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ChatHealth - New health messaging service launched for children, young people and families

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iPad apps for learners with Dyslexia / literacy difficulties

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iPad apps for learners with Dyslexia / literacy difficulties

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iPad apps for leaners with numeracy difficulties

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iPad apps for leaners with numeracy difficulties

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iPad apps for complex communication support needs

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iPad apps for complex communication support needs

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Android apps for complex communication support needs

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Android apps for complex communication support needs

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Chromebook Tools for learners with Dyslexia / literacy difficulties

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Chromebook Tools for learners with Dyslexia / literacy difficulties

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Empowered Parenting Podcast - Child Development: from Birth to Adolescence - Sleep

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New discount card for families of children with SEND

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New discount card for families of children with SEND

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Cornwall Special Educational Needs Disability Information and Advice Support Service

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WHAT WE DO & WHY WE'RE HERE

🔊 Listen Here

Our aim is to gather information from Parent Carers and using these unique shared experiences, we take part in consultations and participation work which helps us to shape the development and delivery of services to our children. We also pass on information to families via a newsletter enabling parent carers to gain greater knowledge and understanding of the services available from health, education, local authority and the voluntary sector.
Parent Carers Cornwall (PCC) is the recognised Parent Carer Forum for Cornwall. Nationally funded to support families with children with SEND, endorsed locally by Health, Education and Social Care.

LATEST NEWS

You can find out about our latest news and events below. Please feel free to have a read of the blogs, written to help you!

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🔊 Listen Here Our aim is to gather information from Parent Carers and using these unique shared experiences, we take part in consultations and participation work which helps us to shape the development and delivery of services to our children.

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Dyslexia Cornwall is a registered Charitable Incorporated Organisation. The charity was first established in 1991.

We provide support and services for dyslexic children and adults of all ages, their parents/families, educators, employers and the wider community.

We provide an outreach services across the whole of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

Our vision is to create a dyslexia friendly society that enables dyslexic people of all ages to reach their full potential.

Dyslexia Cornwall aims to offer a high quality service that is centred on our service users' needs.

Dyslexia Cornwall's ambition is to raise public and professional awareness of dyslexia and campaign for appropriate provision for dyslexics in schools, colleges and the workplace.

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Dyslexic Support Charity based in Cornwall - Dyslexia Cornwall

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Dyslexia Cornwall is a registered Charitable Incorporated Organisation. The charity was first established in 1991. We provide support and services for dyslexic children and adults of all ages, their parents/families, educators, employers and the wider community. We provide an outreach services across the whole of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

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ELSA - Emotional Literacy Support Assistant

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ELSA - Emotional Literacy Support Assistant

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Mrs Lakin is our ELSA and is fully trained to give pastoral support to children in school. Her support can be accessed through a referral from Mrs Rawlings (Lead for Inclusion and SEND).

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Resources for Emotional Literacy Support Assistants - ELSA Support

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

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Using positive affirmations with children

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Using positive affirmations with children

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What are positive affirmations and can they help my child?

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An introduction to positive affirmations and how they might be beneficial for your child’s daily wellbeing.

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Supporting children's negative thoughts - ANTs

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Supporting children's negative thoughts - ANTs

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Cornwall Children's Mental Health Support Team

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Cornwall Children's Mental Health Support Team

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Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

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Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

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The focus of the Mental Health Support Team is prevention and early intervention. The service work closely with primary schools to promote mental health.

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Managing children's anxiety - information and tips for parents

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Managing children's anxiety - information and tips for parents

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What is anxiety?

Anxiety is a feeling of worry, fear or unease. It is often experienced as a combination of thoughts, feelings and physical sensations in our body.

All children and young people feel worried sometimes. This is a normal, human reaction to things that feel stressful. For example, before an exam a young person may feel more worried than usual. But they will soon feel calmer after the stressful event has passed.

Anxiety becomes a problem when a child or young person feels stuck in it. When this happens, it can become an overwhelming experience. It can also affect their daily life and limit the things they feel able to do.

If your child or young person is struggling with anxiety, there are things you can do to help them. We've got advice to help you provide reassuring support, work on strategies together and find professional help if they need it.

What makes young people anxious?

A child or young person may be anxious for different reasons. Feeling a bit more worried sometimes is normal and there is not always a clear reason for this. But if your child is feeling unmanageable amounts of anxiety, this is often a sign that something in their life isn't quite right. They may need support to work out what the problem is.

This video by St Catherine's College is a useful way of understanding how stress and anxiety might build up in a person's life.

The following kinds of things can make some children and young people feel anxious:

finding school difficult or experiencing school anxiety

being around someone else who is very anxious, such as a parent

going through a significant change, such as moving house, parents separating or changing school

the death or illness of a close family member or friend

having lots of responsibility, for example caring for other people in their family

experiencing family stress around things like housing, money and debt

going through experiences in which they do not feel safe, such as being bullied, witnessing or experiencing abuse, or experiencing discrimination such as racism, homophobia or transphobia

not getting the right support or having their needs recognised if they have a neurodiverse condition such as autism or ADHD

Signs of anxiety in children and young people

Anxiety often affects our body, thoughts, feelings and behaviour. A child or young person who is struggling with anxiety may also behave differently or start using coping mechanisms to try to manage or avoid the anxiety. Below are some of the signs to look out for in children and young people.

Young people share their experience of anxiety.

How to help your child or young person when they feel panicky

In a very anxious moment, your child or young person may feel frightened or worried about having a panic attack. If this happens, focus on helping them to calm down and feel safe. The strategies below can help.

Breathe slowly and deeply together

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A hand with five fingers spread. A pointed finger shows instructions for moving around each finger with the words 'Breathe in' as you move upwards, and 'Breathe out' as you move downwards.

Together, hold your hands out in front of you. Trace the outline of each of your fingers slowly with your other hand. Breathe in as you go up each finger, and out as you come down. Move and breathe as slowly as feels comfortable. Over time, encourage your child or young person to breathe out for one or two counts longer than they breathe in. This can help their body to relax.

If you would like to have a copy of this technique with you, you can download and print our resource.

Try using all five senses together

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A picture of eyes, an ear, a hand, a nose and a mouth. Text reads next to each one: "5 things you can see. 4 things you can hear. 3 things you can touch. 2 things you can smell. 1 thing you can taste."

Connecting with what we can see, touch, hear, smell and taste is sometimes called 'grounding'. Doing grounding techniques can make us feel more present and bring us back into our body. This can reduce the intensity of our anxiety. Think together about what they can see, touch, hear, smell and taste.

For example, they might notice: five different colours; four soft things in the room; three sounds like cars going past the window or the noise of the washing machine; two things they can smell, like a scented candle or a piece of fruit; and one thing they find soothing to eat.

If you would like to have a copy of this technique with you, you can download and print our resource.

Remember, you don't need to do all of these things each time. Everyone is different, and it's about figuring out which of these strategies suits them best.

After they have calmed down, it can help to remind them that the panicky feeling did not last forever. They were able to do things that helped and the feeling stopped.

How to help your child or young person manage their anxiety

As well as managing panicky moments, your child or young person can also learn how to deal with their anxiety over the longer-term.

Many of these strategies are about helping them to understand how their anxiety works and what helps them. The more confident they feel about this, the more they will believe in their ability to cope. This can make anxiety feel more manageable.

As you think about strategies you might try, always remind yourself you're doing your best. It's natural to feel a bit overwhelmed sometimes. But remember, you do not need to try five different things at once. Have a look through these suggestions and pick one or two things you think might help.

There are some daily activities that are really important for our mental health. These are:

physical exercise, or some movement

sleeping well

eating healthily

drinking water

connecting and spending quality time with loved ones

They might sound simple, but they can have a big effect on our mood. Regular exercise can be particularly important because it can help to reduce feelings of anxiety in the body. It doesn't have to be much - walking or gentle yoga can help.

If you have a teenager or young adult, reducing alcohol and caffeinated drinks such as coffee can help. This is because they can trigger the physical symptoms of anxiety.

Some children and young people will need support from a mental health professional. They may benefit from a specific diagnosis or a treatment such as talking therapy. You can find more information about this below.

Young people tell us it also helps to...

think about something you're looking forward to

imagine your thoughts leaving your brain and floating off into the sky

keep yourself occupied

have time out

reflect on how you're feeling

talk to other people you trust

remind yourself you're not alone - odds are someone in your friendship circle has anxiety or depression too

Finding professional help

You might also find helpful...

Useful helplines and websites

While we take care to ensure that the organisations we signpost to provide high quality information and advice, we cannot take responsibility for any specific pieces of advice they may offer. We encourage parents and carers to always explore the website of a linked service or organisation to understand who they are and what support they offer before engaging with them.

Whether you love the page or think something is missing, we appreciate your feedback. It all helps us to support more young people with their mental health.

Please be aware that this form isn't a mental health support service. If your child is in crisis right now and you want to talk to someone urgently, find out who to contact on our urgent help page.

At YoungMinds we take your privacy seriously. If you'd like to read more about how we keep the information we collect safe, take a look at our privacy policy.

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Supporting A Child With Anxiety | Tips and Advice

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If your child or teenager is struggling with anxiety, we've got information about signs and treatment, and practical strategies you can do together.

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Free digital wellbeing support for parents

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Free digital wellbeing support for parents

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Meet Emma our Mental Health Support Practitioner

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Meet Emma our Mental Health Support Practitioner

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Building resilience and mental wellbeing for children and young people

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(IPSEA) Independent Provider of Special Education Advice

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What to do when you receive your draft EHC plan

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Following an EHC needs assessment, if the LA decides to issue an EHC plan, the first step is for the LA to send the parent or young person a draft version. The plan will include information on the child or young person’s special educational needs (“SEN”), health and care needs, the…

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Parents and Carers HOMEPAGE - SEND IASS - Cornwall

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Cornwall Special Educational Needs Disability Information and Advice Support Service

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Click on the link to access information about the EHCP process in Cornwall:

https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/schools-and-education/special-educational-needs/education-health-and-care-plans/