for the 4 areas of need.

# data[].attributes.body
SEND support for all 4 areas of need:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Special Needs Jungle provides parent-centred information, news, special needs resources and informed opinion about SEND - Special education needs and disability, Education, Health and Care Plans, children's physical and mental health including rare disease and SEN politics

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
SEND (special educational needs and disabilities) resources, activities and support to help parents support their family.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Specialist lessons - Oak National Academy

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Free online specialist lessons for home learning for students covering all UK school years

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Autism Together is now one of the country's leading providers of services and support to people with autism and their families. We campaign on behalf of all individuals affected by autism, we encourage all our supporters to get involved with fundraising and volunteering with us and offer comprehensive training and job development to our employees.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A better life for autistic people ABOUT AUTISM A better life for autistic people ABOUT AUTISM A better life for autistic

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
"My daughter, who is six, just loves the journal and is excited to work in it. She's totally learning and talking about skills in a fun way and already making comments outside of journal time that show she's absorbing the growth mindset ideology. Love it!"
Diane C.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Big Life Journal UK: Growth Mindset for Kids & Teens

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
We create effective tools and resources to help kids and teens develop a growth mindset so they can face life's challenges with confidence and have every opportunity in life. Our products are based on the latest research, and that's what makes them so unique and effective.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
For over 10 years, we've been on a mission to help young people overcome the issues that affect them the most. Whether that's bullying, mental health, relationships, identity or the tough stuff in-between, we're here. We provide digital safe spaces, direct support, education, campaigns and world-class research.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Our Wellbeing characters are ready to teach pupils all over the country. Each day has a focus to help pupil's wellbeing.

The focus is on bravery and confidence. Pupils will focus on that strength of character and will find ways to increase their confidence and bravery.

Tuesdays we look at being 'thoughtful'

The focus is on being thoughtful and kind. How they can help others and think about other people's feelings.

The focus is on goals and wishes. How they can set a goal and reach that goal. How that will make them feel.

Thursdays we look at 'thankfulness'

The focus is on gratitude and looking for those little things we appreciate. This will help their positive outlook on life.

The focus is on friendship and how connecting with friends is important for their wellbeing. It will also look at qualities of friendship.

The focus is on looking after minds and bodies by doing things that make them feel good.

The focus is on celebrating their achievements that week. If you look hard enough there is always something to be proud of.

Each PowerPoint has a few slides which you can share remotely from home using screen share, on a whiteboard in the classroom, on an IPAD (install the free PowerPoint app), on a laptop with PowerPoint installed.

Should you want to print this out you could do that by saving the PowerPoint as a PDF and then printing it.

For week one the PowerPoint starts with the character, moves onto vocabulary, then activities which only need paper and pencils. It ends with affirmations. This will change slightly each week. There are plans for 3 weeks worth of PowerPoints and that will be reviewed and extended if needed. You could add other activities or parents you could really focus the whole day on the PowerPoint and find other activities to do to compliment it. Check our free resources for additional resources.

We also have a printable pack with posters and worksheets and you will find the link within each PowerPoint.
WEEK 1 WEEK 2 WEEK 3
If you want to share these resources with parents you MUST ensure our terms and conditions remain on the resource. We use some licensed clipart and it is important that clipart artist is credited. The easiest way is to link to this post for parents to download.

If you want some activities for FEBRUARY please download our FREE Calendar which is linked to Children's Mental Health week. There are 28 activities in PowerPoint and Printable format. Please go to this link 'ELSA Support February Calendar'

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Wellbeing Week Daily Resources - Elsa Support

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Our Wellbeing week daily characters are ready to teach pupils all over the country. Each day has a focus to help pupil's wellbeing.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Education unlimited

Meeting your child's unique learning needs

EOTAS parents are special parents.

They've deliberately chosen to battle the education system on their child's behalf.

Most have watched their child struggle to manage school life. Some have seen their child denied the school place that's legally theirs. All experience the daily struggle to help their child learn and reach their potential.

If this has been your experience, we want you to know that learning doesn't have to be a struggle any longer.

Imagine if your child could access the education they need - wherever, whenever and however was right for them.

Imagine if this happened every single day, evolving with them as they grow and develop.

The positive impacts this would have on your child would be incredible.

That's what YouTeachMeToo offers - an inclusive education that's as unique and potential-filled as your child.

Take a free trial * no credit card required

A powerful alternative to school

Teaching that's low-demand, low-arousal and flexible

Every child loves watching videos. Perhaps because of the control it gives them?

Videos are predictable and always there for them; they simply press play and away they go. They can play, pause, rewind and move on when they're ready.

Videos are low-demand, low-arousal, flexible and accessible in any location.

For children who struggle to manage the often traumatising demands of school, video learning at home is a really powerful alternative.

They will, of course, need easy access to high-quality videos for them to learn from though!

That's why we work with amazing teachers in UK Special, Deaf and Mainstream schools. We help them create short teaching videos, which they use in their own lessons.

In return for our support, the videos then become available to learners everywhere, through YouTeachMeToo.

Partners & Awards

We're recognised by the best

£10

per month

Thousands of teaching videos from mainstream, special and deaf schools

Videos to support learners of all ages and needs

Personalised viewing for each child in your family

No contract - drop out at any time
Take a free trial * no credit card required

Our mission

To create instant and lasting change

Education needs to change. We all know that.

The problem is, change is slow.

So slow in fact, that if it comes, it will almost certainly come too late for our children to benefit.

Our children need better learning experiences now and they need them to stay better, right through to adulthood.

At YouTeachMeToo, our mission is to make this happen.

YouTeachMeToo offers every parent the chance to give their child high-quality, supportive learning experiences today.

In doing so, they give us the resources we need to support ever more teachers to share their teaching, building an even better tomorrow.

Together we will create instant and lasting change.

About us

We want to be a company that people can trust so we always act with honesty and integrity. We hope that this is evident in the service we offer. We do not sell data. We do not allow advertising. We offer a free trial without trying to trick people into paying when the trial period ends. We guarantee to never increase the cost of a subscription for an existing customer. We email a monthly invoice to every customer, reminding them that they are paying for our service. We allow our customers to cancel their contract at any time.

About YouTeachMe and YouTeachMeToo

Five years ago, we began work on a new way to use videos to support teachers to improve their lessons. As time has passed, YouTeachMe as it became known, began to change the way that teachers teach and share their knowledge, expertise and ideas. It has proven especially effective in helping learners, which is perhaps unsurprising in the digital age! Over recent months we have received such positive feedback from parents of children whose schools are using YouTeachMe that we decided that it was time to create a version that is available to parents and carers anywhere; YouTeachMeToo. We hope you like it. If you do, please spread the word. Together we can ensure that every learner receives the teaching they deserve.

About YouTeachMe Ltd

YouTeachMe Ltd was founded in 2012 by a serving Headteacher and Deputy Headteacher. Working together to move on a school in challenging circumstances, the concept for YouTeachMe was born out of a shared desire to enable effective collaboration between teachers. YouTeachMe and now YouTeachMeToo ensure that teachers have the support and recognition that they deserve and every learner is able to learn more effectively through the use of technology. Our aim is to deliver Global Goals 4.2 (Equal access to quality pre-primary education), 4.6 (Universal literacy and numeracy) and 4.C (Increase the supply of qualified teachers in developing nations). To find out more about these goals, please visit https://www.globalgoals.org. Thank you.

What are cookies?

Cookies are tiny files that are downloaded to your computer that enable us to improve your experience. This page describes what information our cookies gather, how we use it and why we sometimes need to store these cookies. We will also share how you can prevent these cookies from being stored, however this may downgrade or even 'break' certain features of the sites functionality.

How we use cookies

We use cookies for a variety of reasons. These are:

Email newsletters

This site offers email updates and cookies may be used to remember if you are already registered and whether to show certain notifications which might only be valid to subscribed users.

Forms

When you submit data to us, through a form such as those found on contact page, cookies may be set to remember your user details for future correspondence.

Site preferences

In order to provide you with a great experience on this site we provide the functionality to set your preferences for how this site runs when you use it. In order to remember your preferences we need to set cookies so that this information can be called whenever you interact with a page is affected by your preferences.

Disabling cookies

You can prevent the setting of cookies by adjusting the settings on your browser (see your browser Help for how to do this). You can also visit http://www.allaboutcookies.org/ to find out more. Please be aware that disabling cookies will affect the functionality of your YouTeachMeToo account so we strongly recommended that you do not disable cookies.

Third party cookies

We also use cookies provided by trusted third parties. The following section details which third party cookies you might encounter through this site.

This site uses Google Analytics which is one of the most widespread and trusted analytics solution on the web for helping us to understand how you use the site and ways that we can improve your experience. These cookies may track things such as how long you spend on the site and the pages that you visit so we can continue to produce engaging content. For more information on Google Analytics cookies, see the official Google Analytics page.

From time to time we test new features and make subtle changes to the way that the site is delivered. When we are testing new features these cookies may be used to ensure that you receive a consistent experience whilst on the site whilst ensuring we understand which optimisations our users appreciate the most.

As we sell products it's important for us to understand statistics about how many of the visitors to our site actually make a purchase and as such this is the kind of data that these cookies will track. This is important to you as it means that we can accurately make business predictions that allow us to monitor our advertising and product costs to ensure the best possible price.

We also use social media buttons and/or plugins on this site that allow you to connect with your social network in various ways. For these to work the following social media sites including; Facebook, Twitter & LinkedIn, will set cookies through our site which may be used to enhance your profile on their site or contribute to the data they hold for various purposes outlined in their respective privacy policies.

More Information

We hope that you have found the information in this policy clear and detailed. However if you are still looking for more information please feel free to contact us directly.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Education unlimited EOTAS parents are special parents. They've deliberately chosen to battle the education system on their child's behalf. Most have watched their child struggle to manage school life. Some have seen their child denied the school place that's legally theirs. All experience the daily struggle to help their child learn and reach their potential.

# data[].attributes.body
This is an AMAZING website for teachers, parents and therapists! It includes paid and free resources/activities for: executive functioning, fine motor skills, handwriting, sensory barriers vision and functioning skills

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Easy, actionable, and functional Occupational Therapy activities and interventions. OT resources and information to help kids thrive.

# data[].attributes.headline
Classroom tips to support Working Memory

# data[].attributes.subject
Classroom tips to support Working Memory

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Executive Functioning Skills Archives - The OT Toolbox

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Occupational Therapy activities and interventions for pediatric OTs. Therapy resources and information for parents and teachers.

# data[].attributes.body
Activities and programme for improving fine motor skills

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Dough Disco for parents

Looking for ways to combat boredom with your children at home? Dough Disco is a great activity for children and parents. It combines learning and playful fun with loads of YouTube follow along videos to get you going from scratch up to some of our more advanced moves.

Encourage creativity, develop the muscles needed for early mark making and writing and make some wonderful memories for the whole family - Dough Disco will help you with all these things!

Here are some of our "at home" Dough Disco videos that use our basic moves to get you started with your Dough Disco journey:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Dough Disco is a popular fine motor skill exercise created by Shonette. Can be used to improve brain and muscle development.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
ADHD Students Learn Differently. Try These ADD Classroom Strategies

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The classroom is a stressful place for an ADHD student. These effective strategies are some of the best ADD Classroom strategies we have found for teachers.