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Speech and Language Therapy for Children :: Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust

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Within the inner London boroughs of Hammersmith & Fulham, Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster - SLT is split into 3 teams :

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Welcome to DLD and Me! Spreading the word about Developmental Language Disorder Latest Articles What is Developmental Language Disorder? DLD is a brain difference that makes talking and listening difficult. DLD affects about 2

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Helpful Hints for Unclear Speech - Includes Expectations for different ages

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Services and the support for children and young people, up to 25 with special educational needs and disabilities and their families.

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relaxation and mindfulness music resources

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relaxation and mindfulness music resources

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Due to the Covid-19 pandemic and social distancing guidance, RCM Sparks in person events have been put on hold until further notice. In light of this, we are delighted to launch a brand new collection of digital resources to replace our cancelled workshops, courses and concert series.

We invite you to explore, listen, participate and perform with RCM Sparks at home or at school, until we can welcome you back into the building again.

Please share your experiences @RCMLondon #RCMSparks #RCMCommunity

Early years (age 0-4)

It is proven that children who engage in high-quality, regular musical learning from an early age gain musical, intellectual, emotional and social advantages.

Ignite & Explorers (age 5-11)

The resources below were written to replace workshops and courses that were due to take place during the Spring and Summer terms of 2020. We hope you enjoy exploring them at home or at school. There is an activity pack and accompanying recorded or printed sheet music resources for each project.

Springboard (age 12-18)

We were excited to hold our Springboard composition summer course digitally this year. Below are some useful resources and activities from the course that we've made available for everyone to enjoy from home or at school. Check this page regularly for more resources for composers!

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Due to the Covid-19 pandemic and social distancing guidance, RCM Sparks in person events have been put on hold until further notice. In light of this, we are delighted to launch a brand new collection of digital resources to replace our cancelled workshops, courses and concert series.

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Ealing Local Offer For 0-25 year olds with special educational needs or a disability www.ealinglocaloffer.org.uk Contact us on or email 020 8825 5588 children@ealing.gov.uk

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Mind Up -Activities for you and your child

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Mind Up -Activities for you and your child

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This website places cookies on your computer to improve your experience. By continuing to browse the site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. For more details, see our privacy policy. I agree

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The British Dyslexia Association is the voice for the 10% of the population that are dyslexic

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Dyslexic and Reluctant Readers - Barrington Stoke

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Nessy dyslexia info for parents and programmes

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Nessy dyslexia info for parents and programmes

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Dyslexia Information for Parents - Nessy US

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Young minds advice for supporting a child with ADHD

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Young minds advice for supporting a child with ADHD

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What is ADHD?

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

Children and young people with ADHD often seem unusually restless, impulsive or distracted. They may speak or act without thinking, struggle with organisation, find it hard to focus or appear to be always on the go. Some people with ADHD do not experience hyperactivity though, and this is sometimes called attention deficit disorder (ADD).

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

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

What are the most common symptoms of ADHD?

A child with ADHD may be:

easily distracted, finding it difficult to start or finish tasks

often unable to concentrate

often restless or fidgety

very talkative, often interrupting or blurting things out

impulsive, acting before considering consequences, prone to taking risks

easily angry or frustrated, struggling to deal with emotions

finding making or maintaining friendships difficult

disorganised, for instance often losing things or being late

lacking awareness of time

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

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

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

What to do if you think your child might have ADHD

If your child frequently experiences some of these symptoms; this is affecting their day- to- day life; and it's happening in more than one setting (for instance at home and school), discuss your concerns with your child's GP. Before doing this, talk to your child's teacher and the school special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO) about what they have noticed.

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

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

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

ADHD diagnosis, support and treatment

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

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

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

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

Support and treatment options

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

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

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

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

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

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

How can I help my child with ADHD?

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

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

ADHD and your child's mental health

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

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

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

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

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

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

Working with school if your child has ADHD

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

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

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

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

ADHD in teenagers and beyond

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

Looking after your own wellbeing

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

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

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

Where to get further support

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

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Help Your Child With ADHD | Parents Guide to Support

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What is ADHD? Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects behaviour and concentration. Children and young people with ADHD often seem unusually restless, impulsive or distracted. They may speak or act without thinking, struggle with organisation, find it hard to focus or appear to be always on the go.

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Resources to support young people with ADHD

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Resources to support young people with ADHD

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

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Advice for supporting children with ADHD to learn

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Advice for supporting children with ADHD to learn

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Strategies to support ADHD in the Classroom

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

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It is estimated that one in every 100 people has autism. Therefore, it is very likely that every school will have children and staff who are on the autism spectrum. These resources are developed by the Autism Education Trust, along with the Autism Centre for Education and Research (University of Birmingham), the National Autistic Society and Ambitious about Autism through the Whole School SEND DfE-funded schools' workforce contract.

Autism is a neurological difference that impacts how a person develops. There are three main areas of difference:

Communication and interaction: Differences in understanding and expressing communication and language, ranging from some individuals with little speech to those who are very articulate but still find communication hard. There are also differences in social understanding and understanding the feelings of others, which can influence building relationships.

Sensory processing: Differences in processing sensory information, such as touch, smell, hearing, taste, vision, body balance and body awareness. Some individuals may react more strongly to these (hyper-sensitive), while others may seek these stimulations (hypo-sensitive).

Flexible thinking and information processing: Differences in planning and processing information. This can influence generalisation and understanding of concepts. There may also be intense interest in specific topics or areas.

These differences could also bring some unique skills and talents, which could provide a different way of understanding and being. To acknowledge this difference, none of the resources in this suite use the word 'disorder'. We have used the word autism or autism spectrum. Some people on the autism spectrum consider autism as the core of their self-identity and prefer using identity-first language, such as 'autistic person'. Others feel that autism does not define them as an individual and prefer individual-first language, such as 'person with autism'. In acknowledgement of these differing views and the fact that most of the research around preference of terminology does not include children's voices, we have used a combination of terminology based on whether the resource is for adults or children.
There are five resources in this suite:
Guidance for school leaders on supporting autistic members of staff: This resource is mainly aimed at senior leadership teams and people with HR responsibilities, and provides ideas for developing an autism friendly working environment.

A SENCO's guide to supporting learners on the autism spectrum: This is for SENCOs in Early Years, Primary schools and Secondary schools and builds on existing information for SENCOs in developing good autism practice within their settings.

Supporting learners with autism during transition: This resource focuses on two main stages of transition- from an Early Years setting to Primary school, and Primary school to Secondary school. The resource will be helpful to everyone involved in this process, such as SENCOs, teachers, teaching assistants, key workers.

Promoting autism inclusive attitudes: In this resource there are various ideas for raising peer awareness in Primary and Secondary school settings, which can be used by SENCOs, teachers and teaching assistants. These resources were co-developed with autistic young people.

Reasonable adjustments to school behaviour policies: This resource considers the implications of the Equality Act with regards to behaviour and how reasonable adjustments can be implemented within a school setting. This will be particularly useful for senior leadership teams and SENCOs. This resource is currently under review and will be added to the suite soon.

During the process of developing these resources we received guidance and feedback from many people. Our sincere thanks to the steering committee members of the project: Alex Grady, Angela Holdsworth, Annabel Bowyer, DfE colleagues, Erica Wolstenholme, Frances Child, Kamal Hanif, Kate Campbell, Pamela Douglas, Pernille Petersen, Simon Knight, and Venessa Bobb. We would also like to thank all the schools which have piloted these resources and provided us with valuable feedback.

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It is estimated that one in every 100 people has autism. Therefore, it is very likely that every school will have children and staff who are on the autism spectrum. These resources are developed by the Autism Education Trust, along with the Autism Centre for Education and Research (University of Birmingham), the National Autistic Society and Ambitious about Autism through the Whole School SEND DfE-funded schools' workforce contract.

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Child Autism UK provides services and advice for families of children with autism. Children and their families are at the heart of everything we do and we are committed to helping both achieve a better quality of life.

From short-term skills such as toilet training through to full-time ABA programmes, we've helped hundreds of children over the years. Many families have told us that seeing their child make progress, learn to communicate and knowing how to manage their behaviours has been invaluable.

The services Child Autism UK provides for families include:

How to teach your child to talk/communicate

How to teach your child to make friends, play and other social skills

How to reduce your child's behaviour difficulties

How to teach your child better eating habits

How to prepare your child for school

How to reduce your child's anxiety

How to toilet train your child

Training Courses

Full ABA programmes

Short Term ABA programmes

Reports for tribunals

VB-Mapp Assessments

To find out how we can best help your family, click here
We support families across the UK providing advice for families of children with autism. With over 80 years combined experience in assisting children with autism to realise their potential we are totally committed to helping you and your child by providing you with a high quality service.

Using positive reinforcement and fun learning sessions based on Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA), we show parents how to teach their child, manage behaviour and track progress. If you're struggling with managing your child's behaviour or worried that they aren't speaking, we can help with this and much more by giving you the skills you need to help your own child. For those seeking full-time ABA programmes we also provide full training and support for tutors to work at home, nursery or primary school with your child.

ABA is the most established evidence-based approach to autism. It is the standard approach of choice in many countries with literally decades of peer-reviewed research evidencing its effectiveness. We believe passionately that all families should feel empowered to get the best provision for their child, and that all children deserve access to evidence-based learning in order to reach their full potential.

Find out how we can help your child by calling our helpline on 01344 882248.

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for Families - Child Autism UK - releasing potential

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Child Autism UK provides services and advice for families of children with autism. Children and their families are at the heart of everything we do and we are committed to helping both achieve a better quality of life. From short-term skills such as toilet training through to full-time ABA programmes, we've helped hundreds of children over the years.

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The Information, Advice and Support Services Network

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The Information, Advice and Support Services Network

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Help your child to plan their task so that they can complete it independently.

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Help your child to plan their task so that they can complete it independently.

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These can be useful to help your child understand the order of activities that they need to complete.

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make sure your child is in the right space to start learning

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Make sure your child is in the right space to start learning.

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Help your child to identify their feelings

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Help your child to identify your emotions

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Give your child regular brain breaks during the working day.