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Dr Karen Treisman, MBE, is a Highly Specialist Clinical Psychologist and Organizational Consultant who has worked in the NHS and children's services for several years. Karen has also worked cross-culturally in both Africa and Asia with groups ranging from former child soldiers to survivors of the Rwandan Genocide.

Karen has extensive experience in the areas of trauma, parenting, and attachment, and works clinically using a range of therapeutic approaches with families, systems, and children in or on the edge of care, unaccompanied asylum-seeking young people, and adopted children. Karen supports over 90 different organisations on their journey to become more trauma, adversity, and culturally informed, infused, and responsive organisations. Karen also is an expert witness for court specialising in child protection.

In addition to holding a doctorate in Clinical psychology, Karen has undergone a range of specialist trainings including in EMDR, Narrative Therapy, Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy, Sensory Intervention, Video Interaction Guidance, and Theraplay.

Karen has previously worked in numerous Looked after Children and fostering services, and within the National Implementation Service for evidence-based interventions for Looked after children, children on the edge of care, and children in custody at the Michael Rutter Centre in the Maudsley Hospital; and as a Clinical Lead for a court assessment and intensive parenting intervention team for children on the edge of care and in proceedings within Islington.

Karen is the director of Safe Hands and Thinking Minds training and consultancy services. www.safehandsthinkingminds.co.uk. Karen is also a tedX speaker on the power of relationships.

Karen is an external consultant, trainer, and assessor to several local authorities, schools, charities, prisons, and to a variety of organisations including GrandparentsPlus, Barnardos, PAC-UK, AdoptionPlus, Pause, Three Steps, and the Fostering Network.

Karen is a TedX speaker and the winner of several Psychologist of the year awards; as well as being an MBE (Queens Honour list 2020). Karen regularly presents at local, national, and international trauma, parenting, and attachment conferences.

Karen was awarded a Winston Churchill Fellowship which focused on trauma, adversity, and culturally informed, infused, and responsive organisational transformation.

See www.safehandsthinkingminds.co.uk for a range of events, trainings, online modules, and workshops by Dr Treisman; and a selection of podcasts and further trauma and attachment-related resources.

Karen is a member of the CoramBAAF health group advisory committee, and a reviewer for the Journal of Adoption and Fostering.

In her free time, Karen is passionate about travelling and art. She is a self-confessed foodie and is often found trying out new eateries, exploring London's hidden gems, going on canal walks, or planning her next travelling adventure (Near and far).

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A Therapeutic Treasure Deck of Grounding, Soothing, Coping and Regulating Cards (Therapeutic Treasures Collection)

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Buy A Therapeutic Treasure Deck of Grounding, Soothing, Coping and Regulating Cards (Therapeutic Treasures Collection) by Treisman Clinical Psychologist trainer & author, Dr. Karen (ISBN: 9781785925290) from Amazon's Book Store. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.

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SALT Team Resources - Thomas Bewick School

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Thomas Bewick School is a specialist provision for autistic children and young people based in Newcastle upon Tyne. We cater for children and young people aged 3 -19 years with a range of abilities an…

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Intensive Interaction: an approach for helping people with learning disabilities or autism who are at early levels of development

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Learning About Neurodivesity at School (LEANS)

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Learning About Neurodivesity at School (LEANS)

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Alcorn, A.M., Fletcher-Watson, S., McGeown, S., Murray, F., Aitken, D., Peacock, L.J.J., & Mandy, W. (2022). Learning About Neurodiversity at School: A resource pack for primary school teachers and pupils. University of Edinburgh. https://salvesen-research.ed.ac.uk/leans
See more citation guidance in our FAQs

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Learning About Neurodiversity at School (LEANS)

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A free programme for mainstream primary schools to introduce pupils aged 8-11 years to the concept of neurodiversity, and how it impacts our experiences at school.

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My name is Carol Gray. My career began in 1976 as a teacher with four children with autism at Jenison Public Schools, in Jenison, Michigan.

I developed Social Stories in 1990 and will be your guide to their history. We'll explore the philosophical roots of Social Stories and the events that led to their discovery and continuing development.

I have spent a lot of time going through file drawers and old corrugated boxes of articles to piece together the history of Social Stories. It has added detail to - and in some cases corrected - my understanding of Social Story history. For example, prior to this backward search through time, I would have told you that a conversation with one of my students initiated Social Stories. I now understand that Social Stories developed over several years. This does not dismiss the importance of the conversation, instead it fills in important vacant spaces in Social Story history. This four-part summary is an opportunity to set the record straight, to share the events, setbacks, and thoughts that led to the development of Social Stories with unprecedented documentation.

I have divided the Social Story history into four sections. This is the first, followed by:

2. The Historical Context of Autism and Social Stories (Up to 1987);

3. The Origin of the Social Story Philosophy (1986-1990); and

4. The Discovery of Social Stories (1990 - 1993).

I suggest reading and exploring sections 1-4 in sequence. They are summaries with links to original documents. You'll notice that the Social Story history section covers from the early 1950s until 1993, when the first Social Story Book was published.

Many of the original articles and documents have been unavailable for several years. For example, in the first chapter, "The Historical Context of Autism and Social Stories", you'll find an unpublished article from 1980 and excerpts from a journal that I kept during my first year of teaching. In the third chapter, "The Discovery of Social Stories", there's a ink to the hard-to-find first formal journal article describing Social Stories that I wrote with Joy Garand. Similar resources are in each chapter. Together they are an accurate and detailed account of the context, opportunities, experiences, and ideas that resulted in the development of Social Stories and other ideas and instructional techniques.

Most of the documents in this Social Story history are Morning News articles. Our program received a federal Challenge Grant (Grant) in 1986. It enabled us to place our secondary students in general education classes and vocational training experiences in the community. The Grant also made it possible to print and distribute a newsletter to keep others informed of our activities. Initially, the newsletter was printed on a mimeograph machine in the school office. The quality and 'look' of The Morning News improved as time went on. The Morning News became the Jenison Autism Journal in the fall of 2002. In 2004, the Jenison Autism Journal became Autism Spectrum Quarterly with a new editor, Diane Twachtman-Cullen, Ph.D., CCC-SLP.

You'll notice my summary of the history of Social Stories covers from the middle of the last century until 1993. After that, the articles tell their own story. Simply go to The Morning News/Jenison Autism Journal on this website. There you will find two things: The Best of The Morning News/Jenison Autism Journal, a topical list of selected articles with a short description of each. You will also find, Back Issues, a sequential list of all of the existing issues, from 1993-2004. They are available for you to review or download with my compliments.

Every resource on this tour of documents is unaltered. Please keep age and historical context in mind as you encounter outdated terminology or long-since discarded attitudes and ideas. For example, some of the earlier Social Story information is no longer true today. As you proceed, you'll see how ideas and values transformed into our more current vocabulary, values, and understanding.

The resources are original in another way, too. Some of them have fuzzy school-mimeograph machine text, and others are not in the best of shape. At one time or another they each shared my desk or work area with iced tea or Diet Coke®. There are some stains, smudges, rips, and tears. No matter, they were the best copies available, and I scanned them in for this come-as-you-are documented history.

In some articles, you may encounter blacked out areas or handwritten notes from me. These are to clarify any confusion resulting from mention of materials that are no longer available. Please trust that I have tried to find as many of these missing materials as possible, many of them unfortunately without success. There is a link or ordering information for each available resource.

Before you get started, I want to explain why and when I capitalize the term 'Social Stories'. 'Social Stories' has been routinely capitalized as a proper noun for several years to distinguish the 'genuine' Stories that meet all of the current defining criteria. The word 'Story' or 'Stories' is also capitalized if used in reference to a genuine Social Story. I am following suit in this history; when 'story' or 'social stories' appears without capitalization, it means that the story or stories met the requirements of the definition at one time, but would not be considered Social Stories today.

My goal is to provide you with a helpful history of Social Stories. I hope it meets your needs, whether you are seeking a general overview or extensive detail, a few key pieces of information or a specific article. If you prefer to skip around, it is possible to start with any section. In this way, you can tailor your tour to fit your time and interest.

Whatever has brought you to this part of the website, thanks for taking the time to learn about the times, events, and efforts that led to the discovery of Social Stories.

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Social Stories - Carol Gray - Social Stories

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My name is Carol Gray. My career began in 1976 as a teacher with four children with autism at Jenison Public Schools, in Jenison, Michigan. I developed Social Stories in 1990 and will be your guide to their history. We'll explore the philosophical roots of Social Stories and the events that led to their discovery [...]

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Highly structured and visual, the workbook is broken down into key sections such as 'Interests and focus', 'Masking', 'Emotions and energy levels' and 'My autistic identity statement' to create a personal passport and to develop a deeper understanding of what autism means to the young person as an individual. Content has been shaped by autistic advisors and contributors, with first-hand experiences of young people woven throughout. The workbook aims to encourage and build:

An understanding of what autism is

An understanding of what autism means to them (their autistic identity)

A positive sense of self

An acknowledgement of things that may be trickier

A pride in being autistic.

Having a positive understanding of your autistic identity is an indicator of higher self-esteem and wellbeing as an adult. This workbook supports the development of this and will be valuable for autistic children and young people aged 10+ and the adults working with them. It is designed to be used alongside the accompanying guide for most effective use, which provides further support for the lead adult and a platform for initiating important conversations.

For effective use, this workbook should be purchased alongside the guide. Both books can purchased together as a set, Autism, Identity and Me: A Practical Workbook and Professional Guide to Empower Autistic Children and Young People Aged 10+ , 9781032261027.

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Autism, Identity and Me: A Practical Workbook to Empower Autistic Children and Young People Aged 10+

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Buy Autism, Identity and Me: A Practical Workbook to Empower Autistic Children and Young People Aged 10+ 1 by Duffus, Rebecca (ISBN: 9781032396545) from Amazon's Book Store. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.

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Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

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Early language development, attention and play - Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

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The following resources contain lots of useful advice for you to support your child’s early language and communication skills at home.

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Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust Sensory Processing Service

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Skip to content

Children's Occupational Therapy Sensory Processing Service for children and young people living in Northumberland.

This service is delivered by Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and is based at Wansbeck General Hospital.

Our overall aim is to support parents, carers, education staff and other professional groups to understand how sensory processing can impact on daily life.

The service will provide information on how to modify activities and the environment to support participation in activities of daily life for children and young people with sensory processing challenges.

Our amazing senses

Our senses help us to perceive the world and to interact with other people. We have five external senses; these are known as vision, taste, touch, smell and hearing. We have a further three internal senses which are less well known. These internal senses are vestibular, proprioception and interoception.

Tap or hover over the icons to reveal the pop up.

What is Sensory Processing?

For most children the development of their sensory processing occurs as part of our typical development and they learn to respond appropriately to sounds, smells, movement etc.

We all have some sensory processing differences. For example, some of us like very strong tastes and smells and others avoid them. As long as we can manage to take part in the things we want and need to do these sensory processing differences don't matter.

For some children their sensory development is delayed or disordered, and they struggle to take part in everyday childhood activities. For example, they are so distressed by noise they can't go to a friend's party or they hit out when someone brushes up against them as they experience it as painful.

Meet the team

The team consists of a Clinical Specialist Occupational Therapist, Senior Occupational Therapist, and an Occupational Therapy Technical Instructor.

Sandra

Clinical Specialist Occupational Therapist

Sandra graduated from Northumbria University as an Occupational Therapist in 2002. She has experience of working in acute physical and mental health settings before going on to specialise in Paediatrics in 2008.

She has completed further post graduate training in sensory processing and achieved a Master's degree in Developmental Disorders in 2018. Sandra has extensive experience of working with children and young people who have complex health and sensory needs and enjoys supporting individuals to achieve their full potential.

Karen

Occupational Therapy Technical Instructor

Karen started working for Northumbria Health Care in 2004. She has a wealth of experience in working in health care and recently transferred to Paediatrics as an Occupational Therapy Technical Instructor.

Her goal each day is to ensure she delivers high quality care to all the children and families with whom she works. Working in the Sensory Processing Service allows the opportunity to help children and families in the local area. She finds working in the sensory processing team very interesting and rewarding.

Who is this service for?

Children and young people who are experiencing day-to-day difficulties with processing sensory information can access Northumberland's Sensory Processing website for support, strategies, and information.

If additional support is required a referral can be made to the Occupational Therapy service where parents / carers will be offered an initial telephone consultation. Referrals to the service must be completed by an approved professional and meet the following service criteria:

The Service for any child or young person aged 0-18 years, or up to 19 years if still in full time education and living in Northumberland.

Registered with a Northumberland General Practitioner.

Parent/Carer consent has been obtained for the Referral.

Sensory Processing strategies have been trialled to help improve engagement in daily living activities but have not been fully successful and further support is required.

Sensory Processing challenges continue to have a significant and ongoing impact on mental health and/or physical wellbeing in relation to participating in daily living activities.

Children / young people who are receiving support from the Children and Young People's service (CYPS) who require sensory support may be redirected to CYPS to receive support around their sensory processing needs.

How to access?

Children, Young People and Parent/Carers can access sensory processing resource information and online workshops.

Northumberland Children's Occupational Therapy Service

Child Health Centre, Woodhorn Lane, Ashington, Northumberland, NE63 9JJ

01670 564050

Referral Form

To access a parent/carer telephone triage consultation a referral will need to be completed by an approved referrer into the service, such as:

Medical Staff - Paediatric Consultant or General Practitioner.

Health Professionals such as Physiotherapist, Occupational Therapist, Community Nurse, Health Visitor or School Nurse.

Social Worker

High Incidence Needs Team (HINT)

If you have any questions or queries, please do not hesitate to contact the department on 01670 564050.

Download

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About us - Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust Sensory Processing Service

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Support and information for parents and carers of children and young people who experience difficulties with processing sensory information.

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Teach Kids to Manage Big Feelings Through Effective Social Emotional Learning

Over 80% of U.S. public schools reported in 2022 on the negative impact of the pandemic on child well-being and self-regulation. Kids are:

Struggling to manage their feelings and mental health

More disruptive in the classroom

Needing additional social, emotional, and behavioral support

(source: National Center for Education Statistics)

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The Zones of Regulation is a complete social-emotional learning curriculum, created to teach children self-regulation and emotional control.

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These hubs are for parents / carers of autistic children living in Newcastle.

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This is a free, impartial and confidential service.

We provide information, advice and support to

parents and carers of children with special educational needs and disabilities

children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities up to the age of 25 years

We specialise in education matters but can support with social care and health issues that impact on the child or young person's ability to access education.

One of our workers will have an initial conversation with anyone who calls the service and support in meetings will come either from one of the team or from one of the volunteers who work with us.

Typically, parents can have their concerns listened to, Special Educational Needs policies and procedures explained to them and be offered practical support to help them in their discussions with schools, the Local Authority and other statutory agencies.

I found the time I spent with you and the questions you advised me to ask very helpful, thank you.

Thank you so much for all that you have done to help and support us, it was invaluable.

Thank you for your help, I really appreciate it. There was nothing more you could have done.

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Newcastle Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information, Advice and Support Service

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This is a free, impartial and confidential service. We provide information, advice and support to parents and carers of children with special educational needs and disabilities children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities up to the age of 25 years We specialise in education matters but can support with social care and health issues that impact on the child or young person's ability to access education.

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The Toby Henderson Trust | Autism charity providing advice & support in Northumberland

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The Toby Henderson Trust is an independently funded charity supporting children and young adults with autism, their families, and carers in the North East.

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Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity and Empathy)

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Think learned behaviour rather than tantrum then the explanations are really helpful.

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Video exploring the nuanced world of tantrums vs. meltdowns, unravelling misconceptions, and offering practical strategies for compassionate support

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Neurodiversity Assembly Newcastle SEND Outreach

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Neurodiversity Assembly Newcastle SEND Outreach

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Neurodiversity Assembly Newcastle SEND Outreach

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Choice board e.g. with first&then and symbols random symbols

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Newcastle AET Training Sept 25 to July 26

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Newcastle AET Training Sept 25 to July 26

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FANTASTIC TRAINING OFFER AET CPD 25 - 26 ALL TRANING FLYER

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Emotionally Based School Non-Attendance Padlet

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Emotionally Based School Non-Attendance Padlet

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Transition strategies and suggestions_moving year group