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2024/2025 Parent Carer Workshops Co-Production Groups for Children and Young People Wolverhampton CAMHS Ambassadors

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Inhibitory Control in Executive Function: Signs, Examples, and OT Strategies - The OT Toolbox

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Discover how inhibitory control impacts school, behavior, and daily routines—and practical OT strategies to strengthen executive functioning skills.

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Helping you support autistic children and young people since 2007

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Are you, or is a young person you know, not coping with life? For confidential suicide prevention advice contact HOPELINE247.

My whole way of thinking has changed. I feel positive about my future and the people around me. I'm now looking forward to the future and helping others just like me!

Thank you so much for the incredible support PAPYRUS and HOPELINE247 has given me. You helped me in that moment and it kept me alive.

I intend to continue to fundraise for and promote PAPYRUS. I am so proud and humbled to be involved with a wonderful charity, and to have received the support that I have.

Having been personally bereaved by suicide I understand the importance and need for our charity. I am surrounded by others who are as passionate as I am about saving lives.

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Papyrus UK Suicide Prevention | Prevention of Young Suicide

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PAPYRUS UK is a charity for the prevention of young suicide (under 35) in the UK | Call PAPYRUS HOPELINE247 on 0800 068 4141 Now

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Advice for Dyslexic Teens

By Georgia Ryan, Youth Ambassador, Dyslexia Mid North Coast, Australia.

"I know that teaching is the one occupation that has the potential to change the world. With your help we can change the world for every student that may be struggling."
Georgia Ryan

Georgia Ryan is a student and Youth Ambassador for the Dyslexia Mid North Coast in New South Wales, Australia. Georgia was diagnosed with dyslexia and dysgraphia in her last year of primary school. Since then, she has become a passionate campaigner, petitioning for the inclusion of a compulsory module on learning difficulties for all teachers. Georgia is a creative musician and a formidable global advocate raising positive awareness for people with dyslexia.

Nessy asked Georgia to write a blog piece about advice for teenagers with dyslexia. Here she talks about whether or not a teenager should get a test for dyslexia and how to talk to others about your dyslexia.

Part 1

When my friend Tiffany James at Nessy asked if I might like to write an article giving advice to teenagers about dyslexia, my first thought was a big definite NO! After all, what teenager wants to get 'advice' from another teenager they don't even know. Especially as my only qualification to write such an article, is that I am aged 15, meaning I do at least qualify as a teenager, and I also have dyslexia and dysgraphia. But that's it.

I also get lots of questions through my social media platforms asking for advice. Nearly every single one of these requests comes from a parents, so I know there are very few teenagers looking for advice.

So, you can understand my reluctance in writing an article giving 'advice' to teenagers. Unfortunately though, I'm also a people-pleaser and I hate to say no to anyone, so here I am thinking about what I should write in this article offering advice to teenagers with dyslexia.

I was originally going to write about practical suggestions such as colour-coding your books for each subject, having a study plan and other similar ideas. However I'm guessing if you're a teenager with dyslexia, you are most likely already doing most of these things and I know this isn't the type of thing most teenagers are going to want to read about (parents maybe, but teenagers not so much). So instead of giving you any particular 'advice', I thought I would just tell you about some of the things that work for me as a student in high school with dyslexia and about some of the issues surrounding dyslexia that people most often ask me about.

To Test or Not to Test?

I didn't find out that I 'officially' had dyslexia and dysgraphia until my parents had me tested in my last year of Primary school. What a lot of people seem interested in, or message me about, is whether they should pursue an 'official diagnosis'. I am in no way, not even in the slightest bit, qualified to answer this but let me just say this, firstly, (at least in Australia) you do not need an 'official' diagnosis to get help at school. It might make it easier at some schools to get this help, but it shouldn't matter, all children are entitled to this help.

Now speaking personally, finding out that I had dyslexia was a relief! It meant that there was a reason why I had been struggling so much and I knew I was just as smart as everyone else, I now had a reason to explain why I was having so much trouble keeping up. So, for me, testing felt very freeing and was a definite plus.

This seems to be another big question for us teenagers. Do we do something as 'uncool' as to deliberately point out something that makes us 'different', when all we really want to do is 'fit in'? Or do we just keep it to ourselves?

I haven't yet had the issue of whether I need to disclose my dyslexia to any future employers but there is often the question of whether we should disclose our dyslexia to others in our friendship circle or school setting. This again is a personal thing, but I am a big believer in telling as many people as possible. Your friends are going to love you no matter what and believe me, they are way more worried about how they are doing in school and life, to think badly of you just because you might need extra help sometimes. Besides your friends will probably turn out to be your biggest cheer-squad and your greatest supporters.

There is also a lot of misinformation surrounding dyslexia so I think it's important that more people talk about it. This not only increases how many more people know about it, but it also helps to ensure the right information is getting out and not just some of the myths surrounding dyslexia. Privacy issues also mean that unless we disclose it ourselves, it is often difficult to know if there are even other students at school that are dyslexic, this can be frustrating as it limits our chances of networking with the other kids going through the same thing. So, I think disclosing helps us to connect with others and to get the best support we can.

I have happily been sharing my journey with the world ever since I found out I had dyslexia, which has helped me to meet the most amazing people not just here in Australia but all over the world. Social media is also great for networking and to helping you to find a community you feel comfortable sharing things with, especially if you aren't really sure as to whether you're ready to share with others closer to home yet."

Check the Nessy blog next week for more advice from Georgia!
You can visit Georgia's social media here:

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Advice for Dyslexic Teens By Georgia Ryan, Youth Ambassador, Dyslexia Mid North Coast, Australia. "I know that teaching is the one occupation that has the potential to change the world. With your help we can change the world for every student that may be struggling."

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Job support if you have special educational needs or a disability | National Careers Service

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Get help finding and staying in work if you have a disability or health condition.

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If your child has a learning or physical disability, a careers adviser can help you and your child plan for the future. They can explain options and support available in education, training and employment.

Career planning at your child's school

On or just after your child's 14th birthday, their school will hold a transition plan meeting. This meeting is the first step to plan and prepare for your child's future. Planning and preparation can help your child move successfully into further education, training or employment.

How a careers adviser can help

To help you and your child make the best choices, a careers adviser also takes part in this process and at any reviews afterwards. They can also give more information, advice and guidance when your child leaves school.

You can speak to your child's careers adviser by contacting your local careers office. The special education needs co-ordinator or careers teacher will also be able to give advice at this important stage.

Further information can be found in the video below.

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Career planning for young people with special educational needs

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If your child has a learning or physical disability, a careers adviser can help you and your child plan for the future. They can explain options and support available in education, training and employment. On or just after your child's 14th birthday, their school will hold a transition plan meeting.

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Promoting social, emotional and mental health

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Promoting social, emotional and mental health

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Home * What we do * Children & Families * Walsall SENDIASS

Promoting independence, advocacy and understanding

Walsall's Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information and Advice Support (SENDIAS) service provides free and impartial support to children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), and their parents and carers.

By doing so we hope to raise awareness of the options available to those using our service, as well as supporting people to make informed decisions about these options.

The Information, advice and support we provide for children and young people with SEND and their parents/carers is impartial, free to access, accurate, confidential, comprehensive and easy to understand.

How it works

The service provides advice and support to children and young people aged under 25 via a range of mediums including, telephone support, email, website, social media and face to face contact, both at our office and at community outreach hubs.

We provide information and advice about:

The law on special educational needs and disability

Education, health and care plans and the procedures surrounding them

Personalisation and personal budgets

The Local Offer - this gives information about Walsall services for young people and parents

Managing mediation, tribunals, appeals, exclusions and complaints

SEND support in early years provision, mainstream schools and post-16 institutions

Local provision in mainstream, resourced mainstream and special schools

Where to go for additional support locally or nationally

What to do when things go wrong

We are also committed to involving those that use with the service at every step. We co-produce our information resources in collaboration with parents, carers and young people and provide volunteering opportunities for those who want to increase their involvement with the service.

Get in touch

Walsall SENDIAS staff work between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday. We do occasionally leave the office for events and community outreach, however, so please phone ahead before visiting the office. We do have a 24-hour messaging service on 0808 802 6666 or you can email us at Walsallsendiass@family-action.org.uk. We aim to respond to initial enquiries within 2 working days.

How you can help

We are also committed to involving those that use with the service at every step. We co-produce our information resources in collaboration with children, young people, parents and carers and provide volunteering opportunities for those who want to increase their involvement with the service.
To discuss current volunteering and co-production opportunities drop us a line via telephone or email.

Useful information

Family Action's SEND information for parents and carers webpage offers useful information on topics as varied as money, health, leisure and education. You'll also find a FAQs section and a list of national support organisations.

For more local information visit our Walsall SENDIASS information page here.

We're here to provide a listening ear, answer particular parenting questions or help with guidance around more complex issues. All support takes place via telephone, text message or email and is free.

0808 802 6666

Text: 07537 404 282

familyline@family-action.org.uk

Mon-Fri, 9am to 9pm

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Walsall's Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information and Advice Support (SENDIAS) service provides free and impartial support to children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), and their parents and carers. By doing so we hope to raise awareness of the options available to those using our service, as well as supporting [...]

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Tips that can help- explore the whole website if possible

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Tips that can help- explore the whole website if possible

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My Mission

My name is Siena. I am 18 and live in London. I am a math nerd and the proud owner of the cutest dog in the universe. I am also a passionate advocate for autism acceptance and neurodiversity in schools and the work place.

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I created this website when I was 13 because I want to mentor and support bright children with learning differences. I know how challenging it is to have a learning difference. I have Asperger's, dyslexia, dyspraxia and AD(H)D (as well as anxiety, hypermobility, synesthesia and a sensory processing disorder).

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Being different and standing out from the crowd is isolating, especially when those around us can't understand the daily struggles that we face. Although, there are lots of support websites for the parents of children with learning differences, there is no website to mentor and support us. I find this odd, since we are the ones that have to deal with the daily reality of having learning differences.

I have had lots of negative experiences because of my learning differences, including being bullied at school for most of my childhood.

Along the way, I have learned how to succeed despite the obstacles I have faced. I am finally happy and doing well academically and socially. By sharing my experiences and the knowledge I have gained along the way, I hope to help kids like me have a smoother school experience.

​

In order to change negative perceptions about learning differences and autism, I have created a school campaign to promote positive attitudes and behaviours towards neurodiverse students. My campaign - which the strengths of being neurodiverse are recognised and acknowledged. There are currently over 850 schools and over 870,000 students registered to take part from around the world. Please become a change-maker by being part of my campaign. Ask your school to support their dyslexic, dyspraxic, autistic and ADHD students by taking part in Neurodiversity Celebration Week. www.neurodiversity.celebration.week.com - aims to have EVERY school in the UK sign up to participate in Neurodiversity Celebration Week, a week in

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Quantum Leap Mentoring - Supporting Neurodversity Students

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My Mission My name is Siena. I am 18 and live in London. I am a math nerd and the proud owner of the cutest dog in the universe. I am also a passionate advocate for autism acceptance and neurodiversity in schools and the work place.

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By Caroline Knorr | October 4, 2016

One-size-fits-all might be fine for some things, but it's definitely not OK when it comes to devices. Fortunately, you can tweak most tablets, phones, and computers to make them work better for your kid. Whether your kid has vision, hearing, attention, or communication issues, different settings can reduce frustration and improve the experience.

Don't be afraid to experiment. Even when you make changes, you can always go back to the default setting. And remember, although this may be a new world and language to you, kids typically take to tech devices faster than parents, so let them test things out. As you're learning, check the website for your device or YouTube for tutorials to help you navigate and learn about the variety of options for your device.

Here are a few tips to get you started:

Use accessibility settings (all devices, all operating systems). Accessibility settings are specifically designed for people with special needs. There are settings that narrate commands for kids with hearing loss, invert colors for kids with vision issues, provide dictation for kids with dyslexia, and more. Look in the Settings folder on your device for different options. In iOS, you can create an accessibility shortcut to quickly change settings. Learn more about the individual accessibility features available on Android and iOS.

Enable Restrictions (iOS). Find Restrictions by going to Settings/General. You can create a passcode (which is different from the password that unlocks your phone) that blocks access to different features including the Safari browser, the camera, FaceTime, the iTunes Store, the iBooks Store, in-app purchases, Siri, and more.

Set up restricted profiles (Android). On Android devices, you can create individual user profiles, restricting or allowing access to different features for different people. Go to Settings -> Device -> Users to add a new profile.

Lock rotation (most devices). This is a handy setting that reduces frustration, especially when you're sharing a device with your kid. You can lock the mode you prefer so you can view your device only in portrait or landscape mode. In iOS, portrait orientation is located in the Control Center.

Mute (all devices). If your child is noise-sensitive, you can mute the volume.

Use a key guard (all devices). These clear or colored plastic overlays have openings for each icon on the screen of a communication app such as Proloquo2go. These are helpful for kids who may have difficulty with motor skills. Colored key guards are available for kids with low vision. You can order customized key guards for different devices and apps.

Limit options (all devices). Try not to overload your child's computer with too many apps. On the Mac, Simple Finder displays only three folders (enable it by going to Parental Controls). On other iOS devices, you can enable Guided Access (find it in Accessibility Settings), which temporarily disables everything but the app your kid is using. In Android's restricted user profile, you can allow access to a small number of apps.

Organize apps (all devices). To help your child stay organized, both iOS and Android let you add apps into separate folders and label them, for example, as games, books, or math. In iOS, hold your finger over the app you want to put into a folder; when it jiggles, drag it on top of another app you want to put into the same folder and let go. It's a similar process on Android devices.
Common Sense Media is a proud founding partner of Understood.

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Device Hacks for Kids with Special Needs

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By Caroline Knorr | October 4, 2016 One-size-fits-all might be fine for some things, but it's definitely not OK when it comes to devices. Fortunately, you can tweak most tablets, phones, and computers to make them work better for your kid.

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By Common Sense Media | June 4, 2020

There are many apps to help teens with these important skills. To be organized and follow routines, teens need to master certain skills, including some executive function skills. Calendaring apps, visual schedulers, and storyboarding apps can be customized with events and activities from your teen's life. They can help teens keep track of and finish work on time, make plans, wait to speak until they're called on, and even change their minds and make mid-course corrections. (Also check out these morning routine apps for little kids.)
Apps to organize and help with routines for teens:

Evernote. Teens can use this visual productivity tool to develop organizational skills as they see how keeping track of information -- everything with a place and everything in its place -- makes learning and living easier.

Remember The Milk. This task-organizing app can help all kids who need visual reminders to remember daily tasks.

Corkulous. This app allows you to collect, organize, and share your ideas. As teens gather information and organize it, they're making decisions and grouping photos, text, contacts, and more according to their own needs.​

Plan it do it Check it Off. This photo-based list maker for nonreaders uses your own photos and recordings to show what you have to do daily.

Any.do: To-Do List, Calendar, Reminders & Tasks. A robust organizer that keeps everything on schedule.

Habitica: Gamified Task Manager. Turns habit-building, habit-breaking, and productivity into a gaming experience.

Streaks. A habit-promoting, goal-tracking app that challenges users to achieve a "streak" of daily actions by tracking the number of consecutive days completed.

Vicki Windman contributed to this article.

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Are there apps that can help my teen with organization and routines?

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By Common Sense Media | June 4, 2020 There are many apps to help teens with these important skills. To be organized and follow routines, teens need to master certain skills, including some executive function skills. Calendaring apps, visual schedulers, and storyboarding apps can be customized with events and activities from your teen's life.

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By Common Sense Media | June 4, 2020

Students are expected to have mastered a few academic and social skills when they arrive on the first day of kindergarten. That can be a challenge for kids with special needs. You can help boost foundational skills -- including basic letter and number recognition -- with specially designed apps that combine visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning. A multitude of apps for both Android and iOS devices encourage and reinforce preschool skills.

A few to try:

Bob's Books 1 Reading Magic (iOS, Android). A phonics-based interactive book that helps kids make the connection between letters and sounds.

Leo's pad Preschool Kids Learning (iOS). An interactive, animated series of "appisodes" designed for preschoolers.

How Rocket Learned to Read - by Tad Hills (iOS). An interactive book app that includes two games to help kids with the alphabet and sight words.

Dexteria Jr. (iOS). Offers lots of practice for several kinds of fine motor skills.

LetterSchool (iOS). Incorporates engaging animation to make writing letters fun.

iWriteWords (Handwriting Game) (iOS). Helps preschoolers practice writing the letters of the alphabet, numbers up to 20, and simple words.

Tiny Playroom - Toddler and Kids Toy (iOS). Offers a variety of games for cognitive skills, including a shape sorter, puzzles, and math games.

Teach Me: Toddler (iOS). Kids can learn numbers, counting, letters, letter sounds, shapes, and colors from a cute mouse dressed as a teacher.

Todo Math (iOS). Great for kids who have auditory- and visual-processing issues or language or math issues.

Spot the Dot (iOS). Just as with a pop-up book, the reader must interact with the page to find the dot by tapping, sliding, and even combining the shapes on the page.

Fun With Directions HD (iOS). Prompts kids to follow directions as it strengthens spatial concepts, auditory memory, auditory processing, and more.

First Phrases HD (iOS). Designed especially for kids with speech delay, this app helps build kids' expressive vocabulary as they practice putting two or three words together.

QuestionIt (iOS). Created to help people with autism and language issues develop and strengthen concepts of language.
Vicki Windman contributed to this article.

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Which basic academic skills can my young child learn with tech?

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By Common Sense Media | June 4, 2020 Students are expected to have mastered a few academic and social skills when they arrive on the first day of kindergarten. That can be a challenge for kids with special needs.

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By Christine Elgersma | March 16, 2021

Technology has the power to unlock learning for kids of all ages and stages. And sometimes exploring and learning on a device first is less intimidating than trying out new skills with real people. Check out these apps that help kids with communication, organization, and even social-awareness skills -- and watch the video to learn more about how to choose media and tech products for kids with learning differences.

Proloquo2Go
This extraordinary communication aid is great for kids who have basic to severe speech challenges. Kids can learn how to effectively convey wants, needs, feelings, opinions, social manners, and more.

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Innovative new apps and mobile technology can open doors to how kids learn. Advice from Common Sense Media editors.

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Scientists don't know the exact cause of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. Genes may play a role but can't quite explain its prevalence. In the United States, an estimated 8.4 percent of children and 2.5 percent of adults have the mental health disorder. Many more - how many aren't known - live with ADHD traits, struggling with tendencies like inattention and impulsiveness, but not to the degree of a diagnosis.

As the CDC puts it, "there are many unanswered questions about ADHD." However, one question scientists are edging toward answering is the question of ADHD and sleep. Research suggests for many people with ADHD, sleep may very well be the Alpha and the Omega - a hurdle associated with a circadian rhythm that differs from the norm and exacerbated by sleepless nights.

ADHD and sleep loss have a relationship of mutual reinforcement, explains Dr. Sandra Kooij, a professor at the Amsterdam University Medical Center and a specialist in adult ADHD. Circadian rhythm is delayed in approximately 80 percent of people with ADHD, she tells me. This is associated with later onset of the sleep hormone melatonin. In the average population, this onset happens at about 9:30 p.m. In people with ADHD, it happens around 11 p.m.

This may explain why people with ADHD so often sleep late, Kooij explains - often later than they actually want, and later than they should for their health. Many sleep disorders, in turn, are more frequent among people with ADHD compared to the general population with afflictions like restless leg syndrome, sleep apnea, and insomnia. And what trails behind a sleep disorder is sleep loss.

"ADHD and sleep loss usually come together and reinforce each other's severity," Kooij says. "Sleep loss has consequences that look like ADHD symptoms: lack of concentration, worse memory, irritability, craving for carbohydrates, and obesity."

Recent research suggests individuals with high ADHD traits are also especially vulnerable to the negative effects of sleeplessness. A study published in Biological Psychiatry included 180 adult participants without an ADHD diagnosis, who were split into a group that was allowed to either have a night of normal sleep or no sleep at all. The next day, they were subsequently tested on measures of emotional control and executive control; executive functions are the mental processes that allow one to concentrate, exhibit self-control, and meet unanticipated challenges.

"ADHD and sleep loss usually come together and reinforce each other's severity."

The goal of the study, co-author Dr. Predrag Petrovic tells me, was to answer two questions. First was the question of why some people are much more affected by sleep loss than others. The second was "to understand how top-down regulation works in the brain and what happens when it does not work properly.

Petrovic, a lecturer and senior physician at the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, explains that ADHD is a typical example of dysfunctional top-down regulation. This has to do with the way the brain regulates functions. Bottom-up emotions are immediate responses, while top-down emotions are more of a conscious response. Executive functions, in turn, are a family of top-down mental processes.

The study revealed, overall, the sleep-deprived group performed worse on those tests, and people with high ADHD traits especially so. So, for example, if an individual who has problems with emotional instability on average did not sleep, they especially struggled with cognitive tasks that involve emotional regulation.

Why does this happen?Exhibiting high ADHD traits means one has an issue with regulating factors like inattention and inhibition. There's a normal distribution of these symptoms across the population, but in order to have an ADHD diagnosis, you need "functional loss that is significant," Petrovic explains. That doesn't mean that the symptoms can't cause you problems, but it does mean you're not prohibited from having a "normal life."

However, there is some evidence here that sleeplessness can tip the scale, and too little sleep could eventually result in a clinical situation.

"In this case, it is possible that you would not be classified as a patient when you have a normal sleep, but classify as a patient if you have a lack of sleep," Petrovic says.

Why this is, he explains, basically comes down to having "less buffer capacity." They are having to recover, already being a few steps back.

"Our hypothesis was that if you already have some suboptimal function in top-down regulation, you will also be more vulnerable to extreme situations for the brain after not sleeping," Petrovic explains.

The real mystery, Kooij says, is whether these issues of sleep and ADHD occur because they both stem from the same biological question.

"Is ADHD in fact a sleep disorder? Or is the biological clock behind both problems?" she asks.

Knowing will take more research, although it's known that the circadian rhythm change is a heritable trait. Time is pressing. Because these sleep patterns are seen across a lifetime, they can cause a lifetime of health consequences ranging from obesity due to sleep loss to chronic diseases like hypertension and cardiovascular disease.

"ADHD people happen to be physically jet-lagged due to the late sleep pattern, and I think this may be related to the many physical complaints they have," Kooij says.

Is there a fix?People with ADHD or ADHD traits who struggle with sleep should consider two possible solutions: good sleep hygiene and chronotherapy.

Chronotherapy, Kooij explains, involves taking melatonin in the evening and bright light therapy in the morning. The timing of this matters, as does the timing of good sleep hygiene. It's not only sleeping seven to eight hours and not much more, she says. It's also about sleeping in the right time phase - between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m.

Sleep hygiene also involves limiting the use of light and screens at night.

"Throw out your smartphone and computer from the bedroom and get an old-fashioned alarm clock," Petrovic says. "Don't use smartphones and computers one to two hours before you go to bed."

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Scientists untangle the complicated link between ADHD and sleep

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Scientists don't know the exact cause of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. Genes may play a role but can't quite explain its prevalence. In the United States, an estimated 8.4 percent of children and 2.5 percent of adults have the mental health disorder.

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Here are some ideas to support children with their sensory processing.

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Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust

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What is the Sensory Service?

The Sensory Service is a multi-disciplinary team based at the Ryegate Children's Centre in Sheffield. We aim to help parents, carers, school staff and young people to have a better understanding of sensory processing and how this impacts on every day life. We provide information and advice on how to adapt activities and the environment to support children's sensory needs. The team includes Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Clinical Psychology, Speech and Language Therapy.

What is sensory processing?

Sensory processing is the way that our body takes in and makes sense of information. Our senses include hearing, vision, touch, taste and smell, as well as vestibular processing (which helps with balance and movement), proprioception (which is the awareness of our body in the space around it), and interoception (our awareness of our internal body feelings). We use our senses every day to interact with the world.

What might happen when sensory processing becomes a problem?

Children might find sensory information overwhelming and they might struggle to cope with certain sensory experiences. They may try to avoid certain things, people or places.

Children might find everyday tasks difficult to tolerate, such as showering, wearing certain clothes, eating or teeth-brushing.

Children may seek out sensations to help them to regulate in a way that creates a problem in another way, (for example, needing to move a lot during lessons).

When children are overwhelmed by sensory information it can make it more difficult for them to communicate their needs.

Sensory sensitivities can lead to higher stress and anxiety levels in a child. This in turn can mean they're more tuned into sensory information and can become overwhelmed more easily.

Children may present differently from one day to the next and their sensory needs may be context specific or be influenced by other factors, such as mood, tiredness or stress levels.

Who is the service for?

The service is for any child aged 3-16 years, living in Sheffield, who is having day to day difficulties because of the way that they process sensory information. Children known to the CAMHS Learning Disability service will be re-directed to CAMHS Occupational Therapy, if needing support beyond Universal Provision.

What is the Virtual Therapy Area?

The Virtual Therapy Area is our universal provision, the first level of service for all families. It aims to provide parents and carers with knowledge, ideas and strategies to support your child or young person with sensory needs that may be impacting on their every day life. These resources are primarily aimed at supporting children who are neuro-divergent; for example, your child may have a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) or a combination of these. However, your child may not have any diagnosis, but may present with sensory needs that are creating challenges in everyday life. Or your child might have a different diagnosis and also have sensory needs that are impacting on their day to day life.

The Royal College of Occupational Therapists states "The term Sensory Processing Disorder is not recognized as an independent diagnosis...and should be avoided" (RCOT Informed View, 2021). Therefore, at the Sheffield Sensory Service, we do not formally assess or provide diagnosis of Sensory Processing Disorder. Our focus is to offer sensory interventions that support a child's sensory needs by adapting tasks or the environment, and by improving a child's capacity for self-regulation.

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Sensory processing difficulties - Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust

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What is the Sensory Service? The Sensory Service is a multi-disciplinary team based at the Ryegate Children's Centre in Sheffield. We aim to help parents, carers, school staff and young people to have a better understanding of sensory processing and how this impacts on every day life.

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Your Future Black Country - Shape your future

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Your Future Black Country is a fabulous tool kit for the students to use. It gives them a visual look at the job sector in a way they are able to understand LMI seeing what jobs are available at their level of ability without making them feel undervalued

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Warning! Our website requires JavaScript to function and display as intended. You may have a reduced experience if you do not enable JavaScript or use a browser with JavaScript support.

If you are blind, partially sighted or have a print impairment such as dyslexia, EasyReader gives you access to the world's largest collection of accessible book libraries.

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Dolphin creates software to allow people with visual impairments and learning difficulties to gain access to computers at home, work and school

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Resources for newly diagnosed ASD parents

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Resources for newly diagnosed ASD parents

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Resources for Parents of Newly Diagnosed Autistic Children

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Autism Booklet- AN example of how a child might feel

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Autism Booklet- AN example of how a child might feel

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This is worth looking at in terms of understanding how a student with ASD thinks and feels

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We support anyone who is unable to see, read, manipulate or comprehend printed text due to difficulty or inability. This can include:

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Since 1974, Calibre Audio has brought the joy of audiobooks to anyone struggling to access print, so they can immerse themselves in wonderful stories, memorable biographies or travel the world in their mind.

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Job Advisor Coaching for Neurodivergent People - Exceptional Individuals

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We give free job advisor coaching for neurodivergents looking for work. Our one-to-ones help to build confidence, realise strengths and prep for interviews!

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My objective in carrying out this research was to identify the situations and tasks that created high anxiety in maths lessons. Self-reporting anxiety levels is very subjective, so I focused on relative levels of anxiety foreach of these tasks within each individual. So, for example, 'An end-of-term maths exam' ranked as top for anxiety in the largest number of students. Ultimately, we should try to create a classroom ethos which encourages risk-taking as opposed to a place that is overly concerned with being right every time. We need to remove the fear of negative evaluation. My research shows that withdrawal from maths is a major problem, starting at a very young age. The extract below has been edited for the purposes of this website.
Mathematics Anxiety in Secondary Students in England

Steve Chinn

Independent Maths LD/Dyscalculia Consultant

Over 2000 students in independent and mainstream schools in England were given a twenty-item questionnaire 'How I feel about maths' in order to investigate anxiety levels. The same questionnaire was given to over 440 dyslexic males in the same age range in specialist schools. The results are analysed and discussed.

Introduction

Many people confess to being anxious about mathematics. It is socially acceptable to admit to having low abilities with numbers, a strategy that lowers maths anxiety in adults. If expectations can be pre-empted, then poor performance and anxiety have less impact on self-esteem.

Several researchers have tried to describe mathematics anxiety, for example, it has been defined as a 'feeling of tension, apprehension or fear that interferes with maths performance' (Richardson and Shuinn, 1972) or as 'a state of discomfort which occurs in response to situations involving mathematics tasks which are perceived as threatening to self-esteem.' (Cemen, 1987 quoted in Trujillo and Hadfield, 1999). Richardson and Shuinn focus on the impact of anxiety on cognitive performance whilst Cemen considers the impact on self-esteem, an affective issue. These two focuses illustrate the influence of anxiety on the ability to learn maths and on the confidence to learn maths.

The dual influences of anxiety were also noted by Data and Scarfpin (1983) who identified two types of maths anxiety which they describe by the factors that cause them. One is caused by mental blocks in the process of learning maths and the other is a result of socio-cultural factors (for example, 'Maths is hard, but it doesn't matter in life if you can't do it.').

Mental block anxiety may be triggered by a symbol or a concept that creates a barrier for the person learning maths. This could be the introduction of letters for numbers in algebra or the seemingly irrational procedure for long division or failing to memorise the seven times multiplication facts. This type of maths anxiety may be addressed by appropriate teaching, if the maths curriculum allows for this.

Ashcraft, Kirk and Hopko (1998) have shown that, under certain circumstances, anxiety can adversely affect the working memory that is used for mathematical tasks. Working memory has been shown to be a significant predictor of mathematical achievement (Keeler and Swanson, 2001). Thus anxiety does not just block the willingness to learn, it can also reduce the capacity of one of the key sub skills needed to succeed.

Socio-cultural maths anxiety is a consequence of the common beliefs about maths such as; only very clever (and slightly strange) people can do maths or that there is only ever one right answer to a problem or if you cannot learn the basic facts you will never be any good at maths. This type of maths anxiety may well lead to maths phobia, but also sanctions people to admit in social situations that they are unable to do maths.

Hadfield and McNeil (1994) suggest that there are three causes of mathematics anxiety, environmental, intellectual and personality. Environmental anxiety includes classroom issues, parental pressure and the perception of maths as a rigid set of rules. Intellectual anxiety includes a mismatch of learning styles and self-doubt and personality factors include a reluctance to ask questions in class and low self-esteem. From my experience as a teacher I consider this 'triple causes' construct as realistic in that it considers many, often inter-related factors. The anxiety questionnaire used in this study was structured to reflect these factors.

Maths anxiety can impact on many aspects of learning, for example, in a classroom study (Chinn, 1995) comparing the errors made in basic computation by dyslexic and non-dyslexic students, the error patterns and frequency of particular errors were not different in the two groups with one notable exception, the error of 'no response'. There was a marked tendency within the dyslexic group to not attempt questions. This strategy avoids failure. Fear of failure exacerbates feelings of anxiety. Learning involves taking risks, but the extremely judgmental nature of maths exacerbates the sense of risk and thus can soon discourage children from being involved in maths tasks.

Lundberg and Sterner (2006) commented on the importance of affective factors on learning mathematics, 'however, over and above the common cognitive demands and neurological representations and functions, performance in reading and arithmetic is influenced by a number of motivational and emotional factors such as need of achievement, task orientation, helplessness, depression, anxiety, self-esteem, self-concept, locus of control ....'

Two consequences of the impact of maths anxiety on the processes of learning maths were noted by Skemp. He observed (1986) that the reflective activity of intelligence is most easily inhibited by anxiety. Skemp (1971) also explained how an over-reliance on rote learning as a dominant culture in maths may lead to anxiety and loss of self-esteem for many pupils. Unfortunately, thirty five years later a 2006 report shows that little has changed in the culture of mathematics education. 'Evaluation of maths provision for 14-19 year olds' by Ofsted, the English Government school inspection body noted that, 'Maths became an apparently endless series of algorithms (formulas) for them ( students), rather than a coherent and inter-connected body of knowledge.'

Mathematics is a unique subject in the school curriculum in that pupils have to answer questions to which there is almost always only one correct answer. The subject is inherently judgmental. This situation, combined with many other factors such as unsuitable curricula, the culture of doing maths quickly, can lead pupils towards a negative attributional style (Chinn, 2004 and Chinn and Ashcroft, 2007) and ultimately learned helplessness (Seligman, 1998).

This helplessness can persist into adulthood. Zaslavsky (1999) looked at over 200 maths 'autobiographies' from maths anxious adults in the USA. She observed a common thread. The respondents felt powerless, out of control and lacking in self-esteem.

There is a concern that mathematics abilities (CBI, 2006) in the adult population of the UK are unacceptably low. Anxiety will be one of the contributing factors to this situation where approximately 50% of the adult population cannot do maths at a level beyond that they were taught at age 11 years.

This study looks at the anxiety levels of students in secondary education, which is a stage in education where students approach adulthood. The answers and results of this study could also be perceived of as a consumer survey of maths education and students' experiences of maths in schools.

There may well be a connection between significantly low achievement in mathematics and anxiety. Recently there has been an interest in dyscalculia (DfES 2001). Dyscalculia is a specific learning difficulty that is, compared to dyslexia, in its infancy in terms of research. Of the few researchers in the field the work of Butterworth stands out. His Dyscalculia Screener (Butterworth, 2003) is based on a model of dyscalculia which is, essentially, a deficit in numerosity.

However, if maths anxiety reached a level where the student removed himself from any future learning and this occurred early in his schooling, then he may well present with seriously low maths achievement levels. A contributing factor to this scenario could be a mismatch between the learner and the instruction he receives.

In a small study Chinn (1996) looked at the relationship between WISC scores and the grades achieved in GCSE maths by dyslexic pupils at the specialist school where I was Principal. Although the correlations between the various sub-scores and maths grades were interesting, a key informal outcome were the results for the average band of students where affective factors played the dominant role. Although I had no standardised measure of these contributing factors I was well aware of individual attitudes, motivation, anxiety as I taught each student for at least one lesson per week. I would suggest that some measure of anxiety should be a part of any diagnostic protocol for dyscalculia.

METHOD

The Samples

Responses to a questionnaire on math anxiety from 442 dyslexic male students were provided by 9 schools from the Specialist Provision and Special Unit categories of CReSTeD (Council for the Registration of Schools Teaching Dyslexic Students). There were not enough responses from female dyslexics to make a viable sample.

Responses for the 2084 mainstream students were provided by 19 schools from around England. Five of these schools were independent. The sample was taken from Year groups 7 to 11. Students enter secondary education in Year 7 at age 11 years and will be 17 years at the end of Year 11.

Schools were selected to provide a geographical spread across England.
The Questionnaire is the one used in my book, 'More Trouble with maths. A complete manual to identifying and diagnosing mathematical difficulties.' (2nd edition, 2017)
The questionnaire is a mixture of items focusing on different activities which might cause anxiety. For example, some items refer directly to specific tasks in maths, such as long division. Others relate to classroom activities, such as mental arithmetic, others to maths culture such as having to do maths questions quickly and others to social aspects such as showing a maths report to Mum or Dad. As English education is currently in the grip of almost obsessive levels of testing, the questionnaire includes items related to this all too frequent experience.

The students' gradings of their feelings of anxiety for each item are, obviously, entirely subjective.

The questionnaires were presented to the students by teachers in each of the participating schools.

Results

The results were analysed as 15 groups: males and females for each of the five Year groups and male dyslexic students for each Year group.

The average 'score' was calculated for each item for each group. The twenty items from the questionnaire were then ranked for each group. It is this ranking of the items that identifies the activities create the most anxiety.

The maximum possible score on the questionnaire is 80. The minimum possible score is 20. On the basis that a rating of the 'often' anxiety level was 3 and that there are 20 items, for each group the percentages of students scoring at 60 and above were calculated to provide an indication of high levels of anxiety.

The group showing the greatest anxiety as measured by the 'high anxiety scores' (>59) were Year 7 dyslexic males. The percentage of high anxiety scores then decreased, with a slight increase in Year 11. There was an increase in high anxiety scores (>59) for females in Years 11 with values higher than those for the males. Year 11 is the GCSE examination year.

An individual score on the questionnaire may not reflect the true levels of anxiety in every student, for example, a Year 8 female scored a total of 45, but wrote on her questionnaire, 'I hate maths. I can never do it. If I'm with the right teacher then I can do it easily, but I cannot.' The scores are, inevitably, subjective.

These scores for high anxiety in maths show that between 2% and 6% of mainstream students experience high levels of anxiety about maths, at a level which suggests they are 'often' anxious. Dyslexic males do not consistently show greater percentages of high anxiety across the Year groups, but the comparatively high percentage in Year 7 is notable. A possible hypothesis is that Year 7 could be their first year in specialist education and the benefits of provision have yet to take affect.

Discussion

The responses to the questionnaire could almost be considered as consumer feedback on maths, the maths curriculum and the maths culture that exist in England.

There are more similarities between the groups than there are differences. However, females tended to score with slightly higher levels of anxiety than males and dyslexic males tended to score with higher levels than mainstream females or males. The average total scores across Year groups were close. There was no consistent trend, up or down, from Year 7 to Year 11, although there is an indication of increased anxiety in Year 11, the year in which students take the national GCSE examination.

The same observation regarding similarities applies to the separate items in the test. For example, 'long division without a calculator' (Item 5) was ranked from 2 nd to 4 th for all but one of the ten mainstream groups and the dyslexic groups. This could well be a reflection on the way division is taught. The traditional algorithm does make many demands on several sub-skills, not least of which is memory for basic facts and sequential memory. There is also a significant contribution from the organisation and layout of work on paper.

One of the demands of mathematics is that answers are computed quickly. Item 13 concerning this issue was ranked highly by all groups, with the dyslexic males ranked it higher than mainstream males in all Year groups.

Not surprisingly the 'End of term exam' (Item 20) ranked 1 st for all fifteen groups. 'Taking a written maths test' (Item 3) and 'Waiting to hear your score on a maths test' (Item 15) were also consistently ranked as high anxiety. It could be that our current test culture contributes too much to maths anxiety. (Whitaker et al, 2007).

'Following your teacher's explanation of a new maths topic' (Item 19) did not rank highly, though for dyslexic males in Years 7 to 9 it was ranked two or three places higher than for males in mainstream.

More surprisingly, but then perhaps an indirect comment on our consumer society as well as the way purchases are processed in shops, the item on 'money when shopping' was ranked as 18 th, 19 th or 20 th for the mainstream groups and for three of the dyslexic year groups. For Years 8 and 9 dyslexic males it ranked at 16 th. In these days of touch cards for payment this may fall even lower in the rankings.

Items concerning anticipation, 'opening a maths book' (Item 12) and 'knowing that the next lesson will be maths' (Item 1) ranked towards the bottom of the list for all groups.

When the ranks were averaged for mainstream and for the dyslexic group, then the differences that stood out were for items 7 (long multiplication without a calculator) and Item 14 (learning the hard times table facts) both of which the dyslexic students rated much higher in anxiety levels. The items on answering questions quickly and long division without a calculator were also rated higher than in the mainstream sample, but since these two items were ranked high in the twenty items by the mainstream sample, the difference was less marked.

Item 15 (hearing your score on a maths test) was ranked much lower by the dyslexic group, which may be due to the specialist schools managing this issue more sensitively. Public feedback of low scores can be humiliating.

Perhaps the relatively low ranking of word problems (Item 4) is unexpected, but the higher ranking of long division and fraction questions is not a surprise. It could be that the seemingly irrational procedures taught for these two topics inevitably lead to anxiety. It is interesting to note the much lower ranking of anxiety levels for division when a calculator is available, but experience tells me that this is not necessarily an educational, in the sense of the understanding of mathematics, benefit.

There were relatively few sex differences in ranking. The items that were ranked with a difference of 5 or more were:

Item 2 (mental arithmetic). Females ranked this with higher anxiety scores for Years 7, 8 and 10.

Item 8 (fraction questions) was given higher anxiety ranking by females in Year 8.

Item 14 (learning the hard times table facts) was ranked at higher anxiety for females in Year 9.

Item 17 (answering questions in class) was given a higher anxiety level by females in Year 10.

Item 9 (revising for a maths test) was given a higher anxiety ranking by Year 8 males than by females.

Item 10 (maths homework) was ranked as higher anxiety by Year 8 and 9 males.

Item 11 (looking at marks for homework) was ranked higher in anxiety by Year 9 males.

Conclusion

This survey highlights some of the cognitive and affective areas of mathematics that create anxiety for students in secondary schools in England. The levels of anxiety are relatively consistent across ages and gender and dyslexic males, with the same items creating similar rankings in each of the groups.

Examinations and tests created high anxiety levels in all groups. The lower anxiety levels in dyslexic students for tests show that this anxiety can be managed, but the universal top ranking of the end of term maths exam (Item 20) for all groups shows how students view this activity negatively.

References

Ashcraft, M., Kirk, E. P & Hopko, D. (1998) On the cognitive consequences of mathematics anxiety. In Donlan, C. (Ed.), The Development of Mathematical Skills. Hove: The Psychological Corporation

Bryan, T. & Bryan, J. (1991) Positive mood and maths performance. Journal of Learning Disabilities. 24 (8), 490-494

Buxton, L. (1981) Do You Panic About Maths? London: Heinemann

CBI (2006) Lacking in Skills. The Times. 26/06/006

Chinn, S. J. (1995) A pilot study to compare aspects of arithmetic skill. Dyslexia Review. 4, 4-7

Chinn, S. J. (1996) The relationship between the grades achieved in GCSE mathematics by 26 male students and their scores on the WISC. Dyslexia Review. 7, 8-9

Chinn, S. (2017) The Trouble with Maths. 3 rd edition. Abingdon. RoutledgeFalmer

Chinn, S. J. & Ashcroft, J. R. (2007) Mathematics for Dyslexics Including Dyscalculia. (3rd ed.), Chichester, Wiley

Datta, D. K. & Scarfpin, J. A. (1983) Types of math anxiety. Math Notebook. (CLTM) 3, # 9-10

Datta, D. K. (1989) Common causes of math anxiety and some instructional strategies. Math Notebook. 7, #5-6

DfES (2001) The National Numeracy Strategy. Guidance to support learners with dyslexia and dyscalculia. London, DFES 0512/2001

Hadfield, O.D. & McNeil, K. (1994) The relationship between Myers-Briggs personality type and mathematics anxiety among pre-service elementary teachers. Journal of Instructional Psychology. 21 (4) 375-384

Keeler, M. L. & Swanson, H. L. (2001) Does strategy knowledge influence working memory in children with mathematical difficulties? Journal of Learning Disabilities. 43 (5) 418-434

Lundberg, I. & Sterner, G. (2006) Reading, arithmetic and task orientation - how are they related? Annals of Dyslexia. 56 (2) 361-377

Richardson, F. C. & Shuinn, R. M. (1972) The mathematics anxiety rating scale. Journal of Counseling Psychology 19, 551-554

Seligman, M. E. P. (1998) Learned Optimism. New York. Pocket Books

Skemp, R. R. (1971) The Psychology of Learning Mathematics. Harmondsworth. Penguin

Skemp, R. R. (1986) The Psychology of Learning Mathematics. (2nd ed.) Harmonsworth. Penguin

Whitaker Sena J. D., Lowe P. A. & Lee S. W. (2007) Significant predictors of test anxiety among students with and without learning disabilities. Journal of Learning Disabilities. 40, 360-376

Zaslavsky C (1999) Fear of Math. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press

(2019) The on-going work of David Sheffield and Thomas Hunt at the University of Derby is fascinating and revealing.

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My objective in carrying out this research was to identify the situations and tasks that created high anxiety in maths lessons. Self-reporting anxiety levels is very subjective, so I focused on relative levels of anxiety foreach of these tasks within each individual.

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Ruth Bright, Special Educational Needs (SEN) Advocate

We know how overwhelming and frustrating the Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) process can be. If you're involved in any way (as a parent, school, or professional), Bright Futures can help you navigate the complex legal system of Education, Health & Care Plans (EHCPS).

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Bright Futures Consultancy helps parents, schools, and professionals to navigate the complex legal system of special educational needs (SEN) and Education, Health & Care Plans (EHCPS)

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Shop accessible technology: magnification speech software, DAISY players, braille displays and embossers, computers and phones, for blind and partially sighted people.

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This app identifies objects and tells you what they are

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A surrounding and object-identifying app

Seeing AI was built for people who are blind or who have poor vision. When the app is running and the camera is active on your phone, it will narrate what it sees with a computerized voice (like Siri or Google pronunciation tools). The tool is not foolproof because there are many items that it cannot recognize because they are not in its library/catalogue, but the app itself is a good effort from developers. The app is able to read short pieces of text, but it has trouble reading documents. It can read barcodes too, but it is tricky for blind people to find barcodes on an item.

Send pictures to your friends

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Seeing AI, free and safe download. Seeing AI latest version: This app identifies objects and tells you what they are. Seeing AI is an app that allows blind people to take photos. Blind people may also like to keep a...

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Important: Certain cloud-based services in Office Lens for Windows, such as saving your pictures to OneDrive, OneNote, Word, PowerPoint, or PDF, are no longer available in the app as of December 31, 2020. You can continue to use any other features of the app as installed on your computer or device.

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A beautiful interactive realtime fluid dynamics simulation, control fluid flow and stunning colours at the tips of your fingers.

In-App purchase enables ambient audio, double tap screen to take a snapshot, settings storage, and menuless video out using VGA, Component or Composite cable.

Updates to fully support iOS 11 on iPhone and iPad.
Optimisation for screen sizes and resolution to make it look and feel the same across all devices.

Relaxing

For a simple relaxation app this does the job quite well. It won't be something you do for hours on end because you eventually get to the point where you've pretty much seen it all. But I keep it on my phone anyway and open it every once while. It's sort of a modern version of doodling except you don't waste any notepads or sticky notes. It's just mindless finger motion.

It's great when you're talking on a landline phone or on hold for long periods of time. I don't know if you can turn on speakerphone and use the app at the same time but it would be nice if you could.

I only gave it four stars because it's a little buggy. It will crash occasionally and get finger strokes stuck. In other words, when you try to drag your fingers across the screen, if you accidentally catch one of the iPhones pull out menus your finger stroke will get stuck in repeat and eventually crash the app. If you double tap the screen I believe it's supposed to take a screenshot but unfortunately it just crashes the app.

So, aside from needing a little work, it still does what it's supposed to do for the most part.

See Update **5 FINGERS CAUSES CRASH** (I love this app though)

I love this app, but the crashing has made it unplayable for me. Any time you press the screen with all 5 fingers, the app immediately crashes. My nephews try to play it but it crashes all the time because they like to put their whole hand on it. I'm using the latest iPad Pro on the latest iOS firmware as of right now (11.4, I think). If this is updated I would totally give this 5 stars. Great app!

UPDATE: Apparently there is a "Baby Mode" button in the settings menu, which from what I can see, has solved the issue. I can now press as much I like with 5 fingers without the app freezing and crashing on me. I'm a little confused as to what this button does or why it's not on by default (from what I can see, it changes nothing but the crashing), but I'm mainly just grateful that I found a way around this issue and can use the app again :)

Fun and pretty, but sound is pretty repetitive

Great app, hope I'll be able to restore full version if I delete it (judging by previous reviews). The sound repeats itself, and even though you can play multiple notes by using multiple fingers, it gets pretty boring. Wish the sound had some kind of dynamic element. Maybe using particle velocity to drive a tone.

The developer, nebulus design, has not provided details about its privacy practices and handling of data to Apple.

No Details Provided

The developer will be required to provide privacy details when they submit their next app update.

Information

Compatibility

iPhone

Requires iOS 8.0 or later.

iPad

Requires iPadOS 8.0 or later.

iPod touch

Requires iOS 8.0 or later.

Mac

Requires macOS 11.0 or later and a Mac with Apple M1 chip.

In-App Purchases

Full Version Unlock $1.99

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‎A beautiful interactive realtime fluid dynamics simulation, control fluid flow and stunning colours at the tips of your fingers. In-App purchase enables ambient audio, double tap screen to take a snapshot, settings storage, and menuless video out using VGA, Component or Composite cable.

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Attached is a document that was shared by one of our parents at QM who got an official diagnosis for themselves after recognising traits. Hopefully this supports anyone else who feels this is an avenue they may want to explore.

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Dyspraxia Foundation About Dyspraxia Information Sheets

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

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A better life for autistic people ABOUT AUTISM A better life for autistic people ABOUT AUTISM A better life for autistic

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The ADHD Foundation Neurodiversity Charity - an integrated health and education service.

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Based on the 5 point scale - Download click the link below

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A help sheet to deal with worries and anxieties of getting back into the 'new normal'

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Covid-19 Visual Timetable

A suggested and adaptable timetable for homeschooling

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Stress bottle/jar

A home make that is easy and effective. It can be personalised and made the way you want.

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Worry Jar

A resource to deal with feelings and worries for all pupils.

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Mental Health Thermometer

A tool to support pupils with strategies at each Level of stress or anxiety. This personalise  and individual.

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Our body's reaction to stress

This resource enables pupils to think about how they feel and how their body changes during stress and anxiety. This resource supports the one below also.

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Overloading our brains (Cognitive Load) helpsheet
A helpsheet that has broken down cognitive load theory for our pupils and their families.

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An activity that can be done at home to highlight concerns.

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This is Queen Mary's High School very own padlet.

A page that I will update regularly with anything that I think may be useful but also a space where you may want to communicate as parents.

Please don't hesitate to get in touch if you need or would like any support.

I hope you find this useful

Miss Houlder

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The Starting Well Partnership supports parents, families and young people across Worcestershire. Our teams include Herefordshire Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust, Barnardos, Redditch and Bromsgrove District Councils and Action for Children.

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KAZ: Free typing test - Touch typing training - Learn to type

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Learn to type faster. With KAZ online keyboard training you will learn how to type quickly and sub-consciously. We offer free online typing tests, test typing lessons, online typing practice, typing exercises and print practice games.

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Copyright © 2023 Time To Change. Time to Change is led by Mind and Rethink Mental Illness.

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Place2be

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Place2Be is a children and young people's mental health charity with almost 30 years' experience working with pupils, families and staff in UK schools.

We provide mental health support in schools through one-to-one and group counselling using tried and tested methods backed by research. In addition, we also offer expert training and professional qualifications.

Why it's important

1 in 5

children and young people have a probable mental health condition, and many continue to have these problems into adulthood.

50%

of those with lifetime mental health problems first experience symptoms by the age of 14.

1 in 10
boys aged 5-19 with a mental health condition are suspended in some form from school.

Find out more about our work

How we help

Mental health support in schools

Our in-school mental health service supports the wellbeing of pupils, families and staff.
Find out more

Our mental health services in schools

We provide mental health services in schools that contribute to a whole-school approach to mental health.
Find out more

Counselling training and placements

Gain experience and skills with our child counselling training and placements.
Find out more

Place2Be is part of our school family. It is more than an office, more than a therapy room and more than a collection of counsellors.

Glyn Ellis - Headteacher, Haslingden Primary School

My daughter had become a different person - one we didn't recognise - but since counselling we see signs of our old loving daughter coming back.

Parent

If you have problems or worries you get a chance to talk to a person you trust. When I grow up I want to help children like Place2Be helps children.

Eight-year-old girl

Your support makes it possible

Thousands of vulnerable children and families depend on our work every single day. We simply cannot reach them without your help. There are so many ways to lend your support.

Place2Be's counselling service in primary schools has the potential to return £8 to society by improving long-term outcomes for each child.

Make a donation

How you can help

Fundraise for us

Raise money to transform children and young people's mental health. Browse ideas, tips and advice.

Get fundraising inspiration

Take part in an event

Run, cycle, walk. Trek to great heights or tackle some muddy obstacles. Take a look at our fundraising events.

Take on an event

Partner with us

See how your organisation can help us to support more children, families and school staff across the UK.

Find out more

Our impact

In the last school year

6,901

pupils were supported through one-to-one counselling.

33,327

pupils booked their own appointments o speak to our mental health professional.

After one-to-one counselling with Place2Be

76%

of children with severe difficulties show an improvement in mental health, according to parents.

64%

of pupils whose difficulties impacted their learning in class improved, according to teachers.

75%

of children and young people found it easier to make and keep friends, according to parents and carers.

Place2Be: mental health support in schools

Hear from children and teachers about the impact of Place2Be.

News & blogs

Eating Disorders in Children and Young People: a major public health concern

Clara Faria and Professor Tamsin Ford reflect on the impact of eating disorders on children and young people's mental health.

Read more

New report from NHS England shows increase in children experiencing mental health difficulties

Published today, the report reveals that 1 in 5 children and young people now have a probable mental health condition.

Read more

The BAFTA Roadshow with Place2Be arrives in North-West London

BAFTA and Place2Be team up to bring the BAFTA Roadshow to North-West London.

Read more

Sign up to our newsletter

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Improving children's and young people's mental health - Place2Be

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Place2Be provides mental health counselling support and training to schools to improve the emotional wellbeing of children, young people, families, teachers and staff.

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Youngminds

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YoungMinds | Mental Health Charity For Children And Young People

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

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Elsa

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Our Wellbeing characters are ready to teach pupils all over the country. Each day has a focus to help pupil's wellbeing.

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

Tuesdays we look at being 'thoughtful'

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

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

Thursdays we look at 'thankfulness'

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Wellbeing Week Daily Resources - Elsa Support

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Our Wellbeing week daily characters are ready to teach pupils all over the country. Each day has a focus to help pupil's wellbeing.

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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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Kooth offers emotional and mental health support for children and young people aged between 11 - 24 years and is available up to 10pm every day.

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Birmingham's local offer. Information on special educational needs or disabilities. SEN Local Offer

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Joint local area Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)

Following the publication of the Ofsted for the Walsall local area (which can be found here https://files.api.ofsted.gov.uk/v1/file/50075533 ), work has progressed on completing the written statement of action which outlines the improvement that are going to be implemented within the SEND service. This document has now been signed off by the DfE and can be found via the link below:
Written statement of action for SEND
The Local Offer

This is our 'Local Offer' for children and young people with SEND and their families. The 'Local Offer' sets out the support across education, social care and health at different levels of need for for local children and young people with special educational needs and/or disability (SEND), including for those who do not have Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plans. This includes:

support available to all children and young people with SEN or disabilities such as schools and GPs - 'universal services'.

additional short-term support over and above that provided routinely as part of universal services for children and young people with SEN or disabilities -- 'targeted services'.

specialised, longer term support - for children and young people with SEN or disabilities who more than targeted services -- 'specialist services'.

Our Local Offer has two key purposes:

To provide clear, accessible and up-to-date information to help families, children and young people to know what provision is avilable and how to acess it.

To make provision more responsive to local needs and aspirations by directly involving disabled children and those with SEN and their parents, and disabled young people and those with SEN, and service providers in its development and review.

The way in which we develop our Local Offer is important. We are aiming to make it more than simply a directory of services and want it to be the outcome of working together-'co-production' - with our local SEND community of children, young people and families. We are currently stepping up our engagement with our community and professionals to review and refresh our local offer.

Useful Links:
We are currently developing a new Local Offer website, in the meantime, please use the link below to access the current site.

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Special Educational Needs and Disability Local Offer

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Following the publication of the Ofsted for the Walsall local area (which can be found here https://files.api.ofsted.gov.uk/v1/file/50075533 ), work has progressed on completing the written statement of action which outlines the improvement that are going to be implemented within the SEND service.

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A blog for parents written by parents

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Special Needs Jungle provides parent-centred information, news, resources and informed opinion about SEN, disability, children’s health and SEN politics