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Training for professionals supporting children with eating disorders

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Training for professionals supporting children with eating disorders

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We’re here to build understanding of eating disorders—whether you’re a clinician, educator, healthcare professional, academic, or supporting a loved o

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Supporting children with eating and drinking differences in education settings

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Supporting children with eating and drinking differences in education settings

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Supporting children with eating and drinking differences in education settings - Surrey County Council

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Improving experiences for children and young people with sensory eating and drinking differences when attending an education setting.

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Our Vision

To create a centre in the heart of the community tailored specifically to the needs of autistic people and their supporters.

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A place that offers information, support, opportunities and a social environment to be enjoyed by everyone.

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Autism Services And Support | Express CIC | England

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Express is an independent user led organisation based in Kingston. We provide support and services for autistic people and their families, we promote awareness and acceptance in the community. We are a ‘not for profit’ organisation. We aim to be a place for everyone…

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Dyscalculia Network | Leading Support Network for Dyscalculia

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The Dyscalculia Network is a leading community interest company supporting individuals with Dyscalculia. Find a online tutor today.

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Children and Young Person Guide to Working Together to Safeguard Children

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Children and Young Person Guide to Working Together to Safeguard Children

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PAPYRUS Prevention of Young Suicide is the UK charity dedicated to the prevention of suicide and the promotion of positive mental health and emotional wellbeing in young people.

Suicide is the biggest killer of people aged 35 and under in the UK. We believe that suicide is preventable.

PAPYRUS was founded in 1997 by a group of bereaved parents, who had each lost children to suicide. Our founding parents shared core beliefs that suicide is preventable, and that those of us with lived experience of suicide have a valuable and unique contribution to make to the wider conversation around suicide.

Since then, PAPYRUS has grown into a UK-wide charity with offices in north west England, south west England, West Midlands, London, Northern Ireland, north Wales, south Wales, and Scotland.

Today, we are a leading youth suicide prevention charity in the UK. Our suicide prevention helpline, HOPELINE247, is staffed by trained suicide prevention advisers, who work with young people - and anybody concerned for a young person - to help keep them safe from suicide. HOPELINE247 is a free and confidential call, text and email service, which is available 24 hours a day, every day of the year (weekends and bank holidays included),

We deliver our suicide prevention education and training packages to thousands of people each year, to create suicide-safer communities across the UK.

We also press for change to current legislation around suicide prevention on a regional and national level.

The work we do centres around three key principles; Support Equip and Influence.

SUPPORT:

We provide confidential support and advice to young people struggling with thoughts of suicide, and anyone worried about a young person through our helpline, HOPELINE247.

EQUIP:

We engage communities and volunteers in suicide prevention projects and deliver training programmes to individuals and groups. This includes equipping local councils, healthcare professionals and school staff with suicide prevention skills.

INFLUENCE:

We aim to shape national social policy and make a significant contribution to the local and regional implementation of national suicide prevention strategies wherever we can. Our campaigning comes from our passion as individuals, parents, families and communities who have been touched personally by young suicide. We press for change in many places using hard-hitting and dynamic campaigns as well as presenting evidence to those in power so that lessons can be learned and learning implemented to help save young lives.

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About Us | Papyrus UK | Suicide Prevention Charity

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PAPYRUS is the national charity dedicated to the prevention of young suicide. | Learn more about what we do.

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Neurodiversity Home 101: Tips for the exam room

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Neurodiversity Home 101: Tips for the exam room

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Learner tips for the exam room

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Anna Freud's advice for Secondary school students during exams

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Anna Freud's advice for Secondary school students during exams

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If you’re stressed with exams, revision can be a form of self-care, because it can make you feel more in control of your exam stress or anxiety, and make you feel better prepared to get the grade that you are hoping for.

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Surrey's guide to exam access and reasonable adjustments

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Surrey's guide to exam access and reasonable adjustments

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In England, children and young people with additional needs may qualify for adjustments and specific arrangements for exams. A child or young person does not necessarily need a formal diagnosis to qualify for this support.

The education provider (school/college) decides if support is needed. It does so by looking at the rules set out in the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ). The Standards and Testing Agency (STA) oversees access arrangements for Key Stage 1 and 2 assessments.

Contents:

Access Arrangements

Access Arrangements are pre-examination adjustments, based on evidence of need and normal way of working. Access Arrangements fall into two categories: some arrangements are delegated to centres, others require prior approval by the exam body.

Reasonable Adjustments

The Equality Act 2010 mandates that Awarding Bodies make reasonable adjustments for disabled candidates. These adjustments are unique to each individual and may not always be part of the standard Access Arrangements.

Reasonable adjustments may depend on factors like the candidate's needs, costs, timeframes, and assessment security.

Adjustments must not alter the assessment objectives being tested.

Special Consideration

Special Consideration is an adjustment to a candidate's mark or grade after an exam. This may be made to reflect a temporary injury, illness or other factor, that impacted on them at the time of the examination/assessment.

You should speak to an exam officer for this to be considered. Further details can be found on the Regulations and Guidance section of the Joint Council for Qualifications website.

Evidencing Need

Candidates without a diagnosis can still qualify for concessions. This is based on evidence and a child/young person's normal way of working.

Further details are on the Access Arrangements, Reasonable Adjustments and Special Consideration section of the Joint Council for Qualifications website.

Types of reasonable adjustments during exams

Each student is unique, and the focus is on ensuring equal opportunities for all students during exams. Any adjustments will be individual for the student's specific needs and ways of working. Examples of adjustments that can be made include:

Extra Time: Students with specific needs, such as learning difficulties or disabilities, may be granted additional time to complete their exams. The extra time allows them to work at their own pace and ensures a fair assessment.

Separate Room: Some students may find it challenging to concentrate in a large exam hall due to sensory issues or anxiety. Providing a separate room can reduce distractions and create a more comfortable environment.

Prompter or Reader: For candidates with reading difficulties, a prompter or reader can assist. A prompter reads the questions aloud, while a reader reads the candidate's answers back to them.

Scribe: Students who struggle with writing due to physical disabilities or other reasons can have a scribe. The scribe writes down the student's dictated answers.

Use of Assistive Technology: Access to assistive technology, such as screen readers, speech-to-text software, or specialised keyboards, can be helpful. These tools accommodate various needs and ensure equal access.

Rest Breaks: Some students may require short breaks during longer exams. Rest breaks allow them to recharge and maintain focus.

Modified Question Papers: Simplified language or visual aids can be used in question papers. This helps students who struggle with complex wording or have visual impairments.

Large Print or Braille Papers: Students with visual impairments may need larger font sizes or Braille papers. Providing accessible formats ensures they can read the questions comfortably.

Use of Coloured Overlays or Paper: Coloured overlays or paper can help students with visual stress or dyslexia. These adjustments reduce glare and enhance readability.

Flexible Seating Arrangements: Some students benefit from specific seating arrangements, such as sitting near the front or away from distractions.

How to request specific adjustments

Parents, carers and young people can request specific adjustments through the educational setting or exam centre. To do so, contact the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) or the person responsible for exam arrangements (exams officer).

Things to consider:

Provide Relevant Information:

Discuss Individual Needs:

Explore Available Options:

Formal Request:

Assessment and Approval:

Review and Feedback:

What to do if the request for adjustment is declined

If requested adjustments are denied, it can be a challenging situation for both parents and students. Here are some steps to consider:

Open Dialogue:

Initiate an open and respectful conversation with the school.

Seek clarity on the reasons for denial.

Understand their perspective and share yours.

Highlight the impact of denied adjustments on their well-being and performance.

Review Evidence:

Revisit the evidence provided.

Ensure it clearly demonstrates the student's needs.

Appeal Process:

In England, there is an appeals process, which has to be made by educational establishments.
Get support if you need help
Reach out to organisations that support parents and carers of children with additional needs. SEND Advice Surrey can offer advice or advocate on your behalf where appropriate.

Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health during exams

It's natural for children and young people to feel exam stress. The Mindwork's website has sections on Exam Stress and Managing emotions which includes a video sharing effective study strategies and relaxation techniques.

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Exam Access Arrangements, Reasonable Adjustments and Special Consideration

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Exam adjustments and arrangements made for children with additional needs

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Supporting Neurodivergent children with exam stress from Almond Care Children's Services

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Supporting Neurodivergent children with exam stress from Almond Care Children's Services

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Supporting neurodivergent children with their exams

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As many children and teenagers begin their SATs, GCSEs, and A-Levels, a lot of students will be feeling the pressure.

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1 hour recorded webinar on Neurodiversity an exam preperation

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1 hour recorded webinar on Neurodiversity an exam preperation

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Neurodiversity & Anxiety:  Exam Preparation

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How to deal with exam stress from Young Minds

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How to deal with exam stress from Young Minds

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Exam Stress | How To Deal with Exam Stress

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It's normal to feel a bit worried about exams, but sometimes they can make you feel anxious or depressed. Find out how you can deal with exam stress.

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14 ways to beat exam stress from Mind.org.uk

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14 ways to beat exam stress from Mind.org.uk

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Working towards exams can creating feelings of worry and being under pressure, especially at university where you're aiming for a degree. However there are a range of things that you can do to help deal with the stress that you might be feeling...

Find out more about what we mean by the term stress and stress response here.

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Working towards exams can creating feelings of worry and being under pressure, especially at university where you're aiming for a degree. However there are a range of things that you can do to help deal with the stress that you might be feeling...

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Kooths top tips for coping with exam stress

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Kooths top tips for coping with exam stress

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Kooth's navigating depression and low mood

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Kooth's navigating depression and low mood

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Kooth_Navigating depression and low mood- a practical guide for young people (1)

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Filerobot sharebox used for showing and collaborating different users together on shared files.

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Filerobot sharebox used for showing and collaborating different users together on shared files.

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Simply put, Autism Understood is a website about autism, for autistic young people.

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A website about autism, for autistic young people - so that everyone can gain a better understanding of what autism actually is.

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Information and courses for Parents/Carers and schools

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Information and courses for Parents/Carers and schools

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Support for Parents of Children with Selective Mutism

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Led by Lucy Nathanson, our team of specialist therapists supports children with selective mutism, offering tailored therapy and guidance for parents

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A guide for Parents and Carers

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Advice for Young People regarding Self harm

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Advice for Young People regarding Self harm

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CS5814 - Healthy Schools Self Harm Protocol_3 (003)

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Autism Suicide Prevention Training - For Professionals

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Autism Suicide Prevention Training - For Professionals

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Autism Oxford UK Limited – Autism Suicide Prevention Training

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Recognising and managing self-harming and suicidal behaviour

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Recognising and managing self-harming and suicidal behaviour

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A guide for young people

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Browse our free mental health resources for those working in primary, secondary and FE settings.

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Beacon House is a specialist, innovative and creative therapeutic service for young people, families and adults.

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Welcome to Beacon House

Beacon House is a specialist, innovative and creative therapeutic service for young people, families and adults. With a special interest in working with individuals of all ages who have experienced trauma and loss, we are passionate about offering safe and effective therapies in a way that enables people to re-build their lives following stress and adversity. We also take pride in supporting individuals and teams to develop their trauma informed practice through training, supervision and consultation.

Our Cuckfield Clinic periodically closes to new child and adult referrals to prevent long waiting times. Please do get in touch with us to find out if we have spaces currently.

We have some specific capacity for child and family referrals at our Chichester Clinic. Please do get in touch with us to find out if we are able to allocate your referral at this time.

Find out more about us

Our Services

How can Beacon House help you?

Educational Psychology

Get In Touch

Get in touch today to find out more.

We have clinics in Cuckfield and in Chichester.

Please note: We are not able to accept any walk-ins. All meetings are by appointment only. Office hours are: Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm.

To ask any questions, please contact us on admin@beaconhouse.org.uk

We use cookies to help improve your experience of this website. By using this website, you agree to accept cookies from this site.

Accept

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Beacon House | Chartered Clinical Psychologist Trauma Specialist

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Beacon House is a specialist, innovative and creative therapeutic service for young people, families and adults.

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Welcome to Beacon House

Beacon House is a specialist, innovative and creative therapeutic service for young people, families and adults. With a special interest in working with individuals of all ages who have experienced trauma and loss, we are passionate about offering safe and effective therapies in a way that enables people to re-build their lives following stress and adversity. We also take pride in supporting individuals and teams to develop their trauma informed practice through training, supervision and consultation.

Our Cuckfield Clinic periodically closes to new child and adult referrals to prevent long waiting times. Please do get in touch with us to find out if we have spaces currently.

We have some specific capacity for child and family referrals at our Chichester Clinic. Please do get in touch with us to find out if we are able to allocate your referral at this time.

Find out more about us

Our Services

How can Beacon House help you?

Educational Psychology

Get In Touch

Get in touch today to find out more.

We have clinics in Cuckfield and in Chichester.

Please note: We are not able to accept any walk-ins. All meetings are by appointment only. Office hours are: Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm.

To ask any questions, please contact us on admin@beaconhouse.org.uk

We use cookies to help improve your experience of this website. By using this website, you agree to accept cookies from this site.

Accept

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Beacon House | Chartered Clinical Psychologist Trauma Specialist

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A range of different courses/support for ParentCarers

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A range of different courses/support for ParentCarers

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Supporting young people who face additional challenges can be difficult at times. With that in mind, the Hope Service has created a space for groups of parents and carers to come together on a regular (fortnightly) basis to discuss the challenges they face in a confidential and supportive environment.

These groups are specifically for parents and carers of young people who would like additional support. You will have an opportunity to exchange experiences and receive support towards managing the often complex situations you find yourselves in. This is not a parenting class, rather a non-judgemental support group and we encourage you to talk about whatever seems most important.

The Hope Service will be offering topical sessions to coincide with the dates on offer, where parents and carers can join together to discuss current difficulties.

Support is offered via Microsoft Teams by Hope staff members, which could include a Therapist, Nurse, Teacher, Social Worker and Hope day programme staff or outside facilitators.

The following table details the sessions on offer.

Tuesday 5 March 2024, 5pm to 6.00pm

What is Child Exploitation: How to recognise the signs of a child being exploited, including County Lines and what support is available.

If you would like to participate, please book on Eventbrite, or if you require any further information please contact the Hope Service.

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Confidential parent and carer support within the Hope service, the list of fortnightly themed sessions throughout the year and how to book.

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Welcome Every boy needs a positive male role model in their life, and especially during childhood. This relationship is most commonly filled by their dad but when this isn’t possible, another significant…

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Shared with us by St Annes Catholic school. This is a fantastic regulation/brain/movement break activity.

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Neurodevelopmental support for children and young people :: Mindworks Surrey

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Neurodevelopmental support for children and young people :: Mindworks Surrey

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Update on the Neurodevelopmental support for children and young people :: Mindworks Surrey

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We recognise that some children and young people, and their families, are waiting longer to access support than we would want them to, and we understand this is a particularly difficult time for parents and carers who are supporting a young person with a suspected neurodevelopmental need.

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Right to Choose for mental health care (including all aged Autism and ADHD)

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Right to Choose for mental health care (including all aged Autism and ADHD)

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Mental Health support and your right to choose

Mental health support available for you and your family in Surrey Heartlands

You can access many services without needing to speak to your GP first.

Trying to understand which services best suit your needs can be difficult, especially if you have never heard of them.

The Healthy Surrey and Mindworks Surrey websites have lots of resources and a comprehensive list of local support services for mental health and emotional wellbeing such as:

local services in Surrey for psychological support or money management and debt

veteran support

places to contact in times of crisis

If you are unable to access online services, you can continue to seek emotional wellbeing support through a free confidential helpline:

call 0808 802 5000 (in high demand periods, an answerphone service may be in place)

SMS Text 07537 432411 (staffed Monday to Friday 9am-2pm).

Mental Health services for Adults Mental Health services for Children

What to do in a mental health crisis
For people experiencing a mental health crisis, please telephone 0800 915 4644 (365 days a year, 24 hours a day).
If you have speech or hearing difficulties, you can contact the helpline through:

SMS 07717 989 024 (this service is only available to adults aged 18 years and over)

Relay UK service

Call 18001 0800 915 4644 from your text phone or smart app

More information is available on the Surrey and Borders Partnership website.

For non-urgent medical advice, please visit NHS 111 online.

Right to Choose for mental health care (including all aged Autism and ADHD)

In England, all NHS patients have a legal right to choose the service or hospital that provides their physical and mental health care.

This means people can make choices that best suit their individual needs and enables people to be more involved, and have more control over, their care.

For mental health services, this means people have the right to choose their mental health provider and their mental health team. This is known as 'Right to choose' and is part of the national NHS Choice Framework.

For example, if a GP refers someone for an ADHD or an autism assessment, in most cases, that person (or their parent or carer) can choose the provider that best suits their needs. When considering the right service, people may consider the service location, waiting times and other factors such as what the service offers.
NHS England guidance: choice of provider and team in mental health care

What do these rights mean for you and your family?

The legal rights to choice of mental health provider and team apply when :

A GP refers a patient for treatment when it is not urgent or an emergency (crisis) and

A GP refers a patient for a first appointment with a chosen provider for a new episode of care and

The patient is not already under the care of a provider or has previously received treatment from this provider for the same condition and

the referral is clinically appropriate and

the service and team are led by a consultant or a mental healthcare professional e.g. a psychologist and

the chosen provider has a commissioning contract with NHS Surrey Heartlands or NHS England for the required service.

Prior commissioner approval is not required when the above apply.

When do the rights to choice not apply?

If any of the following describe your situation, the legal rights to choice do not apply.

Where a patient is:

already receiving mental health care following an elective referral for the same condition

referred to a service that is commissioned by a local authority, for example a drug and alcohol service (unless commissioned under a Section 75 Agreement)

accessing urgent or emergency (crisis) care

accessing services delivered through a primary care (GMS) contract

in high secure psychiatric services

detained under the Mental Health Act 1983

detained in a secure setting. This includes people in or on temporary release from prisons, courts, secure children's homes, certain secure training centres, immigration removal centres or young offender institutions

serving as a member of the armed forces (family members in England have the same rights as other residents of England)

Talk to your GP about whether you can choose your provider.

How do I know which providers I can choose from?

If you need a referral into a mental health service, your GP will be able to talk you through the next steps and the options available to you, including your right to choose and providers that would be suitable and able to meet your, or your child's needs.

You can also search for services online, although your GP would need to confirm an NHS contract is in place before they can make a referral - and they can check this with us (NHS Surrey Heartlands ICB).

Does Right to Choose apply for adult mental health services, including Autism and ADHD services?

If you or a family member need a referral into an adult mental health service, including Autism and ADHD services, then Right to Choose may apply, but it would depend on the type of service you need.

For example, some services such as crisis support, would not be part of Right to Choose because people would need immediate support and timely access is really important.

There may also be some highly specialist services where a choice of service isn't available because the service is so specialist.

Your GP will be able to advise you on whether there are different services or organisations that could provide the type of support you need. We would recommend talking to your GP about the options available.

Can I use right to choose for my child's autism or ADHD assessment?

Surrey Heartlands commission autism and ADHD assessments from Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust for children and young people who meet the referral criteria for this service.

We recognise the current waiting times are longer than we would want them to be, and whilst children are supported while they await an assessment, Right to Choose could be another option. If parents wanted their child to be seen by a different provider, they should discuss this with their GP. The GP can make the referral, as long as the provider already holds an NHS contract for providing autism or ADHD services.

Providers often vary in the type of service they provide. Some offer assessment only, whilst some offer ongoing support. If you are considering Right to Choose, it is important to look at what the different services provide so your GP can make a referral to the service that best meets your child's needs, including any ongoing support they may need.

Is ADHD medication available for children and adults through Right to Choose?

Providers often vary in the type of service they provide.

For example, some organisations only offer assessments, whilst others offer ongoing support, including medication.

If you are considering Right to Choose, it's important to look at what the different services provide so your GP can make a referral to the service that best meets your, or your child's, needs, including any ongoing support they may need.

Additional mental health support

National charities also offer a range of information and advice on mental health topics to improve the quality of life for anyone affected by mental illness and carers. Specialist support from the national charity Carers UK also provides a wealth of resources specifically for families and carers.

If you think you may need further psychological support or are unsure about what help might be best for you, please do contact your GP to seek advice.

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Recognising that you may have a mental health problem and taking the first steps to get help can be difficult but it is worth remembering that 1 in 4 of us will experience mental health problems at some point in our lives.

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Joint Hypermobility Syndrome (JHS) and Connective Tissue Disorders Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS)

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Joint Hypermobility Syndrome (JHS) and Connective Tissue Disorders Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS)

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Hypermobility is quite common in the general population, particularly in children and is not usually a problem on its own. Sometimes it is associated with long-term, widespread pain and other problems. This is called symptomatic hypermobility and can be a sign of joint hypermobility syndrome (JHS) or connective tissue disorders such as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS).

There are different types of EDS, each with distinct body-wide symptoms which can be difficult to recognise and can vary widely from person to person.

JHS and EDS may cause problems for pupils at school and these are likely to occur before a diagnosis has been given.

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What are joint hypermobility syndrome (JHS) and the Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS) ?

Hypermobility

Some people may be able to extend their joints further than is usual - this is known as being hypermobile or double-jointed. Hypermobility is quite common in the general population, especially in children and, on its own, is not necessarily a problem. However, hypermobility can be associated with long-term, widespread pain, frequent dislocations, damage to the tissues surrounding joints and fatigue. When hypermobility comes with these problems it is called symptomatic hypermobility. People who are hypermobile may also struggle to sense the position of their joints (this is called having poor proprioception). This can make them appear clumsy and can lead to falls and other injuries.

The Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS)

EDS are a group of genetic (heritable) conditions affecting the connective tissue which is found throughout the body. Connective tissue holds joints and internal organs in place and is an important structural component of skin, blood vessels and other tissues. In EDS, a certain kind of connective tissue (collagen) is fragile and stretchy. This can cause symptoms throughout the body. The different types of EDS are quite distinct from each other. While some signs and symptoms are specific to certain types, there are some (such as symptomatic hypermobility) that are common to most types of EDS. Vascular EDS (vEDS) is different to the other types of EDS and can lead to sudden, life-threatening events.

Joint hypermobility syndrome, closely related to EDS

Joint hypermobility syndrome (JHS) is a condition involving symptomatic hypermobility. It is thought to be closely related to some types of EDS. It is more common for children to be defined as having symptomatic hypermobility or JHS than EDS. People with JHS can display similar symptoms to people with some types of EDS. The differences between the two are not important from a school's perspective and we suggest pupils with symptomatic hypermobility, JHS and EDS be treated and managed in the same way except for individual differences.

Effects throughout the body

JHS and EDS are complex syndromes affecting many systems of the body at once. Despite this, they are often invisible. In addition to problems associated with hypermobility, those affected may also have skin which damages easily, bruises and is slow to heal, or alternatively can be thick and velvety. Different symptoms and their severity vary considerably from person to person and are unique, even in the same type of EDS and within the same family. Some other conditions seem to be more common in people with JHS and EDS compared to the general population but we can't say for certain that they are linked.

Individuals with JHS or some types of EDS can experience symptoms related to the abnormal function of the autonomic (involuntary or automatic) nervous system. The term autonomic dysfunction is used. It is not yet clear how JHS or EDS and autonomic dysfunction are linked. In some people with autonomic dysfunction, symptoms come on when they are upright and are mostly relieved by lying down. This is called orthostatic intolerance or postural orthostatic intolerance (PoTS). Symptoms of PoTS include palpitations (a sensation of your heart pounding in your chest), lightheadedness or dizziness, sweating, fainting, fatigue and headaches. They can also affect the gut (where nausea, diarrhoea, constipation, bloating, abdominal pain and vomiting can be experienced), concentration and vision (excessive glare, blurred or tunnel vision).

There is evidence of an association between hypermobility and anxiety but the relationship is not yet fully understood.

Common symptoms of JHS and EDS

Symptoms of JHS and EDS are widespread and can vary greatly from child to child. The diagram below shows the symptoms of the most common type of EDS, called hypermobile EDS (hEDS). There are additional distinctive symptoms for the rarer types of EDS.

Emerging associations

Research also suggests a link between hypermobility and autism/neurodevelopmental differences but again, more research is needed. Neurodiversity can be thought of as a 'spectrum' of conditions including autism, dyslexia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia (developmental coordination disorder), ADHD and tic disorders including Tourette's syndrome. This is a developing area, some say merging into neurovariance to include hypermobility.

Severe allergy-like symptoms seem to be relatively common in people with some types of EDS. This is thought to be due to a recently recognised condition called mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), although again, more research is needed.

Getting a diagnosis

Both EDS and JHS are difficult to recognise, especially in children. Medical professionals are often reluctant to label a child with a medical diagnosis early in their life. This means pupils may be experiencing the signs of symptomatic hypermobility or EDS but struggle to get a diagnosis. Whether with or without a diagnosis the management of symptomatic hypermobility should be supported.

Hormones, hypermobility and EDS

The hormones oestrogen and progesterone are known to affect connective tissue and this can influence hypermobility. While the relationship is not fully understood and more research is needed, JHS and EDS symptoms often seem to begin or worsen at the start of menstruation. Symptoms can also worsen in the days before a period. We also know that symptoms can change significantly at other stages of life when significant hormonal changes happen.

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Learn about joint hypermobility syndrome (JHS) and the Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS) and how they affect pupils at school

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First Steps to Understanding Masking in Your Child

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First Steps to Understanding Masking in Your Child

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Find an adult learning course - Surrey County Council (surreycc.gov.uk)

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First Steps to Understanding Masking in Your Child Workshop Online Course Flyer (Email and Print )

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SENDIAS - SEND Advice Surrey Support/Signposting for Parent/Carers

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SENDIAS - SEND Advice Surrey Support/Signposting for Parent/Carers

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Find out how SEND Advice Surrey can help you and your family with information, advice and guidance relating to additional needs and disability.

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Surrey County Council - Family information directory

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A 4 week course to learn about adolescent brain development and to give parents ideas and strategies to maintain boundaries, motivation & support for young people. Suitable for parents of children from year 5 upwards. Contact the centre for date and time of next course.… Read more

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Green Teens offers nature-based mental wellbeing programmes to teenagers (11-18) facing low to moderate social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) challenges.

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The Green Hub Project for Teens supports young people - aged 11-18 - who are struggling with mild to moderate stress and social anxieties. Things like bullying, on-line pressures, exam stress and so forth.

We really want to help teens find a safe and enjoyable space to step away from daily pressures, become part of a teen support network and enjoy healing time spent in nature. Teens join for a 12 week programme, coming along for a 1.5 - 2 hour session once a week on a Saturday.

The Green Hub Project for Teens is funded by local government, charitable foundations and local businesses, so there is no cost for teens to become involved.

Simply share your details with me here and we will be in touch very soon to set up a chat with you. We want to understand what's going on for you and your teenager and whether Green Hub might be able to make an important difference for them and for you.

Simply share your details with me below and I will be in touch very soon to set up a chat.

If you'd like to know more about the Referral process, click here>>
NOTE: Due to unprecedented amounts of Spam contacts, we now host our contact forms away from the main website. Please be assured that these are totally secure - you will be redirected back to the Green Hub website on completion.

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GP & Professional referral - Green Hub %

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Referring a patient, student or client The Green Hub Project for Teens supports young people - aged 11-18 - who are struggling with mild to moderate stress and social anxieties. Things like bullying, on-line pressures, exam stress and so forth. We really want to help teens find a

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This programme is for parents/carers with a young person who is diagnosed with ADHD, their young person is on the pathway to being assessed for ADHD, or the family/school are seeing traits of ADHD behaviours.

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Learning Space- Support for Schools and Professionals

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Learning Space- Support for Schools and Professionals

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Families First is our way in Surrey of describing how practitioners work together to ensure families receive the right support at the right time.

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Description of the Families First principles of how practitioners should work together to ensure families receive the right support at the right time.

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Widgit Symbol Resources | Ready-Made Teaching Materials

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Widgit Symbol Resource Packs, hundreds of symbol resource packs, created in partnership with professionals

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Practical, early years SEND assessment resources that you can use to help children with SEND.

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Help for early years providers : SEND assessment guidance and resources

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The resources have been developed by Dingley’s Promise in collaboration with the Department for Education.

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Examples of how to use the assessment tools in practice including a one-page profile and a SMART targets sheet.

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The DfE assessment resources provide a suggested way of working when assessing children with SEND in the early years. Whether you are a school-based provider, group-based provider or childminder, these resources can be used to support your children with potential or known SEND. You may want to use everything, or choose which specific elements will be helpful for your setting.

The resources include:

four assessment tools centred around the four broad areas of need

examples of how to use the assessment tools in practice

a one page profile to capture the voice of the child

SMART targets sheet to set short-term targets

support and achievement play plans (SAPPs) to capture a child's long-term goals and needs

The assessment tools

There are four assessment tools, that reflect the four broad areas of need, with a focus on the core skills children with SEND may gain in each area. You can use them at any stage of supporting a child, and they are designed to be used individually or together based on the needs of a child.

The tools may be used in the following way:

An area of need is recognised through observation and discussed with the parents and or carers.

The appropriate broad area(s) of need is selected from the assessment tools.

You use the tool to find out what the child can do in their area of need.

You discuss the child's strengths and strategies to support them and note this on a one-page profile with the parents and or carers.

You use the assessment tool to outline the initial targets for their child. Using specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound (SMART) targets you can help a child to make progress towards the assessment statements within the tool.

You may want to produce a Support and Achievement Play Plan (SAPP), which will identify long-term goals and record key strategies you may use to support the child. You implement the strategies discussed in practice, noting their impact on the child and how the child engages with your planned support.

By the end of the term, or appropriate period, you review the impact of the strategies with the parents and or carers, complete a development monitoring review to determine developmental progress and set out new appropriate targets.

Repeat steps 5-7 until you feel support is no longer required or you support the child to transition to their next setting or school.

There may come a time where you feel external specialist support is required. You may refer to your setting or local authority area Special Educational Needs Co-Ordinator (SENCO) for support and guidance or you can directly refer to these services and work with them on any additional support to be implemented. You should only request specialist support when you are satisfied that you have used a graduated approach to understand the child and their needs, and even when they are waiting to be seen you should continue to trial different approaches to support the child.

To strengthen your understanding of how to identify developmental differences and needs and help to consider factors affecting children's development when they access the learning and curriculum on offer, the DfE has developed early years child development training. You can access it for free.

Using the assessment tools

Completing the assessment tool is quick and simple. Each statement is broken down into three levels:

emerging - the child is showing some interest or awareness of this skill.

supported - the child can achieve this skill with support from another (adult or child).

independently - the child can consistently achieve this skill on their own without additional support from an adult or child.

By reading the statements you can make a judgement as to whether you feel the child is not yet showing awareness of this skill, and so leave it unmarked, or determine whether they are emerging (E), supported (S) or independent (I). You can then mark the coordinating letter however you wish (circle, highlight, tick, etc.).

Every time you complete an additional review you should use a different colour to evidence where you feel the child is at that point. We recognise that some children may regress with their development on occasion, and this should also be marked, and appropriate next steps and intervention should be carried out.

The assessment tools promote a positive view of the child by working towards a series of "I can" statements. These are further divided into three sub sections, which allow you to see if there are particular areas of development that may need deeper focus. The statements are organised like building blocks, with the likelihood that the lower blocks are achieved before the higher blocks. However, some children will not progress in this way, and you should not be concerned if you are observing that the higher blocks have been achieved before the lower blocks.

You can also note the types of play you observe from the child to support your decision making in appropriate strategies of support or environmental adjustments you can make to enhance their learning.

Case study

Mary completed the "Sensory and Physical" tool for Abdul, and noted that he is not yet using an open top cup and preferred drinking from a closed 'easy drink' bottle. She circled "E" (emerging) on the statement "I can drink with an open top cup without support". To support him, Mary planned to initially provide Abdul with a slanted, 2 handled drinks cup, alongside his favourite bottle, which gave him the access to an open cup whilst being easier to hold and needing little movement backwards to drink. She shared these next steps with other practitioners and Abdul's parents so that at meal and snack times Abdul will be supported by an adult to engage and drink from the open cup ensuring consistency between home and setting. She also noted this down on his SMART target sheet. Mary also decided to offer other tipping and pouring opportunities for Abdul throughout his play to encourage these skills in the moment. She modelled tipping and pouring actions with Abdul throughout the session when he showed an interest in the water tray. Throughout the term, his confidence grew, and his skills developed. By the following term, when Mary completed the assessment tool for Abdul again, she was able to recognise his progress by circling "S" (supported), indicating that he can now demonstrate this skill with guidance from an adult.

Here is an example of a completed tool

Example tool

Using the framework tool to monitor child progress

Monitoring how children progress with their learning helps you see where to focus your support. The development growth section enables you to note how a child is progressing over a period of time, recognising areas where the child may need further support and areas in which they are making continuous developmental progress and so highlighting their strengths.

This can be simply monitored by recording the number of emerging, supported or independent statements a child is achieving. For example, where a child is emerging in a statement this would be recorded as 1, supported would be 2 and independent would be 3, you can add these together to see how much of the assessment tool they are covering with each review, monitoring their progress.

You can monitor a child's progress through the change in the number of statements a child is covering within the assessment tool each term.

Using the framework following the Progress Check at Age Two

If a delay is identified during the Progress Check at Age Two, you may choose to use the assessment tool as your next step on the journey to supporting the child and their parents and or carers. You can select and complete the relevant tool to understand in more detail what the child is currently achieving. This way, you create a starting point to work from and this supports you in evidencing the successes a child has with the intervention you can provide.

Case study

After completing the Progress Check at Age Two with his key child, Leigh, Mathew recognised that her communication and language skills were delayed. He met with Leigh's parents to discuss how they could further support her, and introduced the setting SENCO. They chose the communication and interaction tool and completed an assessment of Leigh. This assessment, alongside conversation with her parents to understand more about how Leigh communicates at home, led to identifying that Leigh could use some early speech sounds, but lacked confidence when engaging with others.

Mathew decided to use visuals alongside Leigh's favourite interests and used simple language during play as first strategies to support Leigh's communication journey moving forwards. Mathew engaged in these strategies with Leigh consistently, and shared the same visuals with her parents to use in the home. Over time both parents and Mathew noticed an increase in awareness of the visuals and on occasion Leigh would pick up a visual which linked with something she was playing with. By the next review, a term later, everyone could see the progress in Leigh's awareness of communication.

Through the reviews and communal discussion of Leigh's strengths and needs the team that surrounded her could identify strategies that would interest her as well as support her early language skills which led to effective progress being made on each termly review. If Leigh's communication needs continue to make progress but not meet typical milestones the SENCO would support the family in making a referral to speech and language services in their area for additional support and guidance.

Using the toolkit to support accessing funding

Additional funding can be important to ensuring equipment, training and appropriate support are in place. When applying for local authority allocated funding, they may ask you for evidence of the child's need. To access funding, it should be clear what broad areas of need a child has, how this impacts their learning and development, the support currently in place and the potential impact of the support requested. The impact on a child's learning and development can be evidenced through selecting observations that demonstrate the child's needs and how effective the current support provided is. By using the assessment tool, you can show clear progression through small steps-based learning. These are all things that a local authority may consider when assessing applications for SEND funding.

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The DfE assessment resources provide a suggested way of working when assessing children with SEND in the early years. Whether you are a school-based provider, group-based provider or childminder, these resources can be used to support your children with potential or known SEND.

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To help you prepare and set up your classroom for a new academic year, we’ve put together a range of useful (and free!) resources.

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Training for Professionals at Freemantles School 2024-25

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Training for Professionals at Freemantles School 2024-25

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A wide range of high quality, low cost training will be offered by Freemantles school this academic year, including both online sessions and courses held in our on-site training room.

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Training for Professionals working with autistic children

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Tourette syndrome is a genetically determined neurological condition, the key features of which are tics, involuntary and uncontrollable sounds and movements. TS is a complex condition and a large number of people with the condition will also experience co-occurring features and conditions.

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Tourettes Action is a support and research charity working to improve the lives of people living with Tourette Syndrome. Our services include online live-chat and email support, a befriender network, information, webinars, events and resources.

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Review tool to be used with the Whole School audit for EBSNA

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Review tool to be used with the Whole School audit for EBSNA

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This is to be used as a follow up tool to the initial audit. The Initial Audit can be found on this Padlet.

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Surrey EBSNA whole school REVIEW audit for schools

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This can be used to identify where your school currently is regarding to Emotional Based Non School Attendance.

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Surrey EBSNA whole school INITIAL audit for schools

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ADHD Embrace is a voluntary, independent, non-funded, parent/carer support group for this neuro-developmental condition.

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We are a charity supporting parents and professionals who live and work with kids and teens with ADHD. 5% of the population have ADHD and early intervention and support can change the outcome of a child's life. For two decades, we have worked to ensure that children with ADHD are understood, supported and thrive.

Providing a support community for the parents and professionals is at the heart of what we do. To become part of our community register here. We have a newsletter packed full of tips, support and events for families and a Facebook Closed Forum for parents and carers - sign up here. We provide a variety of services including specialist seminars led by experts, teacher seminars, free ADHD workshops, subsidised parenting courses and an ADHD resource library and video store.

We value the involvement of all of our ADHD community, so get more involved here. Read here about how we have helped families.

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Welcome to ADHD Embrace We are a charity supporting parents and professionals who live and work with kids and teens with ADHD. 5% of the population have ADHD and early intervention and support can change the outcome of a child's life. For two decades, we have worked to ensure that children with ADHD are understood, ...

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Action for Carers | Supporting carers of all ages across Surrey

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Action for Carers Surrey supports carers of all ages across Surrey with free advice and support.

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Emotional wellbeing and mental health services for children and young people, including the CAMHS service, now known as Intensive Interventions.

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Caudwell Children | Children's Charity | Changing Children's Lives

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Caudwell Children is a children's charity that is transforming the lives of disabled children and their families.

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

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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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Sensory Audit for Schools and Classrooms

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Sensory Audit for Schools and Classrooms

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Information about Barnardo's ADHD support/services in the Surrey are for parents/carers of children and young people with ADHD.

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Service Description

We are a proud alliance partner of Mindworks. At Barnardo's Surrey Positive Parenting, we support parents/carers of children (6 to 18 years old) who have a diagnosis of ADHD or are in the process of getting a diagnosis of ADHD. We give parents and carers strategies to manage challenging behaviour whilst gaining support from parents or carers in a similar situation.

We have groups all over Surrey that run during the day and evening, online and face-to-face. This support and advice is delivered in an eight-week programme.
We empower parents by helping them to:

gain confidence and skills as parents when living with a child with ADHD

exploring how positive parenting is beneficial to the family as a whole

discuss strategies for effective behaviour management

have the opportunity to meet with other parents

understanding the importance of clear communication for a child with ADHD

We have two skills building programmes:

The Parent Factor in ADHD is for parents/carers of children that have an ADHD diagnosis (8 week skills building programme).

The Nurturing Programme, delivered with ADHD as a clear focus, is for those parents/carers awaiting a diagnosis for their child. (8 week skills building programme).

For further information please visit Barnardo's - Surrey Positive Parenting Service.

Areas covered:

Contact Details

Name of partner: Barnardos
Email: surreypositiveparenting@barnardos.org.uk

Service manager: Michaela Hussey
Opening hours:

9am to 5pm, Monday to Thursday

9am to 4:30pm, Friday

Print this page

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We are a proud alliance partner of Mindworks. At Barnardo's Surrey Positive Parenting, we support parents/carers of children (6 to 18 years old) who have a diagnosis of ADHD or are in the process of getting a diagnosis of ADHD.

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Dysgraphia is a learning disability that results in impaired handwriting, impaired spelling, or both in someone of normal or above-average intelligence. It is not a mental health disorder, but rather a brain-based learning disability marked by difficulty forming letters, spelling words correctly, staying within lines, writing legibly, or organizing and expressing one's ideas on paper.

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Dysgraphia is a Greek word. The base word graph refers both to the hand’s function in writing and to the letters formed by the hand. The prefix dys indicates

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Our purpose

We work to ensure that all children and young people are seen and heard, feel safe and can grow. We use a whole family approach to ensure families get the help and support they need from different professionals working as one team.

Other websites offering support

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We work to ensure that all children and young people are seen and heard, feel safe and can grow. We use a whole family approach to ensure families get the help and support they need from different professionals working as one team. Other websites offering support

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Helpful tips and guidance from the team which oversees our local offer for care leavers, CYA (CAMHS Youth Advisors Surrey) and SYAS (SEND Youth Advisors Surrey)

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Additional needs and/or disabilities parent and carer guide

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Additional needs and/or disabilities parent and carer guide

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Additional needs and/or disabilities parent and carer guide

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Additional Needs and Disabilities booklet for parents and carers

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Resistance to demands is a characteristic experienced by and observed in some autistic people. It is sometimes labelled as Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA), but there is debate about the evidence for and usefulness of this label.

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Helping young people feel safe, heard and supported

We listen, we talk, and we help young people with the skills they need to live their best life. And we work with families and professionals to make sure everyone gets the support they need.

Growing up in today’s world can be incredibly challenging – It’s why we listen to young people, they understand better than anyone what’s happening in their own lives.

Understanding and giving support for challenges early can often stop problems from becoming much bigger – and we believe every child deserves to feel safe and heard.

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Eikon is an award-winning charity that has been working in local Surrey communities for over two decades. We provide long-term support to some of the county's most vulnerable young people. Our vision is to develop happy, thriving and resilient young adults who make a positive contribution to society.

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The Eikon Charity - Children's Charity for Surrey

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Eikon is an award-winning charity that has been working in local Surrey communities for over two decades. We provide long-term support to some of the county's most vulnerable young people. Our vision is to develop happy, thriving and resilient young adults who make a positive contribution to society.

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Believe in children | Children’s charity

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Barnardo’s is a children’s charity that protects and supports children and young people in the UK who need us. We help bring out the best in them.

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Surrey's All-Age Autism Strategy 2021 to 2026 aims to improve the lives of the estimated 12,300 autistic people living in Surrey, by breaking down barriers and inequalities that autistic children, young people and adults face in education, health, social care, work and communities. The strategy was developed by a partnership of autistic people, their families and carers, and professionals from across Surrey's service system. Together they have set out an autism friendly vision for Surrey, where autistic people can lead healthy, safe and fulfilling lives. The strategy will be delivered by committed partners across Surrey to improve understanding of autism and support more accessible and joined-up public services.

Clare Curran, Cabinet Member for Children and Families said "Delivery of the All-Age Autism strategy through committed partnership over the next five years will improve the lives of Surrey's autistic children and young people by giving them better and more equal access to the public services they need to lead healthy, safe and fulfilling lives."

Sinead Mooney, Cabinet Member for Adults and Health said: "Ensuring no-one is left behind is a priority for Surrey County Council. The All-Age Autism Strategy has set the ambition that autistic residents whatever their age, will have an equality of access and their needs better understood across education, care and health services in Surrey."

Denise Turner-Stewart, Cabinet Member for Education and Learning said: "The All-Age Autism strategy will help to inform and improve understanding of autism across Surrey. Working with our partners in health and education, we are committed to increasing local opportunities for autistic children and young people, enabling them to meet their future ambitions."

The Surrey All-Age Autism Strategy supports the National Autism Strategy published by the Department of Health and Social Care and the Department for Education.

Files available to download

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Our strategy for supporting Surrey residence with Autism spectrum conditions for the next five years.

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Teach Kids to Manage Big Feelings Through Effective Social Emotional Learning

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

Struggling to manage their feelings and mental health

More disruptive in the classroom

Needing additional social, emotional, and behavioral support

(source: National Center for Education Statistics)

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

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Neurodevelopmental Service :: Mindworks Surrey

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Should the young person require a diagnostic assessment the Neurodevelopmental Service will be in touch to confirm and outline the next steps for your child. All diagnostic assessments compose of a need to understand the young person’s developmental history as well as a direct assessment with the young person.

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ATLAS aims to bring about positive change for people with additional needs and disabilities. A priority for us as ATLAS members is to actively tackle ableism, stigma, and discrimination in the work that they do.

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Our preferred terminology in ATLAS - Surrey County Council

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We aim to increase the use of language that people with additional needs and disabilities use to self-describe and identify in all settings.

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Occupational Therapy enables people to participate in daily life to improve their health and wellbeing.

Daily life is made up of many activities (or occupations). Occupations for children or young people may include self-care (getting ready to go out, eating a meal, using the toilet), being productive (going to nursery or school, or volunteering), and leisure (playing with friends or doing hobbies).

You can find further information about the Occupational Therapy service in the sections below.

You can find therapy resources including advice sheets, apps, videos and links in the 'Therapy Resources' section.

You can use the Resource Finder Tool as a 'self-service' approach to help you get the right help and support.

The service is delivered in a range of settings which includes local mainstream and special schools, early year's settings including Children Centres the home environment and on a clinic or hospital site.

Ideally the therapist will try to see the child or young person in the environment where occupations are taking place.

Occupational therapists will spend time finding out about the child's and family's typical daily life and what they want, need or are expected to do.

They will then work together with the child, family and other key people to evaluate what helps or hinders their involvement in daily life roles.

Together, possible solutions will be developed, such as exploring alternative ways of doing things or making changes to the environment to support participation.

Our Occupational Therapy Helpline is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2pm to 4pm.

Tel: 01932 558 570

We offer practical occupational therapy advice, strategies and support to schools, parents/carers and other professionals in relation to a child's/young person's functional and independence skills.

1. A whole population/universal approach delivering occupational therapy, where therapists share professional knowledge and skills with educational staff and parents to improve the engagement and participation of children in a range of school and home occupations.

2. Targeted services designed to support children and young people who are at risk of reduced participation in everyday occupations, delivered via a telephone advice line, school/nursery link visits, workshops, training and occupational therapy resource packs and advise sheets.

3. Specialist occupational therapy services provided for children and young people with identified physical and developmental learning needs which impact on their participation in life roles. Use of an individualised intervention approach to teach strategies, recommendation of specialist equipment, and advice on environmental modifications, parent coaching approaches, individualised home and nursery/school occupational therapy advice, and specialist evidence based therapy delivered individually or in a group setting.

Whole population/universal approach and targeted service can be accessed at a pre referral stage; specialist occupational therapy requires a child to be referred.

Further information is available from Social Care Occupational Therapy (Surrey) and from the Royal College of Occupational Therapy in the Children and Young People leaflet and in the School leaflet.

The Person, environment, occupation (PEO) model is used in Surrey to focus on the child/young person's skills, interest and motivations, the occupations they want or need to do and the environment in which they take place. These three areas all directly impact on participation in daily life.

Occupational therapy is most effective when offered in the environment where the child/young person carries out their daily life activities e.g. home, nursery or school.

Therapy approaches are most effective when the occupations and activities the child/young person's is motivated and interested in are the main focus. They should be included in their daily routines to maximising frequency.

Occupational Therapists support sensory needs which impact daily life. We support families, educational settings, children and young people to manage sensory needs through; adapting the environment, modify the activity, develop an understanding of sensory needs and use strategies for the child/young person to self-manage.

These approaches are recommended in the literature. For example, changing the sensory environment to enable the child/young person to participate in the activity, i.e. alter the temperature, reduce visual clutter, noise level, and lighting in the environment, (College of Occupational Therapists 2015.)

Supporting the parent/carer to manage sensory needs and to improve participation of children/young people in their chosen occupations through using coaching principles has shown evidence of effectiveness (Dunn et al 2012; Graham et al 2015.) The service does not provide Ayres Sensory Integration Therapy (ASI), therapy in a clinic setting which uses equipment including swings. There is not enough evidence at this present time to validate use. Instead we provide therapy linked to occupations and environments with the intention to manage (not change) the sensory needs of a child/young person (College of Occupational Therapists 2015.)

For more information on the evidence and approaches available to support sensory needs, visit the Council for Disabled Children website.

Current best practice identifies up-skilling those working in closest proximity to the child/young person. Occupational therapists work in partnership with parents, nurseries, schools and other professionals all working towards shared goals.

We use a family-centred approach where children and families are at the centre of goal setting as this is well evidenced. (Novak et al 2019).

TheEveryday Living Skills Checklist for Early years and School aged children can support SENCOS in identifying children with potential Occupational Therapy needs across all the every day occupations we address. It is recommended that the checklist is used:

to gather information when calling the helpline

when a child is moving to SEND arrangements to identify needs (and inform earlier contact with the service and referral)

when a request for EHCP is being made (our caseworkers have suggested that the checklist is included in the request to assess paperwork).

Training to support students in schools - run by the Occupational Therapy Service
A range of free training to support schools and education professionals is on offer from the Occupational Therapy Service in partnership with the SEND teaching schools.

This training is open to all Surrey school staff, including teachers, teaching assistants, SENCO etc. and professionals working in education services.

For future sessions and enquiries, please email courses@sendteachingschool.co.uk

All training is being hosted through an online video platform.

Referrals are made through the One Stop Referral Service.

Children can be referred by their health visitor, GP, therapist, early years' service, paediatricians based in the local acute or tertiary hospital, paediatric audiology, CAMHS or other agencies. Parents/carers/guardians can also refer directly to service.

South East Surrey

Mole Valley and Banstead Team (covering Banstead, Ashtead, Leatherhead, Dorking and Tattenham)

Tel: 01372 384 395

Reigate and Tandridge Team (covering Reigate, Redhill, Merstham, Horley, Oxted, Caterham and Lingfield)

Tel: 01737 777 711

North East Surrey (covering Spelthorne, Elmbridge, Epsom and Ewell boroughs)

Tel: 01932 826 500

North West Surrey (covering Woking, Rynnymede and Surrey Health boroughs)

Tel: 01932 826 500

South West Surrey (covering Guildford and Waverley boroughs)

Tel: 01483 362 597

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Occupational Therapy enables people to participate in daily life to improve their health and wellbeing. Daily life is made up of many activities (or occupations). Occupations for children or young people may include self-care (getting ready to go out, eating a meal, using the toilet), being productive (going to nursery or school, or volunteering), and leisure (playing with friends or doing hobbies).

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Are you the parent or carer of a child or young person with epilepsy?

Here are links to information, advice and support. There are also links to parent groups you can join to share your experiences.

Are you a child or young person with epilepsy?

Young Epilepsy are based in Surrey and have information, advice, support services and forums you can join to help your epilepsy management and health and wellbeing.

Help and support

Young Epilepsy have groups, both on-line and in person, to help you connect with other children and young people with epilepsy.

There are apps to help you manage your epilepsy and access information:

Young Epilepsy App - information for young people and their parents with a symptom log and diary to help keep track of seizures.

ELFy - reminders/alerts to take your medication at the specified time, guidance on managing epilepsy and when to contact health services.

EpSMon: Epilepsy Self-Monitoring - the app aims to help you assess and monitor your health. Complete a short questionnaire every three months to receive a report to take to your next appointment with your neurologist or epilepsy specialist nurse.

Health and Care Oxfordshire - helps to decide what service to contact for medical assistance. The app can suggest services or pharmacies that are closest to you.

My Seizure Diary - designed by the Epilepsy Foundation, the app allows you to record your seizures, seizure triggers and medication side effects.

For additional information and assistance contact your local NHS Paediatric Epilepsy Service:

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Epilepsy information, advice and resources for children, young people, parents and carers and where to access online and in-person support

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Surrey Local Offer (Surrey Youth Voice & Family Voice)

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Surrey Local Offer (Surrey Youth Voice & Family Voice)

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Welcome to Surrey's Local Offer!

Our Local Offer website is for children and young people with additional needs, their families and the practitioners who help them. On it you will find helpful information and the details of support services in your area.

Use our feedback page to tell us how helpful you have found the Local Offer and ways we can improve it.

Share your feedback and get involved

Search our directory

Find registered childcare, family activities, holiday clubs and support groups near you.

Find information by category

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Our Local Offer website is for children and young people with additional needs, their families and the practitioners who help them. On it you will find helpful information and the details of support services in your area. Use our feedback page to tell us how helpful you have found the Local Offer and ways we can improve it.

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Dyscalculia - Strategies in the classroom 

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Dyscalculia - Strategies in the classroom 

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DYSCALCULIA is a specific learning difficulty with mathematics, primarily arithmetic. It was defined in a UK Government document in 2001 as: 'Dyscalculia is a condition that affects the ability to acquire mathematical skills. Dyscalculic learners may have a difficulty understanding simple number concepts, lack an intuitive grasp of numbers, and have problems learning number facts and procedures Even if they produce a correct answer or use a correct method, they may do so mechanically and without confidence.'

It is defined in the USA (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 2013) as:
'Difficulties in production or comprehension of quantities, numerical symbols, or basic arithmetic operations that are not consistent with the person's chronological age, educational opportunities, or intellectual abilities.'

Research into dyscalculia has lagged far behind research into dyslexia, but this is beginning to even out. Researchers agree that there is no single profile of dyscalculia. It is a heterogeneous problem which is compounded by the constellation of demands made by maths with prevalence at around 5%.

Key Indicators of Difficulty
An over-reliance on counting in ones.
Use manipulatives, such as base ten blocks to provide visual images of quantities. Use recognisable and consistent patterns based on 1, 2, 5 and 10.

For example;

Children can be shown how 'chunking' can help them work beyond ones.

Difficulty in counting backwards.

Counting backwards requires working memory, so it can be much harder than many teachers and parents recognise. It sets the foundation for subtraction. Use materials and visuals again. It's a good opportunity to introduce and demonstrate vocabulary such as 'take away' and 'subtract' and one of my favourite questions, 'Is it bigger or smaller?'

A poor sense of number and an inability to estimate.

Again objects set out in recognisable patterns create the foundations for developing this skill. Try comparing objects set out in patterns with random sets. That question, 'Is it bigger or smaller?' is useful again.

Difficulty in understanding place value and its role in arithmetic.

A child can learn to count to ten, but writing ten as 10 is a very sophisticated task in terms of understanding how that communicates 'ten'. This can be demonstrated as a cognitively developmental sequence, using base ten blocks on a place value card as the starting point and then weaning the child down to using the symbols (digits) on their own.

The processes of multiplying and dividing by 10, 100, 1000 and so on can be demonstrated with a similar process.

Poor recall of basic facts, but better with 2x, 5x and 10x facts.

All facts are useful, but some are more useful than others. Luckily the more useful ones are the ones learners are most likely to learn. Children can be shown how to link the patterns (and their symbols) to demonstrate addition and subtraction facts, for example,

The principle can be extended to multiplication facts. Understanding is developed as well as strategies for accessing facts. Multiplication is linked to addition, so 7 x 6 is explained and demonstrated as repeated addition of six sixes, 6 + 6 + 6 + 6 + 6 + 6 + 6. The sixes can be chunked as (6 + 6 + 6 + 6 + 6) and (6 + 6), that is 5 x 6 and 2 x 6, making 30 + 12, making 42.

This strategy can be applied to many other examples and it teaches the child about multiplication and how it is linked to addition. It sets the foundation for later, more challenging work on multiplication.
Slow speed of working.
There are a number of contributing factors that combine to make dyscalculic children slower to do maths problems, for example, slow retrieval of basic facts and slow and uncertain recall of procedures. So they do fewer examples and gain less experience. They become more anxious and that makes the situation worse. So they need less examples, but carefully selected to provide a sufficient breadth of learning experience.

The culture of maths to provide answers quickly is counter-productive for many children. Any help in reducing this (often unrealistic) expectation will be good for the child.
Very weak skills for mental arithmetic.
There are people who think that mental arithmetic skills are an essential basic for learning maths. I would challenge that belief. Two skills you need to be good at mental arithmetic are short term memory (to remember the question) and working memory (to work out the answer). Dyscalculic children often have weak short term and working memories. A reasonable adjustment would be to show the question, not just say the question. Another reasonable adjustment would be to give more time and that means more than an extra 25%.
Task avoidance.
If a child (or adult) predicts that they will get a task wrong, then they will, quite reasonably, avoid it. This is a fear of negative evaluation. Most of us experience this about something. If you don't try you don't fail. That requires setting a classroom, and home, ethos that allows a child to fail without that failure creating another step up the withdrawal ladder. High levels of anxiety, usually specific to maths.

Anxiety can be facilitative. That rarely happens for dyscalculic students. There is sound research that has demonstrated that anxiety makes working memory less effective and thus reduces the ability to do maths. In my school we used attributional style to help tackle fear of failure, anxiety and low self-esteem.
Forgets maths procedures and formulas.
If long term memory for maths is poor, then the child needs support to remember the often quite complex formulas we use in maths. It is a huge help if the child understands what he is doing and why. The steps should make sense and the task as a whole should make sense. Since maths builds, this will usually require a sound understanding of the pre-requisite work. Hence the need to revise, again and again. It is of no use what-so-ever to say to a child, 'I've told you this ten times, you should remember it.' Ten times without understanding is a waste of times. Use materials and visuals (alongside the symbols and digits) to develop understanding.

It is, as Margaret Rawson said, a matter of teaching maths as it is to the child as he is.' You need to understand both.

More details on methods for intervention can be found in the BDA book, 'Maths Learning Difficulties, Dyslexia and Dyscalculia' and Steve's video tutorials, 'Maths Explained', both available via the BDA.
Top ten Tips for teaching children with dyscalculia

Use concrete materials, such as Cuisenaire rods or base ten materials

Spend time exploring these and don't take them away too soon, they will help to develop the child's understanding.

Play games with dice and dominoes so that the child can recognise common dot patterns.

Try to encourage the child to use more efficient calculating strategies, such as counting on rather than counting all.

Encourage the child to visualise the maths- by drawing diagrams and using concrete materials to model the maths.

Make the maths practical and multisensory- avoid worksheets.

Spend time on place value so that it is fully understood, this can be a very difficult concept to grasp.

Have a little and often approach- repetition and 'overlearning' will help.

Use mathematical language as much as possible and encourage the child to do the same.

Give multiplication grids and number bonds to reduce the stress of having to remember these facts.

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The Dyscalculia Association - Understanding Maths Difficulties. Training and Diagnosis.

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DYSCALCULIA is a specific learning difficulty with mathematics, primarily arithmetic. It was defined in a UK Government document in 2001 as: 'Dyscalculia is a condition that affects the ability to acquire mathematical skills.

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Dyscalculia is an inability to learn how to do basic maths in the way that the majority of the population can do. It is a genetic problem, and as such it can't be overcome by taking medication or by being taught maths in the conventional way.

However it is possible for both children and adults to overcome the problem through receiving tuition in a unique way - a way that is quite different from the way in which maths is normally taught in class.

This tuition can take place in school, usually via the special needs teacher, or it can also be undertaken at home by the parent or a friend of the family who does not suffer from dyscalculia.

If you are a parent seeking to work with the school the best approach is to talk to the school's Special Needs Coordinator (often call the SENCO). The school may then choose to have the young person tested either via an educational psychologist or by using our online diagnostic test - although not every school will opt to pay for a test.

If the school does not wish to test the child, parents may, however, opt to have their child tested directly.

Parents who arrange for their child to take the online diagnostic test for dyscalculia will receive a full report on the results, and where we believe dyscalculia is evident we will supply a set of resources that can be used with that child to overcome some of their mathematical difficulties.

You can also purchase these materials directly, without having the young person take the diagnostic test. There are two sets of resources, one for parents working with their child, one for school special needs departments.

The links above take you to pages that list all the resources. Just click on each one in turn and your will find the details of the item, and be able to place an order. If you have any questions please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Schools can order by:

a) send in a cheque payable to Websites and Blogs Ltd
b) send in an official school order or give us an order number
c) pay via PayPal This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Parents can order by:

a) send in a cheque payable to Websites and Blogs Ltd
b) pay via PayPal This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

In each case you will be forwarded a link so that you can then take the test at any time you wish.

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Dyslexia can have a substantial and long term adverse effect on normal day to day activities, and is therefore a recognised disability under the Equality Act 2010. The Act states that schools and higher education institutions have a duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled students (this includes students with learning difficulties such as dyslexia).

The duty to make reasonable adjustments requires a school to take positive steps to ensure that pupils with additional needs can fully participate in the education provided by the school, and that they can enjoy the other benefits, facilities and services that the school provides for pupils.

Often reasonable adjustments are minor changes and don't have to involved costly materials or additional staff time. Small considered changes can have a big impact on a student's education.

Examples of reasonable adjustments

Offer alternatives to writing as a key method of recording

Provide handouts that contain the learning points rather than asking pupils to copy text from the whiteboard or take notes

Repeat instructions/information and check for understanding of tasks

Use a visual timetable with colour coding and symbols

Alter format options onscreen on an interactive whiteboard

Encourage peer support to record homework tasks in the planner

Provide access to assistive technology such as a computer, for pupils who find it difficult to read large amounts of text or to write quickly enough in class

Use multisensory ways of teaching.

Allow time to respond as many dyslexic students are slower to process information

Break information up into smaller 'chunks'.

These simple changes can benefit all pupils, not just those with a specific learning difficulty.

Read our Dyslexia Friendly Style Guide for tips on creating dyslexia-friendly materials.

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Reasonable Adjustments - British Dyslexia Association

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Dyslexia can have a substantial and long term adverse effect on normal day to day activities, and is therefore a recognised disability under the Equality...

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Dyspraxia - recommendations for Primary School Teachers 

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Dyspraxia - recommendations for Primary School Teachers 

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Dyspraxia recommendations for Senior Schools 

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Dyspraxia recommendations for Senior Schools 

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Our umbrella of neurodiversity

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This pack is designed for young people aged 12 and over who have been referred for an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) assessment. You may have been referred to the Neurodevelopmental Service by your school or other professionals as they feel you may have differences associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

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Our School-Based Needs team has created flashcards for children and young people to use in school or at home. They can assist with voicing how the child or young person is feeling or what could help in that moment to reduce them feeling overwhelmed.

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Our School-Based Needs team has created flashcards for children and young people to use in school or at home. They can assist with voicing how the child or young person is feeling or what could help in that moment to reduce them feeling overwhelmed.

Print this page

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Our School-Based Needs team has created flashcards for children and young people to use in school or at home. They can assist with voicing how the child or young person is feeling or what could help in that moment to reduce them feeling overwhelmed. Print this page

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Ambitious about Autism is the national charity for autistic children and young people. We stand with autistic children, young people and their families to champion rights, campaign for change and create opportunities.

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Prompt sheet that can be used by itself or with the pupil profile. This tool will allow you to capture information about your students likes, dislikes and learning styles.

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Simple document to create a 1 page profile for students. Separate prompt sheet available.

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Dyspraxia also known as Developmental co-ordination disorder (DCD) 

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Dyspraxia also known as Developmental co-ordination disorder (DCD) 

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Developmental co-ordination disorder (DCD), also known as dyspraxia, is a condition affecting physical co-ordination. It causes a child to perform less well than expected in daily activities for their age, and appear to move clumsily.
This topic is about DCD in children, although the condition often causes continued problems into adulthood.

Find out more about DCD in adults.

Symptoms of DCD

Early developmental milestones of crawling, walking, self-feeding and dressing may be delayed in young children with DCD. Drawing, writing and performance in sports are also usually behind what is expected for their age.

Although signs of the condition are present from an early age, children vary widely in their rate of development. This means a definite diagnosis of DCD does not usually happen until a child with the condition is 5 years old or more.

Find out more about symptoms of DCD in children.

When to seek medical advice

If you're concerned about your child's health or development, talk to a GP or health visitor, or speak to a nurse, doctor or special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO) at your child's school.

They may refer your child to an occupational therapist, paediatrician, or another health professional who can assess them and try to identify any developmental problems.

Find out more about diagnosing DCD in children.

Causes of DCD

Doing co-ordinated movements is a complex process that involves many different nerves and parts of the brain.

Any problem in this process could potentially lead to difficulties with movement and co-ordination.

It's not usually clear why co-ordination doesn't develop as well as other abilities in children with DCD.

However, a number of risk factors that can increase a child's likelihood of developing DCD have been identified.

These include:

being born prematurely, before the 37th week of pregnancy

being born with a low birth weight

having a family history of DCD, although it is not clear exactly which genes may be involved in the condition

the mother drinking alcohol or taking illegal drugs while pregnant

Treating DCD

There's no cure for DCD, but a number of therapies can help children to manage their problems.

These include:

being taught ways of do activities they find difficult, such as breaking down difficult movements into smaller parts and practicing them regularly

adapting tasks to make them easier, such as using special grips on pens and pencils so they are easier to hold

Although DCD does not affect how intelligent a child is, it can make it more difficult for them to learn and they may need extra help to keep up at school.

Treatment for DCD will be tailored to your child and usually involves a number of different healthcare professionals working together.

Although the physical co-ordination of a child with DCD will remain below average, this may be less of a problem as they get older and develop coping strategies. Some children may continue to have problems.

However, difficulties in school - particularly producing written work - can become much more prominent and require extra help from parents and teachers.

Find out more about treating DCD in children.

Dyspraxia or DCD?

While many people in the UK use the term dyspraxia to refer to the difficulties with movement and co-ordination that first develop in young children, this term is used less often by healthcare professionals.

Instead, most healthcare professionals use the term developmental co-ordination disorder (DCD) to describe the condition.

This term is generally preferred by healthcare professionals because dyspraxia can have several meanings.

For example, dyspraxia can be used to describe movement difficulties that happen later in life because of damage to the brain, such as from a stroke or head injury.

Some healthcare professionals may also use the term specific developmental disorder of motor function (SDDMF) to refer to DCD.

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Developmental co-ordination disorder (dyspraxia) in children

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Read about developmental co-ordination disorder (DCD), also known as dyspraxia, a condition that affects physical co-ordination.

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Welcome to Movement Matters
Movement Matters is committed to making research accessible to non-scientific communities, in particular, families, individuals with DCD/Dyspraxia and anyone else who might benefit from this information. To support this, we encourage researchers to provide accessible summaries of important findings to share with the non-scientific community on the Movement Matters website.

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Welcome to Movement Matters Movement Matters is committed to making research accessible to non-scientific communities, in particular, families, individuals with DCD/Dyspraxia and anyone else who might benefit from this information. To support this, we encourage researchers to provide accessible summaries of important findings to share with the non-scientific community on the Movement Matters website.