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Supported a child with their Mental Health

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Supported a child with their Mental Health

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Action for Children - Advice and activities to support children and parents with their mental health and emotional wellbeing.

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Support for Parents from Action For Children

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Mental health and wellbeing - Support for Parents from Action For Children

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Advice and activities to support your child's mental health and emotional wellbeing. From self-esteem and loneliness to anxiety and anxious feelings.

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Warwickshire Schools' Inclusion Charter (1)

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BBC: Activities, advice and personal stories about parenting and special educational needs and disabilities to help you support your family.

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BBC: Activities, advice and personal stories about parenting and special educational needs and disabilities to help you support your family.

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

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Christmas can be really overwhelming for children with ASD/ADHD. Find helpful tips on how to support your children during this time.

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Christmas can be an exciting and fun time. But new activity can be overwhelming for some of us, particularly when we're also dealing with the impact of coronavirus. We might have to adapt some of our usual plans but that shouldn't stand in the way of an autism-friendly Christmas.

With your help, we've compiled a list of tips for the festive period. With good planning and clear communication, we hope these will help you have an enjoyable Christmas.

Key to preparing for a successful Christmas is to plan and share what is important for you with those you are spending Christmas with.

Preparing

Many autistic people can find any kind of change difficult. Planning and preparation is key in making Christmas as enjoyable as possible.

Think about ways you can enjoy the festive season that work for you - don't feel pressured into doing things just because that's what other people do.

Wherever possible, plan your Christmas in advance with your family, friends and any support services.

Make sure all plans are shared and you know what you will be doing and when, and who else will be there.

If it is helpful, use visual aids such as calendars, lists and schedules to help plan your Christmas.

Think about and plan around sensory differences that could cause you distress or discomfort, consider ear defenders etc for times of potential sensory overload.

Create or find a quiet space where you can take a break if you get overwhelmed. You may want this to be a completely Christmas-free area, particularly around the main days of Christmas or at key times that there may be additional stress.

Don't just plan for Christmas Day, plan for the whole festive break and give yourself quiet days to recoup if needed.

Especially this year, don't spend money you don't have on Christmas gifts you can't afford. Make sure you budget for buying Christmas gifts.

If you're visiting family and friends, tell them about anything that could help make your visit be as stress-free as possible. For instance, turning off Christmas lights, letting you know in advance what the food will be, sharing plans for activities and having a quiet space to escape to.

This year, many people are planning to meet up 'virtually' using online channels, such as Zoom. It might work well for you. You can decide whether you want to join in from your own phone, tablet or laptop. You can also decide how you join - for example, whether to have your camera and microphone on or off. Equally, if virtual meet ups are not your thing, don't feel pressured to take part.

"Christmas scents and candles can be super overwhelming sensory-wise so could be avoided when decorating. Flashing fairy lights can be overwhelming."

Schedules

Many autistic people have a strong need for routine. If schedule and routine is important to you, you might want to:

Keep your daily schedule the same as possible, including on Christmas Day.

Gradually introduce Christmas activities into your daily schedule. For instance, you could put up a few decorations on one day and more on another, plan a short Christmas shopping trip or decorate the tree, then switch on the tree lights on another day.

Keep a copy of your schedule with you. Share it with other people if that would help them understand what you need to do and, if anything changes, change it on your schedule so you've got a new plan.

Decorations

Many autistic people will have differing sensory needs; decorations for some are great whereas others may struggle and find them really overwhelming. You could:

Plan the most suitable decorations for you and your home, including where best to have them and how many, if any.

Consider decorating gradually, for example, you could put the Christmas tree in position, decorate it the next day, then put up other decorations even later.

Create Christmas-free areas of the home without decorations.

"I put my cards up and treasure those for the kind thoughts behind them, but otherwise have no other decorations."

Presents

Presents can also be overwhelming: the number of them, the wrapping and unwrapping them; the unclear expectations about how to respond after receiving a present. You could try telling family and friends what your preference is in advance, including:

The number of presents - make a list of presents you would like to receive and share this with your family and friends. This also removes any element of surprise, if you find that difficult.

Explaining whether you want presents to be wrapped or not.

"Last year my son chose his own main present, and checked it was right when it arrived, then it was wrapped. He felt better knowing his present was right, and it wouldn't be a surprise, so started the day calm."

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Christmas can be an exciting and fun time. But new activity can be overwhelming for some of us, particularly when we're also dealing with the impact of coronavirus. We might have to adapt some of our usual plans but that shouldn't stand in the way of an autism-friendly Christmas.

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Nip in the Bud: FREE short evidence-based films and fact sheets to help parents, educationalists and others working with children to recognise potential mental health conditions. 

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Nip in the Bud: FREE short evidence-based films and fact sheets to help parents, educationalists and others working with children to recognise potential mental health conditions. 

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Learning about Children's Mental Health through Film

Nip in the Bud is regularly adding new FREE resources - short films and fact sheets - to raise mental health awareness among primary school staff, teacher trainees, anyone working with children, parents, carers and young people.

Early intervention is key, so the negative impacts of these conditions can be 'nipped in the bud' and so reduce the risk of them becoming entrenched. Our films cover Expert Information on different conditions, Real Life Experience, Emotional Wellbeing and Coping with the Aftermath of Covid.

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Learning about Children's Mental Health through Film Nip in the Bud is regularly adding new FREE resources - short films and fact sheets - to raise mental health awareness among primary school staff, teacher trainees, anyone working with children, parents, carers and young people.

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Welcome to the Padlet page for Parent SEND Support. Here you will useful information and weblinks to support for any children with additional needs.

Please contact your child's class teacher or the SENCO via the school office should you have any worries or concerns about your child.

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SEND Local Offer - Warwickshire County Council

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Warwickshire County Council provide a range of public services across the Warwickshire area.

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

Applies to England

Documents

Details

This statutory code contains:

details of legal requirements that you must follow without exception

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

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

The code, which applies to England, is for:

headteachers and principals

governing bodies

school and college staff

special educational needs (SEN) co-ordinators

early years providers

other education settings

local authorities

health and social services staff

Other SEND guides are also available.

Thank you for your feedback

Report a problem with this page

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

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special educational needs and disability

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Find all of Warwickshire's regional resources here.

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There are lots of other fabulous resources that you can access online that link with the 'time to talk' key messages.

The BBC have created Tiny Happy People which has lots of beautifully made videos, articles, quizzes and more to explore.

The government has also launched a resource called Hungry Little Minds which provides activity ideas and films with ideas of ways to stimulate children's speech, language and communication development.

We have selected some of our favourites from these resources that link to our key messages.
Being face to face
It's never too early to start a conversation. Look at this beautiful clip of a dad and a baby having a chat. Watch how connected they are - they are completely tuned in to each other. This is laying really strong foundations for the baby's emotions.
Following your child's lead
This is one of the best ways to build your child's attention and listening skills. If you follow what they are looking at or touching, you are joining in with their focus. This help them to stay focused for longer. Have a look at this video with some fabulous examples.

You are also supporting their emotional development by showing them that you are interested, that you have time for them, and that they matter.
Keeping it simple
Babies learn from conversation, and they learn most when the language they hear is at their level - not too much, and not too quick! This clip shows lots of lovely examples of adults modelling language and keeping it simple. This video shows some families looking at books together and keeping their language simple.
Adding words
Everyday routines are a great time to chat. Click here to see a lovely video about a face to face chat during a nappy change. Even a chore like doing the washing up can be a time to hear lots of words.
Repeat, repeat, repeat
We know that repetition helps children to learn. Singing rhymes and songs is a great way to keep children's interest - they often like to hear the same song over and over (and over!) again! They learn to recognise the rhythm, the actions as well as the words.

There are lots more videos online. You might have a look at this guide to 'serve and return' interaction. You'll see lots of tips about tuning it to your child's signals.

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There are lots of other fabulous resources that you can access online that link with the 'time to talk' key messages. The BBC have created Tiny Happy People which has lots of beautifully made videos, articles, quizzes and more to explore. The government has also launched a resource called Hungry Little Minds which provides activity...

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

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Speech and Language UK: Changing young lives

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Skip to content

We give families the confidence and skills to help their children. If you're concerned about your child's speech and language development, we can help.

We know that it can be hard to know where to start if you are worried about your child's development. If you think your child is having challenges with talking and understanding words, we are here to help you.

Our free resources and services can help with understanding what to look out for, how to get support and even some simple ways you can help your child at home.

Share your experience

We want to know what life is like for the 1.9 million children and young people who face challenges with talking and understanding words.

Take our survey

Our progress checker will provide short questions you can answer to see how your baby or child is getting on with their talking and understanding of words.

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Help for families - Speech and Language UK: Changing young lives

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We give families the confidence and skills to help their children. Access our free resources and learn more about ways to encourage children's speech and language development.

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

The service is free, impartial and confidential.

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

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Advice and support in helping children with anxiety

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What is anxiety?

Anxiety is a feeling of worry or fear that is experienced as a combination of physical sensations, thoughts and feelings.

All children and young people feel worried sometimes, and this is a normal part of growing up. At certain points, such as on their first day of school or before an exam, young people may become more worried, but will soon be able to calm down and feel better.

Anxiety can become a problem when a young person feels stuck in it, or when it feels like an overwhelming, distressing or unmanageable experience. If this kind of worrying goes on for a long time, it can leave a young person feeling exhausted and isolated, and limit the things they feel able to do.

If your child is struggling with anxiety, there are things you can do to help them - including providing emotional support, working on practical strategies together and finding the right professional help if they need it.

What makes young people anxious?

A young person may feel anxious for a number of different reasons, depending on the individual. If your child is feeling unmanageable amounts of worry and fear, this is often a sign that something in their life isn't right and they need support to work out what the problem is.

The following kinds of things can make some children and young people feel more anxious:

experiencing lots of change in a short space of time, such as moving house or school

having responsibilities that are beyond their age and development, for example caring for other people in their family

being around someone who is very anxious, such as a parent

struggling at school, including feeling overwhelmed by work, exams or peer groups

experiencing family stress around things like housing, money and debt

going through distressing or traumatic experiences in which they do not feel safe, such as being bullied or witnessing or experiencing abuse.

This video by Braive (2m 30s) is a useful way of understanding how stress and anxiety can build up in a person's life.

Symptoms of anxiety

Anxiety tends to affect a young person's body, thoughts and feelings. They may also behave differently, including turning to certain coping behaviours to try to avoid or manage their anxiety.
Physical symptoms:

panic attacks, which can include having a racing heart, breathing very quickly, sweating or shaking

shallow or quick breathing, or feeling unable to breathe

feeling sick

dry mouth

sweating more than usual

tense muscles

wobbly legs

irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), diarrhoea or needing to pee more than usual

getting very hot

Thoughts and feelings:

preoccupied by upsetting, scary or negative thoughts
nervous, on edge, panicky or frightened

overwhelmed or out of control

full of dread or an impending sense of doom

alert to noises, smells or sights

worrying about being unable to cope with daily things like school, friendships and being in groups or social situations

worrying so much that it is difficult to concentrate and/or sleep

Coping behaviours:

withdrawing or isolating themselves - including not wanting to go to school, be in social or group situations, be away from parents or try new things

repeating certain behaviours, actions or rituals (often called 'obsessive compulsive behaviours')

eating more or less than usual

self-harming

How to help your child in an anxious moment

When your child is in the middle of a very anxious moment, they may feel frightened, agitated or worried about having a panic attack. The important thing to do in the moment is to help them calm down and feel safe.

These strategies can help:

Remember that everyone is different, and that over time you and your child can work together to find the things that work best for them in these moments.

How to help your child manage their anxiety

Outside of moments when your child is feeling particularly anxious or panicky, there are things you can do over time to help them manage their anxiety and feel better.

A lot of these strategies are about helping your child to understand themselves and find out what works for them. The more confident they feel about helping themselves when things are hard, the more they will believe in their ability to cope - helping to reduce feelings of panic.

Some children and young people with anxiety will need professional and specialist help to feel better. They may benefit from a specific diagnosis or a treatment such as medication or talking therapy. You can find more information about this below.

Young people tell us it helps to...

find positive activities you enjoy

think about something you're looking forward to

do physical exercise

learn mindfulness and yoga

imagine your thoughts leaving your brain and floating off into the sky

keep yourself occupied

have time out

reflect on how you're feeling

talk to other people you trust

remind yourself you're not alone - odds are someone in your friendship circle has anxiety or depression too

Finding professional help

It's a good idea to seek professional support if self-help strategies are not making the situation better and anxiety is affecting your child's life - for example if they are feeling persistently anxious, often having distressing thoughts, or avoiding things like going outside or speaking to others.

There are different places where you can find help for your child. Your GP, your child's school and considering whether counselling or therapy might help are good places to start.

You can find out more about speaking to GPs, finding a counsellor or therapist, accessing Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), getting help from your child's school and finding local services on our guide to getting help for your child.

You can find out more about speaking to GPs, finding a counsellor or therapist, accessing CAMHS, getting help from your child's school and finding local services on our guide to getting help for your child.

You might also find helpful...

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Supporting A Child With Anxiety | Tips & Advice

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What is anxiety? Anxiety is a feeling of worry or fear that is experienced as a combination of physical sensations, thoughts and feelings. All children and young people feel worried sometimes, and this is a normal part of growing up.

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A useful parent pack containing information on how to support your child at home

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If your child is struggling to manage their ADHD, here are some ways you can support them and places you can get help.

Get advice and updates directly to your inbox

Join our fight for children and young people's mental health. Sign up to the YoungMinds mailing list to receive our monthly e-newsletter, campaign updates, information about events and fundraising and other opportunities to get involved in our work.

Sign up to emails

Guide Menu for Supporting your child with ADHD

Children and young people with ADHD often have lots of energy and difficulty concentrating. They might also find it hard to control what they say or do. For example, they might speak without thinking first, or find that they do things on impulse.

About one in three people diagnosed with ADHD as a child will grow out of the condition and not require any treatment as adults. Those who receive specialist treatment tailored to their needs often see the benefits in their learning, friendships, employability and life skills as they understand how best to cope and adapt.

ADHD diagnosis requires a specialist (child psychiatrist or paediatrician) assessment. This involves observing your child, obtaining reports of their behaviour at home and at school and sometimes using computerised tests. If your child is diagnosed with ADHD, these observations then inform a support plan that aims to ensure your child can flourish and achieve their full potential.

How can I help my child with ADHD?

Download our full Parents Helpline guide to ADHD

For more information and advice, you can download our full Parents Helpline guide to ADHD. The guide includes:

information about ADHD, its symptoms and getting a diagnosis

information about challenges you and your child may face, and tips for overcoming them

quotes from young people living with ADHD on what it's like for them

advice on how you can support your child with ADHD

a list of helplines and services you can use

Where to get further support

Useful helplines and websites

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Help Your Child With ADHD | Parents Guide to Support

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If your child is struggling to manage their ADHD, here are some ways you can support them and places you can get help. Get advice and updates directly to your inbox Join our fight for children and young people's mental health.

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What is Thrive?

Thrive offers a trauma-informed, whole school or setting approach to improving the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people.

We do this by giving you access to DfE-accredited training and an award-winning profiling and action planning tool, Thrive-Online (TOL). Thrive's training courses and TOL help you to better understand the needs of your pupils, provide targeted support, and measure (then report on) your impact.

Ready to join the 75,000+ senior leaders and classroom staff boosting young people's self-awareness and resilience every day? You're in the right place.

Who we work with

Transitions are being managed effectively and children are settling quickly at Cullompton pre-school in Devon.

A complete non-attender is now accessing full time, mainstream education and choosing GCSE options at Birmingham's Fortis Academy.

Across all 3 key stages, Leed's Elland Academy has seen an 80% reduction in exclusions and an increase in attendance.

31 schools across Delta Trust are reaping the benefits of teaching social and emotional skills to children and young people.

Surrey County Council has committed to supporting its early y ears providers to give children the best possible start in education.

10 schools in Australasia have adopted Thrive to improve learning engagement and boost staff retention.

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The Thrive Approach to social and emotional wellbeing | The Thrive Approach

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Thrive® promotes positive mental health and emotional wellbeing in children and young people. We provide you with the tools and training so you know what to do and how to be with children and young people.

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Click here to access training for 23-24
Any queries please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Included in the new brochure is:-

Early Help (Pathway to Change Training)

Newly Qualified Initial Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)

DSL Update Training

Reflective Supervision Training for DSLs in Schools and college settings

Safer Recruitment Training

Prevent Training for DSLs

Domestic Abuse Training

Reducing Parental Conflict

Understanding Today's Children

Solihull Approach 2-day Foundation Training

Solihull Approach Train the Trainer Parent Group

Restorative Practice

Network meetings

* DSL network meetings - Links will be sent out to all DSLs in Bulletins see dates below

* Early Help Network meetings - Early Help Website

* Family Support Network Meetings - Early Help Website

* Community in Practice

Online Courses and guides

Protective Behaviours

SEND and Inclusion Training - click here

Early Years - Early Years Website

IMPORTANT NOTICE TO ALL DELEGATES!
​We feel certain that all delegates would share our expectation that nobody with any recognised potential symptom of Covid-19 would attend any training session under any circumstances, irrespective of how important it is for them to access the training. ​We are committed to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of all participants in our training events.

Re: DSL Update training
If you are unsure where you are on the training cycle (every two years minimum) then please do not hesitate to contact us on 01926 742601.

Re: Safer Recruitment Training
We recommend this is updated between 3 and 4 years. This training is now available from us please see flyer above.

Heads Forum and DSL Network meetings

For links to these networks please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

For latest Bulletins please also contact Education Safeguarding.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Record Keeping - Logging a Concern Green Form / Yellow Form / etc - click here

Policies, Procedures and Information for Education Providers -

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Children & Families and Education Services Safeguarding Training

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Hit the Button is a great website for practicing many number skills

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QR CODE

Scan this on mobiles and tablets to quickly open this web page.

Hit the Button is an interactive maths game with quick fire questions on number bonds, times tables, doubling and halving, multiples, division facts and square numbers. The games, which are against the clock, challenge and develop mental maths skills. An untimed, practise mode is available in our Hit the Button app along with lots more extra features.

The activities can be matched to appropriate mathematical ability. Regular use of Hit the Button can help students to sharpen their recall of vital number facts in a fun way and learning multiplication tables need not be boring.

AGE

6-11 Years

SUBJECTS

Maths Times Tables Division Number Bonds Doubles Halves Square Numbers

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Hit the Button - Quick fire maths practise for 6-11 year olds

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Quick fire questions on number bonds, doubles, halves, times tables, division facts and square numbers against the clock. Superb!

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Parent pack on how to support your child at home

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Check out our range of activities to download, print and use at home. Including character and book related activity packs, maths games, recipes and more!

Explore some of our activities below or click to browse activities by age.

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Kids' Activities: fun learning games for ages 3-11 - Oxford Owl

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Check out our range of activities to download, print and use at home. Including character and book related activity packs, maths games, recipes and more! Explore some of our activities below or click to browse activities by age.

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A great way to practice phonics in a fun interactive way.

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Balloon Phonics: Three-Letter Words CVC Game

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Balloon Phonics is a phonics reading game for young children who are learning their letter sounds
and it can help them with blending sounds and segmenting words. It focuses on three letter (cvc) words.

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Some parents of children with special educational needs and disabilities will find that the workshops and family support offered through our early help programme will meet their needs. Others may feel isolated and frustrated that the 'standard parenting advice' doesn't seem to work for them.

We would always advise starting with the early help parenting courses and/or discussing your concerns with a family support worker. It may be that a more targeted intervention, supported by the early help team, would better suit your needs.

Early help parenting courses

Early help parent courses are suitable for all families, including those with children who may have additional needs. Some of our courses are designed specifically with additional needs in mind - these include a specialist sleep programme and the incredible years ASD specific programme.

The courses are offered on a rolling programme:

Children with disabilities workshops

The Children with Disabilities team are running a variety of workshops to support families with a child who has disabilities. These will all be taking place at the Lillington Children and Family Centre.

There are 5 tickets available for each event. Each ticket admits one person.

Understanding your child with additional needs

Understanding your child with additional needs is an online parenting guide specifically designed for parents and carers of children with additional needs. Anyone involved with your child can do the course for themselves as well.

It is equivalent to a 10 session group for parents so it is a big course with lots of relevant content which you can take at your own pace, when it suits you and your family. It is set out in two sections. Level 1 covers the foundation for understanding your child. Level 2 looks at some specific aspects of parenting such as sleeping and anger management, together with more about how we interact with each other.

Dimensions of Health and Wellbeing

Dimensions of Health and Wellbeing is a free, online tool providing self-care information to support adults, children and young people in Coventry and Warwickshire. Self-care information is tailored to a person's own needs and the challenges they face and is available 24/7.

Rise themed sessions

Rise offer themed sessions on areas of early mental health and wellbeing concerns parents and carers may have.

Entrust Care Partnership

Entrust Care Partnership is a Warwickshire not for profit service set up to offer support to families caring for children, young people and adults with disabilities, additional or specific needs. Entrust offers services where families can participate in group activities, attend workshops and receive support either in a group setting or one to one.

Brighter Beginnings and themed family workshops

These workshops are run by Contact, the national charity for families with disabled children. Brighter Beginnings is for families with children who have additional needs and are at the beginning of their journey. There are separate workshops for families with younger children and for those with older children. Currently these are being offered as free one off virtual events as a way of delivering family support during these challenging times.

Contact also run themed workshops for families of children with additional needs on a variety of topics such as money matters, managing positive behaviours, sleep support and more.

Earlybird Programme

This course has been designed by the National Autistic Society and is for parents and carers who have a pre-school child diagnosed with an autistic spectrum condition. The course offers advice and guidance on strategies and approaches for dealing with young autistic children. It is also a chance for parents and carers to meet and share their experience with other parents and carers in a similar situation.

You should receive a leaflet about this programme from the specialist consultants when your child receives a diagnosis, and your name will automatically be added to the booking list. If you haven't received this leaflet, please contact the consultants directly.

Autism support programme

Designed and led by Act for Autism. Two interactive programmes for parents of an autistic child or teenager. Four 3-hour sessions over a 4-week period, with a maximum of 15 parents per group:

CASP: Children's Autism Support Programme for parents/carers of children aged 4-12

TASP: Teenage Autism Support Programme for parents/carers of young people aged 13-18

The four three-hour sessions will cover:

Autism - a brief history and context. Your child and their autism

The sensory world - experience it and consider how it impacts on your child

Communication - making connections and building a secure base

Transitions, advocacy, planning next steps and problem solving

Courses are free and will run throughout 2022.

Dads of Disabled Children: A resource for dads by dads

The Dads of Disabled Children is a research advisory group set up in 2019 which consisted of a group of local fathers working with the University of Warwick. Their project involved a consideration of the well-being of disabled children and their families. The dads have created a video-based resource on key themes around maintaining their own well-being within the family.

Find out more information and view the videos on the Dads of Disabled Children page.

SEND supported

SEND supported runs in the south of the county. They can help families better understand and manage their child's special educational needs and disabilities. As well as information and resources for families they run a rolling programme of bookable workshops on autism spectrum conditions, ADHD, PDA and sensory needs.

Children's community autism support service (CCASS)

This service is for children, young people and their families who are on the neurodevelopmental waiting list for an autism diagnosis, or who have previously received a diagnosis but require support to manage their family's needs.

The service offers low level support only, with a focus on understanding and communicating feelings, sensory integration and processing, boundaries and routines, and eating and sleeping. During the current pandemic, the service is not currently open for one-to-one referrals but is offering a range of online support, including social peer support for children and for parents/carers and online training for parents/carers. The service also offers online resources for autism and an adult autism support service:

Sign language

We have put together a list of the sign language courses currently available in Warwickshire.

The curly hair project

The curly hair project (CHP) is a social enterprise founded by autistic author Alis Rowe. Whilst not local to Warwickshire, Alis has hosted regular workshops in the county, as well as online workshops and webinars. Her website also hosts a range of resources including short, animated films and a blog. Find out more about:

Time Out for Parents

Time Out for Parents with Additional Needs is a group opportunity run by Care for the Family, which is designed to support and encourage each other through sharing ideas and experiences as you progress through the programme. The focus is on children aged between 3 and 11 years of age with a disability or special need, particularly those who have learning and developmental differences.

Understanding autism

This is a Future Learn free online course delivered by the University of Kent. It is designed for weekly study (four weeks at three hours per week) to give an understanding of autism from diagnosis to life with autism. Please note that free access to the course only lasts for six weeks with an optional upgrade of £52 after this.

Understanding autism, asperger's and ADHD

This is a free course run by the University of Derby. It is designed to help you learn more about autism, asperger's and ADHD, their differences and the importance of understanding the classification, assessment and diagnosis. There are six units which take approximately three hours of study each.

One to one telephone advice

If you feel that a one to one consultation with a specialist practitioner would be more suited to your needs, please refer to the support listed on the telephone consultation page.

SEND local offer

More information, advice and support for families who have children and young people with additional needs.

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Parenting support - Warwickshire County Council

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Some parents of children with special educational needs and disabilities will find that the workshops and family support offered through our early help programme will meet their needs. Others may feel isolated and frustrated that the 'standard parenting advice' doesn't seem to work for them.

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Support with Bowel and Bladder Difficulties

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Support with Bowel and Bladder Difficulties

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Using our call back or email request service

We're a small team and the lines can get very busy. Submit an enquiry form if you'd like us to call you back or send you an email. Read more

Language Line service

If English is not your first language, contact our helpline and ask to speak to us through the interpreting service Language Line. Read more

Talking about wee and poo - 8/6/22

Our webinar in June is for parents and carers to explain how bladders & bowels work and what to do when things go wrong. Read more

Meet our advisors

Our expert helpline team offer a non judgemental listening ear. They're on hand with information, practical tips and signposting on a range of children's continence conditions. Read more

Confidentiality and personal information

We’re members of The Helplines Partnership and adhere to their good practice standards. Read more

Complaints and compliments

Your feedback is very important to us. Read more

Support groups and signposting

Get information about peer to peer support groups and other organisations that provide information about bladder and bowel challenges. Read more

Resources about children's bowel & bladder problems

Factsheets, charts & templates to help you manage potty training and bowel & bladder problems. Read more

Helpline Podcast

Informal and judgement-free discussions answering the most commonly asked questions by callers to the ERIC helpline on a whole range of toileting issues. Read more

Help us support more families

1 in 12 children struggle with a bowel or bladder condition. You can help us to make a difference to their lives despite the challenges they face. Read more

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If you are dealing with a wee or poo problem, or caring for a child who has a continence condition, we're help to you. For information, confidential advice and support, call our advisors Monday to Thursday, 10am to 2pm on FREEPHONE 0808 1699 949.

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A child’s working memory is their ability to retain small chunks of information long enough so that it can be utilised for another action. Some children find this difficult. Here you will find printable activities to support develop this.

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The crucial developmental stages that young children go through in the early years of formal schooling are monumental! As an early years teacher, every single activity prepared is planned for a reason, whether it is to develop fine motor skills, to encourage crossing the midline, or simply to allow children to develop their imagination and cognitive skills. Early years teachers don't just 'play' all day - every activity is planned to help a student's developmental journey. One of these crucial brain functions is a child's working memory.

This blog will highlight how to foster and develop a child's working memory through activities and games in the classroom environment.

What is a Child's Working Memory?

A child's working memory is their ability to retain small chunks of information long enough so that it can be utilised for another action. For example, in mental computation, if a child is working out 24-6, in their mind they head towards a number ending in zero (20). Then they need to remember that they have taken away 4 and know that in order to take away 6 they have to take away 2 more to get the answer of 18. The storing of the little chunks of information to get to the answer is evidence of their working memory in action.

And, it's not just mental maths that a child's working memory comes into play. A child's working memory plays an important part in other learning journeys including:

remembering multi-step instructions

developing listening skills

comprehending texts and develop comprehension skills

decoding unknown words, plus much more.

Shutterstock.com / ImageFlow

Games and Activities to Foster Working Memory in Kids

There are many learning opportunities that you can incorporate into your classroom environment to help support and develop your students' working memory. Here are some fantastic printable resources as well as simple games and activities that you can easily implement.

(1) Listening Activities

Developing listening skills in students is a critical skill for children to develop and learn! Planning listening activities in the classroom is a great way to help students develop their working memory. Especially if there is an extra layer to the listening activity, such as listening and then doing.

This listening activity, provides students with an image and then they are read a script. They need to decide if the description is accurate or not. Then, if it's not accurate, they must decide what is wrong and provide a new sentence verbally.

Here are some fantastic printable listening activities:

(2) Play Games like Memory or Snap!

Games like memory or snap aren't just good to help consolidate knowledge of new concepts taught. They are also good for a child's working memory. Children need to either remember where a particular card was for memory or remember what card was put down before their card for a simple game of Snap!

Who would have thought the simple game of Memory could provide such cognitive development for our little learners? Here's a cute Animal Memory Game.

Any flashcards that have matching objects can be used for these games - here are some printable flashcards that you may like to check out:

(3) Encourage Children to Visualise

Getting children to visualise something in their mind and then either drawing what they see or talking about what they see is another activity that will encourage them to activate their working memory! Reading out a descriptive sentence of an object is a great place to start.

Shutterstock.com / fizkes

You could also read a short story and have your students visualise the setting of the story and then draw the setting.

(4) Play a Game of 'What's Missing?'

I even remember playing this as a child and it never gets boring! The best news is that all you need are some fun items to place on a tray or even just a wooden chopping board and a tea towel.

Have students scan all the items and then place the tea towel over the top and have your students close their eyes. Take one item away and then have students lift the tea towel and try and remember what item or items have been taken away.

This is also great for vocabulary development - why not pick items that all start with the same sound to add an extra learning element to this fun activity.

(5) Play Simon Says with Multiple Instructions

Simon Says is an oldie, but a goodie! By including two or more instructions into the mix, children are having to use their working memory to remember the first action and then the second.

Our "Simon Says" Instruction Cards are a great printable resource - you can even mix and match to bring a different element to the game!

(6) Include Multi-Sensory Activities

We all know that all humans learn in different ways, so it's important to provide a variety of multi-sensory activities. This is one of my favourites as it's outdoors and the kids love it!

This game is played in pairs. Draw four dots of different colours around each of the students - making sure the colours mirror the other person. Player one jumps on the coloured dots in a pattern while player two watches. Then, when player one has stopped, player two must copy the exact same pattern! You could also do this using the game Twister.

(8) Play 'I went to the shops...'

This is a great game to challenge your students' listening and memory skills. One child starts off the shopping list by saying "I went to the shops today and bought..." something. The next child continues by saying the previous item and adding their own item! Continue around the class working through the alphabet and adding items to the list.

For older students, why not make the items topic-specific, such as items you'll find only in the rainforest?

Shutterstock.com / paulaphoto

These activities not only help students develop their working memory - but they also help with a raft of other skills.

Share your activity ideas in the comments section of this blog.

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Working Memory in Kids (Printable Resources and Activities)

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This blog will highlight how to foster and develop a child's working memory through activities and games in the classroom environment.

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Some great quick fire games to support the development of Maths Key Instant Recall Facts including Number Bonds, Doubles, Halves, Times Tables and more

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QR CODE

Scan this on mobiles and tablets to quickly open this web page.

Hit the Button is an interactive maths game with quick fire questions on number bonds, times tables, doubling and halving, multiples, division facts and square numbers. The games, which are against the clock, challenge and develop mental maths skills. An untimed, practise mode is available in our Hit the Button app along with lots more extra features.

The activities can be matched to appropriate mathematical ability. Regular use of Hit the Button can help students to sharpen their recall of vital number facts in a fun way and learning multiplication tables need not be boring.

AGE

6-11 Years

SUBJECTS

Maths Times Tables Division Number Bonds Doubles Halves Square Numbers

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Hit the Button - Quick fire maths practise for 6-11 year olds

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Quick fire questions on number bonds, doubles, halves, times tables, division facts and square numbers against the clock. Superb!

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All children experience difficulties with their sleep at some point in their childhood. Find out how best to support your child with good sleep and bedtime routines.

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Lots of young children find it difficult to settle down to sleep and will wake up during the night.
For some people, this might not be a problem. But if you or your child are suffering from a lack of sleep, there are some simple techniques you can try.

Every child is different, so only do what you feel comfortable with and what you think will suit your child.

If your child will not go to bed

Decide what time you want your child to go to bed.

Start a "winding down" bedtime routine around 30 minutes before the time that your child usually falls asleep. Bring this forward by 5 to 10 minutes each week - or 15 minutes if your child is in the habit of going to bed very late - until you get to the bedtime you want. Read more about bedtime routines and how to help your child to sleep.

Set a limit on how much time you spend with your child when you put them to bed. For example, read only 1 story, then tuck your child in and say goodnight.

Give your child their favourite toy, dummy (if they use one) or comforter before settling into bed.

Leave a dim light on if necessary.

If your child gets up, keep taking them back to bed again with as little fuss as possible.

Try to be consistent.

You may have to repeat this routine for several nights.

If your child will not go to sleep without you

This technique can help toddlers (over 12 months) or older children get used to going to sleep without you in the room.

It can also be used whenever your child wakes in the middle of the night.

Be prepared for your child to take a long time to settle when you first start.

You can use strokes or pats instead of kisses if your child sleeps in a cot and you cannot reach them to give them a kiss.

Follow a regular calming bedtime routine.

Put your child to bed when they're drowsy but awake, then kiss them goodnight.

Promise to go back in a few moments to give them another kiss.

Return almost immediately to give a kiss.

Take a few steps to the door, then return immediately to give a kiss.

Promise to return in a few moments to give them another kiss.

Put something away or do something in the room then give them a kiss.

As long as the child stays in bed, keep returning to give more kisses.

Do something outside their room and return to give kisses.

If the child gets out of bed, say: "Back into bed and I'll give you a kiss".

Keep going back often to give kisses until they're asleep.

Repeat every time your child wakes during the night.

More sleep tips for under-5s

Make sure you have a calming, predictable bedtime routine that happens at the same time and includes the same things every night.

If your child complains that they're hungry at night, try giving them a bowl of cereal and milk before bed (make sure you brush their teeth afterwards).

If your child is afraid of the dark, consider using a nightlight or leaving a landing light on.

Do not let your child look at laptops, tablets or phones in the 30 to 60 minutes before bed - the light from screens can interfere with sleep.

If your child wakes up during the night, be as boring as possible to avoid exciting them and leave lights off.

Avoid long naps in the afternoon.

Help your disabled child to sleep

Sometimes children with long-term illnesses or disabilities find it more difficult to sleep through the night. This can be challenging both for them and for you.

The charity Contact has more information about helping you and your child sleep.

Scope also has sleep advice for parents of disabled children.

More help with children's sleep problems

It can take patience, consistency and commitment, but most children's sleep problems can be solved.

If your child is still having problems sleeping, you can talk to your health visitor.

They may have other ideas or suggest you make an appointment at a children's sleep clinic, if there's one in your area.

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Lots of young children find it difficult to settle down to sleep and will wake up during the night. For some people, this might not be a problem. But if you or your child are suffering from a lack of sleep, there are some simple techniques you can try.

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Sleep - WHY WE SLEEP by Matthew Walker PhD Core Message

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Here you'll find ideas and support with helping your child sleep - and stay asleep

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Information about the EHCP application process

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We use cookies on your computer or mobile device to help make this website better. You can change your cookie settings at any time. Otherwise, we'll assume you're OK to continue.

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EHC needs assessment and EHC plans - Warwickshire County Council

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Early help parent courses are suitable for all families, including those with children who may have additional needs. Some of our courses are designed specifically with additional needs in mind - these include a specialist sleep programme and the incredible years ASD specific programme.

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warwickshire children and families tickets

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Warwickshire Children and Families is using Eventbrite to organize 19 upcoming events. Check out Warwickshire Children and Families's events, learn more, or contact this organizer.

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Understanding your Child: Solihull Parenting Approach

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Understanding your Child: Solihull Parenting Approach

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The Solihull Approach is a team of professionals within the National Health Service in the UK. We work with practitioners and parents to develop new resources to support emotional health and well-being in children, families, adults and older adults. The sound and well-researched ideas that underpin the Approach are embedded in every aspect of our training for professionals, comprehensive resources, groups for parents and anytime online courses for parents.

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Solihull Approach | Parenting - We're all about emotional health and wellbeing!

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Book Click here to book Solihull Approach training or event. An exciting, well-established model that really works! Welcome to the SOLIHULLAPPROACH Are you a parent? Go to inourplace to discover our range of online courses. Go to inourplace We’re all about emotional health and wellbeing! Across the UK and internationally, the Solihull Approach supports mental

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Free 30 min interactive online Understanding Autism training

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Workshops can be delivered to Schools, workplaces, charities, parent groups. At the moment all workshops are delivered on Zoom and we can accommodate up to 30. Our recent commissions include delivering our 1 day interactive Connections Workshops to all healthcare professionals across Coventry and Warks and all healthcare professionals working for Wolverhampton CC. Feedback has been 100% positive with all 500 attendees thus far saying they would recommend the workshop to a colleague. Workshops are facilitated by professionals, parents and autistic advocates, all part of the Act for Autism Team. All workshops include the 3 C Pathway. A relational approach to supporting children and young people on the autistic spectrum.

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Workshops can be delivered to Schools, Workplaces, Charities, Parent groups. At the moment all workshops are delivered on Zoom and we can accommodate up to 30.

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EarlyBird (under five years), EarlyBird Plus (ages four-nine), and Teen Life (ages 10 to 16) are support programmes for parents and carers, offering advice and guidance on strategies and approaches to working with young autistic children. The programmes work on understanding autism, building confidence to encourage interaction and communication, and understanding and supporting behaviour.

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Support and advice for parents and carers of autistic children, including support to develop a greater understanding of their child's needs and accessing services that meet the familys needs.

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We can offer support for children and young people (age 7–18, and up to their 19th birthday) who are on the neurodevelopmental waiting list for an autism diagno

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Warwickshire Mind Community Autism Support

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Warwickshire Mind Community Autism Support

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Introduction to the Information Advice and Support Service

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Introduction to the Information Advice and Support Service

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A short animation funded by the Department for Education to help children and young people with SEND and their parents learn about the service and support on offer from their local "Information Advice and Support Service" and how a local IASS team can be contacted - including how to access the national Helpline provided by Contact.

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Introduction to the Information Advice and Support Service

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Join us in person for the 'Together with Autism' Conference brought to you by Act for Autism. Held at Whitley Academy to launch the Local Autism Strategy and share/listen to advice and information. Please join us for inspiring talks, workshops and to meet with your local services representatives.

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In-person: Together with Autism Conference

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A conference to launch the autism strategy and bring services together to share advice and information. Cov and Warks residents only

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Support for families with young people or adults with disability, additional or specific needs.

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In need of a chat, some guidance or support? Join us at Dobbies Garden Centre, Stratford-on-Avon, next session Wednesday 1st March. Call Helen on 07735 650019 or email helenbritton@entrustcarepartnership.org.uk to find out more.

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Entrust Care Partnership | To meet the needs of disabled children, young persons, adults, and their families and carers through the provision of short break activities, care, support, training, advice, and brokerage tailoring services which are bespoke to the individual.

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In need of a chat, some guidance or support? Join us at Dobbies Garden Centre, Stratford-on-Avon, next session Wednesday 1st March. Call Helen on 07735 650019 or email helenbritton@entrustcarepartnership.org.uk to find out more.

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This is an autism social and awareness group aimed at adults, parents, young people, children and anyone affected by autism

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This is an autism social and awareness group aimed at adults, parents, young people, children and anyone affected by autism. When requesting to join please answer our questions to explain how you...

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This is a free workshop for parents/carers of children who have autism or related social communication difficulties. The children will be in Y5 or Y6 and on their journey to making the change to secondary school. SEND Supported will be leading discussions on transition and how best to support your child.