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Do you have an autistic child in your family?

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Do you have an autistic child in your family?

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FREE information sessions

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Children's therapy patient information leaflets

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Welcome to the University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust

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Sensory Parenting by Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

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Sensory Parenting by Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

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For children with additional needs and their families

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For children with additional needs and their families

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Bring your children to a safe environment to play.

Use our Soft Play/Sensory Room

Chat to others who understand about special needs.

Sessions held at Immanuel Church - come into the hall via the ‘Puffins’ door down
the right side of the Church building.

2025 Dates

Saturday 18 October: 1:30pm-3:00pm

Saturday 15 November: 1:30pm-3:00pm

Saturday 20 December: 1:30pm-3:00pm

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Sparkle Time — Immanuel Church Southbourne

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- For children with additional needs and their families

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First Thursday of the Month 9:30-11:30

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First Thursday of the Month
9:30 am - 11:30 am
A free, confidential and impartial service provid…

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The Treehouse - Purpose built for individuals with special educational needs. Secure and safe space to attend with no judgment- Register with Diverse Abilities 

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The Treehouse - Purpose built for individuals with special educational needs. Secure and safe space to attend with no judgment- Register with Diverse Abilities 

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Facilities on-site include a large indoor soft play, learning kitchen, Changing Places toilet, sensory room, cinema room, games room, bouncy castles, trampolines, and mini golf.

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The Treehouse — Diverse Abilities | Dorset’s Disability Charity | Children & Adults

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NCMH (National Centre for Mental Health)

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Mical (2020) | OFFICIAL FILM | Dyslexia Film

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Understanding and Supporting My Child's ADHD

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Understanding and Supporting My Child's ADHD

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Suggestions for using a wobble cushion (1)

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Heavy Work Activities (Proprioceptive Input)

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Heavy Work Activities (Proprioceptive Input)

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Beer and an Ear - Dad's with neurodiverse children Ludo Lounge

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Beer and an Ear - Dad's with neurodiverse children Ludo Lounge

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Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know.

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Total Children’s Therapy | A Private Paediatric Practice Just For Children

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At Total Children’s Therapy, our friendly team is made up of experienced paedatric clinicians who offer continuity and are used to working with children who have a variety of needs.

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This section is full of books for reluctant and dyslexic readers. These books are by the fantastic publisher Barrington Stoke.

Unique, dyslexia-friendly font specially created to make reading easier

Accessible layouts and spacing stop the page from becoming overcrowded

Heavier paper with a gentle tint helps reduce visual stresses

Award-winning authors ensure well-written texts with plenty to engage and discuss

Bestselling names that readers will recognise and their friends already love

Award-winning illustrators help bring the stories to life and aid comprehension

Expertly edited to ensure unnecessary words don't hinder comprehension while the text will still challenge the reader

Lots of illustration to break up the text and keep the story moving

Short, sharp, unpatronising content matched to the age of the reader not their reading level

These books are heavily discounted to just £3.99 for Little Gems and £4.99 for all other titles. . a great investment for children who struggle with reading. Find out more about dyslexia books here

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Heavily discounted Barrington Stoke books, no coupon or minimum spend required. These amazing books are perfect for dyslexic and reluctant readers.

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https://www.eastdorsetdd.co.uk/

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Autism Assessment - West Dorset Practice

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Autism Assessment - West Dorset Practice

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Psychological Services - The West Dorset Practice

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Based at our clinic suite in Dorchester, our expert team of highly-trained clinicians offer a range of psychological services, from evidence-based therapies to training and consultation. We can work with individuals, groups and organisations to address a wide range of issues.

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The voice of parent carers of children and young people with SEND in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole

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Parent Carers Together (PCT) is a friendly parent carer forum set up to represent the voices of Parent Carers of children and young people (0-25 years) with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND) in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP). On 1st April 2024, we held our fifth birthday.

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HJ Dyslexia offers full dyslexia assessments and dyslexia tuition, in Dorset and The New Forest.

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Diverse Abilities | Dorset's Disability Charity | Children & Adults

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Coping with CHAOS supports the whole family, so all children and young people have equal access to play sessions and suitable activities to have fun together.

We provide for children and young adults with complex, profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD) and challenging behavior that cannot easily access other resources and play schemes. We also provide help and support, information and advice, friendships, and short-term respite care for families and carers who look after a child or children with disabilities. Click here to register for Coping with CHAOS. - Please note that the final day to register before the summer holidays is Sunday 21st May.

Our Short Breaks Services also include:

Play opportunity sessions every weekday of the school holidays for the whole family, including siblings

A youth club, Awesome Nights, for young people with additional needs aged 13 - 18 years old.

Family support service, regular coffee mornings during term time, workshops and information sessions for parents

Parent support on Facebook

Activity and support sessions for siblings aged 8 to 16 at STARs

Information and signposting

A variety of staffed play sessions are held at different locations throughout the county including play/leisure centes, local attractions, special schools and at our own Families Centre in West Moors.

Parents and carers must stay at all session venues but have the opportunity to meet others in a similar situation. Our play support workers, the CHAOS crew, will support your children. Siblings are welcome to attend but remain the responsibility of their parents/carer. This hopefully allows parents to take a break and enjoy a tea or coffee.

Facilities at our Families Centre in West Moors include a sensory room, cinema room, soft play area, fully accessible toilets, toys and games consoles. Parking is available right outside the building and additional free parking can be found across the road at Fryers Field.
Please note that families must be registered with us in order to access this service.

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Coping with CHAOS - Diverse Abilities | Dorset's Disability Charity | Children & Adults

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We provide for children and young adults with complex, profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD) and challenging behavior that cannot easily access other resources and play schemes. We also provide help and support, information and advice, friendships, and short-term respite care for families and carers who look after a child or children with disabilities.

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Support you in things like paperwork, appeals and support.

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Providing free, impartial, and confidential information, advice and support for children and young people (up to the age of 25) with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and their parents/carers, living in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.

About our Service

Feedback

Such a relief

It is such a relief to know that my son will be going the correct school for him and he can get the help and encouragement that he deserves.

Contact us

Latest News

We still have a couple of events on in August, take a look at what's occurring! 10th of August -...

With the summer holidays starting, we have closed out phone line and emails, to give our staff a little summer...

Our phone and emails will be closed for the 24th of July to the 5th of August, at the start...

The BCP Council SEND Local Offer provides information on services and activities for children and young people living in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole aged 0 to 25 with special educational needs and disabilities. It provides local information in relation to schools, colleges and training, activities and short breaks, health, social care, transport, the graduated response, EHC Plans and BCP's SEND strategy.

We still have a couple of events on in August, take a look at what's occurring! 10th of August -...

With the summer holidays starting, we have closed out phone line and emails, to give our staff a little summer...

Our phone and emails will be closed for the 24th of July to the 5th of August, at the start...

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SENDiass4BCP is a free, impartial, confidential and arms-length service for children and young people (up to the age of 25) with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and their parents/carers in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole. You will find information, advice and support through our online resources, at events and workshops, via our advice line service and through individual casework.

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This website places cookies on your computer to improve your experience. By continuing to browse the site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. For more details, see our privacy policy. I agree

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The British Dyslexia Association is the voice for the 10% of the population that are dyslexic

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Top Tips for parents of children who find maths difficult

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Top Tips for parents of children who find maths difficult

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Top 10 tips for parents of children who find Maths tricky

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Activities, advice and personal stories about parenting and SEND to help support your family.

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SEND tips and advice - BBC Parents' Toolkit - BBC Bitesize

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Activities, advice and personal stories about parenting and special educational needs and disabilities to help you support your family.

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Lots of resources and information about Dyslexia for parents.

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Free Homeschool Materials

At Nessy, we believe families that home educate should be supported with effective evidence-based teaching materials.

Nessy's digital based programs make it possible to get Science of Reading and Structured Literacy teaching, anywhere in the world.

The founder of Nessy, Mike Jones, was taught to read at home by his mother (Pat Jones OBE) after he failed to learn at school. In 2019, the short film MiCAL was made about their story.

Nessy began as a home education program in 1977. To support our roots, we have decided to provide families with a portfolio of free materials to help teach children at home.

Watch for our annual home education bulk buy for parents, enabling families that home educate to come together and get huge bulk discounts on valuable programs! ​​​​​​​

Follow us on Facebook for more information.

Looking for free educational teaching videos that help kids with phonics, spelling, grammar and time tables? Subscribe to our YouTube Channels.

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We believe families that home educate should be supported with effective evidence-based teaching materials. Find our helpful teaching materials here!

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For learning and thinking differences - ADHD, Dyscalculia, Dyslexia, Language Disorders

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For learning and thinking differences - ADHD, Dyscalculia, Dyslexia, Language Disorders

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Understood is the leading non-profit for people with learning and thinking differences

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How can we help?

I want help with behaviors , learning , and everyday skills

We are Understood.
We are the lifelong guide for those who learn and think differently. In the past year, we've helped more than 20 million people discover their potentials, take control of their lives, and stay on positive paths.

We support the 1 in 5 Americans who learn and think differently.

Learn more

We believe difference is our greatest strength.

Learn more

When we shape the world for difference, we all thrive.

Learn more

Discover what's possible when you're understood.

We'll email you our most helpful stories and resources.

We just launched our "Be the Reason" stigma campaign. Learn more here.

Helpful guidance from Understood

Essential resource spotlight

Are you wondering why your child is struggling?

We're here to help if you're feeling overwhelmed. Take N.O.T.E. (Notice. Observe. Talk. Engage.) is a simple step-by-step tool that can help you figure out if the struggles you're seeing might be signs of a learning and thinking difference.

"I have a hard time focusing, mostly in school. When I do my homework, I kind of feel stressed out because it feels like so much even though it's not too much."

Emperor Kaioyus, Grade 4

Copyright © Understood for All, Inc.

Understood is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) charitable organization (tax identification number 83-2365235). Donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law. Understood does not provide medical or other professional advice. The health and medical related resources on this website are provided solely for informational and educational purposes and are not a substitute for a professional diagnosis or for medical or professional advice.

Use of this website is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Copyright © 2014-2023 Understood For All Inc.

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Understood - For Learning and Thinking Differences

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Understood.org is the resource that helps the 70 million people with learning and thinking differences anticipate the challenges, barriers, or opportunities in life and confidently reach their potential.

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What is ADHD?

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects behaviour and concentration.

Children and young people with ADHD often seem unusually restless, impulsive or distracted. They may speak or act without thinking, struggle with organisation, find it hard to focus or appear to be always on the go. Some people with ADHD do not experience hyperactivity; this used to be called attention deficit disorder (ADD), though the term in no longer used officially.

ADHD is not a mental illness or a learning disability, though children and young people with ADHD may also have other conditions or experience mental health problems.

Living with ADHD can be very challenging, for children and young people as well as for their parents and carers. But the right diagnosis, treatment and support can make a big difference to a child's learning, life skills and relationships, as well as making family life easier. There is also lots you can do as a parent/carer to help your child manage the things they find difficult.

What are the most common symptoms of ADHD?

A child with ADHD may be:

easily distracted, finding it difficult to start or finish tasks

often unable to concentrate

often restless or fidgety

very talkative, often interrupting or blurting things out

impulsive, acting before considering consequences, prone to taking risks

easily angry or frustrated, struggling to deal with emotions

finding making or maintaining friendships difficult

disorganised, for instance often losing things or being late

lacking awareness of time

Every child or young person with ADHD is individual and they may not display all of these behaviours. And many of these traits and behaviours are typical in younger children, or can follow a traumatic experience - they don't necessarily mean your child has ADHD.

Age and gender can also affect how someone with ADHD behaves. This can make it harder to spot signs of ADHD, particularly in girls, who are more likely to be undiagnosed or wrongly diagnosed with other conditions.

Typically the symptoms of ADHD develop in early childhood and they may become particularly noticeable at times of significant change, such as starting or changing school.

What to do if you think your child might have ADHD

If your child frequently experiences some of these symptoms and it's affecting their day-to-day life, discuss your concerns with your child's GP. Before doing this, talk to your child's teacher and the school special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO) about what they have noticed.

The GP may want to refer your child for assessment, as ADHD can only be diagnosed by a specialist such as a child and adolescent psychiatrist or paediatrician.

Sometimes parents are reluctant to pursue assessment. They may be worried about 'labelling' their child or about stigma, or they may prefer to watch and wait. These feelings are normal. But parents and young people who do seek diagnosis can find it helps them access the right support; understand and manage challenges; and identify individual strengths.

We have more information about getting support from the GP, CAMHS or school in our guide.

ADHD diagnosis, support and treatment

ADHD assessment is usually done through the specialist Children and Young People's Mental Health Services, commonly referred to as CAMHS.

Diagnosis is most commonly made in childhood, and in the majority of cases, symptoms affecting daily life continue into adulthood.

There is no single, definitive test for ADHD. Specialists will base clinical diagnosis on a combination of observations of your child; discussions and questionnaires (with you and your child); and information from your child's school.

They will consider how long the symptoms have been present; their impact on your child's daily life; and whether they might be due to another condition. The NHS states that approximately 60-80% of children with ADHD have at least one other condition (such as autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia, anxiety or behaviour problems), and your child may be given more than one diagnosis.

Support and treatment options

You and your child should be offered support and advice to help manage ADHD in their day-to-day life.

ADHD can also be treated with medication and/or therapies. These should be discussed with you when your child is diagnosed, and are set out in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines on ADHD.

ADHD can be treated with therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). For more information about therapy, see our parent guide to counselling and therapy.

There are a number of types of medication. These are not a cure for ADHD, and many children do not take them, but they can help manage some of the symptoms. Medication must be prescribed and overseen by a specialist.

You may also be offered ADHD -focussed parent training. This does not mean your parenting is somehow wrong. It is designed to provide support and specific strategies and skills to help you and your child thrive.

Jack is still perennially late, disorganised and impulsive; but he's also energetic, original and creative. The medication is helping him make the most of all of that.

What you can do to support your child with ADHD

Be explicit and consistent about unacceptable behaviour, such as violence. Set appropriate consequences and follow them through, but try to stay calm in the moment to avoid escalation. Dealing with challenging behaviour can be very hard, and our parent guide has helpful advice.

Plan the day so your child knows what to expect. Maintaining regular sleep patterns, physical activity and mealtimes can help your child. Some people find dietary change and/or certain supplements helpful. But the NHS states that there is no clinical evidence for this, and medical advice should be sought first. Our young person's guide has helpful advice on sleep problems.

The impact of ADHD on your child's mental health

Any child or young person can struggle with their mental health and wellbeing, whether or not they have ADHD. This might be caused by things like family change, bullying, exam stress or a traumatic event.

But having ADHD may also mean your child has extra challenges - such as social difficulties, struggling to manage their emotions or getting into trouble at school - that leave them more vulnerable to low self-esteem, anxiety or depression.

Children and young people with ADHD frequently have other developmental or mental health conditions and it is important to ensure they have the appropriate support for these.

As a parent there is a lot you can do to support your child with their wellbeing and mental health:

encourage your child to talk about how they are feeling with you. Our starting a conversation guide has ideas for keeping communication open

if you feel your child may have a mental health problem or another condition alongside ADHD, discuss your concerns with their GP or ADHD specialist.

Working with school if your child has ADHD

ADHD is a special education need (SEN), and it may be referred to as a specific learning difference (SpLD). Your child is entitled to appropriate support to help them thrive socially and educationally. This could include potential adjustments in certain situations, such as extra time or rest breaks for exams, movement breaks in lessons, written instructions for tasks and a seating plan that minimises distractions.

Discuss the diagnosis and needs with the school's SENCO, taking a list of your concerns and background information to the meeting.

Your child may be entitled to an education, health and care plan (EHC plan) which details the support they need and how it will be provided. (The National Autistic Society has helpful information about EHC plans.)

Good communication between you and school can be really helpful in ensuring your child thrives in education and meets their potential. Our parent guide to support has more advice on talking to school or college.

ADHD in teenagers and beyond

If your child is a teenager or young person, their needs and the support you give may well be different from when they were younger. They may like to read our young person's guide to ADHD and mental health. But there are still many ways you can help.

Looking after your own wellbeing

Parenting a child with ADHD can sometimes be isolating, upsetting or exhausting. Sometimes parents feel judged or blamed by others (unjustifiably as parenting does not cause ADHD). It is entirely understandable if you are finding things difficult.

It's important to recognise the impact the situation is having on you, and think about ways you can take care of yourself - including getting support from other people so that you can take some time off. It's okay to ask for help when you need it, and to share your worries with someone you trust. We have advice on looking after yourself as well as your child.

Our son's challenging behaviour with ADHD had an enormous impact on the whole family, as we and his brothers bore the brunt of his anger.

Where to get further support

If you would to speak to a professional adviser or find out more about how you can support your child, these organisations can help.
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.

This page was reviewed in March 2022. It was created with parents and carers with lived experience of supporting their child or young person with ADHD. We will next review the page in 2025. YoungMinds is a proud member of PIF TICK - the UK's quality mark for trusted health information.
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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ADHD Support For Your Child | Parents Advice Guide

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If your child is struggling to manage their ADHD, read our tips on what you can do to support them, how to get a diagnosis and where to find help.

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Dyslexia Assessments in Hampshire and Dorset - New Forest Dyslexia

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Dyslexia assessments for children, students and adults. Email now for more details.

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Sensory Therapy | Paediatric Occupational Therapist | Suzie Ankers

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Sensory therapy treatment for children with Sensory Attachment, Dyspraxia, ADHD, Asperger’s, OCD, Sensory Processing Disorder Anxiety in Bournemouth

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Classic Eyes - Optometrists - Vision skills assessment linked to dyslexia and other needs

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Classic Eyes - Optometrists - Vision skills assessment linked to dyslexia and other needs

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Can offer investigation of visual skills, ocular motor ability, tracking ability and speed of recall/processing.

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Classic Eyes: Your Trusted Opticians in Dorset | Expert Eye Care

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Classic Eyes, is your go-to optician in Dorset. Experience expert eye care and a wide range of eyewear options. Your vision is our priority. Visit us today

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Coloured Scales for Emotional Regulation

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Coloured Scales for Emotional Regulation

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The Down’s Syndrome Association are here to support and walk along life’s journey with both old and young people living with Down’s Syndrome.

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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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Games to Support Attention and Listening

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Games to Support Attention and Listening

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Movement videos linked to emotions, self esteem, empathy etc

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Movement videos linked to emotions, self esteem, empathy etc

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Moodboosters | Free primary school mental health resources - BBC Teach

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Fun videos and resources for the PSHE curriculum to inspire KS1 / KS2 pupils to get moving for mental health and wellbeing.

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Bourne Dyslexia is a Bournemouth based Dyslexia Assessment consultancy. We offer personalised diagnostic reports which can be used for disabled student allowance (DSA). We provide assessments through Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole for primary and secondary children aged 8 -16.

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Avonwood Speech and Language Information Hub

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Avonwood Speech and Language Information Hub

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Click here to separate hub of resources, links and information all about speech and language!

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De-escalation What it is and how to do it.

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Calming and connecting scripts - I wonder

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Free self-guided online parenting course for parents of neurodivergent children including those with autism and ADHD.