If your child has special educational needs it can be particularly hard to identify mental health difficulties. The information below will hopefully help them to express their feelings and cope with life’s ups and downs which we are currently experiencing more effectively.
WESAIL (Wakefield Early Support Advice Information and Liaison Service)
If you feel you need support, WESAIL may be able to help: https://wakefield.mylocaloffer.org/wakefield-early-support-advice-information-and-liaison-service-wesail
They also have a web page page https://www.family-action.org.uk/what-we-do/children-families/wesail/
Leaflet about what WESAIL do and how they can support
It’s not always easy to identify mental health difficulties when many of the symptoms overlap with impairments such as autism or Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD).
The important thing to look out for is any change in your child’s usual behaviour patterns, for example, if they are:
- Unusually withdrawn
- Hyperactive and lacking concentration
- Expressing sadness
- Unusually anxious
- Experiencing disturbed sleep or sleeping more than usual
- Self harming
- Expressing anger or fear
- Asking unusual questions
- Eating more or less than usual
- Less able to focus
- Restless and fidgeting
- Experiencing frequent tummy aches or headaches
If you are concerned about your child in any way, then please contact Mrs Helliwell at at l.helliwell@southdale.wakefield.sch.uk and I will do all I can to support you at this difficult time.
Useful support from the National Autistic Society
Support for ASD (Autistic Spectrum Disorder) from CIAT (Communication, Interaction and Access Team). Supporting children and young people with Autistic Spectrum …
CIAT have created a resource pack to support during this time away from school. Here is some advice for this time:
Advice for parents of children with autism during the coronavirus crisis
The contents of the pack is below:
Resource Pack Contents
Structure and routine
- Basic school symbols set
- Task organiser
- Notes on the use of a visual timetable
- Star wars task board
- Reward chart
- Motivator puzzles
- Timetables
- Now-next deal
- Morning chart
- Structured leisure activities
Structure and routine for parents
Early Years Visual Starter Pack
key prompts, instructions – Copy
tool-36-structured-leisure-activities
Useful sources of further information
Visuals Booklet – support for parents
Structure and routines for children
Notesontheuseofavisualtimetable[1]
tool-36-structured-leisure-activities
Hygiene and Social Distancing
- Hand washing visual sequence
- Hand washing visual timetable
- Hand washing social story
Communication
- Resources for gaining pupil views
- About Me! Communication passport
- Big problem / little problem
- Pupil passport
- Communication friendly ways to use your Ipad2
- Help me understand – communicating clearly
- People Games booklet
Communication friendly ways to use your Ipad2
About Me! Communication Passport
Blank matthews_passport powerpoint
Anxiety and well-being
- Stress bucket
- Emotion thermometer
- 5 to 1
- How do I feel?
- Happy books
- Cognitive picture therapy example
- Traffic light
- Visuals for anxiety
tool-22-Cognitive-picture-therapy-examples
Sensory and Physical
- Homemade sensory activity recipes
- Sensory activities booklet
- Sensory profile
- Environmental checklist
- Sensory strategies
tool-41-Strategies-to-address-need
Learning
- Structured activity worksheets
- Workstation top tips
Useful websites
- National autistic Society autism.org.uk
- Autism Education Trust http://www.autismeducationtrust.org.uk
- http://www.autismtoolbox.co.uk/personal-hygiene-and-toileting
- org.uk – horticultural therapy
- https://www.rhs.org.uk/get-involved/schools – gardening project ideas and resources
- https://www.natgeokids.com/uk/
- https://www.youtube.com/user/watchfreeschool/videos?disable_polymer=1
- http://www.geekgurldiaries.co.uk/
- https://www.travelandleisure.com/attractions/museums-galleries/museums-with-virtual-tours
- https://www.uniteforliteracy.com/
- https://www.do2learn.com/picturecards/VisualSchedules/index.htm
- https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/communication-cookbook-6063735
- https://www.abcya.com/
- https://www.storylineonline.net/