BY SUSANNA PINKUS When a young person who is struggling at school comes to see me, this question is often at the forefront of my mind. Making no assumptions, and looking holistically at the situation with fresh but specialist eyes, I note what has been explored previously, but just as importantly what has not. I also identify...
BY SUSANNA PINKUS Having a keyworker, mentor or, sometimes I say, ‘cheerleader’ when a young person is struggling at school can be transformative. But the process of allocating support in this context needs to be carefully thought through. Here are my top considerations: 1. Who is the keyworker? The young person should, wherever possible, have a...
BY SUSANNA PINKUS Seeing the world through a young person’s eyes, in order to enable them to be, and feel, understood at home and school, is my aim. Whenever a young person trusts me with their story, I explore holistically what is going on. So often, there are feelings of anxiety and overwhelm related to...
BY SUSANNA PINKUS There aren’t many things in life which just spread happiness but being the lucky human companion of a therapy dog is one. I am often asked what Woody does in his role as a therapy dog. And it is a good question. After all, some therapy dogs listen to children reading or...
BY WENDY PETERSEN Has your child recently been granted ‘word-processing’ as a reasonable adjustment at school and in examinations? Although young people are using computers more than ever before, many still tirelessly struggle with ineffective methods of typing when transferring their thoughts onto paper. Whilst touch typing is a universally important skill, for those youngsters with additional...
DR MICHAEL HYMANS AFBPsS., C.Psychol. Does your child have a learning difficulty and/or disability, and their school is unable to provide the help and support that they need? If yes, then you may be considering making a request to your Local Authority for an Education Health Care Needs Assessment (EHCNA). What is an Education Health Care...
BY SUSANNA PINKUS I have never really taken to other social media platforms. I don’t like the brevity of tweets or the very personal sharing which exists on Facebook, and I am still learning to grapple with Instagram. I am, however, really passionate about LinkedIn although most people I know don’t use it. As a...
BY KAREN COWAN I will always remember the first ‘Professionals’ Meeting’ that I attended many years ago, in my capacity as Class Teacher. Throughout the meeting, I remember being concerned at how the student’s mother was referred to, both before and during the meeting, as ‘Mum’. Now, in my role as a ‘professional’ almost 30...
BY FRAN GOLDIN Are you concerned about your own child, or a child in your class, who has symptoms which include headaches, poor tracking, double vision and/or inability to keep their place when reading? As a specialist orthoptist who treats and studies irregularities of the eyes especially those of the eye muscles and specialises in...
