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Discover Minecraft Education resources for educators. Explore fun challenges, immersive worlds, STEM lessons and other useful tools and resources for educators.

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Cherry Garden Branch Maps Here at Cherry Garden School, we have developed a bespoke assessment package for children with SEN and complex needs. The Cherry Garden Branch Maps are based on years of SEN teaching experience and are targeted at children who are working below Year 1 expectations.

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Our online workshops and courses are here to support you through the challenges of day-to-day life, whenever you may need it. They’re all free to join and are presented by our own expert clinicians, covering a vast range of topics.

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Wellbeing is important to us all. We want to feel good about ourselves, to get the most out of our lives and feel connected to other people. 'Wellbeing' means feeling more than just happy and confident, it means feeling able to cope when things get tough in our lives or when our physical health suffers.

Norfolk and Waveney Talking Therapies provide a range of support for people with common mental health and emotional issues, such as low mood, depression, or stress. We work with you to help you make the necessary changes to improve your wellbeing and quality of life.

Our services are free and are available to people aged 16 and over living in Norfolk & Waveney.

If you are aged 16 and over you can access our support through your GP or any other health or social care professional, or you can self-refer using the form on this website or by calling us:
0300 123 1503

Our phone lines are open 8am to 8pm Monday-Friday.

If you are aged 15 or under, talk to your GP about what other services are available to you.

Services we provide include:
Support available in your area

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Wellbeing is important to us all. We want to feel good about ourselves, to get the most out of our lives and feel connected to other people. 'Wellbeing' means feeling more than just happy and confident, it means feeling able to cope when things get tough in our lives or when our physical health suffers.

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Youth Early Support Service (YESS) Norfolk

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Our YESS team supports young people aged 10 - 18 across Norfolk recognising that young people are experts in their own lives.

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As part of our virtual learning sessions, experience the soothing benefits of story massage, a unique blend of calming storytelling and gentle massage techniques.

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From tactile elements to auditory cues, these stories offer an inclusive storytelling experience that develops the imagination and brings the tales to life for our young people.

In this section, you'll find a wide range of age-appropriate stories, each paired with sensory stimuli to create a truly enchanting, meaningful experience. Additionally, we provide a list of alternative resources that you can explore right at home.

For more information on the benefits of sensory stories, we invite you to follow this link to Joanna Grace's 'The Sensory Project.' Discover the wonders of sensory storytelling and let the story unfold for you and your child!

More information on the benefits of sensory stories by Joanna Grace

Sensory stories activities
Download: Bear Hunt Tactile Exploration Story Download: Cinderella Download: Coronavirus Sensory Story Download: Easter story Download: Ideas for alternative Sensory Story resources at home Download: Jack and the flumflum tree Download: Leaf Man Download: Little Seed Download: Paper dolls Download: Rainy day Download: The Owl and the Pussy cat Download: The Sound Collector Download: The Turtle Relaxation Story Download: The Very Hungry Caterpillar Download: Windy Mindy - adapted for home David Walliams

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Immerse yourself in the magical world of sensory stories, where interactive narratives engage the senses and promote multi-sensory exploration. Download our activities as part of our virtual learning programme.

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Sensory-based cooking classes | The Children’s Trust

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Embark on a culinary adventure with our sensory-based virtual learning cooking experiences, specially designed to engage all the senses and make cooking a delightful and inclusive experience for children of all abilities.

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Sensory activities | The Children’s Trust

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In our sensory-based activities you will find a diverse collection of virtual learning experiences that allow for sensory exploration, ranging from pamper sessions to the making of homemade goo.

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Norfolk Schools and Learning Providers - Norfolk County Council

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Sensory Circuits OMG - Norfolk Schools and Learning Providers - Norfolk County Council

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Sensory Circuits provide a sequence of activities done repeatedly to provide the child/ young person with the right sensory input to calm and organise them for the day ahead.

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Can’t Not Won’t: A Story About A Child Who Couldn’t Go To School

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Buy Can’t Not Won’t: A Story About A Child Who Couldn’t Go To School Illustrated by Fricker, Eliza (ISBN: 9781839975202) from Amazon’s Book Store. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.

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Monotropism is a theory of autism developed by autistic people, initially by Dinah Murray and Wenn Lawson. Monotropic minds tend to have their attention pulled more strongly towards a smaller number of interests at any given time, leaving fewer resources for other processes.

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Autistic and ADHD life as a paradox: a personal perspective

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Ella shares their story of being diagnosed with both autism and ADHD as an adult

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Access denied | www.additudemag.com used Cloudflare to restrict access | www.additudemag.com | Cloudflare

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New DfE guidance on restrictive interventions, including use of reasonable force in schools

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Norfolk Portage service - Norfolk County Council

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Home-based education for pre-school age children with additional needs

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Anxiety - resonable adjustments to reduce exclusions

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Anxiety - resonable adjustments to reduce exclusions

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Communicating Without DemandsWhen we think about language, we often focus on asking questions or giving directions. But there’s another way we communicate that plays a key role in speech therapy—declarative language. Unlike commands or questions, declarative language is about sharing thoughts, observations, and experiences without demanding a response or action.What is Declarative Language?Declarative language invites connection by commenting and observing rather than giving instructions. It doe

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The Power Of Declarative Language For Neurodivergent Communicators | Life Skills Advocate

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Declarative Language reduces pressure and builds social understanding for neurodivergent teens and young adults. Learn how to use it with simple steps.

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ASCT Getting Started Guide - Declarative Language

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PDA Society - Pathological Demand Avoidance

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Supporting a PDA learner as an individual educator can feel daunting at first - particularly if their needs challenge traditional teaching approaches. But the most important starting point isn't a toolkit of strategies - it's a shift in mindset. When you see demand avoidance not as opposition but as a signal of distress or anxiety, everything changes.

Building trust before learning

Trust isn't automatic, especially for PDA students who may have had negative experiences in previous settings. For many, learning simply isn't possible until they feel emotionally safe and have 'trusted staff' available who can listen and help. That means putting connection before content - collaborate by spending time getting to know the student as a person, not just as a learner. Ask what helps and what doesn't. Explore their interests. Respect how they describe themselves, and don't push for disclosure if they're not ready. Self-advocacy isn't always possible so ask family members to support and advise where appropriate too.

Working together with students and families doesn't always come naturally - especially when there's a lot of stress and uncertainty. But partnership is the key to success. As Dr Ross Greene, who developed the Collaborative & Proactive Solutions approach, says:

"Kids do well if they can. If they can't, we adults need to figure out what's getting in their way, so we can help."

This simple idea helps us move away from blame and towards curiosity - asking what's behind the behaviour, and how we can reduce the demands or triggers that are getting in the way. Dr Greene's work is full of practical tools and gentle reminders that collaboration is a skill - one that takes practice.

Sometimes relationships don't click right away - and that's okay. If a student doesn't respond well to one adult, try offering other options for support. Having more than one trusted adult can also help when staff are absent or simply need a break.

Making your classroom and learning areas a safe sensory space

For many PDA learners, the sensory environment plays a huge part in how safe or overwhelmed they feel. Spaces that feel noisy, unpredictable or over-stimulating can increase anxiety and make it harder to focus, stay regulated or even remain in the learning area. Supporting sensory needs isn't just about specialist equipment - it's about giving students autonomy, reducing demands, and creating a culture that listens and adapts.

These ideas can help make your learning areas feel more comfortable and reduce the chances of a student reaching crisis point.

Create low-demand safe spaces. If possible, make sure there's somewhere nearby where a student can go to decompress, or let off steam. The space needs to be genuinely optional, not scheduled into a timetable, and offered with sensitivity and choice having been agreed together beforehand.

Offer discreet ways to ask for help. Some students may find it hard or impossible to use an exit pass or raise their hand. Agree in advance on subtle signals or support options that work for them and don't draw attention from others. For example having a 4-colour multi-pen on the desk pushing down red for help or green for I'm ok.

Be flexible with routines. Think about which routines are essential and which could be adapted. For example, is lining up really needed? Can assemblies be optional or attended from the side of the room? Could work be finished in a quieter space or at a different time? Could lectures be recorded and watched later?

Use sensory supports with care. Not every tool works for every student. Try things out together and be open to adjusting. A wobble cushion that isn't inflated properly won't help much, and large ear defenders might feel awkward in front of peers. Work together to find low-key supports that actually are effective.

Plan for tricky moments. Sensory overload can creep up - so it helps to agree in advance what support looks like when things get too much and how to access this. This could be a movement break, time in a quiet space, a specific adult helping, or doing a different task.

Think about special events and clubs. Activities like sports day, trips or watching performances can be hugely demanding. Look at ways the student can be involved on their own terms - like helping with equipment or choosing a seat where they can leave easily if needed. Are clubs/ campus activities accessible allowing for participation in a way that feels safe, with adjustments like bringing in own food, having a leave pass.

Offer sensory input. Fidget toys/tools are often thought of as distracting but in fact can help some students to concentrate for longer.

PDAers tend to resist perceived authority, not because they want to cause disruption, but because it threatens their sense of autonomy. A collaborative approach - where you position yourself as a learning facilitator, a partner or guide rather than an authority figure - can reduce anxiety and resistance.

Instead of giving instructions, try using declarative or wondering language: "I'm wondering if this might work better..." or "Let's see what happens if we try it this way." Frame tasks as experiments or shared projects rather than obligations. Giving students real choices over where, when and how they work makes a big difference - but too many options can be overwhelming, so keep them simple and meaningful.

Being flexible with demands

Many PDAers have a low tolerance for demands, even those that seem mild or self-chosen. So it's worth asking yourself, "Does this need to happen right now?" If not, consider whether the demand can be reframed, deferred, or removed entirely. Sometimes, just changing how it's presented - moving from "I need you to..." to "Would it help to start with..." - can soften the emotional impact.

Flexibility isn't about lowering expectations. It's about adjusting the route to get there. Students often achieve more when they feel they've chosen the path themselves.

Recognising and responding to overload

Sensory, emotional and social overload can push PDA students into shutdown, refusal or distress. Be mindful of triggers - bright lights, loud environments, too many transitions, unexpected changes. Offer proactive support like flexible seating, movement breaks, or a calm space to retreat to (ideally one that they help design or choose).

If a student starts to struggle, avoid rushing in with correction or questions. Give space, lower your voice, relax your posture. Your calm presence can help restore theirs.

Parents and carers often have deep insight into their child's needs and may already have found ways to support them at home. Many families adapt routines, use flexible approaches, and support their child's autonomy as a way of reducing anxiety. This lived experience can be invaluable to education settings.

A positive working relationship with families can help ensure that approaches are consistent across home and the placement, making life more predictable for the student. This means listening without judgement, acknowledging that behaviours at home and within the setting might look different, and sharing decisions about what support looks like in practice. Keeping lines of communication open, even when things are going well, helps build trust and creates space for collaborative problem-solving.

As with all things some PDAers may respond differently preferring to have a different approach to home in order to separate the environments.

Supporting transitions and special events

Transitions and unpredictable events can be especially challenging for PDA students. Moving between classes, meeting new staff or taking part in assemblies, tutoring sessions, debates, and trips may feel like overwhelming demands.

Supporting students through transitions starts with giving clear and timely information, ideally in a format that works for them. Students should be involved in planning how they participate in special events, with flexibility built in so that they feel a sense of control. This might mean attending from the back of the room, helping instead of performing, or having a clear plan for leaving if things become too much. Regular check-ins and low-pressure conversations about what's coming up can also help students feel more prepared and less anxious.

Rethinking assessment and motivation

Praise and reward systems that work for other students may feel like pressure to PDA learners. They may worry about having to repeat success, or feel manipulated by public praise. Quiet acknowledgement, private feedback and a focus on effort over outcome can feel more respectful and effective.

Be flexible with how students show their understanding. A drawing, conversation or voice recording may say more than a worksheet ever could. Tailor assessments to fit the student - not the other way round. You might want to consider wether a presentation can be delivered to a tutor instead of a group, or if an extension might help to take away pressure for deadline assignments.

It is helpful to consider how writing on a students work for feedback maybe received. Any comments expressing judgement (postive or negative) could create a sense of threat to autonomy and could result in work being destroyed. It is worth considering using a separate sheet of paper. Red pen marking can also feel stressful and increase a demand, writing in green may offer a calmer feedback.

Assessments and formal exams can raise anxiety. Identifying and applying for appropriate access arrangements can make a real difference. It is also helpful for some students to 'run through' assessments in advance. Practice allows students to understand what they can expect and can reduce uncertainty. Here us some changes that might be helpful to students undertaking assessments include:

separate rooms,

extra time,

rest breaks,

An invigilator that's known to the student.

Further guidance on 'access arrangements, reasonable adjustments and considerations' can be found via the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ).

Use reflective practice to learn what works for each student; If a situation goes wrong, ask yourself: What was going on beneath the behaviour? Could the task, environment or timing have been the issue? How could I adapt things next time?

The goal isn't perfection - it's curiosity, consistency and compassion.

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Education Personal Practice - PDA Society

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Supporting a PDA learner as an individual educator can feel daunting at first - particularly if their needs challenge traditional teaching approaches. But the

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Student Stand Up Desk - Eiger Standing Desks

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Revolutionise student life with the Eiger Student Standing Desk! Enhance classroom focus and health with the UK’s No.1 standing desk.

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All devices with the same username and password will synchronise lists. Your list is encrypted on your devices using your username and password. It can not be seen or decrypted by admins or anyone who doesn't have your credentials. Synchronization is not instant, it can take a few seconds for your changes to come through on other devices.

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College of West Anglia Inclusive Learning Guide

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Molehill Mountain is an app to help autistic people understand and self-manage anxiety.

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Molehill Mountain is an app to help autistic people understand and self-manage anxiety.

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Kooth is your online mental wellbeing community. Access free, safe and anonymous

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We support children and young people with functional aspects of daily living (or 'occupations'). These include self-care (for example dressing, eating a meal or bathing), being productive (joining in at nursery or school), and leisure (playing or hobbies).

We work alongside other professionals such as teachers, physiotherapists, speech and language therapists, nurses and paediatricians

Who it's for

We work with children and young people from birth up to 18 (19 in complex needs schools) and their families who have difficulties with functional activities due to illness, disability or coordination skills. The aim of occupational therapy is to improve independence and quality of life.
Premature baby follow up and Preschool children
Babies born before 33 weeks gestation are routinely referred to occupational therapy as part of their follow up. They are seen in clinic and support is given around development, play and useful baby equipment to support them.

Other preschool children with functional developmental difficulties are seen in clinic but may also require home or nursery visits.
Physical Disabilities and Illness
Children who are having functional difficulties because of a physical disability or illness are seen by an occupational therapist in the location most suited to the difficulties experienced.

For example, if a child is having difficulty eating their tea at home because they cannot sit up without support, we would usually come and see them at home. This allows us to see the actual difficulties they are having, as sometimes, minor changes can make a big difference to how they are able to complete an activity.

We will often need to see these children in more than one place to get a full picture of their needs and may also see them in a clinic depending on what they need.
Coordination and Fine Motor Difficulties
Children who are having difficulties caused by their coordination or hand skills are seen in a clinic. This allows us to complete standardised assessments in a suitable environment and means we can discuss your concerns away from the distractions of home or school. Before we see a school-age child with these difficulties, you will need to demonstrate that you have tried to resolve the difficulties at home and school. Full details of how you can do this are in our Pre-Referral Pack.

Pre-school children may be referred without completing this programme but could benefit from completing activities from it whilst waiting for their appointment.
Child-specific moving and handling in schools
We provide child-specific moving and handling assessment and training in mainstream Norfolk schools. This service is for physically disabled children and young people and is not for those requiring physical intervention due to behavioural problems. Schools can refer directly to us with this referral form.

Referrals

Children must be registered with a GP in the former Norwich, North Norfolk or South Norfolk CCG areas (except children registered with Thetford GP practices who are seen by the OT team based in Bury St Edmunds). Children registered with a GP in the former West Norfolk CCG will only be seen by this OT team if referred with suspected developmental coordination disorder (DCD). Other conditions and difficulties are addressed by the OT team at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kings Lynn.

First referrals must be made by a medical professional who knows the child, however, families and schools may request subsequent reviews.

Referrals should be made using the SPOR form.

Reviews

If your child has been seen by us before and still meets the referral criteria, you may a request a review without going back to your doctor. If needs are related to coordination or fine motor difficulties, you will be asked to wait 12 months between referrals to allow time to work on recommendations and consolidate skills between appointments. Please use this review request form.

Contact
Children's Occupational Therapy - Children's Services
Norwich Community Hospital, Bowthorpe Road, Norwich, NR2 3TU

Children's Services Reception: 01603 505581

Opening Hours: Monday - Friday 08:30 - 16:30

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We support children and young people with functional aspects of daily living (or 'occupations'). These include self-care (for example dressing, eating a meal or bathing), being productive (joining in at nursery or school), and leisure (playing or hobbies).

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As your child approaches their 14th birthday, services supporting your family will begin to focus on preparing your young person for adult life. Learn more from Just One Norfolk about how you can support your child with the transition and where to get help.

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Learn more from Just One Norfolk about what options are available to neurodivergent young people at the age of 16 and where to get help and support.

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At BeyondAutism we are passionate about increasing employability. We want to see more autistic people with the skills and confidence to enter the work place. At the same time we want employers to feel more confident in supporting autistic people at work.
This toolkit, funded by the City Bridge Foundation, will give autistic people improved access to, and support in, employment. Download the free toolkit and additional resources today, now with an easy read version.

60% of employers are worried about getting support wrong, and don't know where to go to get information about supporting autistic employees.¹

Employers, are you:

Looking for autism employment support?

Unsure how to support people with sensory needs?

Wondering how you can help people develop?

You'll find this and much more including examples of reasonable adjustments. Download the pack to get started. You can also enrol in our employability training; all about autism and employment and how to create an inclusive working environment.

Individuals will:

In the additional resource pack you will find blank templates of the tools used in the toolkit.

Your donation will make the difference

Resources like this take time to put together. If you've found this toolkit or other resources on our site useful please consider making a donation to enable us to keep producing materials like this.

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Download our award winning employability toolkit, with easy read version. Including everything from autism information to vocational profiles

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CBeebies Bedtime Stories - New and Trending: Cat Burns - Cloud Boy

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Singer and Celebrity Traitor Cat Burns reads the story of a young boy whose head is always in the clouds.

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SEMH.co.uk - Behaviour Indicator Tool

Go Back

Very Often Often Occasionally Infrequently Never

Please read in full. This tool is for indicating individual needs, not a classroom management tool. The first version of this tool is for Primary aged children. Further versions will be developed. Each version is being continually improved - if you want to help find the feedback form on the last page - the more ideas the better!
Upon loading the results, do not reload the page as you may lose your data. All clickable links will load in new tabs/windows.
This tool is for informational purposes only. This tool is not used as a replacement for professional advice or diagnosis. By continuining to use these tools you agree to not hold SEMH.co.uk or it's owners responsible for any actions you take based on this information and/or guidance. You also agree to any cookies used by third party websites on this site. This website records the results you input anonymously (only recording Primary or Secondary and numbers selected, not initials). This data may be used for large scale analysis of the anonymous data sets and conclusions/results published online.

Please click the button below to continue.

Using this data

The data baseline for this indicator is 20%. A score close to 20% indicates a very low level of confidence in this function. Where there is no evidence of a function in your answers, the bars will show as Red above.

Statements relating to Control

Statements relating to Attention

Statements relating to Escape

Statements relating to Sensory

Initials =

Attention Total

Control Total

Sensory Total

Escape Total

Self Esteem Total

Click to Download To Excel (CSV)

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SEMH.co.uk - Behaviour Indicator Tool Go Back Very Often Often Occasionally Infrequently Never Please read in full. This tool is for indicating individual needs, not a classroom management tool. The first version of this tool is for Primary aged children. Further versions will be developed.

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Find the links to the speech and language screening and intervention tools that have been agreed to be used in Shropshire.

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Graduated response toolkit: guidance for schools

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Graduated response toolkit guidance for schools.

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Speech and Language UK: Changing young lives

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Skip to content

A database of evidenced interventions to support children's speech, language and communication skills.

FAQs

What Works is a moderated online library of evidenced interventions that aim to support children's speech and language.

What Works is a database that aids early years practitioners, teachers, school leaders, and speech and language therapists in identifying the most suitable interventions for children and young people. It offers a free and easily accessible overview of the evidence base for each intervention. While not designed for commissioners, What Works may serve as a valuable reference during the commissioning process.

Users can search for interventions by target group, age range, focus of the intervention, who it's delivered by and in what type of format. The evidence for each intervention is rated as 'strong', 'moderate' or 'indicative' as determined by an academic Moderating Group, with a summary of the evidence base and academic references provided.

What Works is maintained and further developed by the Moderating Group, representatives from the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists and The Communication Trust. This group meets quarterly to ensure that What Works remains as up-to-date and as comprehensive as possible through a robust and independent process to ensure quality and fairness of approach.

What Works has been developed from a report by the Better Communication Research Programme (BCRP). Please click here to read the full report entitled, ' What Works: Interventions for children and young people with speech, language and communication needs.'

Some key considerations when using What Works

What Works aims to support decision making, not determine it.

The Communication Trust does not endorse interventions that have been included on What Works but seeks to make the academic evidence base on each as accessible as possible so that practitioners can make informed choices.

Any practitioner views presented on the site in reference to specific interventions, e.g. within case studies, are solely their own and not those of The Communication Trust or the What Works Moderating Group.

Evidence about what has worked in the past offers no guarantee that an approach will work in all circumstances; users are encouraged to look at the detail of each intervention to ensure they understand all details and for which children it is most beneficial

Although every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information given, no legal responsibility is accepted for any errors, omissions or misleading statements.

What Works includes reference to a range of research and publications of third parties; The Communication Trust is reporting on information available in the public domain, but is not responsible for, and cannot guarantee the accuracy of the original publications or related material. Users are encouraged, as they would with all research, to read with a critical eye.

What Works is designed primarily for practitioners - teachers, school leaders, early years practitioners, and speech and language therapists - to help you find the best interventions for those children and young people you work with that have speech, language and communication needs (SLCN).

What Works offers essential information about various speech and language interventions. This seeks to help practitioners in making informed decisions about the interventions that will work best for them and the children and young people they work with.

Considering the range of evidence-based interventions available is essential when seeking the best way to support each child or young person, and What Works aims to make all this information available to practitioners in a free and easily accessible format.

What Works can help build a greater understanding of the available evidence base for speech and language interventions, and also aims to support practitioners and others to become a part of the process of developing the evidence. We welcome practitioners to get involved with this in a number of ways - you can:

Submit an intervention to What Works

Share your experiences of using interventions on What Works and how they have worked in practice

Share your feedback to help us improve What Works - please email info@speechandlanguage.org.uk

To find out what others using What Works have to say about it, please click here to read a summary of our most recent survey.

What Works allows users to search for interventions by target group, age range, focus of the intervention, who it's delivered by and in what type of format.

There are three ways to view interventions:

Filter results by any or all of the above criteria

Search by the first letter of the intervention's name

Browse all the interventions by clicking on "Search all interventions."

Each listing provides information about the aims of the intervention, how it should be delivered and what evidence there is for the intervention. The evidence for each intervention is rated as 'strong', 'moderate' or 'indicative' as determined by a Moderating Group of academics. Please keep in mind that this classification refers to the design and strength of the research, not the outcomes for children.

Anyone can submit an intervention for review by the What Works Moderating Group at one of their quarterly meetings; in order to keep What Works as up-to-date and comprehensive as possible submissions and recommendations are very much encouraged.
The What Works Moderating Group
There is a robust and independent process in place to ensure quality and fairness of approach when making decisions on which interventions are included on What Works. A Moderating Group of academics review each new submission to the database and make a decision as to whether it should be included on the site. They will also categorise its current level of evidence as either 'indicative,' 'moderate,' or 'strong.' The members of the Moderating Group are:

If you would like a new intervention to be considered for inclusion, complete both the criteria for inclusion form and the submission form. Return both of these along with supporting materials to info@speechandlanguage.org.uk.

Practitioners play an essential role in helping to keep What Works a relevant and useful tool. We have received helpful feedback from users which has prompted some important changes to the site, so please do let us know about your experience of using What Works and anything you think we can do to improve it via e-mail at info@speechandlanguage.org.uk.

Your experiences

We want to hear from practitioners who have used interventions on What Works. How have they worked in practice? How is your team using What Works to support evidence informed practice locally? Your experience of an intervention can provide useful information for other practitioners and help create a much fuller picture of how things work in practice. If you'd like to share your experience, we would love to hear from you.

Suggesting new interventions

If you have a recommendation for a new intervention for What Works, please email us at info@speechandlanguage.org.uk.

Join the What Works Moderating Group

The Moderating Group plays a critical role in steering the development of What Works and setting criteria for inclusion.

The evidence around interventions for children and service delivery can be complex. What Works aims to be clear and transparent about what constitutes good evidence and to provide the necessary information about interventions that will make the site a useful tool to support decision making.

Although randomised control trials and systematic reviews are usually considered the gold standard of research, to avoid excluding interventions which may achieve good outcomes but which have not yet been evaluated in this way, we have not limited the evidence base to these levels.

Instead, we have included a range of evidence levels representing a good level of evaluation. A set of criteria is applied to every intervention, ensuring robust and transparent decisions are made on which interventions to include and at which level of evidence.

For more information on the evidence levels and the criteria, please see our guide, which explains each of the criteria in detail.

Strength of evidence versus strength of outcomes​

It's essential whilst using the database to be aware of the important distinction between the strength of the evidence and the strength of the intervention's outcomes for children and young people. This is due to some interventions on the database not having wholly positive outcomes for children but still being included on the database because of the strength of research. Strong evidence doesn't necessarily mean an intervention works well. Equally other interventions may only be classed as "indicative" in terms of research design, but the outcomes for children look very good indeed.

It is therefore important when making decisions around which interventions to use not to choose interventions based solely on levels of evidence, as an intervention at a lower level of evidence may be more appropriate and may show better outcomes.

Looking at the effect sizes of interventions on specific outcomes can support practitioners to interpret whether an intervention is appropriate for their setting. Effect sizes of interventions can be viewed on theWhat Worksdatabase via a graphic which is linked to from each intervention's page. Each graphic provides information on the outcome that the intervention had the largest effect on, the smallest effect on and the effect size for the primary outcome as stated by the researchers (in other words what the researchers were primarily looking at in their study).

Effect sizes were drawn from the study which provided sufficient evidence to calculate them given the means and standard deviations, these may not be representative of all the studies for this type of intervention.

For more information on this, see our animation and guidance here.
Why do interventions not make it on to What Works?
Interventions are not included if they have limited or weak evaluations; or evaluation information is not readily available in the public domain.

In March 2014 The Children and Families Act received Royal Assent. It includes clauses on special education needs (SEN) which aim to reform the SEN system. These changes, known as the SEN and Disability Reforms, came into effect in September 2014, with a new SEND Code of Practice, the statutory guidance relating to the Children and Families Act.

The 2014 SEND Code of Practice applies to all organisations who work with and support children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities, including local authorities, health agencies, early years providers and all schools.

The Code emphasises the importance of 'high quality provision to meet the needs of children and young people with SEND', noting that this includes the use of evidence-based interventions and approaches. Educational settings, joint-commissioning arrangements and local authorities are therefore responsible for accessing the best evidence available on interventions and approaches to support children and young people.

More detail on what the Code of Practice says about evidence-based practice and how What Works supports this is available in our factsheet on What Works and the SEND Reforms.
Other resources on the SEND Reforms and speech and language challenges
The Communication Trust is committed to supporting all those implementing the SEND Reforms to meet the needs of children and young people with speech and language challenges and their families. In order to achieve this, we are working with the Department for Education, the Pathfinder programme, partners across the VCS sector, and professionals that make up the children's workforce. You can find out more about our work here.

"Completely relevant: it collects in one place information and evidence about all approaches I use. Finally!"

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Learn more about and register for our database of evidenced interventions to support children's speech, language and communication.

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Sign up for a FREE monthly SEND newsletter here
This list was last updated - 04/05/2020

Announcements

Contents

Speech sound resources

Language resources

Understanding and using - 'except', 'unless', 'but not', 'if' - Game - 1 | Game - 2

Understanding and using concepts 'Same' and 'different' - Language link

Describing items using categories, what they're used for, or labeling features of them - Language link

Speech and language activity resources and information

Or, download each board separately below:
Credit: Do-It solutions
Occupational Therapy (OT) resources and information

Visuals and visual timetable resources

AAC resources

Free communication boards - and instructions

Signing resources

Signing Hands - Signed stories On Mon-Fri 10.30am join Signing Hands, on | YouTube or Zoom for some daily fun

Visual impairment resources

Literacy resources - Dyslexia and learning difficulties

Reader Pen - A pen scanner for those with reading difficulties - that reads text out aloud in English/Spanish/French - Free 14 day trial - Sign up here

CrickerSoft - Reading and writing software for all abilities - Free during this period

Phonic reading games for all children, including those who cannot read or have dyslexia. Email: trugs@readsuccessfully.com for 20% off using cv2020 -

Free Phonics resources for children with SEND - Ann Sullivan (you might be asked to create a free account to access the resources)

Maths/numeracy resources

Down Syndrome resources

ADHD, autism

Foetal Alcohol Syndrome

Learning activities and resources for a range of additional needs

Life skills

First News- a newspaper for young people to get them thinking and talking about current affairs in a non-threatening way

Fun, engaging, online & offline activities

Rocket kids club - Everyone can watch and be part of our Rocket Kids Club Shows broadcasting live every Friday

Virtual Tours - Virtual online tours - including zoos, landmarks in foreign countries, etc.

Aquarium - Georgia aquarium allowing you to tour under the sea

Movement and exercise

Fine motor: Kim Griffrin, Occupational Therapist - Daily fine motor activities families can follow along to at 11am on Facebook - the videos will also be available on Griffin OT-YouTube

Concentration and behaviour resources

Simple, positive behaviour support resource. Plus a resource to help improve motivation in structured tasks - No experience required, includes simple, step-by-step instructions and resources for those who:

struggle with impulsivity

display negative reactions to rules and routines

struggle to regulate their emotions during structured and unstructured tasks

who require a high level of adult support within structured tasks for attention, engagement and to complete tasks.

FREE weekly webinars from on managing behaviour/stress/autism among other topics. Email admin@studio3.org to book & to find out what's coming up this week.

The challenging behaviour foundation - info on 'Restrictions on Contact with Family' and FAQs 'Coronavirus and the Law' both in collaboration with a Barrister to help with guidance throughout the coming weeks

Anxiety, emotions and coping with change
Credit: Julie Rayner, Irish Psychotherapy association Download PDF

Video/visual breathing exercise to calm stress -YouTube

Information for parents, carers, and schools

FREE weekly webinars from on managing behaviour/stress/autism among other topics. Email admin@studio3.org to book & to find out what's coming up this week.

Adaily SEND Q&A session to answer any questions in the Education Matters group on FaceBook (UK) - Simpson Millar

Educational Adviser, Gareth Morewood shares well wishes and useful resources on behalf of the entire S3 community during this uncertain time period: Audio recording here

Sharing notice

The links in this list to the Speech Link and Language link website are all Copywritten to, Speech Link Multimedia Ltd

They do not give permission to: Upload the files to other websites/file sharing facility / Sell the files or printed versions of the files / Email the files or post them on social media

They do give permission to:Download and print the files for your own use/email or post a link to the files only

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FREE Speech and language, OT, and many other SEND resources for families and schools

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Sign up for a FREE monthly SEND newsletter here This list was last updated - 04/05/2020 Announcements An inclusive skills/child-led curriculum for young people with additional needs and for those who might be struggling to engage with work at home - free for families.

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Free Resources | More Than Talk - Manchester

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Speech and Language UK: Changing young lives

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When children use memorised phrases, and information on gestalt language processing

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Speech and Language UK: Changing young lives