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Children with cognition and learning difficulties may have: low levels of attainment across the board in all forms of assessment, difficulty in acquiring skills (notably in literacy and numeracy) on which much other learning in school depends; difficulty in dealing with abstract ideas and generalising from experience and a range of associated difficulties, notably in speech and language (particularly for younger children) and in social and emotional development.

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The Hub is the place to be!

Any pupil who struggles at break and dinner time can come to The Hub.

It is a safe and staffed place for pupils to be with peers, eat lunch, play games and chat with the Learning Support team.

There are PS4's and Wii's to play on, there are also board games, colouring activities available. There are comfy sofa's and a quiet reading area.

We have a 'No Tech Tuesday' to encourage interaction, communication and making new friends.

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Parents/ Carers EBSA Guidance | Support Services for Education

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This webpage is designed to help parents/carers to support children who have concerns about going to school, known as Emotional Based School Avoidance.

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Parents/ Carers EBSA Guidance | Support Services for Education

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This webpage is designed to help parents/carers to support children who have concerns about going to school, known as Emotional Based School Avoidance.

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Emotional Based School Avoidance (EBSA), also known as Anxiety-Based School Avoidance (ABSA), is a term used to describe children and young people (CYP) who experience persistent challenges in attending school due to negative feelings, such as anxiety.

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There is a wide range of sensory and physical difficulties, but the important consideration in this area is the degree to which the difficulties impact on a child’s or young person’s ability to access educational opportunities.

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These needs can appear in a number of different ways, including becoming withdrawn or isolated, as well as displaying challenging, disruptive or disturbing behaviour. These behaviours may reflect underlying mental health difficulties such as anxiety or depression, self-harming, substance
misuse, eating disorders or physical symptoms that are medically unexplained.

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We offer a number of Workshops at Whittington Green. These are designed to support pupils with particular needs.

Our workshops include:-
Positive Communication
Wellbeing
Emotional Support
Anxiety
Laptop Support/Touch typing
Working Memory
Friendship groups

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This is a link to Derbyshire County Councils Local offer. There are many links to resources and support with Derbyshire for your young person.

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Local Offer - Information for young people & children with SEND, families and professionals.

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This is our SEND PADLET. It contains information about what we are doing in school to support our pupils with SEND and  useful links to other sources of information.

Our SEND team is led by Miss Jennifer Elsmore, SENDCo and Assistant SENDCo, Ms Stonecliffe-Jones.
We have a wonderful team of professionals working alongside our teaching staff and pupils, ensuring that all of our pupils can achieve their potential.

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Mrs Kay
Mrs Hall
Mrs Trowman
Mr White
Mr Wild
Miss Stancliffe
Ms Facer
Miss Mellor
Mrs Chapman
Ms McDermott
Mrs Martin

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Physical and sensory needs cover a wide range of medical conditions in addition to those mentioned above. Some children with physical disabilities may be very cognitively able so the levels of support must be tailored to a person-centred needs analysis of each child's needs and preferences, taking into account the views of children and their families.

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Advice for parents/carers on Eating Disorders

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Advice for parents/carers on Eating Disorders

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The links below have information & support from those with lived experiences.

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What else can I do?

General wellbeing and routines

Think about your child's general physical well-being, sleeping and eating. If your hunch is that your child needs more sleep then consider whether there are any changes that you could make to their routine that would mean that they get to bed a bit earlier. If you would like support with any area of parenting talk to your GP or speech and language therapist, or look for local parenting workshops.

Language model

Notice your child's language and whether they use relatively sophisticated words and complex sentences. If your child is still young and they are using advanced language this puts pressure on their still-developing speech motor skills. If you tend to use grown-up vocabulary or long and complex sentences when talking with them it may help if you keep things a little more simple - just while their speech-motor skills are still developing.

Pace of life

What is the pace of life like in your household and is there a way to slow it down a little? Often family life is just busy and that's just a fact of life - most parents will relate to that. But are there any times in the day when it gets really rushed and when it might be possible to do things a little differently to help everyone feel a bit more relaxed? Try thinking about one or two small, practical things that might take the time pressure off a little.

Remember

You are already, naturally, doing a lot that helps your child. You know your child better than anyone else and you instinctively tune in to what they need. Try doing just a little bit more of what you already do that seems to help.

Special Time

Special Time is a short, 5-minute play time that each parent or carer has with their child, 3-5 times a week. Go somewhere where you will not be disturbed, ask your child to choose something to play with and then play with them for 5 minutes.

Focus on really being present, giving your child your undivided attention. Listen to what they are saying rather than how they are talking.

Try practicing one the strategies that you have read about or that were talked about on the video (using more pauses when you talk, talking at a relaxed pace, not overdoing questions, really listening).

When the 5 minutes is finished thank your child for having a Special Time with you and then you can get on with other things, if you choose to.

Do special times with other children in the family so that things are fair. Older children or teenagers may not want to be offered 'Special Time' but may appreciate being asked if they get enough of your time.

Is there anything I shouldn't do?

Giving advice

Try not to say "slow down", "think about what you want to say", "calm down" or "take a deep breath." It is extremely hard for children to slow down or remember to think (especially when they are excited about what they want to tell you) and taking a deep breath increases rather than decreases physical tension.

Although you are trying to help what children need to know most is that you are listening to what they are saying rather than how they are talking.

Reminding your child to use techniques

If your child has been introduced to fluency techniques in their therapy it may be tempting to remind them to use these. While your intention is to help, slowing down or changing anything to do with speaking is incredibly difficult and it is normal for children to not remember to do it or not be able to do it for long.

When reminded to use fluency techniques children can get the impression that they should not stammer, that you are displeased by it, or that there is something wrong with stammering. When children feel under pressure to be fluent this can contribute to them feeling ashamed or guilty about stammering as they grow older.

You might first ask your child whether they find it helpful to have a reminder (some do) or if they would rather you just listen to what they say (most prefer this). Most of all children need to know that parents are not bothered about their stammer and are interested in what they're saying. This helps them feel good about themselves and confident about talking.

How should I talk about stammering with my child?

If your child is really unaware that they stammer then you don't need to say anything about it. However, sometimes even very young children are aware at some level of having difficulty getting their words out and when this is the case it is important to find a way of talking about it together that feels natural and right for you.

Acknowledge stammering

If your child does say or do something that suggests that they are noticing it, or are reacting to a moment of stammering, then don't be afraid to acknowledge it. Say something like "That got a bit sticky" (or bumpy) - don't worry there's no rush" in a warm but matter-of-fact way, just as you would if they were having difficulty with something else (like tying their shoelaces). This can be hugely reassuring for your child because it shows them that they are not alone and that you're not bothered about it.

Use neutral language

It's easy to end up talking about stammering in a subtly negative way and using language that suggests that being fluent is preferred. An example is saying to an older child "your speech has been really good lately" or asking "was it bad today?" Notice the language that you use and consider whether it has an unintended negative message. It is better to use neutral language. Talk about stammering more, or less, rather than speech being "bad" or "good." This is to safeguard against children developing a sense that stammering is bad or is something about them that should be 'fixed'.

My child speaks more than one language

Keep using both languages at home. Don't worry if your child switches between languages - this is normal. The most important thing for a child is to hear a model of correct language structure (it does not matter which language) so you can speak to your child in your chosen language and it will be good for their language development.

I am still worried

Go to our get help page

Read about the MPC assessment clinic

Call the MPC helpline on 020 3316 8100

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Top tips from the MPC - The Michael Palin Centre for Stammering

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What else can I do? General wellbeing and routines Think about your child's general physical well-being, sleeping and eating. If your hunch is that your child needs more sleep then consider whether there are any changes that you could make to their routine that would mean that they get to bed a bit earlier.

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Home-based Speech & Language Support Ideas

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Home-based Speech & Language Support Ideas

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

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

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

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These are some guidelines on using different forms of tech to read and write for you.

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Support links for young people with SEND

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Local Offer - Information for young people & children with SEND, families and professionals.

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Build Sound minds is a Derbyshire initiative from Action for Children.

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Action for Children works in partnership with Derbyshire Federation for Mental Health, to provide a service called 'Build Sound Minds Derby and Derbyshire'. The Service is a comprehensive early intervention service for children and young people aged 0-17 who are experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties.

Build Sound Minds Derby and Derbyshire has been commissioned by NHS Derby and Derbyshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) and will therefore be able to accept referrals for all children and young people who are registered with a Derbyshire or Derby City ICB GP Practice.

Build Sound Minds offers one-to-one support, group work, telephone support and a digital offer.

Please take a look at our leaflet which provides more information - click on the link
Build Sound Minds Leaflet

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action for children build sound minds derbyshire derby mental health children young people

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Build Sound Minds Overview | Action for Children

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Some time back, I noticed posters like this in our school hallways. I found out from learning support that they were to help the children learn self-regulation. The posters were based on a concept called The Zones of Regulation.

Source: Pinterest

What is Self-Regulation?

Self- regulation is the ability to manage disruptive emotions and impulses, and to think before you react. - Mind Tools

In school, children need to be able to self-regulate to help them be ready to learn. Children whose states of arousal are too high or too low will struggle to focus on the learning task at hand.

Update: new research links self-regulation with greater resilience in young people

Researchers have analyzed whether self-regulation would be a good predictor of resilience. This study shows that helping these young people to bounce back from adversities by acquiring self-regulation skills such as setting goals and adjusting their path after a misstep, equips them better to do well in school and in life. - Science Daily

What happens when children cannot self-regulate?

Children that are unable to self-regulate are prone to the following:

tantrums and outbursts

abusive behaviours - e.g. self abuse, punching, kicking, biting

emotional distress

inattention/distractibility

refusal to participate

How can we help children learn self-regulation?

To help children learn self-regulation, we need to work on their:

executive functioning - memory, planning and behaviour inhibition.

emotional regulation - initiating, inhibiting, or modulating our state or behavior in a given situation.

sensory integration - the process by which we receive information through our senses, organise this information, and use it to participate in everyday activities.

What are the Zones of Regulation

The following video provides a helpful summary on the Zones of Regulation and how they help children with self-regulation.

What do the Zones look like:

The Zones of Regulation is a cognitive behaviour approach for helping students self-regulate their behaviours, emotions, and sensory needs. By using concepts and visuals to help students learn to recognise their feelings and level of arousal, it allows them to employ strategies for optimal learning.

The Zones can be compared to traffic signs. When given a green light or in the Green Zone, one is "good to go". A yellow sign means be aware or take caution, which applies to the Yellow Zone. A red light or stop sign means stop, and when one is the Red Zone, this often is the case. The Blue Zone can be compared to the rest area signs where one goes to rest or re-energize. All of the zones are expected at one time or another, but the curriculum focuses on teaching students how to manage their Zone based on the environment and people around them. For example, when playing on the playground or in an active/competitive game, no one would think twice about one being in the Yellow Zone but that would not be same in the library. - Zones of Regulation

Although the Zones of Regulation is often used to support the needs of children with ASD or ADHD, it is very much applicable to all children, and even adults. The ability to recognise our own state of arousal and to make the necessary adjustment so that it is appropriate for the occasion we face is something we all require to function optimally.

The goals of the zones of regulation are to teach children to:

identify their feelings and levels of alertness

develop effective regulation tools

learn when and how to use the tools

problem solve positive solutions

understand how their behaviours influence thoughts and feelings

ultimately - develop independent regulation

Blue Zone: low level of arousal; not ready to learn; feels sad, sick, tired, bored, moving slowly.

Green Zone: calm state of alertness; optimal level to learn; feels happy, calm, feeling okay, focused.

Yellow Zone: heightened state of alertness; elevated emotions; has some control; feels frustrated, worried, silly/wiggly, excited, loss of some control.

Red Zone: heightened state of alertness and intense emotions; not an optimal level for learning; out of control; feels mad/angry, terrified, yelling/hitting, elated, out of control.

What Zone are You in?

Blue Zone - your body is running slow, like when you're tired, sick, sad or bored.

Green Zone - like a green light, you feel "good to go". Your body may feel happy, calm and focused.

Yellow Zone - when you start to lose control, like when you feel frustrated, anxious, worried, silly or surprised. Use caution when you are in this zone.

Red Zone - when you experience extreme emotions. When you are in this zone, you are out of control, you have trouble making good decisions, and you need to STOP!

For the Blue Zone - increase arousal: For the Green Zone - maintaining:

think happy thoughts

talk about your feelings

rub hands together

run on the spot

shoulder rub

ask for a hug

swinging or spinning

stretching or jumping jacks

strong scents

vibration

drink water

crunchy foods

bright lights

listening to loud music

For the Yellow - decrease arousal:

keep your eyes on the teacher

remember your daily goals

finish your homework

think happy thoughts

be a good friend

help others

work hard

smile

For the Red Zones - decrease arousal:

talk to my parents/friends

take 3 deep breaths

do a wall push up

use a fidget

go for a walk

take a break

read

deep pressure

slow movement

heavy work to muscles

soft lighting

listen to music

chewy foods

take three deep breaths

how big is my problem - the size of your reaction should match the size of the problem. How big do others see the problem? How big should your reaction be?

jump on a trampoline

relax your muscles

talk to an adult

sensory break

push the wall

count to 20

walk away

STOP!

deep pressure

slow movement

heavy work to muscles

soft lighting

listen to music

chewy foods

Can you be in more than one zone at a time? Should children be penalised for being in the RED zone?
Common Questions on the Zones of Regulation
Can you look like one zone on the outside and feel like you are in another zone on the inside?
Yes. Your child may feel tired (blue zone) because she did not get enough sleep, and anxious (yellow zone) because she is worried about an activity or contest at school. Listing more than one zone reflects a good sense of personal feelings and alertness levels.

It's best for children to experience the natural consequences of being in the RED zone. If a child's actions/choices hurt someone or destroys property, he needs to repair the relationship and take responsibility for the mess they create. Once the child has calmed down, use the experience as a learning opportunity to process what the child would do differently next time.

Yes. Many of us "disguise" our zone to match social expectations. We use the expression "put on a happy face" or mask the emotion so other people will have good thoughts about us. Parents often say that their children "lose it" and goes into the RED zone as soon as they get home. This is because children are increasing their awareness of their peers and expectations. They make every effort to keep it together at school to stay in the GREEN zone. Home is when they feel safe to let it all out.

Tips for Practicing the Zones of Regulation
What is it? What to put in it?

Know yourself and how you react in difficult situations before dealing with your child's behaviours.

Know your child's sensory threshold. We all process sensory information differently and it impacts our reactivity to situations.

Know your child's triggers.

Be consistent in managing your child's behaviour and use the same language you use at home.

Empathise with your child and validate what they are feeling.

Have clear boundaries/routines and always follow through.

Do not deal with an angry, upset child when you are not yet calm yourself.

Discuss strategies for the next time when you are in a similar situation.

Remember to ask your child how their choices made you feel (empathy).

Praise your child for using strategies. Encourage your child to take a sensory break to help regulate their bodies.

Sensory Tools on Amazon
Make a Coping Skills Box

A coping skills box is a place to keep things that help to calm you down in periods of distress. Having everything gathered in one place helps you remember to use your coping skills rather than using negative behaviours.

1. Self-Soothing Objects that help to calm you through your five senses:

2. Distractions to take your mind off the problem for a while, e.g. puzzles, books, artwork, crafts, knitting, crocheting, sewing, crossword puzzles, sudoku, positive websites, music, movies, etc.

3. Opposite action - do something that is opposite to your impulse that is consistent with a more positive emotion:

affirmations and inspiration - e.g. looking at drawings or motivational statements

something funny or cheering - e.g. funny movies, books

Put it all together
4. Emotional Awareness - tools for identifying and expressing your feelings, e.g. a chart of emotions, a journal, writing supplies, art supplies.

5. Mindfulness - tools for centering and grounding yourself in the present moment, e.g. meditation or relaxation recordings, grounding objects (rock, paperweight), yoga mat, breathing exercises.

5. Crisis Plan - contact info of supports and resources for when coping skills aren't enough, e.g. family/friends, therapist, psychiatrist, hotline.

Once you have gathered everything, put them together into a box and decorate it. Keep the box in a place where you'll remember it and USE IT!

Image Source: Pinterest

See also: Essential Life Skills for Kids - Stress Management

Sensory Break: Sensory Activities for Sensory Integration

Some time back I wrote about sensory processing disorders (SPD) identifying sensory difficulties that affect some children and the sensory integration activities that can help address their sensory hotspots. The following image helps teachers and parents identify some of the common sensory hotspots that some children may have:

Sensory activities that can help children with these hotspots may be proprioceptive, vestibular, or tactile in nature.

Proprioception

Proprioception is the sense of knowing the relative positions of the various parts of our bodies and strength of effort we employ during a movement. Children with proprioceptive needs can benefit from the following activities:

carrying heavy baskets or objects

jumping jacks

leaning against a wall or table palm presses

pushing or pulling boxes; wheelbarrow walk

jumping on a trampoline

crawling through a tunnel

pushing against objects, wall push-ups

standing on toes and stretching

finger fidgets

Vestibular

The vestibular system is responsible for the sense of balance and spatial orientation for the purpose of coordinating movement with balance. Children with vestibular sensory needs can benefit from the following activities:

bounce on a yoga ball

walk on a balance beam

bear/crab/snake walk

roll neck slowly in a circular movement

imitation game - e.g. Simon Says

gentle rocking

jump up and down; try to touch the door frame

sit and spin / yoga seat

roll on the mat

Tactile sensory needs can be fulfilled with "touch" activities, such as the following:

Sensory Activities at Home

When your child needs a sensory break at home, try these activities:
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"kid-sandwich" - pushing down on them between two pillows

"kid-burrito" - rolling them in lycra and gently pressing down and pretending to eat them

roll out the "cookie dough" with a yoga ball firmly over the back and limbs

pillow fight

mopping or sweeping the floor

stirring cookie dough or cake batter

jumping jacks

chewing gym, eating crunchy foods (pretzels carrots, small ice chips, or sipping water from a cup with a thick straw while doing seated work)

pushing or pulling boxes or laundry baskets with a few toys or books in it

carrying or pushing pillowcases of stuff animals around the house

helping with chores, pulling a heavy trash can, vacuuming, water plants

removing couch cushions, piling them on the floor and "crashing" into them

roller-skating uphill, ice skating, jumping rope, marching, hopping and skipping

walking on a treadmill set to go uphill

pulling other kids around on a sheet or blanket

crawling through a t-shirt tunnel

yard work, such as raking leaves, pushing the wheelbarrow, water the flowers

shoveling sand into a bucket

crossing monkey bars

swinging on a swing

pulling heavy items in a wagon

More Resources:

Related:

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Self-Regulation and the Zones of Regulation

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Some time back, I noticed posters like this in our school hallways. I found out from learning support that they were to help the children learn self-regulation. The posters were based on a concept called The Zones of Regulation. Source: Pinterest What is Self-Regulation? Self-regulation is the ability to manage disruptive emotions and impulses, and to...

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School refusal

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Not Fine in School is a parent-led organisation empowering families & raising awareness of school attendance barriers (school refusal/ anxiety/ SEND/ bullying)

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The amazing Pooky Knightsmith Q&A regarding school avoidance

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Q&A | Emotionally Based School Avoidance

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ELSA support- emotional literacy

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Resources for Emotional Literacy Support Assistants - ELSA Support

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Emotional literacy support assistants - or ELSAs - are teaching assistants trained to provide emotional and social skills support to children.

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All pupils are base line tested when they enter Y7. The base line test for literacy provides us with a reading age for your young person and can identify areas where they may need further support. Any pupil with a reading age below 9 years is offered the opportunity to attend intervention sessions to aid them in making progress with .literacy skills. The skills we focus on include phonics, fluency, comprehension, inference. Spelling punctuation and grammar are all explicitly taught throughout the courses. Some pupils may be taught for English in a smaller accelerated learner group to ensure they receive a tailored curriculum that is scaffolded to ensure they meet the outcomes of the curriculum.

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All pupils' numeracy levels are measured in Year 7 using a base line test called the GL Teat. This is an online test. The data gather from these tests is used to identify pupils who need some support with their numeracy skills. These pupils could be taught in a small accelerated learner group that follows an alternative curriculum designed to meet their learning needs. Other pupils will be supported with the Maths lesson with High Quality Teaching methods used to 'close their knowledge gaps' revisit KS2 topics and increase their Mathematical confidence.

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Are you in Year 7 or 8? Do you need help with your homework?

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Mrs Facer will be in the learning hub Tuesday's, Wednesday's and Thursday's 3pm - 4pm to help with your home work. The staff can support pupils to complete differentiated work to suit needs. This also helps with organisation and can alleviate the struggles with Homework at home.

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NSPCC SEND HUB

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Net Aware is closing. The partnership between the NSPCC and O2, which created Net Aware, will be coming to an end after a fantastic six years and the Net Aware site will soon be closing down. Visit the NSPCC Online Safety Hub to find advice and resources to help keep every child safe online.

Net Aware has partnered with Ambitious about Autism to bring online safety tips, advice and activities specifically for parents and carers of children with SEND. We spoke to parents of children with a range of special educational needs such as dyslexia, autism and speech and language difficulties.

Letting your child go online can be intimidating; you might worry about the different spaces they explore, the people they meet digitally and the potential for things going wrong.

Being online can be positive for children and young people, including those with additional needs. So much of our communication now happens online, either by messages, in a game or through a video call. Sometimes online platforms like the apps, social media sites and games your child accesses can help them connect and make friends with new people that they might not know offline.

As a parent or carer, you play an important role in helping to make sure your child has a positive experience online. When your child has additional needs, your role can be even more important, and it can feel like a lot of responsibility when you hear about some of the risks young people face online.

Are you used to using Photo Symbols to help your child? We have created two conversation starters for you to use.

We spoke to a group of parents and carers who have children with Special Educational Needs or Disabilities (SEND) and asked them to share their top online safety tips.

Use our reviews and advice on the apps, games, and sites your child is using. This knowledge will help you feel more confident answering any questions they might have.

"I would advise all parents to download the apps that their children are using just to familiarise yourself with how they work." Kelly, parent of a 15 year old.

If things do go wrong, create a script or visual story to explain the actions they can take, who they can talk to and what to do if they get upset. Help them visualise what to do and how to question things that don't feel right. Use the one ' One page profile ' and find out more about your child's interests.

"Let them know they can talk to you anytime about anything" Mohammed, parent of a 15 year old.

Showing interest in what your child is doing by asking them to show you how things work or what they enjoy about specific games or apps. It is likely that they are the experts and could teach you a thing or two! By showing your child that you have an interest in what they do online, they are more likely to come to you when things go wrong. You could use our ' Online one page profile ' to support these conversations.

When someone sends you something upsetting online, the best thing to do is stop responding and remove yourself from the conversation. Showing your child how to report, block and mute users on their favourite platform is a good way to help them feel prepared if they ever receive something unkind online.

"It is important children feel they can report comments that have upset them." Sally, parent of an 18 year old.

Remind your child to report any comment, video, or image they see that upsets them or that could upset someone else. Muting is an option available on some platforms such as Instagram and Twitter. When you Mute an account the other user can still send you messages and see your account, but you won't be able to see their posts or messages on your timeline or inbox. It can also be a good way to hide a message without notifying the other person.

Blocking is a good tool to use if your child is contacted by someone they don't know offline or someone that keeps sending them unkind messages. While muting stops you from seeing what someone says unless you look for it, blocking stops them from being able to communicate with you or see what you are doing.

The online world makes it easier for people to be anonymous. People might behave in a way they wouldn't do offline and say unkind things they wouldn't say to someone's face. When someone repeatedly sends unkind messages to another person this is called cyberbullying or trolling.

Accounts or people that behave in this way, might not always be telling the truth about who they are. They might use another person's pictures, a different name, a different location or be lying about their age. This can make it harder for the person sending the messages to be reported or blocked from the platform.

" Encourage safe friendships and make them aware if this changes and this person starts asking for things or shows threatening behaviour, how to report." Shakti, parent of a 13 year old.

As well as speaking to your child about people they haven't met, you should also remind them that even people they know offline, such as friends from school or clubs, might behave differently online.

For example, someone might pretend to be a friend but is using that relationship to be mean to, manipulate or exploit someone who is more 'vulnerable' than them. A person might use the social isolation or low self confidence that someone has to their advantage.

Make sure to regularly check in with your child about who they're talking to online and what kind of things they chat about. Exploitative friendships, sometimes known as 'mate crime', can happen in different ways but might include:

Pressuring people to give money

Asking someone to share things about themselves that should be private

Asking some to share images, videos or livestreams that are considered sexual

To support your child, help them build an understanding of how some people can behave online, and remind them that you're always there for them if they want to talk. Our Online safety quiz or Friendships activity could help with this conversation.

"Talk through what happened, what was said or anything that they may have seen that has been upsetting or confusing." Linda, parent of a 16 year old.

Many parents and carers worry about who their child might meet when playing games online or using social media. Look at setting up parental controls and privacy settings to interact with others safely, starting with playing with those they know offline or in a space that is just for them and their friends.

This can be done by setting up private rooms or 'lobbies' in games. Find out more about the apps, games and sites they are using by looking at the Net Aware information, especially the privacy settings and parental controls.

"If you know other parents, set up set times for playing in secure rooms" Conor, parent of a 13 year old.

For social media, if age-appropriate, this can be a private account which connects your child to those they know offline, like friends from school or family members. Talk to your child about what is appropriate for them to share on social media and agree some rules around when they can use it. Remind them that everything they post online can be traced back to them so it's important to think before you post anything on your account. And make sure they know they can always come to you if they have any questions about anything they see online.

Most devices have settings that let you set restrictions around what sites your child can access. Be open with your child about these settings if you choose to enable them and explain that they'll help keep them safe when they're spending time online. Filling in our Family Agreement is a good way of supporting these conversations.

A lot of the focus can be on other people's behaviour when it comes to the online world. But it's important to make sure your child understands what is expected of them when they go online as well. You might want to talk to them about what language is and isn't appropriate to use and discuss ways they can respect other people's privacy online. Remind them that they should never send unkind comments to anyone, not even in response to something someone else has said.

"I encourage my child to be kind and respectful to everyone as well as to keep safe and to tell me about any 'not nice' things that cause him upset." Mandy, parent of a 5 year old and an 8 year old.

Often without tone and body language, it can be difficult to understand what someone is trying to say or how you are being perceived. It is important to teach your child about how different communication styles might be interpreted - although they may not have meant offense it might be taken as offensive.

We have worked with Ambitious about Autism and parents and carers who have children with Special Educational Needs or Disabilities (SEND) to create activities to help talk about online safety.

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Net Aware has partnered with Ambitious about Autism to bring online safety tips, advice and activities specifically for parents and carers of children with SEND . We spoke to parents of children with a range of special educational needs such as dyslexia, autism and speech and language difficulties.