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Transformation Partners in Health and Care

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ADHD resources for children and young people and their carers - Transformation Partners in Health and Care

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New booklets on ADHD for children, young people and parents/carers, by the ADHD Foundation and Transformation Partners in Health and Care.

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NEW for 2026! Our ADHD Parent/Carer Support Service has been commissioned by Leicestershire County Council and is for families living in the boroughs and districts in the County (not the City of…

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Inside Out   Meet the Zones: Green, Blue, Red,  and Yellow

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The ZONES of Regulation® Student Assembly

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The ZONES of Regulation® Student Assembly

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NEW for 2026! Our ADHD Parent/Carer Support Service has been commissioned by Leicestershire County Council and is for families living in the boroughs and districts in the County (not the City of…

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At a glance

Working memory refers to how we hold on to and work with information stored in short-term memory.

Kids use working memory to learn and follow directions.

You can build working memory games into your child's daily life.

Does your child have a hard time keeping one bit of information in mind while doing something else? For example, you're making spaghetti together, and your child's in charge of the sauce. But your child leaves to answer a text and forgets to come back and stir. Working memory challenges can cause trouble with tasks like these.

Working memory refers to how we hold on to and work with information that short-term memory stores. (In the past, the term working memory was used interchangeably with short-term memory.) It's part of a group of skills called executive function.

Kids use working memory all the time to learn. It's needed for things like following multi-step directions or solving a math problem in your head. You can help your child improve working memory by building simple strategies into everyday life.

1. Work on visualization skills.

Encourage kids to create a picture in their mind of what they've just read or heard. For example, say you've asked your child to set the table for five people. Have your child imagine what the table should look like, and then draw it. As kids get better at visualizing, they can describe the image instead of drawing it.

2. Have your child teach you.

Being able to explain how to do something involves making sense of information and mentally filing it. Maybe your child is learning a skill, like how to dribble a basketball. Ask your child to teach you this skill. Teachers do something similar by pairing up students in class. This lets them start working with the information right away rather than waiting to be called on.

3. Try games that use visual memory.

There are lots of matching games that can help kids work on visual memory, like the classic game Concentration (or Memory). You can also do things like give kids a magazine page and ask them to circle all instances of the word the or the letter a. License plates can also be a lot of fun. Take turns reciting the letters and numbers on a license plate and then saying them backwards, too.

Simple card games like Crazy Eights, Uno, Go Fish, and War can improve working memory in two ways. Kids have to keep the rules of the game in mind. They also have to remember what cards they have and which ones other people have played.

5. Encourage active reading.

There's a reason highlighters and sticky notes are so popular: Jotting down notes and underlining or highlighting text can help kids keep the information in mind long enough to answer questions about it. Talking out loud and asking questions about the reading material can also help with working memory. Active reading strategies like these can help with forming long-term memories, too.

6. Chunk information into smaller bites.

Ever wonder why phone numbers and social security numbers have hyphens in them? Because it's easier to remember a few small groups of numbers than it is to remember one long string of numbers. Keep this in mind when you need to give your child multi-step directions. Write them down or give them one at a time. You can also use graphic organizers to help break writing assignments into smaller pieces.

Using multiple senses to process information can help with working memory and long-term memory. Write tasks down so your child can look at them. Say them out loud so your child can hear them. Walk through the house as you discuss the family chores your child needs to complete. Using multisensory strategies can help kids keep information in mind long enough to use it.

8. Help make connections.

Help your child form associations that connect different details and make them more memorable. One way is to grab your child's interest with fun mnemonics. (For instance, the made-up name "Roy G. Biv" can help kids remember the order of the colors in the rainbow - red, orange, yellow, and so on.) Finding ways to connect information helps with forming and retrieving long-term memory. It also helps with working memory, which is what we use to hold and compare new and old memories.

Key takeaways

Teaching kids ways to visualize thoughts can help improve their working memory.

Card games and other fun activities can help build working memory.

Finding ways to connect information can help your child with long-term memory as well as working memory.

About the author

About the author

Amanda Morin is the author of "The Everything Parent's Guide to Special Education" and the former director of thought leadership at Understood. As an expert and writer, she helped build Understood from its earliest days.

Reviewed by

Reviewed by

Thomas E. Brown, PhD is a clinical psychologist and director of the Brown Clinic for Attention and Related Disorders.

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Working memory games can help kids get better at remembering and using information. Here are eight simple ways to improve working memory in your child.

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There are lots of way to feel calmer. Try our breathing exercises, activities and games or watch a video to help let go of stress.

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Inside: A child therapist's favorite ways to help kids learn to take a deep breath, including quick explanations and videos of deep breathing techniques.
Have you ever told a kid to take a deep breath, and then they start hyperventilating? Or they breathe in, but don't breathe out?
Sometimes, kids may need a little more help to figure out how to properly take a deep breath.
First, let's review why deep breathing matters.

When you are calm, your body is in what is known as "rest and digest" mode. Your breathing is normal, your muscles are relaxed, and your heart rate is normal. It's how you would be when you're watching a show and relaxing.

But then suddenly, a dinosaur is chasing you!!

When you experience a stressful event (like an unexpected dinosaur in your living room), your body automatically goes into what is known as "flight, fight or freeze" mode. Your heart rate increases, your stomach stops digestion, and your breathing becomes more shallow.

The goal of calming exercises is to get yourself from "flight, fight or freeze" mode back to "rest and digest" mode. Deep breathing helps get more oxygen into your bloodstream, opening up your capillaries. It has a physical effect on your body to help you calm down and lower stress.

So deep breathing does make a big difference for kids. But how can we teach them to take a deep breath properly?
Here are some of my favorite ways to introduce deep breathing! Quick note: The breathing we want kids to do is deep belly breaths, not shallow chest breaths. When they breathe in, their belly should expand, and when they breathe out, their belly should contract.
Use bubbles

Blowing gently to create bubbles is a good way to be playful and breathe deeply. Kids have to blow carefully and slowly to make the bubbles, which is a major reason why I like using it to help kids take deep breaths.

Use a stuffed animal to practice deep breathing

Have your child lay down on their back and put a stuffed animal on their belly. Have them breathe in and move the stuffed animal up, then breathe out and bring the stuffed animal back down. This helps teach kids to use their belly to take big deep breaths. Another alternative is to use a weighted stuffed animal.

Use a pinwheel

Kids can practice breathing out slowly or more quickly, using the speed of the pinwheel as a measure. Then they can figure out which way works and feels best for them.

Use a Feather

Get some colored feathers and pick out one feather to use. It could be a color that they love or one that makes them feel calm. Breathe in and hold it for a count of 3, then breathe out going up on one side of the feather and down the other side.

Hoberman Sphere

Breathe in and expand the sphere, breathe out and push the sphere back in (this mirrors what should be happening to their belly) - Watch the video on YouTube!

DIY Crafts

Make a craft using half a paper plate, crepe paper or ribbons. Have kids blow the crepe paper or ribbons as they take deep breaths.

Materials Needed:

1. Paper plate - cut in half
2. crepe paper - cut into 6" - 8" strips, cut in half
3. yarn or string
4. any other embellishments to make the creature (use what you have on hand)

Attach the crepe paper to the flat bottom of the paper plate. Attach yarn/string to the top center of the curved part of the paper plate as a hanger.Have kids decorate the paper plate any way they want, as a monster, or a creature, or with stickers.

To Use: hang up the creature and have kids blow on the crepe paper to get it to move.

OTHER DIY ACTIVITIES
Floating Ball Activity from All For The Boys Fire Breathing Dragon Craft by BABYCCINO
TRIANGLE Breathing

Start at the bottom left of the triangle.

Breathe in for three counts as you trace the first side of the triangle.

Hold your breath for three counts as you trace the second side of the triangle.

Breathe out for three counts as you trace the final side of the triangle. You have just completed one deep breath.

SQUARE BReathing

Start at the bottom right of the square

Breathe in for four counts as you trace the first side of the square

Hold your breath for four counts as you trace the second side of the square

Breathe out for four counts as you trace the third side of the square

Hold your breath for four counts as you trace the final side of the square

You just completed one deep breath!

STAR BREATHING

Start at any "Breathe In" side on the star.

Trace your finger over the "breathe in" side of the point

Hold your breath when your finger gets to the tip of the point

Breathe out as you trace your finger over the other side of the point.

Keep going until you reach where you started.

When you trace the whole star, you will have completed 5 deep breaths

Start with the eight on its side and start in the middle

Go up to the left and trace the left part of the 8 with your finger while you breathe in.

When you get to the middle of the eight again, breathe out while you trace the right part of the 8 with your finger.

6 Sided Breathing

Start at the left hand side of the hexagon.

Trace your finger over the "breathe in" side as you take a deep breath in.

Hold your breath as you trace the second side of the hexagon.

Breathe out as you trace the third side of the hexagon.

Then repeat for the bottom part of the hexagon.

Breathe in like a flower, breathe out like you are blowing out birthday candles.

Breathe in blue sky, Breathe out gray skies.

Pretend your belly is like a balloon. Breathe in and make the balloon bigger, then breathe out and make the balloon shrink.

Smell the soup, cool the soup or smell the hot cocoa, cool the hot cocoa

Darth Vader Breathing - Pretend you have a straw in your mouth, suck in through the straw and breathe in. Breathe out like Darth Vader.

Ocean Breathing - breathe in and imagine the wave rolling in, breathe out and imagine the wave rolling out.

Color breathing - Breathe in and imagine a calm, happy, positive color. Breathe out and imagine a color that represents stress, anxiety, etc. leaving your body.

Soft Belly - Say to yourself "soft" as you breathe in and "belly" as you breathe out.

Whale breath

Sitting criss-cross applesauce, sit up tall and take a deep breathe in, Hold it while you count to 5 with your fingers then tilt head up to blow it out of blowhole. You can also put your hands up on top of head to create the blow hole to "blow" out.

Snake Breath

Breathe in, pause briefly, then breathe out slowly while you make a hissing sound for as long as you can.

Bunny Breath

You can do this breathing either while sitting, or add movement to it.

Sitting version - make "bunny" hands in front of chest and take quick sniffs like a bunny.

Movement version - start in a squat and hop forward while taking quick bunny sniffs.

Bumblebee Breath

Breathe in and pretend you are smelling a flower. As you breathe out, make humming bee sound. Try different ways of making the sound - longer or shorter, high or low sounds.

5 - 5 - 10 breathing

Breathe in for 5, hold for 5 and breathe out for 10.

7-11 breathing

Breathe in for 7, exhale for 11.

Count to 10

Using Your Hand to Take a Deep Breath aka Mountain Breathing

Put up one hand, palm facing out and fingers spread apart. Place the index finger of your other hand at the base of your thumb and breathe in while you move your finger up one side of your thumb. Move your finger down the other side of your thumb and breathe out. Do the same thing with the remaining four fingers, and take deep breaths in and out as you move your finger. After you've reached the second side of your pinky finger, you'll have done 5 complete deep breaths.

You can also do this with a close friend or trusted adult. Have them spread their hand out and use your finger to trace their hand and do deep breaths. Or do the opposite: spread your hand out and have them use their finger and trace yours. You can do deep breaths together!

Hands to Shoulders

Sometimes you breathe from your chest instead of your belly, but it's hard to notice. This is an easy way to figure out if you are moving your chest or your belly when you're breathing. While sitting or standing, put your hands down by your sides. Then bend your arms at your elbows and place them on the front of your shoulders. Try taking a deep breath. If your shoulders are moving a lot, focus more on taking breaths using your belly.

Rainbow breathing

Arms start at the side of your body; arms go up as you breathe in and go down as you breathe out (arms make a rainbow) - Watch the video on Youtube!

Volcano Breaths

Pretend your hands and arms are like lava flowing from a volcano. Start with your hands in front of your heart, with palms touching. Keeping your hands together, reach straight up and breathe in. Separate your hands and move your arms down to your side and breathe out.

Explosion Breaths

Start in a standing position. Breathe in as you crouch down. Then, jump up, spreading your arms and legs as you breathe out.

Nostril Breathing/Cowabunga Breathing

Block one nostril, breathe in for 5, block the other nostril, breathe out for 5.

Wood Chopper Breathing

Standing tall with legs hip distance apart. Clasp hands together and raise your arms above your head. Breathe in through nose. Exhale and pull your hands down toward your legs as you say "HA" to "chop" wood
Mindful Arts in the Classroom Breathing Cards Sesame Street Belly Breathe Video

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Deep Breathing Exercises for Kids - Coping Skills for Kids

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Inside: A child therapist's favorite ways to help kids learn to take a deep breath, including quick explanations and videos of deep breathing techniques. Have you ever told a kid to take a deep breath, and then they start hyperventilating? Or they breathe in, but don't breathe out?

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Parent Portal - Speech and Language Link

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Support your child’s speech and language development with expert advice, activities, and resources in our award-winning Parent Portal.

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All children and young people deserve the opportunity to benefit from connected technology safely.

That's why we've created a range of guides to empower parents and carers to help young
people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) to stay safe online.

Why's this important?

The online world can be a lifeline for children with additional needs. It allows them to develop new skills, be creative, and find their 'tribe'.

However, from our research, we know that children and young people already facing offline
vulnerabilities, are more likely to face risk and harm online.

Out of the different types of risks, young people with SEND are more likely to experience
contact risks online like sexting under pressure and coercion.

So, taking the time to learn some simple strategies, informing children of safety tools, and
staying engaged in what they do, are effective ways to keep their time online positive.

What's inside the guides?

You'll find insights and resources to support young people while they are connecting and
sharing, browsing the internet, and online gaming.

You'll find helpful tips to:
● Encourage young people to adopt good online habits
● Stay informed about the online risks they face online
● And how to make use of safety tools to help them thrive in their digital world

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Supporting children and young with SEND online | Internet Matters

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All children and young people deserve the opportunity to benefit from connected technology safely. That's why we've created a range of guides to empower parents and carers to help young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) to stay safe online. Why's this important?

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Online Safety for families and children with SEND

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Online Safety for families and children with SEND

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Online safety for families and children with SEND

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Online safety for families and children with SEND

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ChatAutism- text messaging support service | Autism Space | Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust

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ChatAutism is a text messaging support service for autistic people living in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, where you can access advice and guidance from a healthcare professional.

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Leicestershire CC - Hearing Impaired and Deaf Children Support

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Leicestershire CC - Hearing Impaired and Deaf Children Support

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Hearing tests

Babies are given hearing tests in the first few hours of life.

If you think your child might have a hearing problem, speak to:

your health visitor - if your child doesn't go to school yet

your doctor (GP)

the school nurse at your child's school or your child's teacher

They will arrange a hearing test for your child.

If your child has permanent hearing loss

If the hearing tests show that your child has permanent hearing loss, they'll be referred to our Hearing Support Service.

An educational audiologist from our Hearing Support Service will work closely with a paediatric audiologist in the NHS.

The NHS paediatric audiologist will:

assess hearing levels

fit hearing aids

help your child to use their hearing aids or cochlear implants

Our educational audiologist:

will assess your child's hearing levels to understand what help they need to hear better at school and home

may offer radio systems or other listening devices at your child's nursery or school

Help for your child

Pre-school children

Your child will get help at home and at nursery from a specialist teacher of the hearing impaired or specialist practitioner to:

use their hearing aid or other hearing equipment

develop their listening and language skills

work with families to develop skills to fully support your child

We may also offer the opportunity for your family to go to a support group to meet other families who have a child with hearing loss.

Assessments

We will assess your child's hearing, language skills and how they're doing at nursery or school. We'll then advise you and your child's nursery or school about what your child needs to make sure they reach their full potential.

Your child may get extra help to make sure they progress as well as they should.

In school

Your child will get help from a specialist teacher of the hearing impaired.

The teacher may:

help your child to develop their language and listening skills

observe your child in class and offer advice on ways to support them

provide advice to the school on how to create good listening conditions

advise and train other staff at the school to help them teach your child

Other help

A technician from our Hearing Support Service may:

repair your child's hearing aid or arrange a replacement

provide help to make sure a radio system works with any hearing equipment your child is using

Information technology (ICT)

If your child needs extra ICT equipment to help them with learning, the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) at their school will refer them for an assessment.

Every school and nursery has a SENCO. They're responsible for identifying children with special educational needs and disabilities and making sure they get all the help they need.

Support groups and activities

Search the Family Information Directory for local support groups and activities for your child and your family.

The National Deaf Children's Society has lots of information for families and links to local support groups.

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Hearing impaired and deaf children | Leicestershire County Council

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Children and young people with permanent hearing loss may get help at nursery and school and special equipment to help them hear better.

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This service offers diagnostic audiology assessments for children from 7 months to 16 years of age and for children attending special schools up to 19 years of age.
Appointments
Please be aware we are seeing an increased demand in referrals for our services.

We are sorry that children are having to wait longer than we would like for a hearing test.

Currently waiting times may be up to 10 months.

We are doing all we can to offer an appointment to children on the waiting list as quickly as possible.

If you have significant concerns about your child's hearing, please contact the community paediatric audiology service on 0116 295 3919.
Locations
The service is carrying out improvements to some of our locations to make sure all the places we carry out hearing tests are of a high quality.

This means that some places may be temporarily unavailable.

Voluntary transport can be requested to help you get to a suitable venue for you.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Please refer to referral section of website.

Who to contact if you need an interpreter or information about disabled access

If you have any specific access requirements, such as needing an interpreter or accessibility to the site, please ask your referrer to include this information in the referral.

Alternatively, please ring us on 0116 295 3919 prior to your child's appointment.

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Community Paediatric Audiology Service - Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust

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This service offers diagnostic audiology assessments for children from 7 months to 16 years of age and for children attending special schools up to 19 years of age. Appointments Please be aware we are seeing an increased demand in referrals for our services.

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We help children, young people, parents, and families to rebuild their lives when a child grieves or when a child dies.

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NHS advice for children who are dealing with bereavement

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NHS advice for children who are dealing with bereavement

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The following information could help if your child has lost or is about to lose someone, such as a family member or friend.

If your child is about to lose someone

If a child has a loved one, such as a friend or family member who's going to die, they can benefit from special support.

A child's stress level is often at its highest before bereavement because of fear and the unknown.

Pre-bereavement counselling gives a child a chance to think and talk about their feelings and share their worries.
The YoungMinds website has more information on counselling services for children and young people
Making a memory box

If you're a parent and you know you're going to die, you could make a memory box to give to your child, or make one together.

A memory box contains things that remind you both of your time together. It can provide an important link between you and your child once you've gone.
Macmillan Cancer Support has information about making a memory box

If a child has lost someone

Talk about the person who has died

During bereavement, it can help a child to talk about the person who's died, whether it was a grandparent, parent, brother, sister or friend.

Direct, honest and open communication is more helpful than trying to protect your child by hiding the truth. If you exclude them from family ceremonies and services after someone has died it could make them feel excluded.

This can also help your child be open about their own feelings and avoid confusion about what has happened. It may be helpful to talk as a family, perhaps with your child, about how to include them in any events that celebrate or say goodbye to the person who has died.

It's important for them to have someone with whom they can talk about that person and share their emotions. This could be through photos, games, memory boxes or stories.

Over time, children may start to talk more about their loss at different times and in different ways. Young children may start talking about death or including it in their play, but this is normal and is a way for them to make sense of what has happened.

Further support for your child

There are also bereavement charities that offer helplines, email support, and online communities and message boards for children.

These include:

Child Bereavement UK - call 0800 028 8840 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, or email helpline@childbereavementuk.org

Cruse Bereavement Care - call 0808 808 1677 Monday and Friday, 9.30am to 5pm; Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 9.30am to 8pm; Saturday and Sunday 10am to 2pm

Grief Encounter - call 0808 802 0111 Monday to Friday, 9am to 9pm, or email contact@griefencounter.org.uk

Hope Again - call 0808 808 1677 Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 5pm, or email hopeagain@cruse.org.uk

Winston's Wish - call 0808 802 0021 Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm, or email ask@winstonswish.org

You can also find out more about children and bereavement from the Childhood Bereavement Network
Make a memory box

If the person who's died did not leave a memory box, you could make one with your child.

It can include:

gifts

shells collected on the beach

memories written on a card

anything that makes the child feel connected to that person

Don't forget to look after yourself

It's important to make sure you're also getting the support you need after a loss. This can also help you to better support your child.
Read more about getting help with grief after bereavement or loss

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Find out what to do and where to find bereavement support if your child has lost a loved one or has a loved one who's dying.

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The Leicestershire Down's Syndrome Group has been running since 1981 and is here to support local members and their families.

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A team of teachers and teaching assistants who work with children with special needs from 0 to 5 with SEND, their families and other professionals. They offer support in the home, early years settings and schools and also provide a range of training to parents and school staff.

Telephone: 0116 454 4750

Email: Early-years-SEN@leicester.gov.uk

'Portage' home visitors work with babies and young children (up to the age of 3) who have significant learning difficulties and disabilities. Your portage home visitor will:

find out what your child can do, what they like to do and what you would like to teach your child

agree 6-month goals for what you want your child to achieve

break these goals down into activities

show you how to teach the activities

work with other professionals who are helping your child

They'll visit you either weekly or every 2 weeks during school term times.

Telephone: 0116 305 9400

Email: Jo.Copeland@leics.gov.uk or ruth.melluish@leics.gov.uk

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Down's Syndrome Pathway - Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust

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Congratulations on the birth of your baby Care Pathway for Children and Adults with Down's Syndrome Physiotherapy advice for Down's Syndrome Children's Occupational Therapy Services Signing with your child Early Years Support Team - Leicester City A team of teachers and teaching assistants who work with children with special needs [...]

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Down Syndrome UK is a national charity passionate about empowering parents and professionals to improve the lives of those with Down syndrome.

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Down’s syndrome is when you’re born with an extra chromosome.

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With your help, we can keep offering free support to those who need us.

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Link to Wellbeing Padlet - made by Hannah Pegley

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Link to Wellbeing Padlet - made by Hannah Pegley

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We’re here to help people with ADHD Thrive. Positively changing what it means to have ADHD in the UK if not the world.

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

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Autism Space | Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust

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A dedicated space for autistic people and their family members to discover advice, information and support.

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HappyMaps - Find the best support, advice and information on young people's mental health, all in one place. For Parents, Professionals and Young People.

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Read reviews

"I think this is a fabulous resource-very clearly laid out with the full range of supports available, from parenting tips through to professional help" (Parent)

"This is great to recommend to parents when they are worried about their children. It's the best website for mental health issues that I've found" (Teacher)

"Excellent. I work for CAMHS Bristol and regularly recommend this website" (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services)

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Home - HappyMaps: Help and Resources for Children's Mental Health

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An award-winning website on children's mental health collating sensible and professional advice on common problems. With new self-help pages for young people.

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Cafcass advises the family courts about the welfare of children and what is in their best interests

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Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service

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Selective Mutism Information & Research Association (SMIRA)

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Selective Mutism (SM) is a communication anxiety disorder. This site contains information on and support for parents, people with SM, and professionals.

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Starting secondary school- Supporting your child

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School nurse - Transition to Secondary School

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School nurse - Transition to Secondary School

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School nurse - Transition to Primary School

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School nurse - Transition to Primary School

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Starting primary school- Supporting your child

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How we feel about ourselves and our bodies

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Learn to love yourself, be happy, safe and curious.

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What do you look for in a friend? What makes you a good friend?

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Everyone experiences a range of feelings, and that’s normal- feelings make up who we are. The way you feel, learn and behave are all because of your character

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Discover the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) with senior public health dietitian Paula McKee

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HEALTHY TOGETHER PARENT AND CARER_VIDEO_1

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The best possible start in life - Grownups - Health for Kids

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Health for kids - Grownups - Health for Kids - Everything You Wanted To Know About Health

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School readiness toolkit - birth to starting school | Leicestershire County Council Professional Services Portal

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School readiness toolkits for early years providers and schools to support children from birth to age five, including information to share with parents.

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Early Years SEND Inclusion team

We provide a service to children, their families and early years providers when the child requires specialised long-term support, has significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age, or has a disability which prevents or hinders access to activities or experiences available to children of the same age.

There are three teams who help in their respective ways:

Portage team - working with children from birth until they are 3 years old

Early Years SEND Inclusion team - working with children from birth until they go to school

Early Years Inclusion Practitioners - supporting children in settings and foundation stage of school who are at risk of exclusion

Portage service

Our Portage practitioners support our youngest children from birth to 3 years at home and/or in a setting. Portage home visitors build strong relationships with parents/carers and they give practical help and advice to help you to support your child. Family events are run throughout the year when families can come together.

Referrals to the service are considered at the Early Years Panel. Referrals can be made by parents, health professionals and setting SENCos.

Leicestershire's Portage service is accredited by the National Portage Association (NPA).

When your child is 3 years old

Your child may be transferred to the Early Years SEND Inclusion team if they continue to need support from the team.

Early Years SEND Inclusion team

Specialist advisors and practitioners may visit your child at home or at their nursery or both. They work with children who have a:

much greater difficulty in learning than most others of the same age

disability that stops them doing activities that most other children of the same age can do

They work with children from 3 years until they start school.

Your Early Years SEND Inclusion advisor or practitioner can:

use play to help your child learn by observing and imitating them - this is called modelling learning

give you and the nursery advice on how to improve your child's development in all areas of learning

contribute to an assessment

tell you about other help you can get for your child

Early Years Communication and Interaction advisors and practitioners

Specialist advisors and practitioners work with children with a diagnosis of autism, on the pathway of a diagnosis or with social communication and interaction needs, from birth until they start school. They may work at home or in settings or both. They can:

Develop understanding around sensory processing and social communication

Model some strategies for parents and professionals

Give advice about environments and the role of the adult in the nursery

Contribute to an assessment

Early Years Inclusion Practitioners

The Inclusion Practitioners work with children at risk of exclusion, until they are statutory school age. This work is based in settings and schools and can take the form of advice, modelling, intensive support, supporting dual placements and/or supporting statutory assessments.

How often will the service see my child in their early learning setting?

We will discuss with you how best to support your child. Your child will have a period of active involvement, during which they will be observed and assessed. Your child will then be placed on monitoring for a period of up to 6 months to allow yourselves and nursery time to embed the strategies and guidance given.

What does the team do for Early Years Settings?

Every validated private, voluntary or independent early years setting has an Area Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) who supports the setting to include children with special educational needs and disabilities. In exceptional cases inclusion funding may need to be applied for.

How do I access the Early Years SEND Inclusion team?

The team accepts referrals from parents or anyone working with a child who has parental consent for the referral. Children accepted by the team show significant delay in more than one area of development. Referral is via the local authority's Early Years SEND Inclusion Panel. There is a meeting every week during term time.

The team discuss every child referred and decide which service is best placed to meet the child's needs.

Following allocation at panel, an Advisor will contact parents and carers to talk about what the team has to offer. At this first contact it will be decided how often and where the visits will take place. Contacts may be at home or setting and may be a mix of virtual and face to face.

Before you begin the referral form

You cannot save progress, so to avoid being timed out please have the following information ready:

Child's information, including date of birth and parental details including address, telephone number, email address

Setting details

Names and contact details of any other services who have/had involvement with the child

Details of the Early Years Provider

Information on the areas of need and electronic copies of any documents you wish to submit to support the referral

Electronic copies of any assessments (small steps etc.)

Parental permission to complete the referral

Make an Early Years referral online
When you've submitted the information, a PDF version of the referral can also be downloaded for your own records.

Will information about me and my child be shared with other services?

We will share information about your child with other appropriate services to enable us to support them. However, we will never pass information to another service without your knowledge and only after we receive a signature from a parent or guardian giving us permission to do so.

Leaflets for parents

A parent and carer's guides to:

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Information for parents | Leicestershire County Council Professional Services Portal

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For parents of pre-school children with special educational needs or disabilities.

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School readiness | Leicestershire County Council

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Early years information to help your child become ‘school ready’

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Healthy Together Newsletter- Primary Schools (Leicestershire & Rutland)- Edition Five

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The 30 Local Area Co-ordinators will initially work closely with GP surgeries, adult social care teams and borough/districts in order to identify individuals who may benefit from support, as well as developing a presence within their local communities.

What do Local Area Co-ordinators help with?

Individuals: thinking about how to make life better and looking at what you have to offer

Connecting with others: linking people together and being part of a community

Information: finding out about what's happening in your area and getting the right help from services

Taking action: making positive changes

What will this mean for communities?

improved health and wellbeing

fewer hospital / emergency admissions and visits to the GP

better quality of life; improved confidence and independence

stronger individuals, families and communities

more community links and social interaction - great community cohesion

positive use of community resources and buildings

increased levels of people taking part in volunteering, training or employment

Local Area Coordinators and their contact details:

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Our Local Area Co-ordinators aim to improve the health and wellbeing of individuals and communities. This helps to reduce demand on public services (mainly health and social care), preventing people from reaching crisis, and putting people in control of their lives and choices.

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Your First Contact for Information Advice and Support in Leicestershire

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First Contact Plus Room G58, Public Health Department County Hall, Glenfield LE3 8TB

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WINE - I wonder, I imagine, I notice, empathy

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WINE - I wonder, I imagine, I notice, empathy

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Transition Resource from Autism Outreach

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Transition Resource from Autism Outreach

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Moving up to secondary school for children with additional need

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Moving up to secondary school for children with additional need

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This short specialist course is for parents, relatives or friends of children who have additional needs. Your child may be dyspraxic, dyslexic, very anxious, autistic, really dislike change, have ADHD, a learning disability, a physical disability or any other additional need.

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The session will be held online using Microsoft Teams, joining details will be sent to ticket holders in advance of the session.

This session is free. It is for parents and carers of autistic children (no diagnosis required) living in the East of England you must be registered in advance.

This event is part of the Autism Central Peer Education Programme. Essex County Council are the Regional Hub for the East of England for Autism Central.

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virtual drop in event for parents/carers of autistic children

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virtual drop in event for parents/carers of autistic children tickets

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Virtual Drop In Event for Parents/Carers of Autistic Children

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Eventbrite - East of England Autism Central Hub presents Virtual Drop In Event for Parents/Carers of Autistic Children - Thursday, 25 July 2024 - Find event and ticket information.

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We all have times when we need some parenting support. With My Family Coach, you get all the help you need with advice‌ ‌to support ‌every‌ ‌stage‌ ‌of‌ ‌your‌ ‌child's‌ ‌development.

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Copyright © 2024, Dyspraxia Foundation · A Registered Charity (1058352) and a company registered in England limited by guarantee (3256733) Registered Office: 8 West Alley, Hitchin, Hertfordshire, SG5 1EG

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What is dyspraxia?

Dyspraxia is a difficulty with organising and directing the body to perform a motor skill (movement) needed to correctly carry out the steps in a process and to ensure that a task is performed in the most efficient way. In order to do this the brain must receive and register sensory information from the environment and one's own body (e.g. tactile (touch), kinesthetic (body position awareness), vestibular (balance awareness) and visual information). The brain must then process and interpret this information in order to generate an appropriate response: including how to interact with the environment, planning the movement necessary to proceed and finally executing the performance. Included in the organisation and planning of how to execute the task presented to the child, the child also requires the ability to effectively evaluate the success of the performance in order to refine it for next time.

What are the common features of dyspraxia?
Gross Motor (whole body) Skill Difficulties: Fine Motor (Finger) Skill Difficulties:

Difficulty with pencil-based tasks (e.g. holding and using a pencil for handwriting).

Difficulty with self-care activities such as using cutlery, tying shoe laces, brushing teeth, using scissors and doing up zips or buttons.

Perceptual Difficulties

Poor spatial awareness showing confusion between left/right, back/front, b/d, p/q.

Visual perceptual difficulties that result in difficulties with reading fluency, copying and writing.

Auditory perceptual difficulties that result in not being able to follow a set of oral instructions or being easily distracted by background sound.

Perceptual Difficulties:

Poor spatial awareness showing confusion between left/right, back/front, b/d, p/q.

Visual perceptual difficulties that result in difficulties with reading fluency, copying and writing.

Auditory perceptual difficulties that result in not being able to follow a set of oral instructions or being easily distracted by background sound.

Language Difficulties: Organisation Difficulties:

Often loses/forgets things.

Difficulty remembering sequences (e.g. months of the year) in order.

Difficulty following a set of instructions (may appear to not be listening).

Difficulty learning routines.

Difficulty putting multi-step tasks together (e.g. obstacle course).

Appears lazy and non-compliant (when in fact they may not know how to start the task).

Difficulty getting things organised at school (e.g. getting out pencils, paper, glue and the right book for a classroom activity, getting all the equipment needed for an outdoor game).

Struggles to get themselves ready on time.

Emotional/Social Difficulties: Common difficulties often (but not always) experienced by the child with dyspraxia:

May lack interest/motivation in physical activity or be hard to engage in particular activities they find difficult or in which they have experienced failure.

May avoid socialising with peers or not be included by peers in physical games (e.g. on the playground for fear of failure or experience with repeated failure).

Easily frustrated when completing tasks.

Easily distracted

Reduced self-esteem

Anxiety when asked to participate in difficult activities.

Tends to seek out younger children to play with as their skills are of a similar level and they feel more confident playing with them.

May complain that 'this is too hard' or 'I can't do it' when presented with motor activities.

May be resistant to changes in how or when tasks are done, as changes present new situations/tasks that require planning and new learning.

Management strategies that support the child with dyspraxia (at preschool, school and/or home):

Provide lots of praise and encouragement.

Use visual cues to support organisation and planning as well as attention to task.

Allow extra time to process and learn when presenting the child with a new task.

Recognise that additional practice is often required on an on-going basis to recall a previously mastered task.

Break large tasks into smaller ones wherever possible, even if it seems silly (not only does this support skill development, but it also reduces the heightened anxiety that is commonly experienced with motor planning challenges).

When teaching a skill, start with a movement that the child is likely to achieve and gradually increase the degree of difficulty.

Provide opportunities to succeed by simplifying activities.

Introduce new skills or environments on an individual basis before introducing peers.

Use simple language and instructions.

Recognise and reinforce the child's strengths.

Ensure appropriate set up of school desk.

Set realistic and achievable goals for all task performance and completion.

Make participation, not competition, the goal.

Occupational Therapy approaches and activities that can support the child with Dyspraxia and/or their carers include:

Child's abilities: Observing the child during play and formal assessment to determine the child's abilities with gross motor (whole body) tasks, what they find difficult and then making recommendations for management.

Devising goals: Setting functional goals in collaboration with the child, parents and teachers so that therapy has a common focus beneficial to everyone involved.

Educating parents, carers and teachers about dyspraxia, the age appropriate skills a child should be demonstrating and providing management strategies/ideas to assist the child in the home, at school and in the community.

Physical skills: Providing ways/ideas to promote physical activity and participation in team/group activities.

Underlying skills: Developing the underlying skills necessary to support whole body (gross motor) and hand dexterity (fine motor) skills, such as providing activities to support:Direct skill teaching through a task based approach.

balance and coordination

strength and endurance

attention and alertness

body awareness

movement planning

Confidence: Building self-confidence to enable a child to willingly participate (it is common for these children to shut down when they perceive the task to be too hard) in activities by:Simplifying tasks: Educating parents and carers on ways to simplify tasks to the smallest possible components and using simple and concise language.

Providing the child with awareness about why they may be experiencing difficulties with movement, their strengths as well as their weaknesses and providing and teaching them strategies to overcome obstacles they may face which otherwise may see an avoidance of activity.

Breaking down specific physical skills into one or two step components to teach the skill and then gradually adding in components until the skill is doable in its entirety (e.g. skipping - start with a step, then a hop).

Providing opportunities and strategies to master the same skill in different environments (home versus school versus therapy session).

Presenting the activities at the 'just right challenge' level to provide success and then gradually increasing the demands of a mastered skill.

Non-verbal cues: Using physical and visual models or instructions (wherever possible) not just verbal.

Sensory processing: Improving sensory processing to ensure appropriate attention and arousal to attempt the tasks, as well as ensuring the body is receiving and interpreting the correct messages from the muscles in terms of their position and relationship to each other.

Multi-sensory approach: Using a multi-sensory approach to learning new skills.

Modelling tasks visually and using hands-on adjustment techniques to aid body awareness for the child.

Speech Therapy approaches and activities that can support the child with dyspraxia and/or their carers include:

Speech and language assessment to help the family to understand how the child is processing, understanding, learning and using language and communication.

Communication strategies: Providing the family with strategies and techniques to increase and enhance communication with the child.

Daily activities: Helping the child to understand the environment, routines and language.

Developing language: Helping the child to understand and use richer language and to use language more spontaneously.

Articulation: Improving the child's ability to articulate sounds within words.

Conversation skills: Developing conversation skills (e.g. back and forth exchange, turn taking).

Concept skills: Developing concept skills, especially abstract concepts, such as time

(e.g. yesterday, before, after).

Visuals can be used to help with understanding and the child's ability to express their needs, wants, thoughts and ideas.

Social skills: Development of social skills (i.e. knowing when, how to use language in social situations).

Enhancing verbal and non-verbal communication including natural gestures, speech, signs, pictures and written words.

Visual strategies: Using visual information to help understand, organise and plan the routine for the day.

Liaising with educational staff regarding the nature of the difficulties and ways to help the child to access the curriculum.

Why should I seek therapy for my child with dyspraxia?

Diagnosis alone is NOT the solution. It simply opens the door to getting the help that is needed by arming all involved with the relevant information.

The 'help' still needs to be provided. The help that is provided (at least from a therapy perspective) will reflect:

First and foremost what medical intervention is needed.

What the parents/teachers/carers biggest concerns are for the child (i.e. what are the most significant functional challenges).

The specific areas that are problematic to the child (which will vary even within children with the same diagnosis).

The capacity of the child's environments to meet the child's needs.

If left untreated the child with dyspraxia may have difficulties with:

Learning to talk, speech intelligibility and clarity.

Managing a full school day due to poor strength and endurance.

Participating in sporting activities leading to an inactive lifestyle, increasing the risks of other health related issues such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease or similar conditions.

Self esteem and confidence when they realise their skills do not match their peers.

Bullying when others become more aware of the child's difficulties.

Fine motor skills (e.g. writing, drawing and cutting) due to poor core stability, meaning they do not have a strong base to support the use of their arms and hands.

Completing self-care tasks (e.g. doing up shoelaces, buttons, zips, using cutlery).

Self regulation and behaviour as the child is unable to regulate themselves appropriately to settle and attend to a task for extended periods of time.

Anxiety and stress in a variety of situations leading to difficulty reaching their academic potential.

Academic performance: Developing literacy skills such as reading and writing and coping in the academic environment.

Academic assessment: Completing tests, exams and academic tasks in higher education.

More specific implications of not seeking treatment will be influenced by the common difficulties that are most influencing your individual child.
For more information see the relevant fact sheets under areas of concern or refer to the other relevant resources section below.
What does the diagnosis of dyspraxia really mean for the child?

Diagnoses are used to label a specific set of symptoms that are being experienced by a child.

This label then helps to narrow down and specifically tailor what:

A diagnosis helps the child and their carers (parents, teachers, health professionals, carers) to:

Access information about the relevant cluster of symptoms.

Communicate the salient features of the child's challenges to all people involved in the child's care.

Possibly interpret certain behaviours differently in light of the diagnosis.

Obtain information about what can be done to help the child.

Determine specifically where and how to help the child.

Access funding or services that might not otherwise be accessible.

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Kid Sense Child Development helps get rid of Dyspraxia among children through customized activity and approach programs that support their individual needs. Contact us about occupational therapy services today!

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Urgent help with mental health

For urgent help, please contact your GP/doctor (you'll need to register with one if you don't have one) or telephone the Mental Health Central Access Point on 0808 800 3302.

If your GP's surgery isn't open:

telephone the surgery - the answerphone message will tell you the number for the out-of-hours service which is available 6.30pm to 8am on weekdays and all day at weekends

telephone the NHS 111 service (available 24 hours a day) to find out what other help is available for a mental health crisis

go to the Leicester Royal Infirmary Urgent Care Centre

Confidential helplines

Talk to someone confidentially over the phone, by email or visit a branch or drop-in centre.

If you find that you need extra support regarding substance misuse and issues with mental health, you can find information about local organisations that can help you on Mental Health - information, advice and support.

Mental Health Central Access Point

If you are in need of urgent NHS mental health support, you should call 0808 800 3302.

This is a 24/7 Freephone helpline for people of all ages in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, provided jointly by Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust (LPT) and Turning Point

Using Turning Point's established Freephone number, the re-named Mental Health Central Access Point is for people of all ages, offering round-the-clock access to urgent support and solution focused conversations, signposting and referral for yourself or on behalf of someone else.

Calls are handled by Turning Point's skilled and experienced recovery workers who can access clinical advice from Leicestershire Partnership Trust's specialist clinicians when needed. They will talk with you to agree the best support for your urgent mental health needs.

Samaritans

If you have feelings of distress or despair:

Resources

This set of resources is designed to help people find the right support to meet their mental health needs.

NHS Choices - Five steps to mental wellbeing takes you through ways to improve your mental health and resilience.

Pregnant women or new parents

If you're feeling down before or after the birth of a child:
Taking care of babies and young children

Children and young people

You can access services especially for children and young people experiencing emotional difficulties.

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Get support with mental health and wellbeing

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Advice on how to take care of your or your child's mental health and wellbeing, as well as how to get urgent help in situations when someone is in danger.

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Leicestershire's first-ever 'Baby Fortnight' is offering a range of free sessions for parents and carers of 0-2 year-olds. These sessions will feature messy play, language workshops and sensory fun for both the little ones and their pre-school age siblings. The events will take place from 8th - 21st April across the county and are part of Leicestershire County Council's Family Hubs Start for Life Initiative. This initiative aims to help parents and carers better understand how they can aid their child's development through simple and fun activities.

During the 'Baby Fortnight', three new sessions will be held that will focus on creative play, language and communication skills, and sensory experiences. Parents and carers are welcome to attend these sessions with their children and take advantage of this opportunity to learn new and engaging ways to help their child's development.

'Let's Get Messy' is a creative session providing fun for children and parents alike whilst also sharing tips on how messy plan can encourage a child's development.

'Tip Top Talkers' offers a unique workshop for parents/carers and children to come together and learn some tips on how to improve language and communication skills.

'Little Senses' sessions provide fun activities for you and your child to explore their senses and encourage all round brain development.

If you'd like to join one of our sessions simply contact a hub to book:

Blaby and Oadby & Wigston
Monday 8th April Active Mums Club Buggy Walk, Brocks Hill, Oadby 10am - 11am - Just turn up!
Wednesday 10th April, Wigston, 1 - 2.30pm - Lets get messy!
Tuesday 16th April, Huncote, 1pm - Little Senses
Wednesday 17th April, Braunstone Town Family Hub, 10am - 11am - Tip Top Talkers
Thursday 18th April, Active Mums Club Buggy Walk, Everards Meadows, Enderby 10am - 11am - Just turn up

Wigston Family Hub - 0116 3055282
Huncote Family Hub- 0116 3050306
Braunstone Town Family Hub - 0116 3054217

Charnwood:
Monday 8th April - Thurmaston Family Hub - 1:30pm - 2:30pm - Tip Top Talkers
Monday 8th April - Mountfields Family Hub - 1 to 2.20pm - Lets get Messy!
Tuesday 9th April - Active Mums Club Buggy Walk, Gorse Covert Community Centre, Loughborough 1pm - 2pm - Just turn up
Tuesday 16th April - Thurmaston Family Hub - 10 to 11.30am - Little Senses

Thurmaston Family Hub - 0116 305 5264
Mountfields Family Hub - 0116 305 2880

Harborough:
Friday 12th April - Market Harborough Family Hub - 10 to 11.30am - Lets get Messy
Monday 15th April - Lutterworth Family Hub - 1:30pm - 2:30pm - Tip Top Talkers

Market Harborough Family Hub - 0116 305 0079
Lutterworth Family Hub - 0116 305 5011

Hinckley and Bosworth
Tuesday 9th - Earl Shilton Family Hub - 1 to 2.30pm - Lets get Messy
Thursday 18th April Bagworth Family Hub - 10am - 11am - Tip Top Talker
Friday 19th Spril - Hinckley East Family Hub - 10.30 to 12pm - Little Senses

Earl Shilton - 0116 305 5601
Bagworth - 0116 305 5601
Hinckley East - 0116 305 5601

Melton:
Thursday 11th April - Melton - The Edge- 10am - 11am - Tip Top Talkers
Monday 15th April - The Edge- 10 to 11.30 - Little Senses

The Edge - 0116 305 106

North West Leicestershire:
Tuesday 9th April - Coalville Children & Family Centre - 10.30 to 12pm - Lets get Messy
Wednesday 10th April - Measham Family Hub - 10am - 11am - Tip Top Talkers
Tuesday 16th April - Coalville Children & Family Centre - 10.30 to 12pm - Little Senses

Coalville - 0116 305 5993
Measham - 0116 3055275

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Leicestershire's first-ever 'Baby Fortnight' is offering a range of free sessions for parents and carers of 0-2 year-olds. These sessions will feature messy play, language workshops and sensory fun for both the little ones and their pre-school age siblings.

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Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA) resources for children and families

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Emotionally Based School Avoidance Resources for families to use to support their children and young people.

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Parents/ Carers EBSA Guidance | Support Services for Education

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

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About pre-teen and teenage moods

Moods, or emotional ups and downs, are a part of life for pre-teens and teenagers, just as they are for adults.

For example, pre-teens and teenagers might feel cheerful and excited some days, and down, flat, low or sad at other times. And they often want more privacy or time on their own. In the pre-teen and teenage years, these emotional ups and downs can happen more often than they used to, and they can be more extreme.

Your child's emotional ups and downs might happen for many reasons - physical, emotional, social and psychological - and not for any one reason in particular. Often you won't be able to pin down why your child feels up or down - and neither will your child.

Moods are a sign that your child is experiencing more complex, mature emotions and trying to understand and manage them. This is an important part of teenage development. You have a big role to play in helping your child with this part of their journey into adulthood.

Emotional ups and downs: why they happen

Physical factors
Pre-teens and teenagers go through many physical changes during adolescence.

Your child's body is changing, which might make them self-conscious or embarrassed - or just make them want more privacy and time to themselves. Pre-teens and teenagers who seem to be developing earlier or later than friends might feel emotional about these physical changes.

Another physical factor is sleep. Pre-teens need 9-11 hours of sleep, and teenagers need 8-10 hours of sleep. The amount of sleep your child gets is likely to affect their mood.

Your child's eating and nutrition and their physical activity levels can affect moods too. Healthy eating and plenty of exercise can often help your child to regulate moods.

Brain factors
The adolescent brain goes through many changes in the teenage years.

For example, brain changes cause your child's body to make sex hormones. These hormones trigger physical changes, as well as sexual and romantic feelings. These new feelings can be powerful and sometimes confusing for your child.

Also, your child's brain will keep changing into their early 20s. The section of the brain that's the last to develop, the prefrontal cortex, is closely connected to the areas responsible for regulating and managing emotions. This means your child might find it harder to manage some of their stronger emotions, and it might seem that they react more emotionally to situations than they used to. They're still learning to process and express their emotions in a grown-up way.

Social and emotional factors
New thoughts, new emotions, new friends and new responsibilities can all affect how your child is feeling.

Your child is learning how to solve more problems on their own as they move towards independence. Your child is also living in their own head more than they used to and is busy thinking about challenges like friendships, school and family relationships.

Stressful family situations can affect your child's mood too.

Helping pre-teens and teenagers have more ups than downs

There are a couple of things you can do to help your child have more ups than downs.

The first is recognising the things your child already enjoys. These might be playing a favourite sport, spending time with old friends, listening to or playing music, drawing, creating their own digital content and so on. Keeping up with these activities will help your child feel secure and give your child a base for exploring new interests.

You can also help your child find new activities that challenge them and that help them set new goals and meet new friends. These might be learning a new musical instrument or joining a new social group. Rather than choosing these activities for your child, you might get ideas by listening to your child talk about what they like and dislike.

Helping pre-teens and teenagers manage emotional ups and downs

You can't stop your child from feeling flat or low. But there are many things you can do to help your child manage the ups and downs.

Helping your child accept ups and downs
It can help your child to know that emotional ups and downs are a part of life. One of the best ways to do this is to let your child know that sometimes you feel flat too.

It's also important for your child to know that you'll be there for them when they're feeling flat or having a tough time. You don't need solve your child's problems. Instead, it can help just to say, 'I can see you're having a difficult day'. This lets your child know that it's OK to feel down or flat sometimes.

Staying connected with your child
Staying connected and actively listening to what's going on in your child's life will help you pick up more easily on the triggers for their emotional ups and downs. Sometimes casual, everyday activities like driving your child somewhere or watching TV together are the best times for your child to share things with you.

Giving your child space
Your child is developing independence and tackling new things. While this is happening, try to give your child space or time alone to think about new emotions and new experiences. Let your child know you'll be there if they want to talk.

Holding off on solutions
If there's a problem, discussing solutions with your child can be great, but your child needs to contribute to the solutions and feel that they 'own' them. Your child is also more likely to try the solution if they feel it has come from them.

Also, problem-solving is a valuable life skill, which your child will get better at by practising. By helping your child develop problem-solving skills, you're sending the message that you value your child's input into decisions that affect their life.

Working together on coping strategies
Learning to cope with and manage emotional ups and downs independently is one of the big jobs of adolescence. And you can help your child develop this important life skill.

One way to do this is by making a list of 'mood busters' with your child. These are things that your child can do to feel better. For example:

Listen to an upbeat or favourite song.

Spend time with a friend.

Go for a brisk walk.

Pat the dog.

Get a hug from you.

Watch a movie with you.

It's good for your child to have a few options on their list, so they can try different things to see what works best.

Being a role model
You're still your child's most important role model. Your child will look to you to see how you cope in tough times. Think about how your child sees you working through problems and using coping strategies.

More than moods: when pre-teens and teenagers feel down all the time

Sometimes, continually feeling down or flat can be a sign of something more serious.

Pre-teens and teenagers can feel down for minutes, hours, days or much longer. If your child seems down, flat, irritable or sad for more than 2 weeks, or if you notice moods are stopping your child from getting on with their usual daily activities, this could be a sign of a more serious mental health problem.

If you're concerned about your child's emotions and behaviour, it's important to talk with your child and to seek help from a mental health professional. Your GP can help you find the right person.

Most pre-teens and teenagers with mental health problems recover well if they get treatment, particularly if they're treated early.

Your child might like to call Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800. It's a free, confidential, anonymous telephone counselling service for young people aged 5-25 years. Kids Helpline also offers webchat counselling and email counselling services.

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ups and downs are normal for teenagers. this article explains why your teenage child might be having more moods than before

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Moods: helping pre-teens and teens manage emotional ups and downs

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Moods, or emotional ups and downs, are a natural and important part of teen development. Help teens manage moods by listening, talking and staying connected.

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It's okay to reach out for help. Your situation is unique and no parent has all the answers. We all need a little extra support sometimes, and we hear from parents and carers just like you all the time.

So, if you're worried about the mental health and wellbeing of a child or young person up to the age of 25, you can chat to us by phone, email or webchat.

Our Parents Helpline is also accessible for those who are hard of hearing or speak English as an additional language. If English is not your first or preferred language, we can arrange for a language translator to support you on a call with one of our helpline advisers. Or if you would like to use our webchat or email service, we offer a digital translation service.

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Parents Mental Health Support | Advice for Your Child

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Practical tips, advice and where you can get help if your child or teenager is struggling with their mood, feelings, or their behaviour seems different.