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This Padlet was updated on 26/06/2025. It has sources from the course learning materials and additional sources to enhance your professional development. 

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This Padlet was updated on 26/06/2025. It has sources from the course learning materials and additional sources to enhance your professional development. 

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Our advice and guidance on distressed behaviour gives you some strategies to try and information on how to get further support.

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A person's behaviour can be defined as "challenging" if it puts them or those around them (such as their carer) at risk, or leads to a poorer quality of life.

It can also impact their ability to join in everyday activities.

Challenging behaviour can include:

aggression

self-harm

destructiveness

disruptiveness

Challenging behaviour is often seen in people with health problems that affect communication and the brain, such as learning disabilities.

What can you do to help?

As a carer, try to understand why the person you look after is behaving in this way. For example, they might feel anxious or bored, or be in pain.

If you can recognise the early warning signs, you may be able to prevent behavioural outbursts.

For example, if being in a large group of people makes your child feel anxious and they become agitated, you could arrange for them to be in a smaller group or have 1-to-1 support.

Some people find a distraction can focus a person's energies elsewhere and prevent them displaying challenging behaviour.

Your child might behave in a challenging way to get your attention.

If this is the case, consider not responding directly to their behaviour - although you should not ignore them completely.

But if their behaviour puts them or someone else at risk, you'll need to intervene as calmly as possible.

Professional help

If you're finding it hard to cope with the behaviour of your child, ask a GP to refer you to a specialist.

The specialist will want to know what situations or people trigger the behaviour, what the early warning signs are, and what happens afterwards.

In extreme circumstances - for example, if your child's behaviour is harmful to themselves or others and all methods of calming them have been tried - a doctor may prescribe medicine.

If you're concerned about the side effects of medicine, speak to your child's GP.

Tips for carers

seek support - many organisations for children with learning disabilities have schemes to connect carers with others in a similar situation

share your experiences - find local emotional support services or call the Carers UK helpline on 0800 808 7777

get respite care for your child so you can take a break. Your local council can provide respite care after a care needs assessment, or a carer's assessment for you. Find your local council on GOV.UK

keep in touch with friends and family members - they can be an important source of practical and emotional support

do not be tempted to restrain the person you look after unless you believe their behaviour is putting them at risk and they do not have the mental ability or capacity to make a decision

Sexual behaviour in children

Sexual exploration and play is a natural part of childhood sexual development, and helps children develop physically and emotionally.
Read information on sexual behaviour in children on the NSPCC website Read information on the normal behaviours typical of each development stage on the NSPCC website
Sometimes children show sexual behaviour that's inappropriate or unexpected for their age. This can be because of:

curiosity

anxiety

a traumatic experience

a learning disability

a mental health problem

If a child acts inappropriately in public, try to distract them with another activity. This can be a useful way to defuse the situation.

If you think a child's behaviour is related to an illness, speak to the healthcare professionals involved in their care and ask for advice on how to manage their behaviour.

They can tell you about local or national organisations that could help.

If you're concerned about the safety or welfare of a child, call the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000.

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How to deal with challenging behaviour in children - Social care and support guide

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Read some tips on how to deal with challenging behaviour in children.

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How your nursery environment can help to promote positive behaviour

Experienced and skilled early years practitioners working in a nursery can have a hugely positive impact on a child's behaviour. Nursery practitioners know that behaviour is a form of communication and they understand that many things can affect a child's behaviour.

Top tip 1: Promoting positive behaviour begins with your environment

Having a positive, proactive approach to behaviour begins with your environment. The physical space in the nursery, lighting, sound and noise, colour schemes, social aspects, cultural aspects, accessible resources and your staff team - all of these can have an effect on children's behaviour.

Top tip 2: Consider all your spaces in the nursery

As a first step, you should review all the different spaces you have available to children and observe how they are being used. You might light to ask yourself questions, such as: Are there any hotspots that cause conflict? Why might this be so? Do you have a range of spaces to meet children's interests and current stages of play? Look at how social interactions happen and review the opportunities children have to play in various social groups - solitary, pairs, small or large groups. Consider the opportunities children have to be physically active throughout the day and how they can take time out to rest, relax and be calm.

Top tip 3: review how your resources can influence behaviour

We recommend you review whether there are enough age and stage appropriate resources on offer to meet the children's needs and avoid potential conflict. Think about how these resources are presented, is there enough space to use the resources in the place they have been put? Is there enough to share? Can children move the resources to follow their play?

Top tip 4: routines are important

The nursery's daily routines should be flexible to give autonomy to children's play choices. This will allow them to follow their interests and curiosities and lead their own learning experiences.

Top tip 5: Set rules, boundaries and expectations

Where appropriate, work with children to set the rules or boundaries for your environment. Think about the language you use and try to use positive phrasing. For example, rather than saying 'don't run indoors,' try using 'we walk indoors'. Share a copy of your rules, expectations and boundaries with your parents so they can understand your approach. It can be very confusing for children to have different or inconsistent rules so ensure all staff are clear about the setting's boundaries and that all staff are consistent in their responses.

Top tip 6: consider transitions

Do you have strategies to help children with both planned and unplanned transitions? Think about how you support children in your daily routine to prepare for a change in activities, mealtimes, or preparation to go home. Reflect on the support you put in place for unplanned transitions, such as a child's best friend being away or the key person being absent through illness.

Top tip 7: Make sure mealtimes are a positive experience

Are your mealtimes relaxed and fun? Do adults sit with children to offer support and social conversations? Involve children in the mealtime routines, such as when setting tables or clearing away dishes. Avoid long periods of children sitting down waiting. Plan your mealtimes so children sit at tables as the food is ready. Adults should sit with the children to engage in social conversations and set a good example.

Top tip 8: Positive feedback

Consider reward systems - positive feedback is the best and most effective way to promote positive behaviour. Review any reward scheme you are using and consider if they are age appropriate and meaningful to the children. Rewards should be inclusive to all children.

Top tip 9: Make sure staff have a consistent approach to promoting positive behaviour

Are staff empathetic and do they take opportunities to talk about feelings with children? Do staff understand how to support children with their strong emotions? Do you have strategies for helping children to calm themselves? Do all staff consistently apply your rules/boundaries? Environments do not only influence a child's behaviour. They also influence the adult's behaviour. Our environments are like frames for experiences and depending on the frame, we alter our behaviour.

Top tip 10: regularly review your environment

Be proactive with regular reviews of your environment so you can prevent or minimise issues from occurring. Your environment needs to be set up in ways that best suit the stages of development for all of the children using the space.

More support

We hope you found NDNA's top tips on promoting positive behaviour through the nursery environment useful.

You can read more about strategies to help with children's behaviour in our factsheet, Promoting Positive Behaviour for nurseries, which is free for NDNA members.

You can also access our free parent factsheet on positive behaviour to share with your families.

To improve your staff members' skills and knowledge on all aspects of behaviour, try NDNA's online course, Promoting Positive Behaviour.

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Promoting Positive Behaviour Strategies in Early Years

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Discover positive behaviour strategies in early years for your nursery, with ten top tips from NDNA's experts.

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What are the causes of behaviour that challenges?

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Living and working with children who experience behaviour that challenges can be difficult but having awareness can help you be prepared.

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If you're being bullied, whether it's online or at school, university or work, it can be really difficult and leave you feeling hurt - but you are not alone. We have advice on how you can tell someone and get help.

What is bullying?

Show/hide caption

Note with a ruled page taped to a surface reading: You might not feel it, but you're so very brave and so much stronger than you realise.

If somebody physically hurts you, or verbally abuses you, that's bullying.

Specific types of bullying include:

homophobic bullying based on your sexual orientation

racist bullying because of your skin colour or ethnicity

religious bullying because of your beliefs or faith.

sizeist bullying referring to your body size

sexist bullying focusing on you being of the opposite sex

cyberbullying targeting you online, often anonymously

bullying because you are different

Bullying can be a one-off or it can go on for a long time. And bullying can happen to anyone.

No matter how alone you might feel, there is always someone you can talk to and someone who can help.

Get help for bullying

Ignoring bullying won't make it go away. You need to tell someone about what is happening.

If the bullying is happening at school
Talk to your parents or carers and your teacher. Your teacher may have no idea that you are being bullied, and the school will have an anti-bullying policy to tackle it.

If you feel you can't speak to your teacher, maybe a friend can do it for you. You can also speak to a school counsellor, welfare officer or nurse.

In extreme cases, if bullying is interfering with your education it may be possible for you to change schools if it doesn't stop once you have reported it.

If the bullying is happening outside school
Talk to your parents or carers, close relatives such as grandparents, aunties and uncles, or even your friends' parents. Youth workers and leaders may be able to help too.

If the bullying is happening online
Tell a trusted adult - your parents or carers, or a teacher. You can report abusive posts on Facebook and other social media platforms. You can also report abuse to CEOP (Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre).

Keep reporting the bullying until it stops. It may not stop the first time you tell your parents or teacher and they try to stop it. If the bullying continues, tell them again. Don't put up with it. No one deserves to be bullied.

Tips from young people like you

Show/hide caption

A yellow, orange, pink, blue and green rainbow. In the orange, pink and blue of the rainbow, the text reads: you are every nice word I can think of

Get help now

Whatever you're going through, you don't have to go through it alone. Here are some organisations who can support you.

You might also find helpful...

Bullying can affect us in lots of ways. Here's some more advice and information you might find helpful.

If you're a parent or carer

If you are a parent or carer of a child or young person who is being bullied, we can support you through our Parents Helpline. We are here to listen to you, and give you free, confidential advice and information.

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Bullying | How To Deal With Bullying and Getting Help

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If you're being bullied, whether it's online or at school, university or work, it can be really difficult and leave you feeling hurt - but you are not alone. We have advice on how you can tell someone and get help. What is bullying? If somebody physically hurts you, or verbally abuses you, that's bullying.

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Managing aggression in your children

It is important to try and set some time aside to find out if they are struggling with this, it might not be easy for them to open up straight away and you may have to keep approaching them gently until they can open up. You might want to leave a book for them to write their feelings in if they do find it hard to talk. If they are not much of a writer, maybe give them a memory stick and they can store their thoughts digitally. Let them know that you love them very much and are there for them but need them to meet you halfway. You can ask them questions that will help them to explore their anger, like how it makes them feel when they hit that point, how it makes them feel after, etc.

Feeling angry and upset at times is natural and acceptable and most people do at some point or another, so let your child know this. Try to acknowledge their feelings, but set limits: "I know you feel angry, but I don't want to see any hitting; biting; shouting or swearing."

Keep a diary so you can write down the incidents as there may be a pattern and note down the triggers. Are there particular events that set your child off? If you start to see when, you can sometimes work out why.

If children see problems solved with raised voices or fists, they learn to follow suit. If you want to stop a child being violent, you may first have to address what is happening around them, it may be difficult to explore this but if there is conflict in your family life or perhaps communication is often through shouting, they may have learned this behaviour.

Learn how to defuse an angry situation. Lower your voice instead of shouting and look them in the eye. Talk with and listen to your child when they're calm. Look at why they might be feeling bad before looking at what they may do to control their behaviour.

You can't wave a magic wand and vanish away a child's unhappy feelings. What you can do is help them learn how to manage what they do about them. So encourage them to say, "I feel angry/left out/put down", instead of hitting out.

It isn't easy loving or showing affection for a child who is being hurtful. But they need to be shown that they are acceptable. Separate who they are from what they do by saying, "I love you and always will, but I don't love what you're doing."

Be positive and praise them when they do well. Blaming, shaming, or punishing children can make them feel worse about themselves and so even more aggressive.

Further resources

Coping with a potentially violent child is very challenging and no parent should expect to have to do this alone. You can get support from us directly from one of our family support workers via our helpline on 0808 800 2222, or you can email us at askus@familylives.org.uk or talk to us online via our service.
Watch our video on dealing with difficult behaviour from your child or teen

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Challenging behaviour in children can be hard for a parent, learn how to manage this by reading our advice.

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Challenging Behaviors Tool Kit

It is important to develop strategies for you to use to increase the behaviors you want to see in your child. These will need to be individualized to his particular needs and challenges. They can often be helpful in building a sense of pride in accomplishments and personal responsibility, and a sense of what is expected. This will reduce the anxiety and reactivity that results in aggression or other behaviors.

Some helpful strategies:

Celebrate and build strengths and successes: Tell him what he does well and what you like. A sense of competence often fosters interest and motivation. Strive to give positive feedback much more frequently than any correction or negative feedback. 'Great job putting your dishes in the sink!'

Respect and listen to him: You may have to look for the things he is telling you, verbally or through his choices or actions. 'You keep sitting on that side of the table. Is the sun in your eyes over here?'

Validate his concerns and emotions: Do not brush aside his fears or tell him not to worry. His emotions are very real. Help to give language to what he is feeling. 'I know you do not like spiders. I can see that you are very afraid right now.' 'I can see that you are angry that our plans have changed.'

Provide clear expectations of behavior: Show or tell your child what you expect of him using visual aids, photographs or video models. A great way to teach new skills is Tell-Show-Do.

Set him up for success: Provide accommodations. Accept a one word answer instead of demanding a whole sentence. Use a larger plate and offer a spoon to allow him to be neater at the dinner table. Use Velcro shoes or self-tying laces if tying is too frustrating.

Ignore the challenging behavior: Do your best to keep the challenging behavior from serving as his way of communicating or winning. This is hard to do, but in the long run it is effective. Do not allow his screams to get him out of brushing his teeth, or his biting to get him the lollipop that he wants. Behaviors may get worse before you start to see them get better. Stay the course! And make sure all family and team members are consistent in this approach and that you pair this with other positive strategies.

Alternate tasks: Do something that is fun, motivating or that your child is good at. Then try something hard. He will be less inclined to give up or get agitated if he is already in a positive framework.

Teach and interact at your child's or loved one's learning level: Take care to set him up for growth and accomplishment, rather than the anxiety produced by constant failure or boredom.

Give choices, but within parameters: Everyone needs to be in control of something, even if it is as simple as which activity comes first. You can still maintain some control in the choices that you offer. 'Do you want to eat first, or paint first?'

Provide access to breaks: Teach the individual to request a break when he needs to regroup (e.g. use a PECS card that represents "break"). Be sure to provide the break when he asks so he learns to trust this option and does not have to resort to challenging behaviors.

Promote the use of a safe, calm-down place: Teach him to recognize when he needs to go there. This is a positive strategy, not a punishment.

Set up reinforcement systems: Use simple, predictable processes that reward your child for desired behavior. Catch him being good and reward that, verbally and with favored activities, objects or 'payment.' 'I love that you stayed with me during our shopping trip. You earned a ride on the airplane toy!'

Allow times and places for him to do what he wants: Even if it is a 'stim', it is important to provide these options when it is not an intrusion or annoyance to others.

Reward flexibility and self control: 'I know you wanted to go to the pool today and we were surprised when it was closed. For staying cool and being so flexible about that change in plans, let's go get some ice cream instead!'

Pick your battles: Strive for balance. Focus on the behaviors and skills that are most essential. Be sure to include positive feedback and intersperse opportunities for success and enjoyment for you, your family, and your loved one with autism. Be resilient. Celebrate the fun and the good things!

Use positive/proactive language: Use language that describes what you want the individual to do (e.g. 'I love how you used a tissue!'), and try to avoid saying 'NO', or 'don't' (e.g. 'stop picking your nose.').

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Helpful Strategies to Promote Positive Behavior | Autism Speaks

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It is important to develop strategies for you to use to increase the behaviors you want to see in your child. These will need to be individualized to his particular needs and challenges. They can often be helpful in building a sense of pride in accomplishments and personal responsibility, and a sense

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Introduction

Multi-agency working is key to effective safeguarding and child protection (Sidebotham et al, 2016).

Children and their families will access a range of services throughout a child's life. It's vital that practitioners work together to gain a full overview of a child's situation and have a co-ordinated approach to support.

Case reviews in each of the UK nations emphasise the importance of information sharing and collaboration between agencies so that professionals can fully understand any risks a child may be exposed to and take appropriate action to keep them safe.

We've pulled together learning for best practice about multi-agency working from analyses of case reviews across the UK and Ofsted's analysis of joint targeted area inspection (JTAI) reports in England. See the references tab for details of these reports.

Frontline practitioners

Frontline practitioners

Everyone who works with children has a responsibility to share any information that has a bearing on a child's welfare as early as possible.

Practitioners working in adults' services should also share any information that has an impact on the wellbeing of a child - for example information about parents' capacity to provide safe and loving care.

Follow your organisation's child protection policies and procedures, which should set out how to share information and who with.
> Find out more about information sharing
Improving communication

When working in a busy environment, it's important to communicate with others effectively. This is particularly important if you are sharing information that affects a child's wellbeing.

Be clear about what you are sharing and why
For example, are you making a child protection referral which needs to be acted up on or are you letting people know for information only?

Follow up with written documentation
All verbal and face-to-face communication should be followed up with clear and comprehensive written documentation.

Use specific language and describe risk and vulnerability in detail
Different teams and agencies may use different terminology, so ensure you use clear language. If there is a form for information sharing, use it - it will help other people understand what information you are sharing or requesting and why.

Acknowledge information that's been shared with you
If possible, you should also let them know what's happened as a result of the information they've shared. When people feel their contribution is valued, they are more likely to communicate in future.

Team work

If you're working in a multi-disciplinary or multi-agency team, make sure you understand your and everyone else's role. Discuss how you will work together to support a child or family.

Always prioritise children's needs. Think about other teams working with a child and whether there is any information you can share that will help them provide support. It's particularly important to have a comprehensive handover whenever a child starts to work with a new practitioner or a different team.

Parents should receive the same messages from practitioners in different agencies. If several agencies are working with a family it might be helpful to identify a trusted key individual who will liaise with parents.

Support and challenge

It's vital for practitioners to build trusting working relationships with each other. Members of a multi-agency team should feel equally respected and listened to.

However, you should always discuss and explore any differences in opinion. This will help you gain a greater understanding of a child's situation and make informed decisions about the appropriate action to take.

If you have any concerns about the action being taken to protect a child, you must raise these following your organisational procedures.

Your organisation should provide you with regular and ongoing training and supervision so that you can reflect on and improve your practice.

For further help

If your organisation doesn't have a clear safeguarding procedure or you're not comfortable with the response to your report, you can contact our whistleblowing helpline.

You can also contact our helpline on 0808 800 5000 or by emailing help@nspcc.org.uk if you need to discuss anything relating to child protection with a trained professional.

Strategic leads

Strategic leads

Commissioners and strategic leaders must work together to achieve the best outcomes for the children they support. Analysing multi-agency information can
help:

identify the local need for services

give an understanding of what's happening in frontline practice

decide what action to take to improve frontline services

set well-informed objectives and priorities.

When setting targets, make sure there are strong links between your priorities and those of other decision-making bodies. Make sure your aims and objectives are clear and that everyone in your organisation knows what they are.

Identify key people who need to be able to connect with each other to deliver effective multi-agency working at a strategic level and ensure they have regular opportunities to keep in touch.

Improving communication

Good communication is central to effective multi-agency working. Put processes in place to make it as easy as possible for frontline practitioners to work together and build trusting relationships.

Provide clear pathways for inter-agency communication
Different organisations have a range of structures so it's helpful to establish clear pathways for communication. Make sure everyone in your organisation is aware of them.

Build in flexibility for urgent child protection cases
For example when it's necessary to share concerns over the phone rather than making a written referral.

Include processes for sharing information at times of change
For example when a child returns home from care, comes off a child protection plan or register or makes the transition into adult care services.

Establish a clear language around risk and vulnerability factors
Agencies often use slightly different terminology and this can be confusing. In extreme circumstances it can result in levels of risk being misunderstood and action not being taken to protect a child. To avoid this, make sure you establish a clear language around risk and vulnerability factors.

Ensure your child protection training covers description of risk
Make sure your child protection training teaches practitioners how to describe risk as well as recognising and responding to it.

Use pro-formas to make information clearer
Consider using pro-formas to make the process of information sharing clearer and easier.

Continuous improvement

Monitor the impact of multi-agency work on children in your local area and work with other agencies to audit, evaluate and improve practice.

For example, you could use our Harmful sexual behaviour (HSB) framework and audit tool to assess and improve your local area response to HSB.

Ensure frontline practitioners have opportunities to reflect on their practice through regular and ongoing supervision, both individually and as an inter-disciplinary group.

Provide opportunities for practitioners to come together and learn from each other, such as practitioner forums.

Set out clear processes for practitioners to follow if they need to escalate any concerns about multi-agency practice. If concerns are raised, make sure you investigate fully and take appropriate action to improve practice.

References and resources

References and resources

Care Inspectorate (2016) Learning from significant case reviews in Scotland: a retrospective review of relevant reports completed in the period between 1 April 2012 and 31 March 2015. Dundee: Care Inspectorate.

Flood, S. et al (2016a) Triennial analysis of serious case reviews (2011-2014): practice briefing for education practitioners. Totnes: Research in Practice.

Flood, S. et al (2016b) Triennial analysis of serious case reviews (2011-2014): practice briefing for health visitors. Totnes: Research in Practice.

Flood, S. et al (2016c) Triennial analysis of serious case reviews (2011-2014): practice briefing for local safeguarding children boards. Totnes: Research in Practice.

Flood, S. et al (2016d) Triennial analysis of serious case reviews (2011-2014): practice briefing for the police and criminal justice agencies. Totnes: Research in Practice.

Flood, S. et al (2016e) Triennial analysis of serious case reviews (2011-2014): practice briefing for social workers and family support workers. Totnes: Research in Practice.

NSPCC/SCIE (2016) Learning into Practice: inter-professional communication and decision making - practice issues identified in 38 serious case reviews. London: NSPCC/SCIE.

Ofsted (2018) Social care commentary: multi-agency safeguarding arrangements. [Accessed 18/12/18].

Ofsted et al (2016) Time to listen − a joined up response to child sexual exploitation and missing children (PDF). London: Ofsted.

Ofsted et al (2017a) Growing up neglected: a multi-agency response to older children (PDF). London: Ofsted.

Ofsted et al (2017b) The multi-agency response to children living with domestic abuse: prevent, protect and repair (PDF). London: Ofsted.

Ofsted et al (2018) Protecting children from criminal exploitation, human trafficking and modern slavery: an addendum (PDF). London: Ofsted.

Sidebotham, P. et al (2016) Pathways to harm, pathways to protection: a triennial analysis of serious case reviews 2011 to 2014: final report. London: Department for Education (DfE).

Related documents
> Read our practice briefings on inter-professional communication and decision making > Use our Harmful sexual behaviour (HSB) framework to improve multi-agency responses to HSB > Look at our series of thematic briefings on the learning from case reviews
Further reading

For further reading about multi-agency working, search the NSPCC Library catalogue using the keywords "interagency cooperation", "professional collaboration", "information sharing".
> Find out more about the Library and Information Service

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Multi-agency and interdisciplinary working | NSPCC Learning

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Best practice for child protection practitioners, adults who work or volunteer with children and strategic leads on multi-agency and disciplinary working.

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Reviewed by Dr Lucy Russell DClinPsyc CPsychol AFBPsS

Goal setting for teens throughout their teenage years doesn't just allow kids to realise a dream or accomplish something that matters to them, it helps them to:

Manage their time.

Plan ahead.

Take ownership for mistakes and learning.

Feel good about themselves.

It's not just about your teenager having an idea or wanting something.

Goal setting is a skill that takes practice to master and can bring great life satisfaction that isn't all about material things.

Goals don't have to be huge aspirational dreams.

They do need to be SMART goals. I'm going to talk you through what this means.

SMART Goals For Teens: What Does SMART Mean?

Goal setting can be daunting. If done without a plan or intention and can lead to disappointment or abandonment. SMART goals solve this because they are highly structured.

So, what is a SMART goal?

SMART is an acronym that spells out the steps required to achieve a specific goal within a certain time frame.

Why Are SMART Goals For Teens Especially Beneficial?

Your teenager's brain is still highly underdeveloped in its ability to plan and organise.

Learning about effective goal setting will give them a fantastic strategy to boost their emerging skills.

Many teens feel they lack a sense of direction. Smart goal setting can be an effective tool for steering your teenager's direction in a meaningful way that aligns with their values.

The SMART Framework Explained

In SMART goal setting each step of the acronym is equally important.

Specific

The goal should be clear and well-defined.

Measurable

The goal must be quantifiable so that progress can be measured.

Attainable

SMART goal setting is a great tool but can only be effective when the goal is realistic. When we set ourselves an achievable goal, we are far more likely to complete on it.

Relevant

Is it aligned with your values, interests and other goals?

Timely

Your teenager's goal includes a realistic time-frame and deadline for what they want to accomplish.

Why is Goal Setting Important?

We set small goals for our young children from early on in their lives. We encourage our toddlers to walk, step by step. A bit further each time. We teach our children to swim, reaching the other side of the pool. We give them incentives and celebrate their achievements.

As parents we want our teens to flourish, and SMART goals for teens are one way of achieving this goal.

Goal Setting For Teens: Self-Esteem Benefits

Setting a goal is the very first step towards what you have in mind, a dream or vision of the future, of something you want to achieve. Goal setting can help to develop self-belief and self-confidence in your teenager.

We know that self-esteem is a fundamental component of good mental health. Teenagers need to build their subjective sense of overall personal worth and identity.

The teen years involve change, transitions & challenges.

Trying new things can feel scary or overwhelming. Some teens feel safer staying in their comfort zone or "bubble".

This is okay some of the time, but it's only through getting a little outside our comfort zone that we grow and develop.

Your teen can do this by setting small goals.

You can read more about the benefits of getting out of your comfort zone in Dr Lucy Russell's article: How to Build Confidence in Children.

Teen Goals: The Necessity of Parent Support

Setting a goal without following the SMART steps tends to fail and is sometimes connected with low self-esteem and self-sabotaging behaviour in some kids.

If a teen sets themselves a vague or lofty goal and they don't succeed with it, we might imagine them saying "see, I knew I couldn't do it".

Setting realistic and effective goals enables not only the practical objectives to be met, it will also develop a positive pathway towards being fulfilled young adults.

However, your teenager will almost certainly need your support.

As I mentioned before, their brains are still underdeveloped and you should not expect even a 16 or 17 year-old to set a goal and follow all the steps successfully alone every time.

Smart Goals and Resilience

Sometimes, despite your teenager's best efforts, they will not achieve their smart goal. There are many possible reasons including:

Their situation changed.

Factors outside their control made it impossible.

The goal no longer aligns with their sense of identity or personal values.

Even in so-called failure to achieve their goal, your teenager can learn a huge amount. Failure will help them to adjust their approach and set more effective or realistic goals in the future. It's a brilliant self-learning process.

In fact, working on a smart goal can help your teen to build essential resilience skills.

Smart Goals for Teens: Examples

Most teenagers in higher education would probably specify career plans as being an important long-term goal, so academic goals are likely to be a high priority for them.

However, with so many opportunities open to young people, this isn't the be all and end all.

Personal growth and development are important areas for teenagers to consider too.

Smart goal setting should focus on the areas that matter most to your teenager. Goal setting is a great way for them to explore their identity. Areas of focus might include:

Education and qualifications.

Health and wellbeing.

Faith and spirituality.

Family and friends.

Personal goals connected to an interest or passion.

Goals for Teens: Case Example (Kerry)

Kerry is a 17 year old college student and is currently working on 2 principal goals.

One is short-term, the other is long-term.

Short-term goals don't have to be small goals necessarily, but they do need to be achievable.

It's also important for Kerry to keep an eye on how much time she needs to achieve her goals.

Her time-scale can always be adjusted however.

Kerry's Long-Term Smart Goal

Specific: I want to buy a watch that can measure my fitness and wellbeing.

Measurable: My measurable goal is to earn around £600: enough money to purchase the watch.

Attainable: I will do this be working at my Saturday job for the next 4 months and keeping a close eye on my bank account.

Relevant: I want to be fitter and feel better and the watch will help me keep on track.

Timely: Within 4 months.

Kerry's Short-Term Smart Goal

Specific: I want to write my personal statement for university ready to edit to send it off.

Measurable: The length of my personal statement needs to be between 400-600 words, around one side of A4 paper or a maximum of 47 lines.

Attainable: I have access to templates, advice and support at sixth form. I have dedicated time in my timetable to work on this

Relevant: I want to apply to 5 Universities for next year. This is part of the preparation for that.

Timely: The submission due date is the end of December this year (2 months).

Goal Setting for Teens: The Benefits

Goals are often outcome-focused and include objectives that produce certain results. For example, getting an A grade or landing the lead role in the school play.

However, the process of achieving the goal can boost a teenager's confidence, resilience and sense of identity.

We can't always control outcomes. So, it's important to have a basis of behaviour, effort and attitude at the centre of each goal.

Ultimately, your child might lose out to one of the younger students who gets the role they aimed for, but they've proved they work hard in rehearsal and are reliable and committed.

A word of caution.

We must never set smart goals for our children.

We can set goals with them, by listening and helping with the practical details.

But goals can only be set by the person who is working on them, if they are to succeed. Forcing goals on a child will lead to resentment and failure.

Goal Setting for Teens: 10 Benefits

Working on smart goals can:

1. Develop their organisational skills and broaden their work ethic.

2. Improve time management and understanding how to prioritise tasks in an action plan.

3. Teach them accountability and responsibility.

4. Improve their self-efficacy and intrinsic motivation (self-motivation).

5. Increase awareness of their own strengths and weaknesses.

6. Open a dialogue between teens, parents, and teachers.

7. Teach young people how to deal with mistakes and learn from them.

8. Give them an understanding of how to make considered choices and decisions.

9. Improve self-image and boost self-esteem.

10. Give a teenager experience of clear success and knowledge of how to replicate this.

Academic SMART Goals for Teens

If your teenager is a high school student, getting good grades may be important to them. Here are some ideas for smart goals that will be useful for high school students, and college students too:

Getting a good grade in their next essay.

Completing a specific project e.g. their personal statement for college or university.

Improving their research skills by reading a particular book or taking a course.

Setting out a revision schedule for the holidays.

Increasing productivity e.g. "I will aim to learn 10 sets of Spanish vocabulary in the next 2 weeks".

Goal Setting for Teens: What is a Stretch Goal?

A stretch goal is a high-effort and high-risk goal. It's usually set to prompt an accomplishment beyond the normal standard. They are designed to improve performance, opportunities and experience but are usually really hard to achieve.

It's best to set stretch goals alongside regular SMART goals. Be careful that your teenager isn't setting too many unrealistic stretch goals and setting themselves up for failure.

How Should Teens Set Goals?

One effective way of setting goals is to write down a list of possible goals in separate columns e.g. personal, education/career and helping others.

Your teen can then select one goal from each column.

They should choose the goal that aligns best with their current values and that they feel excited or passionate about.

One important thing is not to have too many goals at the same time. Ideally your child will work on only one or two goals at a time.

When I was studying as a mature student, it was often hard work balancing this with busy schedules, family life and everything else I was committed to. Having an end in mind and setting daily and weekly goals was crucial through this time. It enabled me to stay on track and focussed, with an awareness of deadlines.

I loved sharing my goals with my children.

It helped to demonstrate to them how goals worked.

Family members joined me for the wins and were actually instrumental in me succeeding my goals.

A family member or friend can be crucial in supporting teen goals, giving guidance, encouragement and keeping things real!

Not all goals need to be transformational, remember they need to be realistic goals.

Smart Goals For Teens: Getting Started

The following questions will get your teen started in setting their goals.

What's important to me at the moment?

What do I want to do?

What do I want to work towards?

What do I need to achieve my goals

How long do I need to get there?

SMART Goals For Teens: Step-By-Step Guide

Here's a really easy-to-follow guide.

1. Write your goals down.

2. Break each goal down. Use a SMART goal template to improve the chances of success. This is especially important for larger goals.

3. Tell someone. Sharing our goals can often help us to stay accountable and stick to them.

4. Plan your first step and then take action.

5. Keep going.

6. Celebrate and learn from the results, whatever they are.

9 Ways to Support Your Teen Set Effective Goals

1. Teen Goals: Encourage a Growth Mindset

Growth Mindset is founded on the observations made by Dr Carol Dweck in her studies of young children. She observed that children who believe that they can develop their own skills and abilities are more likely to exert real effort. She defined this as a growth mindset.

On the other hand, children who believe their abilities are set in stone ("I am no good at maths" or "I'm not a sporty person") are more likely to give up. This is known as a fixed mindset.

"The best way to treat obstacles is to use them as stepping-stones. Laugh at them, tread on them, and let them lead you to something better."
Enid Blyton

2. Teen Goal Setting: Look For Quick Wins

When teens start setting goals, start small.

Sometimes, the fear of failure - especially if they are trying something new - can be a barrier to working on the goal.

Setting smaller goals will be a great way to get started and gradually build confidence.

For example, they might set a goal to reduce their time on social media from 3 hours per day to 2.5 hours per day.

3. Understand Their 'Why' When Setting Goals

Show genuine curiosity in understanding why a goal is important to your teen. If we say something like "That sounds interesting, tell me more about it," your teen is more likely to open up.

You might find that the goal is a response to something they're upset about.

You can validate your teen's reasons for setting their goal while supporting them emotionally.

4. SMART Goals For Teens: Help But Don't Take Over

By all means, provide some suggestions, but let your teenager set their own goals. They will be far more invested in achieving results if the goal is meaningful to them.

Remember, it's their goals, not yours.

Make sure you don't project 'your dreams' onto your teenager.

5. Help Add Value to Your Teen's Goal Setting Experience

Where can you add value?

You know your child best.

If they struggle to make practical decisions you could help them outline costs and benefits of setting specific goals.

For example, if your teen wants to go out socialising at weekends whilst saving up for a trip, how will they finance this?

Depending on your teenager's skills and level of maturity, they will need a gentler or more intensive helping hand from you. Help them to take small steps that feel easy to start with, and build up gradually.

6. Share Your Own SMART Goals

One of the best ways to guide your own kids in goal setting is to share your own goals and how you are working on them.

What is your motivation?

How have you structured the goal?

How do you measure it and when do you know that you've achieved it?

Remember to share any misses or disappointments with your own goal setting with your teenager. Let them know what happened, how you feel about it, what it means and how you can learn from it.

7. Goal Setting With Teens: Schedule Check-In Dates

With long-term goals, helping your child schedule in revisiting and revising dates can be vital so the goal doesn't slip.

It might be helpful to create a calendar or time-line with scheduled dates to check-in on progress. Consider whether adjustments, support or a re-design of the goal steps is required.

If your child struggles with motivation because they are anxious or have poor mental health, they will need additional gentle prompts and support.

8. Praise Your Teenager's Progress With Their SMART Goals in a Specific Way

Instead of saying 'great job' or 'well done', validate the effort and process too.

For example: 'I'm so impressed how you followed your plan to do your music practise every day. You kept to your schedule and now you can play your piece confidently in the concert next week. I can't wait to see you play!'

9. SMART Goals: Remind Your Teen It's About the Journey Not Just the Destination

Encourage your teenager to engage and be satisfied in all aspects of the process.

Setting, planning, revising, achieving and ultimately, learning from.

The journey is where the growth mindset can be built.

Smart Goals For Teens: Summary

Setting a realistic goal with a smart objective can be fun. Most of all, it can be an incredible learning process.

It will always work better when your child is invested in not only the outcome but the process and journey too.

Use goal setting as a way to build your child's self-esteem and ownership of learning of something they are excited and interested by.

If you're interested in further developing your understanding of your teenager, take a look at our article about the 10 best parenting teens books.

Further Reading
28 Brilliant Exam Confidence Motivational Quotes for Students Child Mental Health: The Lifestyle Connection 21 Transformational Self-Esteem Quotes For Kids 5 Powerful Teen Self-Esteem Activities {+ Printable Workbook} Children's Self-Esteem: Three Actionable Steps To Build It Up 12 Effective Ways to Handle Your Entitled Teenager 16 Best Family Wellbeing Activities for Teens Hayley Vaughan Smith is a Person Centred Counsellor accredited by the National Counselling Society. She is the founder and counsellor at The Ridge Practice in Buckinghamshire, and Counsellor at Everlief Child Psychology. Hayley has a special interest in bereavement counselling and has worked as a bereavement volunteer with Cruse Bereavement Care since 2019. Being a mum to 3 girls is hard work and rewarding in equal measure and gardening and walking in nature is her own personal therapy. Hayley believes being in nature, whatever the weather, is incredibly beneficial for mental health well-being. Are you the parent of a 6-16 year-old? Join They Are The Future's free Facebook group for regular tips on supporting teens and pre-teens with their mental health! Join the group: Parent Tips for Positive Child Mental Health UK.

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Goal Setting for Teens: The SMART Way to Success {Parent Guide}

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Setting smart goals for teens helps them to manage their time, take ownership for mistakes and learning, and feel good about themselves.

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Introduction

Mental health is as important to a child's safety and wellbeing as their physical health. It can impact on all aspects of their life, including their educational attainment, relationships and physical wellbeing. Mental health can also change over time, to varying degrees of seriousness, and for different reasons.

And we know it's an important issue for children. Over half of all Childline counselling sessions in 2022/23 related to mental or emotional health and wellbeing.

Negative experiences such as abuse and neglect can adversely impact a child's mental health. Mental health issues can also sometimes lead to safeguarding and child protection issues, for example if a child's mental health begins to put them or other people at risk of harm.

Supporting children with mental health issues

It can be hard for adults to recognise when a child needs support with mental health issues. And it can be difficult for young people to speak out about the challenges they're facing.

So it's crucial that anyone who works or volunteers with children is able to recognise the signs that a child may be struggling with their mental health. And that they know how to take appropriate action to support children and young people in getting the help they need.

We've put together some information to help you recognise and respond to concerns about children and young people's mental health.

What does mental health mean?

Mental health is an individual's cognitive, behavioural and emotional wellbeing (Mind, 2020). It's something we all have - including every child and young person.

We use the term "mental health issues" to refer to mental health problems, conditions and mental illnesses. These issues may or may not be medically diagnosed.

Who is at risk?

Who is at risk?

Any child or young person can develop mental health issues. But research has shown there are some factors that are associated with children and young people's long-term mental health.

Abuse and neglect

The traumatic impact of abuse and neglect increases the likelihood of children developing a range of mental health issues - both during childhood and in later life. These include anxiety, depression, eating disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (Norman et al, 2012; Spatz Widom, 1999).

Specific types of abuse may be connected to certain mental health issues. Children who have experienced emotional abuse may be more likely to develop anxiety and depression compared with children who have experienced other types of abuse (Cecil et al, 2017; Gavin 2011). One study found that almost three quarters (74%) of young people who had experienced sexual assault developed PTSD (Lewis et al, 2019).

Abuse and neglect can also make children more vulnerable to developing more than one mental health condition at one time (known as composite mental health issues) (Chandan et al, 2019).

Providing effective mental health support for children who have experienced abuse and neglect can help them recover from its effects (NSPCC, 2019b).

d/Deaf and disabled children and young people

d/Deaf and disabled children and young people with complex or additional needs may face a range of challenges including:

reduced mobility

prejudice, discrimination and bullying.

These challenges may lead to lower self-confidence, difficulty forming peer networks and social exclusion, putting them at higher risk of developing mental health issues (Falcounbrige, Hunt and Laffan, 2019).

Adults may confuse the signs of learning disabilities with the symptoms of mental health issues. This can mean concerns aren't recognised and responded to quickly or appropriately.

Children from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities

Children from black and minority ethnic groups may experience:

racism, discrimination and prejudice - this can be direct, indirect or institutional

an increased stigma around mental health issues in the community.

This can lead to inequalities and issues in accessing appropriate care and support for mental health needs (Bignall et al, 2020).

LGBTQ+ children and young people

LGBTQ+ children and young people may experience:

prejudice, discrimination and bullying

a fear of or an actual rejection from family and/or friends

feeling excluded or like an outsider.

They may also experience gender dysphoria: the unease felt when someone's sex registered at birth does not match their identity.

These factors and experiences mean they are more likely than their heterosexual and cisgender peers to experience a range of mental health problems (Chakraborty et al, 2011; Becerra-Culqui, et al 2018).

Living in care

Children in care are more likely than their peers to have a mental health difficulty (NSPCC, 2019c). This can be due to isolation and loneliness. Children in care may also have experienced abuse or neglect, which increases the likelihood of developing mental health issues (National Youth Advocacy Service, 2019).

Young carers

Young carers are more likely to experience mental health problems than peers who don't have caring responsibilities (Sharpe, 2021).

Young carers may:

feel worry or stress about the health and wellbeing of the person/s they care for

feel that they must manage or hide their emotions due to fear or guilt of upsetting the person/s they care for

feel that they don't have time for themselves and are missing out on opportunities or activities.

Excessive or inappropriate caring roles and a lack of support from services can be risk factors in a young carer experiencing poor mental health. (Carers Trust, 2023; 2016; 2023; Sharpe, 2021).

Life events

Stressful or traumatic situations and experiences, such as bereavement or sudden changes in environment, can trigger mental health issues.

Social isolation and loneliness

Anyone can experience loneliness, but risk factors include:

having a long-term health condition or disability

having caring responsibilities

living in care

being from an ethnic minority community

being LGBTQ+

(Mental Health Foundation, 2022).

Studies show that there is a strong association between social isolation and anxiety and depression in children and young people (Almeida et al, 2021).
> Find out more about our Building Connections service to help young people cope with loneliness

Recognising

Recognising issues

Professionals need to be able to recognise the signs that a child may be struggling. However, it's important to remember that some mental health issues may not have visible signs. There are also factors that might make it more difficult for a child or young person to ask for help.

Some children and young people may try to hide how they are feeling or what they are doing (Theodosiou L. et al, 2020). This might be because they:

worry they won't be taken seriously

believe others won't understand

have had a negative experience talking about their thoughts and feelings in the past

feel that no one can help them

fear being dismissed or labelled an attention seeker or 'crazy'

(Mental Health Foundation and Camelot Foundation, 2006).

Children and young people may not always have the language or ability to communicate how they feel. They may be unsure who to talk to and how to talk about their problems.

Some signs of mental health issues may also look like normal child behaviour. For example, tantrums in younger children or teenagers keeping feelings to themselves.

Children who have experienced abuse or neglect

Children who have experienced abuse may be reluctant to talk about how they are feeling, particularly if they haven't yet told anyone about the abuse. They may feel that something is wrong with them or that things may get worse if they talk about it.

Identifying and responding to mental health concerns may be one way of helping children who are experiencing abuse to get the support and protection that they need.

> Find out more about barriers to disclosure of abuse

Signs of child mental health issues

There are ways you can identify if a child needs support with their mental health.

By being attentive to a child or young person's mood and behaviour, you can recognise patterns that suggest they need support.

Common warning signs of mental health issues include:

sudden mood and behaviour changes

self-harming

unexplained physical changes, such as weight loss or gain

sudden poor academic behaviour or performance

sleeping problems

changes in social habits, such as withdrawal or avoidance of friends and family.

These signs suggest that a child may be struggling, but there could be a number of different explanations for them.
Don't attempt to diagnose mental health issues yourself or make assumptions about what's happening in a child's life.
Recognising that a child or young person may be struggling with their mental health is the first step in helping them. The next step is to respond appropriately.

Responding

Responding to child mental health issues

All children and young people should have someone they can talk to about whatever they're going through, regardless of whether they have a mental health condition.

Children may not want to talk specifically about their mental health, but about the struggles and issues in their daily lives (Mental Health Foundation and Camelot Foundation, 2006).

If you are concerned that a child may be struggling, it's important not to wait for them to talk to you before trying to start a conversation. Encourage them to talk with you or with other trusted adults.
> Take our mental health and wellbeing safeguarding children training
Talking with a child about their mental health

If you're talking with a child or young person about their mental health and wellbeing, be prepared that conversations may not be easy or straightforward. There are things you can do to make these conversations as easy as possible.
> Read our information and advice on how to have difficult conversations with children
The following principles will help you discuss mental health and wellbeing sensitively.

Use the right language

When talking with a child, use language that they understand. This will differ according to their age and stage of development. Avoid using technical or diagnostic language which children might find unfamiliar, confusing and distant from their experiences.

Make sure you understand the language the child is using and how they are using certain terms. For example, a child may use the word "anxiety" to describe a feeling of general nervousness or as a way to describe severe anxiety attacks.

By paying attention to the language children use to describe their feelings, you can reflect the terms they use in your own language. This will help them feel listened to.

Some children may have difficulty communicating, for example if they have additional needs or disabilities (Fuggle and Redfern, 2019). Make sure you give these children the time and support they need to talk.

> Find out more about how to have difficult conversations with children and young people

Create an open environment

It's important to create an open and safe environment where children and young people are comfortable speaking about their mental health. Make sure children and young people know who they can talk to - and make this pool of people as wide as possible.

In schools, for example, discussions about mental health and wellbeing can be integrated into the curriculum and put on an equal footing with physical health.

Some children with mental health problems will have experienced abuse. An open environment will help them talk about the challenges they are facing and may help them feel able to tell you what's been happening to them.

> Use our resources to find out how you can let children know you're listening if they tell you they have experienced abuse

> Find out how to recognise and respond to abuse

Promoting mental health and wellbeing

Anyone who works with children and young people has a responsibility to promote their mental health and emotional wellbeing. This can include:

helping with online wellbeing

encouraging exercise

maintaining routines.

> Get tips on promoting children and young people's mental health and wellbeing

Understanding

Understanding thoughts and feelings

Mental health moves back and forth along a continuum, it's always changing. This can happen over a period of time or quite quickly. So it's important to have conversations with children and young people so you can best understand how they're feeling - and any mental health issues that they are experiencing.

Doing OK - Struggling - Unwell - In Crisis

When you speak to a child for the first time, or during ongoing conversations, you may find it useful to think about whether they're doing OK, struggling, unwell or in crisis.

This continuum is based on a model used by Childline counsellors, alongside other tools, that helps them understand how a child is feeling at that particular point in time. You can use it to better understand a young person's mental health and wellbeing.

It's important to remember that a person's mental health changes continuously - so you should refer to this continuum regularly.

Doing OK

Communicates effectively with others

Seeks help when needed

Can focus on specific issues

Has healthy relationships

Identifies and tries to solve problems

Uses healthy coping strategies

Struggling

Struggles communicating with others

Is unsure how to access help

Relationships are beginning to suffer

Begins to use unhealthy coping strategies

Has some sleep issues, low energy and fatigue

Is able to engage well in some areas

Unwell

Feels overwhelmed and isolated

Struggles to focus on specific issues

Struggles to access and/or engage with services

Has disturbed sleep

May have suicidal thoughts

Relies on unhealthy coping strategies

May already have a mental health diagnosis

Is ambivalent towards change

In crisis

Has made recent suicide attempts

Is distrustful of support services

Mental health symptoms are unmanageable

Has escalating self-harming behaviours

Distress may not reduce when talking

Not engaging at home or school

Is resistant to change

Using scaling techniques

Our Childline counsellors sometimes use "scaling" questions to help them understand how a child or young person is doing.

A counsellor gives the child a clear scale - from 0 or 1 to 10 - and asks where they think they sit in relation to a specific question. For example:

If 1 is your mental health at its worst and 10 is at its best, how are you doing at the moment?

If 0 means that you are having a panic attack and 10 means that you feel completely calm and confident, how would you rate the way you feel before going to school?

Counsellors may be able to find out what support children would like by asking how they can move up the scale. For example:

What is it that puts you at a 5 rather than a 6?

What can we do to help you move from a 3 to a 4?

Using the continuum and scaling techniques can help you better understand how a child is feeling so that you take appropriate action to help and support them.

Taking action

Taking appropriate action

Mental health issues indicate that a child or young person needs support. If possible, discuss with them what help could be put in place.

What if a child doesn't want to talk to me?

If a child isn't able to engage with a discussion about their mental health you should still consider what support can be put in place for them.

Follow your organisation's procedures to share any concerns you have about a child's wellbeing. For example, you could talk to the person who is responsible for pastoral care in your school or organisation.

Safeguarding and child protection issues

You must always consider whether you need to take any action to protect a child or those around them from harm.

If you identify a safeguarding or child protection issue, you must follow your organisation's policies and procedures.

Safeguarding issues include:

a child being in immediate and/or significant danger

someone else being in immediate and/or significant danger

a child being at risk of or experiencing abuse.

> Find out more about responding to safeguarding and child protection concerns

Confidentiality

If a child is confiding in you about their mental health they may ask you not to tell anyone what they've said. But if you're concerned about someone's safety and welfare you must share this information with relevant professionals.

You should never promise to keep what a child tells you a secret. Explain from the outset that you might have to talk to someone else who can help.

Getting support

Getting support

There are lots of different types of support available for children with mental health issues. These include the following.

Contacting a GP

GPs may be able to diagnose mental health conditions, suggest next steps and provide medication.

>There is information on the Childline website about visiting GPs

Child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS)

Across the UK, CAMHS is a free NHS service for children and young people that aims to help with mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, self-harm and eating disorders.

Teachers, social workers, GPs and parents can refer a young person to CAMHS. Services differ from area to area.

In England, you can find CAMHS services in your area through the NHS CAMHS webpage.

Counselling and therapeutic services

Counselling services are available to help children and young people with their mental health. Services can include helplines, one-to-one counselling sessions in person, online or by phone, and online chats and forums.

These services are available through a range of fee-paying and free services including schools and the NHS.

Childline

Children and young people can get free, confidential support from a Childline counsellor via online chat, email or phone.

Childline will listen and provide advice to any concerns about topics, ranging from exam stress to depression and suicidal thoughts.

Childline offers a range of resources for children and young people, including:

Art boxto write or draw about their feelings

Calm zonewith breathing exercises

Gamesto help relax and de-stress.

Childline also has dedicated resources for under 12s.

Download or order Childline posters and wallet cards to display across schools, encouraging children to contact Childline if they need to talk.

NSPCC services

We provide therapeutic services to help children, young people and families with their mental health.

Building Connections

Building Connections is an online service to help young people aged under 19 to find a way through loneliness.

Letting the Future In

Letting the Future In is a play-therapy service that helps children who have been sexually abused.

Consent for treatment

It's best practice to get parental consent for children's therapeutic and medical treatments. But there may be times when a child or young person does not want their parents to know. In this case, you should assess whether the young person has the capacity to make this decision for themselves.

The Gillick competency and Fraser guidelines help professionals assess whether a child is mature enough to make decisions.
> Read our information about Gillick competency and Fraser guidelines

Legislation and guidance

Legislation and guidance

Key legislation

In England and Wales, the Mental Health Act (MHA) 1983 covers the assessment, treatment and rights of people with a mental health condition. It applies to all children and young people under the age of 18. The Act allows for people to be detained in hospital if they need treatment for a mental health condition. It gives children the right to appeal against detention.

The Mental Health Act 1983 was amended by the Mental Health Act 2007. This strengthened safeguards for children, for example adding a duty to ensure an age-appropriate environment for children and young people.

In Northern Ireland, the Mental Health (Northern Ireland) Order 1986 is the main mental health legislation which applies to children and young people under 18. It covers the assessment, treatment and rights of people with mental health conditions.

In Scotland, the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 applies to all those with a 'mental disorder', including children and young people. It contains specific safeguards for under 18s regarding mental health treatment, including on named persons, promoting wellbeing and the welfare of children.

The Mental Health (Scotland) Act 2015 amended the provisions relating to children and young people in the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003, including providing services and accommodation for mothers.

Strategy

In England, the Department of Health and Social Care is developing a Major Conditions Strategy that will focus on whole-person care and ensure mental health conditions are considered alongside physical health conditions (Department of Health and Social Care, 2023; Garratt, 2023).

In Northern Ireland, the Department of Health has published a mental health strategy for 2021-2031. This sets out actions under three overarching themes:

promoting mental wellbeing, resilience and good mental health across society

providing the right support at the right time

new ways of working.

It also includes actions to improve child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) (Department of Health, 2021a).

The Department of Health has also published a Mental Health Action Plan, which is comprised of 38 actions (Department of Health, 2021b).

In Scotland, the government has produced a framework for community mental health and wellbeing supports and services, which sets out an approach for the mental health and wellbeing support children and young people should be able to access in their community (Scottish Government, 2021).

In Wales, the government last published a strategy for mental health and wellbeing (PDF) in 2012. This covers children and young people as well as adults (Welsh Government, 2012). Consultation on the next strategy is expected to begin at the end of 2023 (Welsh Government, 2023).

Guidance

Schools

In England, the Department for Education (DfE)'s statutory guidance for schools highlights that child mental health problems may be an indicator that a child has experienced abuse or neglect. The guidance includes information on how schools and colleges should support children and young people's mental health (Department for Education, 2023).

The statutory guidance for schools in England on relationships, sex and health education includes guidance on how primary and secondary schools should teach children and young people about mental health and wellbeing (DfE, 2020).

The DfE has also published guidance for school staff on supporting children and young people whose mental health problems manifest in their behaviour. It emphasises the importance of a whole-school approach to mental health and gives guidance on risk and protective factors, identifying children that might need support and working with other agencies (DfE, 2018).

The PSHE Association has published guidance for teachers on teaching mental health and emotional wellbeing. The guidance covers creating a safe environment to talk about mental health and wellbeing, safeguarding children and young people, signposting sources of support and building teaching about mental health and wellbeing into the curriculum (PSHE Association, 2021).

Public Health England (PHE) has published guidance on promoting children and young people's emotional health and wellbeing in schools and colleges. This sets out eight principles for protecting and promoting young people's emotional health and wellbeing. (PHE, 2021).

In Northern Ireland, the Department of Education has published an emotional health and wellbeing in education framework, which provides guidance for education settings on supporting children and young people's mental health and wellbeing. It highlights that children in care and those who have experience abuse or other adverse childhood experiences might be more vulnerable to mental health problems (Department of Education, 2021).

In Scotland, the government has published guidance on Access to counselling in secondary schools. This provides a framework on developing access to counsellors within schools for education authorities (Scottish Government, 2020a).

In Wales, the government has published a Framework on embedding a whole-school approach to mental health and wellbeing for schools, pupil referral units and educational settings. The framework sets out how to develop plans to identify and address weaknesses and build on strengths. It also looks at how to evaluate whether the measures put in place meet the emotional and mental health needs of children and young people (Welsh Government, 2021).

Other sectors

The National Autistic Society and Mind have produced a free good practice guide to help professionals in the UK adapt talking therapies for autistic adults and children (National Autistic Society and Mind, 2021).

In England, PHE provides guidance on Improving the mental health of children and young people. This describes the importance of children's mental health and summarises what works in improving their mental health (PHE, 2016).

PHE has also produced guidance for health commissioners and professionals on Measuring the mental wellbeing of children and young people (PHE, 2015).

In Northern Ireland, the Department of Health has published guidance on risk assessment and management in mental health and learning disability services. This includes information about assessing whether a person might be a risk to themselves or others (Department of Health, 2012).

The Guidelines and Audit Implementation Network (GAIN) has published Guidelines on the use of the Mental Health (Northern Ireland) Order 1986 (PDF) (GAIN, 2011).

In Scotland, the government has produced guidance on the mental health and wellbeing of disabled children, young people and their families (Scottish Government, 2019).

It has also provided a CAMHS national service specification, outlining the available CAMHS provisions for young people and their families (Scottish Government, 2020b).

NHS Education for Scotland has produced an Early intervention framework for children and young people's mental health and mental wellbeing. The framework enables practitioners to compare different evidence-based prevention and early intervention approaches that have been designed to improve children and young people's mental health and wellbeing (NHS Education for Scotland, 2020).

In Wales, the government has published non-statutory guidance on Collaborative working between CAMHS and the counselling service. This outlines how services are organised and includes case studies on collaborative working (Welsh Government, 2016).

References

References

Becerra-Culqui, T. A. et al (2018) Mental health of transgender and gender nonconforming youth compared with their peers. Paediatrics, 141(5).

Bignall, T. et al (2020) Racial disparities in mental health: Literature and evidence review (PDF). London: Race Equality Foundation.

Carers Trust (2016) Invisible and in distress: prioritising the mental health of England's young carers (PDF). London: Carers Trust.

Carers Trust (2023) Being a young carer is not a choice it's just what we do (PDF). London: Carers Trust.

Cecil C.A.M. et al (2017) Disentangling the mental health impact of childhood abuse and neglect. Child Abuse & Neglect, 63, 106-119.

Chakraborty, A et al (2011) Mental health of the non-heterosexual population of England. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 198(2).

Chandan, J. S. et al (2019) The burden of mental ill health associated with childhood maltreatment in the UK, using The Health Improvement Network database: a population-based retrospective cohort study. The Lancet Psychiatry, 6(11).

Department for Education (DfE) (2023) Keeping children safe in education: statutory guidance for schools and colleges. [Accessed 01/09/2023].

Department for Education (DfE) (2020) Relationships and sex education (RSE) and health education. [Accessed 01/07/2022].

Department for Education (DfE) (2018) Mental health and behaviour in schools. [Accessed 01/07/2022].

Department of Education (2021) Children & young people's emotional health and wellbeing in education framework (final version). [Accessed 01/07/2022].

Department of Health (2021a) Mental health strategy 2021-2031. [Accessed 01/07/2022].

Department of Health (2021b) Mental Health Action Plan. Belfast: Department of Health.

Department of Health (2012) Promoting quality care: good practice guidance on the assessment and management of risk in mental health and learning disability. [Accessed 03/05/2023].

Department of Health and Social Care (2023) Government action on major conditions and diseases. [Accessed 02/05/2023].

Faulconbridge, J., Hunt, K. and Laffan, A. (eds) (2019) Improving the psychological wellbeing of children and young people: effective prevention and early intervention across health, education and social care. London: Jessica Kingsley.

Fuggle, P. and Redfern, S. (2019) Positive mental health and wellbeing in children and young people. Totnes: Research in Practice Suggestions for Practice.

GAIN (2011) Guidelines on the use of the Mental Health (Northern Ireland) Order 1986 (PDF).

Garratt, K., Parkin, E. and Laing, J. (2023) Mental health policy in England. London: House of Commons Library.

Gavin, H. (2011) Sticks and stones may break my bones: the effects of emotional abuse. Journal of Aggression Maltreatment and Trauma, 20(5): 503-529.

Jo Cox Foundation, Action for Children ([2017]) It starts with hello: A report looking into the impact of loneliness in children, young people and families. Watford: Action for Children.

Lewis S., Arsenault L., Caspi A. et al. The epidemiology of trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder in a representative cohort of young people in England and Wales. Lancet Psychiatry 2019; 6 (3): 247-256.

Mental Health Foundation and Camelot Foundation (2006) Truth hurts: report on the national inquiry into self-harm among young people. London: Mental Health Foundation.

Mind, 2020 Mental health problems - an introduction. [Accessed 01/07/2022].

Nanni, V et al (2012) Childhood maltreatment predicts unfavorable course of illness and treatment outcome in depression: a meta-analysis. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 169(2).

National Youth Advocacy Service (2019) Looked after minds: prioritising the mental health of care-experienced children and young people (PDF). [s.l.] National Youth Advocacy Service.

NHS Education for Scotland (2020) Early intervention framework for children and young people's mental health and mental wellbeing. [Accessed 04/07/2022].

Norman R. E. et al (2012) The long-term health consequences of child physical abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect: a systematic review and meta-analysis. [Accessed 04/07/2022].

NSPCC (2019b) Transforming mental health services for children who have been abused: July 2019 (PDF). London: NSPCC [Accessed 04/07/2022].

NSPCC (2019c) Looked after children: statistics briefing. London: NSPCC Knowledge and Information Service.

PSHE (2021) Teacher guidance: teaching about mental health and emotional wellbeing. [Accessed 04/07/2022].

Public Health England (2021) Promoting children and young people's emotional health and wellbeing [Accessed 04/07/2022]

Public Health England (PHE) (2016) Improving the mental health of children and young people. London: Public Health England.

Public Health England (PHE) (2015) Measuring the mental wellbeing of children and young people. London: Public Health England

Scottish Government (2021) Community mental health and wellbeing supports and services: framework [Accessed 04/07/2022].

Scottish Government (2020a) Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services: national service specification. Edinburgh: Scottish Government.

Scottish Government (2020b) Access to counselling in secondary schools: guidance. Edinburgh: Scottish Government.​

Scottish Government (2019) Supporting disabled children, young people and their families: guidance. Edinburgh: Scottish Government.

Sharpe, R. et al. (2021) A school-based cross-sectional study to understand the public health measures needed to improve the emotional and mental wellbeing of young carers aged 12 to 14 years. Families, Relationships and Societies, 12(2): 253-271.

Spatz Widom, C (1999) Posttraumatic stress disorder in abused and neglected children grown up. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 156(8).

Theodosiou L. et al (2020) Children and young people's mental health: early intervention, ongoing support and flexible evidence-based care. Pavilion: West Sussex.

Welsh Government (2012) Together for mental health: a strategy for mental health and wellbeing in Wales. Cardiff: Welsh Government.

Welsh Government (2016) Collaborative working between CAMHS and the Counselling Service. Cardiff: Welsh Government.

Welsh Government (2021) Framework on embedding a whole-school approach to emotional and mental wellbeing. Cardiff: Welsh Government.

Welsh Government (2023) Written response from the Welsh Government to the report by the Health & Social Care Committee entitled Connecting the dots: tackling mental health inequalities in Wales (PDF). Cardiff: Welsh Government.

Introduction

Mental health is as important to a child's safety and wellbeing as their physical health. It can impact on all aspects of their life, including their educational attainment, relationships and physical wellbeing. Mental health can also change over time, to varying degrees of seriousness, and for different reasons.

And we know it's an important issue for children. Over half of all Childline counselling sessions in 2022/23 related to mental or emotional health and wellbeing.

Negative experiences such as abuse and neglect can adversely impact a child's mental health. Mental health issues can also sometimes lead to safeguarding and child protection issues, for example if a child's mental health begins to put them or other people at risk of harm.

Supporting children with mental health issues

It can be hard for adults to recognise when a child needs support with mental health issues. And it can be difficult for young people to speak out about the challenges they're facing.

So it's crucial that anyone who works or volunteers with children is able to recognise the signs that a child may be struggling with their mental health. And that they know how to take appropriate action to support children and young people in getting the help they need.

We've put together some information to help you recognise and respond to concerns about children and young people's mental health.

What does mental health mean?

Mental health is an individual's cognitive, behavioural and emotional wellbeing (Mind, 2020). It's something we all have - including every child and young person.

We use the term "mental health issues" to refer to mental health problems, conditions and mental illnesses. These issues may or may not be medically diagnosed.

Who is at risk?

Who is at risk?

Any child or young person can develop mental health issues. But research has shown there are some factors that are associated with children and young people's long-term mental health.

Abuse and neglect

The traumatic impact of abuse and neglect increases the likelihood of children developing a range of mental health issues - both during childhood and in later life. These include anxiety, depression, eating disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (Norman et al, 2012; Spatz Widom, 1999).

Specific types of abuse may be connected to certain mental health issues. Children who have experienced emotional abuse may be more likely to develop anxiety and depression compared with children who have experienced other types of abuse (Cecil et al, 2017; Gavin 2011). One study found that almost three quarters (74%) of young people who had experienced sexual assault developed PTSD (Lewis et al, 2019).

Abuse and neglect can also make children more vulnerable to developing more than one mental health condition at one time (known as composite mental health issues) (Chandan et al, 2019).

Providing effective mental health support for children who have experienced abuse and neglect can help them recover from its effects (NSPCC, 2019b).

d/Deaf and disabled children and young people

d/Deaf and disabled children and young people with complex or additional needs may face a range of challenges including:

reduced mobility

prejudice, discrimination and bullying.

These challenges may lead to lower self-confidence, difficulty forming peer networks and social exclusion, putting them at higher risk of developing mental health issues (Falcounbrige, Hunt and Laffan, 2019).

Adults may confuse the signs of learning disabilities with the symptoms of mental health issues. This can mean concerns aren't recognised and responded to quickly or appropriately.

Children from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities

Children from black and minority ethnic groups may experience:

racism, discrimination and prejudice - this can be direct, indirect or institutional

an increased stigma around mental health issues in the community.

This can lead to inequalities and issues in accessing appropriate care and support for mental health needs (Bignall et al, 2020).

LGBTQ+ children and young people

LGBTQ+ children and young people may experience:

prejudice, discrimination and bullying

a fear of or an actual rejection from family and/or friends

feeling excluded or like an outsider.

They may also experience gender dysphoria: the unease felt when someone's sex registered at birth does not match their identity.

These factors and experiences mean they are more likely than their heterosexual and cisgender peers to experience a range of mental health problems (Chakraborty et al, 2011; Becerra-Culqui, et al 2018).

Living in care

Children in care are more likely than their peers to have a mental health difficulty (NSPCC, 2019c). This can be due to isolation and loneliness. Children in care may also have experienced abuse or neglect, which increases the likelihood of developing mental health issues (National Youth Advocacy Service, 2019).

Young carers

Young carers are more likely to experience mental health problems than peers who don't have caring responsibilities (Sharpe, 2021).

Young carers may:

feel worry or stress about the health and wellbeing of the person/s they care for

feel that they must manage or hide their emotions due to fear or guilt of upsetting the person/s they care for

feel that they don't have time for themselves and are missing out on opportunities or activities.

Excessive or inappropriate caring roles and a lack of support from services can be risk factors in a young carer experiencing poor mental health. (Carers Trust, 2023; 2016; 2023; Sharpe, 2021).

Life events

Stressful or traumatic situations and experiences, such as bereavement or sudden changes in environment, can trigger mental health issues.

Social isolation and loneliness

Anyone can experience loneliness, but risk factors include:

having a long-term health condition or disability

having caring responsibilities

living in care

being from an ethnic minority community

being LGBTQ+

(Mental Health Foundation, 2022).

Studies show that there is a strong association between social isolation and anxiety and depression in children and young people (Almeida et al, 2021).
> Find out more about our Building Connections service to help young people cope with loneliness

Recognising

Recognising issues

Professionals need to be able to recognise the signs that a child may be struggling. However, it's important to remember that some mental health issues may not have visible signs. There are also factors that might make it more difficult for a child or young person to ask for help.

Some children and young people may try to hide how they are feeling or what they are doing (Theodosiou L. et al, 2020). This might be because they:

worry they won't be taken seriously

believe others won't understand

have had a negative experience talking about their thoughts and feelings in the past

feel that no one can help them

fear being dismissed or labelled an attention seeker or 'crazy'

(Mental Health Foundation and Camelot Foundation, 2006).

Children and young people may not always have the language or ability to communicate how they feel. They may be unsure who to talk to and how to talk about their problems.

Some signs of mental health issues may also look like normal child behaviour. For example, tantrums in younger children or teenagers keeping feelings to themselves.

Children who have experienced abuse or neglect

Children who have experienced abuse may be reluctant to talk about how they are feeling, particularly if they haven't yet told anyone about the abuse. They may feel that something is wrong with them or that things may get worse if they talk about it.

Identifying and responding to mental health concerns may be one way of helping children who are experiencing abuse to get the support and protection that they need.

> Find out more about barriers to disclosure of abuse

Signs of child mental health issues

There are ways you can identify if a child needs support with their mental health.

By being attentive to a child or young person's mood and behaviour, you can recognise patterns that suggest they need support.

Common warning signs of mental health issues include:

sudden mood and behaviour changes

self-harming

unexplained physical changes, such as weight loss or gain

sudden poor academic behaviour or performance

sleeping problems

changes in social habits, such as withdrawal or avoidance of friends and family.

These signs suggest that a child may be struggling, but there could be a number of different explanations for them.
Don't attempt to diagnose mental health issues yourself or make assumptions about what's happening in a child's life.
Recognising that a child or young person may be struggling with their mental health is the first step in helping them. The next step is to respond appropriately.

Responding

Responding to child mental health issues

All children and young people should have someone they can talk to about whatever they're going through, regardless of whether they have a mental health condition.

Children may not want to talk specifically about their mental health, but about the struggles and issues in their daily lives (Mental Health Foundation and Camelot Foundation, 2006).

If you are concerned that a child may be struggling, it's important not to wait for them to talk to you before trying to start a conversation. Encourage them to talk with you or with other trusted adults.
> Take our mental health and wellbeing safeguarding children training
Talking with a child about their mental health

If you're talking with a child or young person about their mental health and wellbeing, be prepared that conversations may not be easy or straightforward. There are things you can do to make these conversations as easy as possible.
> Read our information and advice on how to have difficult conversations with children
The following principles will help you discuss mental health and wellbeing sensitively.

Use the right language

When talking with a child, use language that they understand. This will differ according to their age and stage of development. Avoid using technical or diagnostic language which children might find unfamiliar, confusing and distant from their experiences.

Make sure you understand the language the child is using and how they are using certain terms. For example, a child may use the word "anxiety" to describe a feeling of general nervousness or as a way to describe severe anxiety attacks.

By paying attention to the language children use to describe their feelings, you can reflect the terms they use in your own language. This will help them feel listened to.

Some children may have difficulty communicating, for example if they have additional needs or disabilities (Fuggle and Redfern, 2019). Make sure you give these children the time and support they need to talk.

> Find out more about how to have difficult conversations with children and young people

Create an open environment

It's important to create an open and safe environment where children and young people are comfortable speaking about their mental health. Make sure children and young people know who they can talk to - and make this pool of people as wide as possible.

In schools, for example, discussions about mental health and wellbeing can be integrated into the curriculum and put on an equal footing with physical health.

Some children with mental health problems will have experienced abuse. An open environment will help them talk about the challenges they are facing and may help them feel able to tell you what's been happening to them.

> Use our resources to find out how you can let children know you're listening if they tell you they have experienced abuse

> Find out how to recognise and respond to abuse

Promoting mental health and wellbeing

Anyone who works with children and young people has a responsibility to promote their mental health and emotional wellbeing. This can include:

helping with online wellbeing

encouraging exercise

maintaining routines.

> Get tips on promoting children and young people's mental health and wellbeing

Understanding

Understanding thoughts and feelings

Mental health moves back and forth along a continuum, it's always changing. This can happen over a period of time or quite quickly. So it's important to have conversations with children and young people so you can best understand how they're feeling - and any mental health issues that they are experiencing.

Doing OK - Struggling - Unwell - In Crisis

When you speak to a child for the first time, or during ongoing conversations, you may find it useful to think about whether they're doing OK, struggling, unwell or in crisis.

This continuum is based on a model used by Childline counsellors, alongside other tools, that helps them understand how a child is feeling at that particular point in time. You can use it to better understand a young person's mental health and wellbeing.

It's important to remember that a person's mental health changes continuously - so you should refer to this continuum regularly.

Doing OK

Communicates effectively with others

Seeks help when needed

Can focus on specific issues

Has healthy relationships

Identifies and tries to solve problems

Uses healthy coping strategies

Struggling

Struggles communicating with others

Is unsure how to access help

Relationships are beginning to suffer

Begins to use unhealthy coping strategies

Has some sleep issues, low energy and fatigue

Is able to engage well in some areas

Unwell

Feels overwhelmed and isolated

Struggles to focus on specific issues

Struggles to access and/or engage with services

Has disturbed sleep

May have suicidal thoughts

Relies on unhealthy coping strategies

May already have a mental health diagnosis

Is ambivalent towards change

In crisis

Has made recent suicide attempts

Is distrustful of support services

Mental health symptoms are unmanageable

Has escalating self-harming behaviours

Distress may not reduce when talking

Not engaging at home or school

Is resistant to change

Using scaling techniques

Our Childline counsellors sometimes use "scaling" questions to help them understand how a child or young person is doing.

A counsellor gives the child a clear scale - from 0 or 1 to 10 - and asks where they think they sit in relation to a specific question. For example:

If 1 is your mental health at its worst and 10 is at its best, how are you doing at the moment?

If 0 means that you are having a panic attack and 10 means that you feel completely calm and confident, how would you rate the way you feel before going to school?

Counsellors may be able to find out what support children would like by asking how they can move up the scale. For example:

What is it that puts you at a 5 rather than a 6?

What can we do to help you move from a 3 to a 4?

Using the continuum and scaling techniques can help you better understand how a child is feeling so that you take appropriate action to help and support them.

Taking action

Taking appropriate action

Mental health issues indicate that a child or young person needs support. If possible, discuss with them what help could be put in place.

What if a child doesn't want to talk to me?

If a child isn't able to engage with a discussion about their mental health you should still consider what support can be put in place for them.

Follow your organisation's procedures to share any concerns you have about a child's wellbeing. For example, you could talk to the person who is responsible for pastoral care in your school or organisation.

Safeguarding and child protection issues

You must always consider whether you need to take any action to protect a child or those around them from harm.

If you identify a safeguarding or child protection issue, you must follow your organisation's policies and procedures.

Safeguarding issues include:

a child being in immediate and/or significant danger

someone else being in immediate and/or significant danger

a child being at risk of or experiencing abuse.

> Find out more about responding to safeguarding and child protection concerns

Confidentiality

If a child is confiding in you about their mental health they may ask you not to tell anyone what they've said. But if you're concerned about someone's safety and welfare you must share this information with relevant professionals.

You should never promise to keep what a child tells you a secret. Explain from the outset that you might have to talk to someone else who can help.

Getting support

Getting support

There are lots of different types of support available for children with mental health issues. These include the following.

Contacting a GP

GPs may be able to diagnose mental health conditions, suggest next steps and provide medication.

>There is information on the Childline website about visiting GPs

Child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS)

Across the UK, CAMHS is a free NHS service for children and young people that aims to help with mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, self-harm and eating disorders.

Teachers, social workers, GPs and parents can refer a young person to CAMHS. Services differ from area to area.

In England, you can find CAMHS services in your area through the NHS CAMHS webpage.

Counselling and therapeutic services

Counselling services are available to help children and young people with their mental health. Services can include helplines, one-to-one counselling sessions in person, online or by phone, and online chats and forums.

These services are available through a range of fee-paying and free services including schools and the NHS.

Childline

Children and young people can get free, confidential support from a Childline counsellor via online chat, email or phone.

Childline will listen and provide advice to any concerns about topics, ranging from exam stress to depression and suicidal thoughts.

Childline offers a range of resources for children and young people, including:

Art boxto write or draw about their feelings

Calm zonewith breathing exercises

Gamesto help relax and de-stress.

Childline also has dedicated resources for under 12s.

Download or order Childline posters and wallet cards to display across schools, encouraging children to contact Childline if they need to talk.

NSPCC services

We provide therapeutic services to help children, young people and families with their mental health.

Building Connections

Building Connections is an online service to help young people aged under 19 to find a way through loneliness.

Letting the Future In

Letting the Future In is a play-therapy service that helps children who have been sexually abused.

Consent for treatment

It's best practice to get parental consent for children's therapeutic and medical treatments. But there may be times when a child or young person does not want their parents to know. In this case, you should assess whether the young person has the capacity to make this decision for themselves.

The Gillick competency and Fraser guidelines help professionals assess whether a child is mature enough to make decisions.
> Read our information about Gillick competency and Fraser guidelines

Legislation and guidance

Legislation and guidance

Key legislation

In England and Wales, the Mental Health Act (MHA) 1983 covers the assessment, treatment and rights of people with a mental health condition. It applies to all children and young people under the age of 18. The Act allows for people to be detained in hospital if they need treatment for a mental health condition. It gives children the right to appeal against detention.

The Mental Health Act 1983 was amended by the Mental Health Act 2007. This strengthened safeguards for children, for example adding a duty to ensure an age-appropriate environment for children and young people.

In Northern Ireland, the Mental Health (Northern Ireland) Order 1986 is the main mental health legislation which applies to children and young people under 18. It covers the assessment, treatment and rights of people with mental health conditions.

In Scotland, the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 applies to all those with a 'mental disorder', including children and young people. It contains specific safeguards for under 18s regarding mental health treatment, including on named persons, promoting wellbeing and the welfare of children.

The Mental Health (Scotland) Act 2015 amended the provisions relating to children and young people in the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003, including providing services and accommodation for mothers.

Strategy

In England, the Department of Health and Social Care is developing a Major Conditions Strategy that will focus on whole-person care and ensure mental health conditions are considered alongside physical health conditions (Department of Health and Social Care, 2023; Garratt, 2023).

In Northern Ireland, the Department of Health has published a mental health strategy for 2021-2031. This sets out actions under three overarching themes:

promoting mental wellbeing, resilience and good mental health across society

providing the right support at the right time

new ways of working.

It also includes actions to improve child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) (Department of Health, 2021a).

The Department of Health has also published a Mental Health Action Plan, which is comprised of 38 actions (Department of Health, 2021b).

In Scotland, the government has produced a framework for community mental health and wellbeing supports and services, which sets out an approach for the mental health and wellbeing support children and young people should be able to access in their community (Scottish Government, 2021).

In Wales, the government last published a strategy for mental health and wellbeing (PDF) in 2012. This covers children and young people as well as adults (Welsh Government, 2012). Consultation on the next strategy is expected to begin at the end of 2023 (Welsh Government, 2023).

Guidance

Schools

In England, the Department for Education (DfE)'s statutory guidance for schools highlights that child mental health problems may be an indicator that a child has experienced abuse or neglect. The guidance includes information on how schools and colleges should support children and young people's mental health (Department for Education, 2023).

The statutory guidance for schools in England on relationships, sex and health education includes guidance on how primary and secondary schools should teach children and young people about mental health and wellbeing (DfE, 2020).

The DfE has also published guidance for school staff on supporting children and young people whose mental health problems manifest in their behaviour. It emphasises the importance of a whole-school approach to mental health and gives guidance on risk and protective factors, identifying children that might need support and working with other agencies (DfE, 2018).

The PSHE Association has published guidance for teachers on teaching mental health and emotional wellbeing. The guidance covers creating a safe environment to talk about mental health and wellbeing, safeguarding children and young people, signposting sources of support and building teaching about mental health and wellbeing into the curriculum (PSHE Association, 2021).

Public Health England (PHE) has published guidance on promoting children and young people's emotional health and wellbeing in schools and colleges. This sets out eight principles for protecting and promoting young people's emotional health and wellbeing. (PHE, 2021).

In Northern Ireland, the Department of Education has published an emotional health and wellbeing in education framework, which provides guidance for education settings on supporting children and young people's mental health and wellbeing. It highlights that children in care and those who have experience abuse or other adverse childhood experiences might be more vulnerable to mental health problems (Department of Education, 2021).

In Scotland, the government has published guidance on Access to counselling in secondary schools. This provides a framework on developing access to counsellors within schools for education authorities (Scottish Government, 2020a).

In Wales, the government has published a Framework on embedding a whole-school approach to mental health and wellbeing for schools, pupil referral units and educational settings. The framework sets out how to develop plans to identify and address weaknesses and build on strengths. It also looks at how to evaluate whether the measures put in place meet the emotional and mental health needs of children and young people (Welsh Government, 2021).

Other sectors

The National Autistic Society and Mind have produced a free good practice guide to help professionals in the UK adapt talking therapies for autistic adults and children (National Autistic Society and Mind, 2021).

In England, PHE provides guidance on Improving the mental health of children and young people. This describes the importance of children's mental health and summarises what works in improving their mental health (PHE, 2016).

PHE has also produced guidance for health commissioners and professionals on Measuring the mental wellbeing of children and young people (PHE, 2015).

In Northern Ireland, the Department of Health has published guidance on risk assessment and management in mental health and learning disability services. This includes information about assessing whether a person might be a risk to themselves or others (Department of Health, 2012).

The Guidelines and Audit Implementation Network (GAIN) has published Guidelines on the use of the Mental Health (Northern Ireland) Order 1986 (PDF) (GAIN, 2011).

In Scotland, the government has produced guidance on the mental health and wellbeing of disabled children, young people and their families (Scottish Government, 2019).

It has also provided a CAMHS national service specification, outlining the available CAMHS provisions for young people and their families (Scottish Government, 2020b).

NHS Education for Scotland has produced an Early intervention framework for children and young people's mental health and mental wellbeing. The framework enables practitioners to compare different evidence-based prevention and early intervention approaches that have been designed to improve children and young people's mental health and wellbeing (NHS Education for Scotland, 2020).

In Wales, the government has published non-statutory guidance on Collaborative working between CAMHS and the counselling service. This outlines how services are organised and includes case studies on collaborative working (Welsh Government, 2016).

References

References

Becerra-Culqui, T. A. et al (2018) Mental health of transgender and gender nonconforming youth compared with their peers. Paediatrics, 141(5).

Bignall, T. et al (2020) Racial disparities in mental health: Literature and evidence review (PDF). London: Race Equality Foundation.

Carers Trust (2016) Invisible and in distress: prioritising the mental health of England's young carers (PDF). London: Carers Trust.

Carers Trust (2023) Being a young carer is not a choice it's just what we do (PDF). London: Carers Trust.

Cecil C.A.M. et al (2017) Disentangling the mental health impact of childhood abuse and neglect. Child Abuse & Neglect, 63, 106-119.

Chakraborty, A et al (2011) Mental health of the non-heterosexual population of England. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 198(2).

Chandan, J. S. et al (2019) The burden of mental ill health associated with childhood maltreatment in the UK, using The Health Improvement Network database: a population-based retrospective cohort study. The Lancet Psychiatry, 6(11).

Department for Education (DfE) (2023) Keeping children safe in education: statutory guidance for schools and colleges. [Accessed 01/09/2023].

Department for Education (DfE) (2020) Relationships and sex education (RSE) and health education. [Accessed 01/07/2022].

Department for Education (DfE) (2018) Mental health and behaviour in schools. [Accessed 01/07/2022].

Department of Education (2021) Children & young people's emotional health and wellbeing in education framework (final version). [Accessed 01/07/2022].

Department of Health (2021a) Mental health strategy 2021-2031. [Accessed 01/07/2022].

Department of Health (2021b) Mental Health Action Plan. Belfast: Department of Health.

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Faulconbridge, J., Hunt, K. and Laffan, A. (eds) (2019) Improving the psychological wellbeing of children and young people: effective prevention and early intervention across health, education and social care. London: Jessica Kingsley.

Fuggle, P. and Redfern, S. (2019) Positive mental health and wellbeing in children and young people. Totnes: Research in Practice Suggestions for Practice.

GAIN (2011) Guidelines on the use of the Mental Health (Northern Ireland) Order 1986 (PDF).

Garratt, K., Parkin, E. and Laing, J. (2023) Mental health policy in England. London: House of Commons Library.

Gavin, H. (2011) Sticks and stones may break my bones: the effects of emotional abuse. Journal of Aggression Maltreatment and Trauma, 20(5): 503-529.

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Lewis S., Arsenault L., Caspi A. et al. The epidemiology of trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder in a representative cohort of young people in England and Wales. Lancet Psychiatry 2019; 6 (3): 247-256.

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Public Health England (PHE) (2016) Improving the mental health of children and young people. London: Public Health England.

Public Health England (PHE) (2015) Measuring the mental wellbeing of children and young people. London: Public Health England

Scottish Government (2021) Community mental health and wellbeing supports and services: framework [Accessed 04/07/2022].

Scottish Government (2020a) Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services: national service specification. Edinburgh: Scottish Government.

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Sharpe, R. et al. (2021) A school-based cross-sectional study to understand the public health measures needed to improve the emotional and mental wellbeing of young carers aged 12 to 14 years. Families, Relationships and Societies, 12(2): 253-271.

Spatz Widom, C (1999) Posttraumatic stress disorder in abused and neglected children grown up. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 156(8).

Theodosiou L. et al (2020) Children and young people's mental health: early intervention, ongoing support and flexible evidence-based care. Pavilion: West Sussex.

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Welsh Government (2021) Framework on embedding a whole-school approach to emotional and mental wellbeing. Cardiff: Welsh Government.

Welsh Government (2023) Written response from the Welsh Government to the report by the Health & Social Care Committee entitled Connecting the dots: tackling mental health inequalities in Wales (PDF). Cardiff: Welsh Government.

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support a child with mental health issues

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Child mental health: recognising and responding to issues | NSPCC Learning

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Anyone can have mental health issues, including children and young people. Learn how to recognise the signs, respond to issues, take the right action and support a child.

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We know it's hard but try not to panic or overreact as how you respond to your child may affect how much they open up to you later down the line.

Remember that usually self-harm is someone's way of dealing with difficult feelings or experiences and, with the right support, recovery is possible.

Here we'll discuss the signs of self-harm, how to support a young person who self-harms, as well as where you can get professional help.

We know it can be upsetting, and potentially triggering, to read information about self-harm, so if you're feeling vulnerable you may not want to read the information below.

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It can be distressing to learn that your child is self-harming. Learn more about what self-harm is, the signs of self-harm, and what you can do to support the young person in your life.

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Evidence suggests there are 5 steps you can take to improve your mental health and wellbeing. Trying these things could help you feel more positive and able to get the most out of life.
1. Connect with other people

Good relationships are important for your mental wellbeing. They can:

help you to build a sense of belonging and self-worth

give you an opportunity to share positive experiences

provide emotional support and allow you to support others

There are lots of things you could try to help build stronger and closer relationships:

2. Be physically active

Being active is not only great for your physical health and fitness. Evidence also shows it can also improve your mental wellbeing by:

raising your self-esteem

helping you to set goals or challenges and achieve them

causing chemical changes in your brain which can help to positively change your mood

Read about exercise guidelines and workouts to help improve your fitness and wellbeing

3. Learn new skills

Research shows that learning new skills can also improve your mental wellbeing by:

boosting self-confidence and raising self-esteem

helping you to build a sense of purpose

helping you to connect with others

Even if you feel like you do not have enough time, or you may not need to learn new things, there are lots of different ways to bring learning into your life.

Some of the things you could try include:

4. Give to others

Research suggests that acts of giving and kindness can help improve your mental wellbeing by:

creating positive feelings and a sense of reward

giving you a feeling of purpose and self-worth

helping you connect with other people

It could be small acts of kindness towards other people, or larger ones like volunteering in your local community.

Some examples of the things you could try include:

saying thank you to someone for something they have done for you

asking friends, family or colleagues how they are and really listening to their answer

spending time with friends or relatives who need support or company

offering to help someone you know with DIY or a work project

volunteering in your community, such as helping at a school, hospital or care home

5. Pay attention to the present moment (mindfulness)

Paying more attention to the present moment can improve your mental wellbeing. This includes your thoughts and feelings, your body and the world around you.

Some people call this awareness "mindfulness". Mindfulness can help you enjoy life more and understand yourself better. It can positively change the way you feel about life and how you approach challenges.

Read more about mindfulness, including steps you can take to be more mindful in your everyday life.

Further information

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Read about 5 steps you can take to improve your mental health and wellbeing.

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A learning disability is a reduced intellectual ability and difficulty with everyday activities. There are three different types mild, moderate and severe.

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Associated conditions

A lot of people with a learning disability A learning disability is to do with the way someone's brain works. It makes it harder for someone to learn, understand or do things. have more than one diagnosis and have a set of conditions that are unique to them.

Learn about some of the conditions associated with learning disability below.

Get in touch, we're here for you

The Learning Disability Helpline is our free help and advice line.

Our team can offer advice, information and discuss what support Mencap can offer tailored to your needs, in your area.

Call or email us

You might also like

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Find out more about Autism and Asperger, Down's syndrome, Fragile X, Global development delay, Williams Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Challenging Behaviour

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Ep. 1/1

Harvey Price, who lives with a range of complex medical and behavioural conditions including autism, is about to set off on a rite of passage that thousands of young people do every year; going to college.

For the first 19 years of his life, Harvey has been looked after by his mum, Katie Price, but things are about to look very different for the whole Price family. Katie Price: What Harvey Did Next follows the teenager as he enters this new phase of adulthood. The film documents Harvey's transition to a more independent life and how he and his Mum cope with the seismic changes in their lives that Harvey's move to college brings.

This hour-long documentary follows on from the BBC iPlayer record breaking first film, Harvey and Me, which explored the love Harvey and Katie have for each other and demonstrated that there is far more to Katie than what is reported in the headlines. As Harvey embarks on his first term at specialist college, National Star, this intimate film gives viewers access to their unique bond and how they both find being apart from one another now that Harvey is away full time.

What Harvey Did Next goes behind the scenes and discovers how staff at the college work with young adults with disabilities to realise their aspirations. Filmed over several months of learning and living in his own flat, this film puts Harvey at the centre as he navigates college life, forming friendships and settling into the place where he hopes to spend the next three years.

Many parents will relate to the complex mixture of pride and emotional turmoil that occurs when a child leaves home, and Katie speaks about how these feelings are exacerbated when your child has additional needs. She reveals her innermost fears of separation, the void her son has left and the 'Mum guilt' of potentially enjoying her new-found freedom as Harvey explores a more independent, adult life.

Midway through Harvey's first term at college, things take an unexpected turn back at home. Katie is arrested following a car accident, after driving whilst intoxicated and disqualified. Her family come together to support her, as Katie shares how she is continuing with therapy to avoid going into 'self-destruct' in the future. Katie's Mum, Amy, asks her a difficult question - what would happen to Harvey if something had happened to you?

What Harvey Did Next is a film which shines a light on a side of disability that's not often spoken about; independence, love and letting go, coming of age and reframing relationships as we grow.

Publicity contact: Gabby Crawford

Date Monday, 7 March, 2022

Updates Confirmed for BBC One on 7 March at 9pm to 10pm

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Ep. 1/1 Harvey Price, who lives with a range of complex medical and behavioural conditions including autism, is about to set off on a rite of passage that thousands of young people do every year; going to college.

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A history of autism - including how the term was first introduced, changing definitions, and more.

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Three levels of autism exist to clarify the amount of support an autistic person might want or need.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental difference that can appear in many forms.

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition, text revision (DSM-5-TR) outlines diagnostic criteria based on functioning in two domains:

social communication

restricted interests/repetitive behaviors

These criteria state that autistic people sometimes benefit from support, but there's a wide range of differences in support needs.

Some autistic people are fluent conversationalists and might want only occasional help interpreting social cues or unpacking issues in therapy. Others get stuck and frustrated by social or functional roadblocks if they haven't had regular coaching in relevant skill areas.

And some are nonspeaking, highly sensitive to sensory input, and communicate with emotional and behavioral outbursts when their needs aren't recognized or met. They may use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) tools like picture symbols or electronic devices to express their thoughts and may benefit from support in multiple areas.

When diagnosing the condition, doctors assign levels of autism to help the person get the amount of support that's right for them.

A person can also have different levels across the two domains - for example, someone might have level 1 autism for social communication and level 2 for restricted/repetitive behaviors. Each of those criteria has its own degree of support.

A person with level 1 autism requires the least amount of support.

Level 1 social communication characteristics may include:

trouble understanding or complying with social conventions

the appearance of disinterest in social interactions

some emotional or sensory dysregulation

Level 1 restricted interests and repetitive behavior traits can be:

a need for additional personal organization strategies

behavioral rigidity and inflexibility

stress during transitions

attention span differences

perseveration (focusing on something longer than is helpful)

An autistic person at level 1 in social communication might want therapy or coaching to enable them to navigate social nuances. Therapy for level 1 restricted and repetitive behaviors can help an autistic person learn self-regulation strategies.

At school, they can benefit from accommodations like extra time for tests and intermittent support from an education assistant (EA).

An autistic person who meets the level 2 criteria in either category has similar characteristics as those in level 1 but to a greater extent.

Social communication traits at level 2 may include:

using fewer words or noticeably different speech

missing nonverbal communication cues like facial expressions

exhibiting atypical social behavior, like not responding or walking away during a conversation

Restricted interests and repetitive behavior traits at level 2 might resemble:

a high interest in specific topics

noticeable distress when dealing with change or disruption

An autistic person at level 2 might need school accommodations like scribing or reading support, as well as an EA nearby to help with social interactions during recess and lunch breaks.

They may also have schoolwork adapted to their level and be part of a social skills group. While in high school they might participate in an off-campus job training program.

Outside school, an autistic person at level 2 might benefit from activities such as:

speech therapy

occupational therapy

social skills coaching

applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy

An autistic person assessed as level 3 in either social communication or restricted/repetitive behaviors will need the most support and seem noticeably different at a young age.

Level 3 social communication means the person may:

be nonspeaking or have echolalia (repeating words or phrases they hear)

prefer solitary activities

interact with others only to meet an immediate need

seem unable to share imaginative play with peers

demonstrate a limited interest in friendships

If they are at level 3 for restricted/repetitive behaviors, they might:

engage in repetitive physical behaviors like rocking, blinking, or spinning in circles

express extreme distress when asked to switch tasks or focus

Support for level 3 autism includes the same therapies as level 2, but at a more comprehensive level and with greater scheduling frequency. People with this level of autism might use AAC, like a speech-generating device or Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS).

Education accommodations include one-on-one time with an EA, a separate education setting like a resource room, and modified level-specific activities. In high school, they might be in a specialized program learning functional literacy and numeracy, as well as life skills.

Before the DSM-5 was published, autism was one of several diagnoses listed under the category of pervasive developmental disorders (PDD). This has since changed.

In the DSM-5 and DSM-5-TR, four of the previous PDD diagnoses are now included in the category of autism spectrum disorder:

Asperger's syndrome

pervasive developmental disorder, not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS)

autistic disorder

childhood disintegrative disorder (CDD)

A fifth diagnosis formerly in the PDD category is Rett syndrome, which is not considered a type of autism.

Asperger's syndrome

You may have heard the term Asperger's syndrome (AS) or "Aspie" in relation to autism.

People diagnosed with AS have autistic traits, plus two defining characteristics:

typical language development

average to above-average intelligence

The DSM-5 and DSM-5-TR no longer use the term Asperger's syndrome. It's an outdated diagnosis from the DSM-4. You might still hear people refer to themselves or the autistic people in their lives as Aspies or having AS, if they were identified before the arrival of the DSM-5 in 2013.

PDD-NOS

Pervasive developmental disorder, not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) is another outdated DSM-IV diagnosis that has since been included as part of ASD in the DSM-5.

People diagnosed with PDD-NOS have significant impairments in communication and noticeable repetitive behaviors and restricted interests. They may also experience a delay in language development or live with an intellectual disability.

However, symptoms aren't severe enough or don't appear early enough in life, to meet the criteria for what was previously known as autistic disorder.

Autistic disorder

Also from the DSM-4, autistic disorder is the term previously used to describe autism resulting in comprehensive support needs. People diagnosed with autistic disorder have similar symptoms as those with PDD-NOS but these symptoms are more pronounced.

Childhood disintegrative disorder

According to a , childhood disintegrative disorder (CDD) is a rare form of autism characterized by developmental regression resulting in severe autism with intellectual disability.

Although more research is needed, the study found evidence of neurobiological differences between people with CDD and other forms of autism.

Rett syndrome

Rett syndrome results in some autistic-like traits and was previously included in the PDD category. However, researchers have since discovered that Rett syndrome results from a genetic mutation, so they no longer considered it a type of autism.

Autism is categorized into different levels based on the amount of support an autistic person might need.

The DSM-5 and DSM-5-TR include three levels of support needs for autism spectrum disorder. The previous DSM-4 categorized autism as separate diagnoses of Asperger's syndrome, PDD-NOS, autistic disorder, and CDD.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has an autism information page with links to resources. You can also visit Psych Central's autism hub for more information and resources.

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The 3 Levels of Autism: Symptoms and Support Needs

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Three levels of autism exist to clarify the amount of support an autistic person might want or need. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental difference that can appear in many forms. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition, text revision (DSM-5-TR) outlines diagnostic criteria based on functioning in two domains: social communication restricted interests/repetitive behaviors These criteria state that autistic people sometimes benefit from support, but there's a wide range of differences in support needs.

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Repeated movements and behaviour (stimming)

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Autistic people may use repeated movements or behaviours, sometimes known as stimming, for sensory stimulation, to keep calm or to express joy.

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Sensory issues are common in people with autism and are even included in the diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorder. Each autistic person is unique, and this includes their personal sensory sensitivities.

People with autism might have sensitivities to:

Autistic people can experience both hypersensitivity (over-responsiveness) and hyposensitivity (under-responsiveness) to a wide range of stimuli. Most people have a combination of both.

Many autistic people experience hypersensitivity to bright lights or certain light wavelengths (e.g., LED or fluorescent lights). Certain sounds, smells, textures and tastes can also be overwhelming. This can result in sensory avoidance - trying to get away from stimuli that most people can easily tune out. Sensory avoidance can look like pulling away from physical touch, covering the ears to avoid loud or unpredictable sounds, or avoiding certain kinds of clothing.

Hyposensitivity is also common. This can look like a constant need for movement; difficulty recognizing sensations like hunger, illness or pain; or attraction to loud noises, bright lights and vibrant colors. People who are hyposensitive may engage in sensory seekingto get more sensory input from the environment. For example, people with autism may stimulate their senses by making loud noises, touching people or objects, or rocking back and forth.

What do sensory issues feel like?

Having unique sensitivities to certain types of sensory input can create challenges in everyday situations like school, work or community settings. For someone who is hypersensitive, it can take a lot of effort to spend all day under LED or fluorescent lights, navigate a crowded space or process conversations in rooms with background noise. This can be incredibly physically and emotionally draining and can leave the person feeling too exhausted to do other important tasks.

Many autistic people use stimming as a form of sensory seeking to keep their sensory systems in balance. Repetitive movements, sounds, or fidgeting can help people with autism stay calm, relieve stress or block out uncomfortable sensory input.

However, constant movement can sometimes seem inappropriate or disruptive in certain settings (like the workplace), so autistic people often feel like they need to suppress their stimming. When this happens, it becomes more and more difficult to self-regulate, leading to sensory overload, exhaustion or burnout.

Sensory overload happens when an intense sensory stimulus overwhelms your ability to cope. This can be triggered by a single event, like an unexpected loud noise, or it can build up over time due to the effort it takes to cope with sensory sensitivities in daily life. Sensory overload can feel like intense anxiety, a need to escape the situation or difficulty communicating. When the brain has to put all of its resources into sensory processing, it can shut off other functions, like speech, decision making and information processing.

What do sensory issues look like?
Many people with autism show certain behaviors when they are experiencing a sensory issue:

Increased movement, such as jumping, spinning or crashing into things

Increased stimming, such as hand flapping, making repetitive noises or rocking back and forth

Talking faster and louder, or not talking at all

Covering ears or eyes

Difficulty recognizing internal sensations like hunger, pain or the need to use the bathroom

Refusing or insisting on certain foods or clothing items

Frequent chewing on non-food items

Frequent touching of others or playing rough

Difficulty communicating or responding as the brain shifts resources to deal with sensory input (shutdown)

Escalating, overwhelming emotions or need to escape a situation (meltdown)

A ccommodations for sensory issues

Understanding and accommodating sensory issues can ease discomfort and increase opportunities for autistic people to learn, socialize, communicate and participate in the community. Accommodations might mean modifying the environment, using tools and strategies, or creating new habits or routines. Since sensory needs depend the environment, accommodations may need to be adapted for each setting.

Examples of accommodations for hypersensitivity:

Using light covers, sunglasses or a hat under fluorescent lights

Wearing ear plugs or headphones in noisy environments

Working in spaces with a closed door or high walls

Avoiding strongly scented products

Choosing foods that avoid aversions to textures, temperatures or spices

Wearing soft, comfortable clothing

Adjusting schedules to avoid crowds

Examples of accommodations for hyposensitivity:

Visual supports for those who have difficulty processing spoken information

Using fidget toys, chewies and other sensory tools

Arranging furniture to provide safe, open spaces

Taking frequent movement breaks throughout the day

Eating foods with strong flavors or mixed textures

Weighted blankets, lap pads or clothing that provides deep pressure

Autistic people have the right to ask for reasonable accommodations at work and school. If you are the parent or support person of a child with autism, you can talk about sensory accommodations at school with their IEP team or consider a 504 plan.

Self-advocacy for sensory issues

If you are an autistic person, you may need to self-advocate for your sensory needs to be met. This starts with learning about your needs so you understand what works and what doesn't work for you. Then, you can make changes to your environment, try new tools or strategies, or change your routines to better meet your needs.

Our Self-Empowerment Roadmap can help you learn more about your needs so you can overcome your challenges. Keep in mind that it can take time and lots of trial and error to fully understand your needs and figure out what accommodations work best for you.

Once you understand the accommodations you need, you can work with your employer and support team to get those needs met. Our Employment Tool Kit will give you the tools you need to navigate these conversations and cope with sensory issues in the workplace.

You can also reach out to the Autism Response Team at help@autismspeaks.org to learn how to conduct a sensory scan and advocate for your needs at work.

What resources are there to help with sensory issues?

Learn how occupational therapy can help people with autism learn to better process sensory input in everyday environments.

Learn how feeding therapy can address aversions to tastes and food textures, as well as under- and over-sensitivities that can hamper chewing and swallowing.

Learn how speech therapy can use sensitivity-reducing and sensory-stimulating activities to improve speech, swallowing and related muscle movements.

Learn how cognitive behavioral therapy can help manage anxiety and gradually increase tolerance to overwhelming sensory experiences.

View Autism Speaks' Autism-Friendly Events Calendar for a list of sensory-friendly events in your area

Learn about sensory processing disorder and potential accommodations at work.

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Sensory issues often accompany autism. Examples of accommodations for hyper- and hyposensitivities. Additionally, therapies can help with sensory issues.

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Disabled Children and the Equality Act 2010: What teachers need to know

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This guide provides a summary of what teachers need to know and what schools need to do to prevent and address inequalities and ensure they do not discriminate against disabled pupils.

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Easily create surveys and polls to collect customer feedback, measure employee satisfaction, and organize team events.

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Children and Young People’s Mental Health | Level 2 | P15897 | Burton and South Derbyshire College

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10% of children and young people (aged 5-16 years) have a clinically diagnosable mental health problem, yet 70% who experience mental health problems have not had the support they need.
This qualification will increase your knowledge and awareness of children and young people’s mental health. By completing the qualification, you will develop knowledge of mental health in children and young people which would support progression onto further qualifications and into relevant employment in the health and social care or education sector.
In this qualification, the term ‘children and young people’ refers to an age range of 5-18 years old.

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Special Education Needs and Disability | Level 2 | P13961 | Burton and South Derbyshire College

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This qualification is aimed at anyone seeking to improve their knowledge of Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND), either for personal or professional reasons. Learners will consider many aspects of SEND, including the symptoms of specific conditions, legislation and guidance applicable to individuals with SEND and how such conditions affect individuals in daily life.

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Learn anytime, anywhere!

Whether you're looking to boost your professional development and career prospects or simply want to learn a skill in your spare time, an online course is a great way to gain a nationally recognised qualification.

Distance Learning courses give you the flexibility to study in a way that suits your personal and professional commitments. You can work at your own pace within the course timeframe and study in the comfort of your own home!

How it works:

You can sign up to our courses throughout the year.

Step 1: Register or login to fill out our online enrolment form by clicking the Apply Now button.

Step 2: You will receive email confirmation and asked to send a copy of your ID, where relevant, within 48 hours.

Step 3: You will be sent your login details to start your online learning.

Step 4: Depending on your course, you'll either be automatically marked or have on-hand support and marking from a dedicated tutor.

Step 5: Depending on your course, you will either have access to a certificate download to print off, receive an e-certificate of achievement from the awarding body or receive a certificate through the post.

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Autism is a condition that is as highly complex as it is common within our society. People who live with Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASCs) can be affected in many different ways with subtle differences present from case to case. There is no one particular type of autism, as cases range from very mild to very severe.