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LD:NE offer specialist groups for Early Years Children. Contact a member of the team to find out more.

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If you would like to sign up to our seasonal newsletter and keep up to date with all the good news stories here at LD:NorthEast please fill out the form below!

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Home - LD:NorthEast - Registered Charity in North Tyneside

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LD:NorthEast are a local charity supporting adults and children with learning disabilities to live life to the full and be part of their community.

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The Tim Lamb Centre offers specialist activity and leisure facilities for children/ young people with additional needs, and their families. Find out more here.

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Tim Lamb Centre The Tim Lamb Centre offers specialist activity and leisure facilities for disabled children/ young people and their families. Our Centre is open to families with a child/ young person at any stage of their diagnostic journey

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A fantastic North East charity supporting children with autism and their families.

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The Toby Henderson Trust | Autism charity providing advice & support in Northumberland

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The Toby Henderson Trust is an independently funded charity supporting children and young adults with autism, their families, and carers in the North East.

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Find out more about what portage is on the National Portage Association Website.

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Portage aims to:

work with families to help them develop a quality of life and experience, for themselves and their young children, in which they can learn together, play together, participate and be included in their community in their own right.

play a part in minimising the disabling barriers that confront young children and their families.

support the national and local development of inclusive services for children.

How Portage is Delivered

Traditionally Portage is delivered by Portage Home Visitors who are employed as part of a Portage service to support children and families within their local community.
Find out how to become a Portage Home Visitor
Each Portage service is different and the model of delivery will differ from area to area.

A full description of the Portage Model of Service Delivery is given in the NPA Code of Practice.
Find out more about Portage Services and Service registration
Model of Support

Portage is a model of support for children and families which can be adapted and used effectively both in the home and in early years settings.

Many Portage services now offer support and training to early years practitioners; with Portage Principles and the Portage Model now used in early years practice within a range of settings.

The NPA Stamp of Approval Scheme

The NPA Stamp of Approval Scheme is an award given to early year's settings who have demonstrated they deliver inclusive early years education based upon Portage Principles.

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What is Portage? | National Portage Association

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Portage is a home-visiting educational service for pre-school children with SEND and their families.

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Welcome to North Tyneside Portage Service. Find out a little bit more about what we can offer.

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Meet the team!

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Here is the link to our Facebook page. Follow us for updates on things happening in North Tyneside.

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Find out more about the Portage principles, which are at the centre of everything we do.

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Portage Principles | National Portage Association

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Referrals to our service are now done through an Early Years Child Alert system. Click here to read more, or make a referral.

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Early Years Child Alert | North Tyneside Council

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The Early Years ‘Child Alert’ aims to ensure early intervention and appropriate signposting to either a universal, targeted or statutory offer.

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Find out more about North Tyneside's Local Offer. The Local Offer brings together information in one place so parents, carers and young people can see the range of services and support available in their local area and understand how to access them.

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Local Offer: Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)

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Wondering if your child has special educational needs? Information, advice and support Disabled children's register More Special Educational Needs and Disabilities information

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An opportunity to get your questions answered, and chat with other parents / carers who may be on the same journey.

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A specialist social facility in Newcastle for children with additional needs and their families.

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Working for the common good by enabling people to develop to their personal potential. Welcome The Alan Shearer Centre is a highly specialist, respite, residential and social facility for people with complex disabilities and acute sensory impairments. Situated in its own grounds on the outskirts of Newcastle, the Alan Shearer Centre comprises three specialist facilities...

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Top Tips to Support Your Child. Communication and Language Skills. Using a Voice

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Top Tips to Support Your Child. Fine Motor Skills. Posting & Releasing Objects

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Top Tips to Support Your Child.Communication and Language. Joint or Shared Attention

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Special Educational Needs and Disability,

Information, Advice & Support Service

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SENDIASS General service leaflet OCT 2023

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Family Fund deliver grants for families raising a disabled or seriously ill child or young people on a low income across the UK.

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You can apply for a Family Fund grant if you are the parent, or carer, of a disabled child and you meet our eligibility criteria.

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A list of groups and activities which can be accessed during term time at Family Hubs in North Tyneside

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Our hubs provide free activities for the whole family.

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Free workshops to support parents / carers of children who are on the diagnostic pathway, or post diagnosis of autism.

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Check out the Baby Equipment Loan Service, and toy library based at Footprints Day Nursery Wallsend. They also run a toddler group on a Friday.

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Baby Equipment Loan Service & Toy Library - North Tyneside

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Baby Equipment Loan Service & Toy Library - North Tyneside

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Cerebra's sleep service is available to help families of children who have brain-related conditions.

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This can make normal activities such as learning, playing or simply experiencing the world a huge challenge. Through our research we offer solutions and advice to help these children and their families enjoy lives full of hope and discovery.

Research is the foundation for all our work

Whether we're providing an innovative solution to a problem or new research on an existing condition, we partner with our experts to produce research-driven, evidence-based services, advice and support.

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Cerebra - Working with you and your amazing child

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Cerebra is the national charity helping children with brain conditions and their families discover a better life together.

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The Chronicle Sunshine Fund is a local northeast charity that provides specialist and adapted equipment to children aged 0-19 living with disabilities, additional needs, chronic and terminal illness.

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Resources and activities to support learning for children aged 0-5.

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Tiny Happy People is here to help you develop your child's language skills. Explore our simple activities and play ideas and find out about babies and toddlers' amazing early development.

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Children’s language development and parenting advice - BBC Tiny Happy People

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A chatty child is a happy child, so Tiny Happy People is here to help you develop your child’s communication skills through simple interaction and play.

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Lot's of fantastic Webinar opportunities for parents navigating an Autism diagnosis

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At Toby House we have a programme of webinars - training and workshops for parents and professionals with at least one seminar being delivered every month.

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The Graduated Approach is North Tyneside's approach to supporting children and young people who may have additional needs. Click the link to read more.

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The Graduated Approach is North Tyneside's approach to supporting children and young people who may have additional needs. Click the link to read more.

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Expert advice on helping babies and young children when they're poorly.

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Resources, support & information around sensory processing needs

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Resources, support & information around sensory processing needs

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Information on Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and how to apply.

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Disability Living Allowance ( DLA) for children may help with the extra costs of looking after a child who:

is under 16

has difficulties walking or needs much more looking after than a child of the same age who does not have a disability

They will need to meet all the eligibility requirements.

The is between £26.90 and £172.50 a week and depends on the level of help the child needs.

If your child lives in Scotland

You need to apply for Child Disability Payment instead of DLA for children.

If your child is getting DLA for children but they have moved to Scotland, you'll need to report this change so they can get Child Disability Payment instead.

If your child moves from Scotland to England or Wales

If your child gets Child Disability Payment, you must:

Your Child Disability Payment will stop 13 weeks after your child moves - apply for DLA as soon as possible after moving or your payments could be affected.

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Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for children

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Help for children under 16 with disabilities - DLA rate, eligibility, how to apply, claim form.

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How does regulation develop?

The ability to regulate starts to develop when we are a baby. Long before we can self-regulate we need help from our caregivers. When babies start to show distress, their caregivers swaddle, carry, rock and feed them. Caregivers should provide what is required to help the baby to organise their arousal. As these needs are met the infant learns patterns and rhythms. They learn that when they hear mum or dad's footsteps, help is on the way.

Regulation develops over time and with experience. Each time a child experiences dysregulation and is able to regulate they learn what helps them. However, this process starts with co-regulation.

Co-regulation

Co-regulation is when someone else helps another individual to regulate. We usually think of adults helping children. However, adults help adults all the time. Think about when a friend or family member was upset and you gave them a hug. Or, a time when they were angry and you listened. One unique feature of mammals is that we frequently co-regulate. You will see a mother cat regulate its kitten through licking but you would never observe a snake or crocodile doing this with their off spring.

Toddlers need huge amounts of support from their caregivers to regulate and self-soothe. Whilst they are starting to be more a bit independent, the regulation centres of their brain are still developing. Sarah Ockwell Smith suggests that it isn't until after a child's fifth birthday that their brain is developmentally mature enough for them to start to self-soothe or self-regulate. Parents of teenagers would also argue that hormones severely disrupt this skill.

Regulation with the help of caregivers is what teaches children to self-regulate as they get older. They learn what they experience. Co-regulation helps them to develop the brain networks and strategies they need to self-regulate.

Self-regulation

Self-regulation is the ability to stay regulated without the help of others. It is the ability to use your own strategies to either calm down or energise. Some individuals need more help to learn how to self-regulate than others. Often individuals with ADHD and ASD need more support to learn to self-regulate. Sensory regulation strategies can help with self-regulation. As can cognitive strategies. We will explore these further below.

Emotional regulation

Emotional regulation refers to the ability to regulate our emotions. Toddlers and teenagers find this difficult. For toddlers this is because they haven't yet established the language and brain connections to enable them to regulate their emotions. Teenagers find this more difficult as their hormones and brain connections and changing. They need time to get used to these changes.

Neurologically the front part of our cortex (our frontal lobe) is responsible for emotional regulation. The connections to this part of the brain continue to develop into adulthood. The ability to regulate emotions improves as these connections strengthen. Again, some individuals, including those with autism, need more support to develop these connections.

What about sensory regulation strategies?

Sensory regulation strategies are strategies which use the senses to help with regulation. These are often used to support individuals with autism and those who experience sensory processing differences. But in reality, they can be helpful for everyone.

The goal when using sensory regulation strategies is to help the individual to regulate. They are often using the sensory strategy alongside them, so to support co-regulation, initially. The longer term goal would be that they could self-regulate using the strategy. Programmes like the Zones of Regulation can be helpful to teach emotional regulation and how to use sensory regulation strategies.

Sometimes the individual may need to increase their arousal level. This would mean using a sensory regulation strategy that would make them more alert.

Alternatively, sometimes they may need to decrease their arousal level. So, they will need a sensory regulation strategy to helm them to calm down.

What are some examples of sensory regulation strategies?

I will break this section into two parts. Firstly, I will give strategies that can help to increase arousal. Secondly, I will look at ideas to help to calm down. If you want to read more about sensory strategies you could also read this article.

Sensory regulation strategies to help to increase arousal (or alert)

Our sensory diet/brain break movement video playlist is a great place to start!

Movement! Go Noodle have some great songs to follow along with if you're stuck inside. Playgrounds, cycling, scooters and running are good options for being outside.

You can also create fun indoor obstacle courses. This video gives a great example.

Sensory regulation strategies to help to decrease arousal (or calm)

We have some great slow movement and breathing activities here in this playlist

Heavy work is a helpful strategy for calming. We explore this further our blog The Mystery of Heavy Work.

Yoga can be a great option. Cosmic Yoga has some great videos to follow. Each video includes a story which can help children to stay engaged.

Breathing exercises can really help to calm and organise the brains. The Smiling Minds app is free and also has good content for children. The charity scope has also published a product called Mindful Monsters, which includes breathing and relaxation activities designed for children. This monkey video gives a nice breathing sequence for children to follow. Koala goes through 2 minutes of breathing here.

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Sensory regulation strategies - how you can use them to help your child.

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The ability to regulate starts to develop when we are a baby. Long before we can self-regulate we need help from our caregivers. When babies start to show distress, their caregivers swaddle, carry, rock and feed them. Caregivers should provide what is required to help the baby to organise their arousal.

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Under 5's session on a Monday morning

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Parent & Carer Makaton lessons @ Tim Lamb 

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Parent & Carer Makaton lessons @ Tim Lamb 

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For parents looking for some Makaton training.

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Movers & Explorers Group

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For children aged 5 and under going through the diagnostic process or with a diagnosis of autism. Sessions must be booked in advance using the contact details on the poster.

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For children aged 5 and under going through the diagnostic process or with a diagnosis of autism. Sessions must be booked in advance using the contact details on the poster.

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(IPSEA) Independent Provider of Special Education Advice

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(IPSEA) Independent Provider of Special Education Advice

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IPSEA (Independent Provider of Special Education Advice) - helping children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) get the education they are entitled to by law

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Contact - A charity supporting families of children with SEND

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Contact - A charity supporting families of children with SEND

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Lots of useful advice and information here.

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Contact - for families with disabled children | Contact

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We are Contact, the charity for families with disabled children. We support families, bring families together and help families take action for others.

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Support for sensory needs

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Sensory Sid - Sensory Processing Disorder Activity Cards

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Sensory Sid Activity Cards are designed to improve regulation and ability to handle sensory input. In 10 exciting minutes per day, Sensory Sid Activity Cards suggest a variety of activities designed to provide a well-rounded sensory diet.

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A great source of information, advice, resources and webinar opportunities for those navigating delays in speech and language.

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Speech and Language UK: Changing young lives

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Speech and Language UK: Changing young lives

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Sensory advice around vestibular and proprioceptive movement, and how we can support these needs to help children engage and learn.

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Northumbria NHS OT Ready to Engage and Learn