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Welcome to the Dunnington's padlet page for SEND support. Here you will find useful information and weblinks to support for children with additional needs.

Please ensure you contact your child's Class teacher or the school's SENDCO (Mrs McGrath) if you have any worries or concerns about your child.

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Inclusion is everyone's responsibility.

It is the aim and the vision of Warwickshire County Council that all schools are places where everyone feels valued, included, safe, supported and welcome. We will work together to enable all our children and young people in Warwickshire to lead a fulfilling life and be part of their community.

The charter

This charter sets out what all children and young people and their families should expect from schools in Warwickshire, in line with the SEND Code of Practice.

Welcome and care

We will:

Understand that every child is an individual

Recognise the value of inclusion

Make time to get to know you and what is important to you and your family

Establish and build on positive relationships

Make time to respond to your needs

Work closely with all relevant people to ensure successful transitions

Ensure children's and young people's voices are at the heart of all we do

Communicate

We will:

Listen calmly and respectfully, with patience, ensuring you feel heard and understood.

Establish how to provide and seek information in a way you can access and understand

Recognise all behaviour is a form of communication

Explain what can be done and any limitations

Communicate in a way that means you can participate in planning and decision making

Provide clear guidance on who to contact and respond promptly

Make you comfortable by using positive and helpful language

Create and maintain communication friendly environments

Value and include

We will:

Remember inclusion is everyone’s responsibility

Be proactive in providing reasonable adjustments

Ensure our SENCo is able to support families and staff

Inform and support you of any planned changes as soon as possible

Ensure that children and young people with SEND are valued and included in pupil voice activities

Identify needs early and assess, plan, do, review with support from appropriate agencies

Ensure our children and young people have a trusted person who checks in with them at least weekly

Have a 'can do' attitude and build on everyone’s strengths

Recognise and meet the training needs of our staff

Work in partnership

We will:

Give you opportunities to share your views

Do our best to understand and consider your ideas

Involve you in developing shared plans for you and our school

Value you as an equal partner and recognise your experience and knowledge

Understand that every family is different and has different resources

Engage with community groups

Collaborate across settings to share good practice

Work together with you and other people to recognise need and support you on your journey as a family

We will develop each of these commitments to build trust.

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SEND Code of Practice (2014)

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

Applies to England

Documents

Details

This statutory code contains:

details of legal requirements that you must follow without exception

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

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

The code, which applies to England, is for:

headteachers and principals

governing bodies

school and college staff

special educational needs (SEN) co-ordinators

early years providers

other education settings

local authorities

health and social services staff

Other SEND guides are also available.

Thank you for your feedback

Report a problem with this page

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

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Bereavement and Loss Support for Parents and Families

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Bereavement and Loss Support for Parents and Families

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Experiences of loss and bereavement are a feature of everybody’s lives. Children and young people will have many experiences of loss and separation as part of their normal development. Each family will offer a unique and individual perspective of what has happened or is happening to them and there are no right or wrong responses to a loss or bereavement. Experiencing grief is a normal process children and young people will go through and most will require no additional professional support.

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Within the code of practice, communication and interaction is defined as follows:

Paragraph 6.29

‘Children and young people with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) have difficulty in communicating with others. This may be because they have difficulty saying what they want to, understanding what is being said to them, or they do not understand or use social rules of communication. The profile for every child with SLCN is different and their needs may change over time. They may have difficulty with one, some or all of the different aspects of speech, language or social communication at different times of their lives.’

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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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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 needs and disabilities (SEND) and to their parents and carers.

They also provide information on a wide range of SEND topics for anyone to access.

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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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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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Warwickshire Mind Community Autism Support

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Warwickshire Mind Community Autism Support

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Community Autism Support Service CASS - Autism support across Coventry and Warwickshire

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If you live in Coventry or Warwickshire with a diagnosis of autism, or are awaiting a diagnosis, we may be able to help you, your parents or your carer.

You can start by calling the Navigation Team and ask about available support. Our team is made up of autistic individuals and those with lived experience, including parents or carers of autistic individuals.

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Home - Community Autism Support Service CASS

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Welcome to the Community Autism Support Service or CASS for Coventry and Warwickshire.

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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. 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.

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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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Children's age and their subsequent understanding of death.

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Support for Parents from Action For Children

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Feelings and behaviour - Support for Parents from Action For Children

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Understanding behaviour and emotions, talking about feelings, safety and wellbeing, rules and rewards, wellbeing activities

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Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH)

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Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH)

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ADHD support from Young Minds

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What is ADHD?

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects behaviour and concentration.

Children and young people with ADHD often seem unusually restless, impulsive or distracted. They may speak or act without thinking, struggle with organisation, find it hard to focus or appear to be always on the go. Some people with ADHD do not experience hyperactivity; this used to be called attention deficit disorder (ADD), though the term in no longer used officially.

ADHD is not a mental illness or a learning disability, though children and young people with ADHD may also have other conditions or experience mental health problems.

Living with ADHD can be very challenging, for children and young people as well as for their parents and carers. But the right diagnosis, treatment and support can make a big difference to a child's learning, life skills and relationships, as well as making family life easier. There is also lots you can do as a parent/carer to help your child manage the things they find difficult.

What are the most common symptoms of ADHD?

A child with ADHD may be:

easily distracted, finding it difficult to start or finish tasks

often unable to concentrate

often restless or fidgety

very talkative, often interrupting or blurting things out

impulsive, acting before considering consequences, prone to taking risks

easily angry or frustrated, struggling to deal with emotions

finding making or maintaining friendships difficult

disorganised, for instance often losing things or being late

lacking awareness of time

Every child or young person with ADHD is individual and they may not display all of these behaviours. And many of these traits and behaviours are typical in younger children, or can follow a traumatic experience - they don't necessarily mean your child has ADHD.

Age and gender can also affect how someone with ADHD behaves. This can make it harder to spot signs of ADHD, particularly in girls, who are more likely to be undiagnosed or wrongly diagnosed with other conditions.

Typically the symptoms of ADHD develop in early childhood and they may become particularly noticeable at times of significant change, such as starting or changing school.

What to do if you think your child might have ADHD

If your child frequently experiences some of these symptoms and it's affecting their day-to-day life, discuss your concerns with your child's GP. Before doing this, talk to your child's teacher and the school special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO) about what they have noticed.

The GP may want to refer your child for assessment, as ADHD can only be diagnosed by a specialist such as a child and adolescent psychiatrist or paediatrician.

Sometimes parents are reluctant to pursue assessment. They may be worried about 'labelling' their child or about stigma, or they may prefer to watch and wait. These feelings are normal. But parents and young people who do seek diagnosis can find it helps them access the right support; understand and manage challenges; and identify individual strengths.

We have more information about getting support from the GP, CAMHS or school in our guide.

ADHD diagnosis, support and treatment

ADHD assessment is usually done through the specialist Children and Young People's Mental Health Services, commonly referred to as CAMHS.

Diagnosis is most commonly made in childhood, and in the majority of cases, symptoms affecting daily life continue into adulthood.

There is no single, definitive test for ADHD. Specialists will base clinical diagnosis on a combination of observations of your child; discussions and questionnaires (with you and your child); and information from your child's school.

They will consider how long the symptoms have been present; their impact on your child's daily life; and whether they might be due to another condition. The NHS states that approximately 60-80% of children with ADHD have at least one other condition (such as autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia, anxiety or behaviour problems), and your child may be given more than one diagnosis.

Support and treatment options

You and your child should be offered support and advice to help manage ADHD in their day-to-day life.

ADHD can also be treated with medication and/or therapies. These should be discussed with you when your child is diagnosed, and are set out in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines on ADHD.

ADHD can be treated with therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). For more information about therapy, see our parent guide to counselling and therapy.

There are a number of types of medication. These are not a cure for ADHD, and many children do not take them, but they can help manage some of the symptoms. Medication must be prescribed and overseen by a specialist.

You may also be offered ADHD -focussed parent training. This does not mean your parenting is somehow wrong. It is designed to provide support and specific strategies and skills to help you and your child thrive.

Jack is still perennially late, disorganised and impulsive; but he's also energetic, original and creative. The medication is helping him make the most of all of that.

What you can do to support your child with ADHD

Be explicit and consistent about unacceptable behaviour, such as violence. Set appropriate consequences and follow them through, but try to stay calm in the moment to avoid escalation. Dealing with challenging behaviour can be very hard, and our parent guide has helpful advice.

Plan the day so your child knows what to expect. Maintaining regular sleep patterns, physical activity and mealtimes can help your child. Some people find dietary change and/or certain supplements helpful. But the NHS states that there is no clinical evidence for this, and medical advice should be sought first. Our young person's guide has helpful advice on sleep problems.

The impact of ADHD on your child's mental health

Any child or young person can struggle with their mental health and wellbeing, whether or not they have ADHD. This might be caused by things like family change, bullying, exam stress or a traumatic event.

But having ADHD may also mean your child has extra challenges - such as social difficulties, struggling to manage their emotions or getting into trouble at school - that leave them more vulnerable to low self-esteem, anxiety or depression.

Children and young people with ADHD frequently have other developmental or mental health conditions and it is important to ensure they have the appropriate support for these.

As a parent there is a lot you can do to support your child with their wellbeing and mental health:

encourage your child to talk about how they are feeling with you. Our starting a conversation guide has ideas for keeping communication open

if you feel your child may have a mental health problem or another condition alongside ADHD, discuss your concerns with their GP or ADHD specialist.

Working with school if your child has ADHD

ADHD is a special education need (SEN), and it may be referred to as a specific learning difference (SpLD). Your child is entitled to appropriate support to help them thrive socially and educationally. This could include potential adjustments in certain situations, such as extra time or rest breaks for exams, movement breaks in lessons, written instructions for tasks and a seating plan that minimises distractions.

Discuss the diagnosis and needs with the school's SENCO, taking a list of your concerns and background information to the meeting.

Your child may be entitled to an education, health and care plan (EHC plan) which details the support they need and how it will be provided. (The National Autistic Society has helpful information about EHC plans.)

Good communication between you and school can be really helpful in ensuring your child thrives in education and meets their potential. Our parent guide to support has more advice on talking to school or college.

ADHD in teenagers and beyond

If your child is a teenager or young person, their needs and the support you give may well be different from when they were younger. They may like to read our young person's guide to ADHD and mental health. But there are still many ways you can help.

Looking after your own wellbeing

Parenting a child with ADHD can sometimes be isolating, upsetting or exhausting. Sometimes parents feel judged or blamed by others (unjustifiably as parenting does not cause ADHD). It is entirely understandable if you are finding things difficult.

It's important to recognise the impact the situation is having on you, and think about ways you can take care of yourself - including getting support from other people so that you can take some time off. It's okay to ask for help when you need it, and to share your worries with someone you trust. We have advice on looking after yourself as well as your child.

Our son's challenging behaviour with ADHD had an enormous impact on the whole family, as we and his brothers bore the brunt of his anger.

Where to get further support

If you would to speak to a professional adviser or find out more about how you can support your child, these organisations can help.
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.

This page was reviewed in March 2022. It was created with parents and carers with lived experience of supporting their child or young person with ADHD. 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.

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ADHD Support For Your Child | Parents Advice Guide

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If your child is struggling to manage their ADHD, read our tips on what you can do to support them, how to get a diagnosis and where to find help.

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Learning about Children’s Mental Health through Film

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Learning about Children’s Mental Health through Film

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Nip in the Bud® works with mental health professionals of the highest standing to produce FREE short evidence-based films, fact sheets, blogs and podcasts to help parents/carers, primary school staff, teacher trainees and others working with children to recognise potential mental health conditions. Their goal is to increase early intervention so the negative impact of conditions can be “nipped in the bud” to avoid them becoming more serious in later years. Their films and resources cover expert information on many conditions and mental wellbeing topics, real life experience, emotional wellbeing and practical guides.

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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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Nip in the Bud | Child Mental Health Resources for Parents and Teachers

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Nip in the Bud® works with mental health professionals of the highest standing to produce FREE short evidence-based films and fact sheets to help parents, educationalists and others working with children to recognise potential mental health conditions. The goal is to increase the prospects of early intervention and to avoid those conditions becoming more serious in later years.

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October is the start of ADHD awareness month, find out more from the following website:

https://www.adhdawarenessmonth.org

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Warwickshire's Local offer can be found on the above website. From 1 September 2014 the Children and Families Act requires all local authorities to publish and maintain a ‘local offer’. A local offer is a wide range of information about all the support and facilities which families can expect to find in their area for children and young people who have special educational needs (SEN) and disabilities. The information should cover education, health and social care support and services for children and young people aged between 0 and 25. The local offer is not a guarantee that a particular service will be available, but should be a useful guide to what you can expect to find in your area, and how you can access that service.

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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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A short film that explores ADHD.

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NCMH (National Centre for Mental Health)

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If you have a child with ADHD, you understand many of the difficulties associated with the disorder, but you may not always sure how to help them to overcome their challenges.

Technology is providing new solutions for parents, educators and therapists that are proving to be powerful tools. If your child has an iPad or iPhone, these highly rated ADHD apps can help them learn to focus and master everyday tasks.

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If you have a child with ADHD, you understand many of the difficulties associated with the disorder, but you may not always sure how to help them to overcome their challenges.

Technology is providing new solutions for parents, educators and therapists that are proving to be powerful tools. If your child has an iPad or iPhone, theses highly rated ADHD apps can help them learn to focus and master everyday tasks.

10 ADHD Apps for Kids

Monster Physics - This app won the 2012 Editor's Choice Award for the Children's Technology Review. It is a fun, educational, unique building app that lets your child play with physics. Your child can build and operate their car, crane, rocket ship, plane, helicopter, tank and more. This app will allow your child to utilize their imagination by building detailed contraptions with over 68 different parts.

Related Posts:
Apps For Sensory Processing Disorder - Helpful Resources Special Needs Toys That Make Great Gifts for Kids The Worst Apps for Kids - Are You Keeping Them Safe?
Related Books:
The ADHD Workbook for Kids The Super Kids Activity Guide to Conquering the Everyday Smart But Scattered: Helping Kids Reach Their Potential
Have you used any other ADHD apps with your kids?

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10 of the BEST Apps to Help Kids with ADHD

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If you have a child with ADHD, you understand many of the difficulties associated with the disorder, but you may not always sure how to help them to overcome their challenges. Technology is providing new solutions for parents, educators and therapists that are proving to be powerful tools.

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Information for Neurodivergent People and their Families Booklet

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A useful website that explores autism.

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Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) / Dyspraxia

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A guide to neurodiversity in the Early Years - Anna Freud.

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South Warwickshire Dyslexia Association

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Advice and support for helping children cope with anxiety.

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What is anxiety?

Anxiety is a feeling of worry, fear or unease. It is often experienced as a combination of thoughts, feelings and physical sensations in our body.

All children and young people feel worried sometimes. This is a normal, human reaction to things that feel stressful. For example, before an exam a young person may feel more worried than usual. But they will soon feel calmer after the stressful event has passed.

Anxiety becomes a problem when a child or young person feels stuck in it. When this happens, it can become an overwhelming experience. It can also affect their daily life and limit the things they feel able to do.

If your child or young person is struggling with anxiety, there are things you can do to help them. We've got advice to help you provide reassuring support, work on strategies together and find professional help if they need it.

What makes young people anxious?

A child or young person may be anxious for different reasons. Feeling a bit more worried sometimes is normal and there is not always a clear reason for this. But if your child is feeling unmanageable amounts of anxiety, this is often a sign that something in their life isn't quite right. They may need support to work out what the problem is.

This video by St Catherine's College is a useful way of understanding how stress and anxiety might build up in a person's life.

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

finding school difficult or experiencing school anxiety

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

going through a significant change, such as moving house, parents separating or changing school

the death or illness of a close family member or friend

having lots of responsibility, for example caring for other people in their family

experiencing family stress around things like housing, money and debt

going through experiences in which they do not feel safe, such as being bullied, witnessing or experiencing abuse, or experiencing discrimination such as racism, homophobia or transphobia

not getting the right support or having their needs recognised if they have a neurodiverse condition such as autism or ADHD

Signs of anxiety in children and young people

Anxiety often affects our body, thoughts, feelings and behaviour. A child or young person who is struggling with anxiety may also behave differently or start using coping mechanisms to try to manage or avoid the anxiety. Below are some of the signs to look out for in children and young people.

Young people share their experience of anxiety.

How to help your child or young person when they feel panicky

In a very anxious moment, your child or young person may feel frightened or worried about having a panic attack. If this happens, focus on helping them to calm down and feel safe. The strategies below can help.

Breathe slowly and deeply together

Show/hide caption

A hand with five fingers spread. A pointed finger shows instructions for moving around each finger with the words 'Breathe in' as you move upwards, and 'Breathe out' as you move downwards.

Together, hold your hands out in front of you. Trace the outline of each of your fingers slowly with your other hand. Breathe in as you go up each finger, and out as you come down. Move and breathe as slowly as feels comfortable. Over time, encourage your child or young person to breathe out for one or two counts longer than they breathe in. This can help their body to relax.

If you would like to have a copy of this technique with you, you can download and print our resource.

Try using all five senses together

Show/hide caption

A picture of eyes, an ear, a hand, a nose and a mouth. Text reads next to each one: "5 things you can see. 4 things you can hear. 3 things you can touch. 2 things you can smell. 1 thing you can taste."

Connecting with what we can see, touch, hear, smell and taste is sometimes called 'grounding'. Doing grounding techniques can make us feel more present and bring us back into our body. This can reduce the intensity of our anxiety. Think together about what they can see, touch, hear, smell and taste.

For example, they might notice: five different colours; four soft things in the room; three sounds like cars going past the window or the noise of the washing machine; two things they can smell, like a scented candle or a piece of fruit; and one thing they find soothing to eat.

If you would like to have a copy of this technique with you, you can download and print our resource.

Remember, you don't need to do all of these things each time. Everyone is different, and it's about figuring out which of these strategies suits them best.

After they have calmed down, it can help to remind them that the panicky feeling did not last forever. They were able to do things that helped and the feeling stopped.

How to help your child or young person manage their anxiety

As well as managing panicky moments, your child or young person can also learn how to deal with their anxiety over the longer-term.

Many of these strategies are about helping them to understand how their anxiety works and what helps them. The more confident they feel about this, the more they will believe in their ability to cope. This can make anxiety feel more manageable.

As you think about strategies you might try, always remind yourself you're doing your best. It's natural to feel a bit overwhelmed sometimes. But remember, you do not need to try five different things at once. Have a look through these suggestions and pick one or two things you think might help.

There are some daily activities that are really important for our mental health. These are:

physical exercise, or some movement

sleeping well

eating healthily

drinking water

connecting and spending quality time with loved ones

They might sound simple, but they can have a big effect on our mood. Regular exercise can be particularly important because it can help to reduce feelings of anxiety in the body. It doesn't have to be much - walking or gentle yoga can help.

If you have a teenager or young adult, reducing alcohol and caffeinated drinks such as coffee can help. This is because they can trigger the physical symptoms of anxiety.

Some children and young people will need support from a mental health professional. They may benefit from a specific diagnosis or a treatment such as talking therapy. You can find more information about this below.

Young people tell us it also helps to...

think about something you're looking forward to

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

You might also find helpful...

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.

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.

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Supporting A Child With Anxiety | Tips and Advice

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If your child or teenager is struggling with anxiety, we've got information about signs and treatment, and practical strategies you can do together.

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Strategies to help with emotional regulation.