Training
Among the services on offer, these organisations provide bespoke training for school staff to help them support children living with neurodevelopmental issues. Training provides staff with greater understanding of autism and ADHD, along with tools to help them manage better and increase their self-confidence.
At the heart of this new approach is the development of a shared understanding of an individual’s needs and strengths and using these to identify what support strategies might be needed to meet those needs in the best way.
This service provides training for schools co-designed and delivered by National Autistic Society and Learning Space to support schools in their understanding of autism, and offers practical classroom strategies to help support children and young people in their care.
Summer Term 2021
- Three virtual ‘surgeries’ for schools to join and receive bespoke information and advice regarding children they support
- Schools will be contacted directly with dates, with an option to book places via Eventbrite.
Ongoing from September 2021
- Formal face-to-face training during a twilight session and/or will roll out the virtual ‘surgery’ offer dependent on need and uptake
- Schools will be contacted directly to arrange bookings with consideration given to geographical spread
- Separate sessions will be offered to primary and secondary schools for both the virtual and face-to-face offer
A child or young person does not need to have a diagnosis of autism in order for them or their family to be able to access our services; they may instead have social and communication difficulties or autism traits identified by the child, parent or supporting professionals.
Partners: Learning Space and National Autistic Society
Contact: surrey.familysupport@nas.org.uk
Requests for support can be made through the Access and Advice team on 0300 222 5755.
This service raises awareness of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) as a neurodevelopmental condition to adult school communities across Surrey. The service raises awareness of the key characteristics of the condition and provides strategies to enable children and young people to enjoy attending school, remain in school and achieve to the best of their ability.
Sessions are delivered via zoom or in person to meet the needs of the school. The team will deliver to a maximum of 30 school staff per session. This training is for teachers, SENCOs, classroom assistants, lunchtime supervisors, members of the school leadership team, office staff and caretakers to inform a ‘whole school approach’.
Schools are able to contact the team directly to book a whole/half day inset or a twilight session.
Partner: Barnardos
Advice and guidance
Among the wide-ranging services are:
- advice and guidance for children and families (online and through consultation and liaison with professionals)
- advice, consultation and training for professionals, diagnostic assessment and treatment where required
- risk management advice
- 1-1 and group sessions and family interventions.
There are also courses for parents and carers of children and young people with neurodevelopmental needs.
Information and communication
Through using the new approach, the gathering of information will be based upon conversations, observations and feedback from family and classroom-based strategies. Our plan is to offer early support and, where diagnosis is needed, the information already gathered will inform the assessment and ensure an integrated process.
Most of these services can be delivered at home or school, in a local hub or clinic, in a range of local community settings including village halls, youth centres, church halls, schools or GP surgeries, or virtually (via telephone or computer). Neurodevelopmental therapists will become more visible in local communities.
You can also signpost childern and their families to Surrey Local Offer, the online hub for 0 to 25 year olds (and their families) with special educational needs or a disability.
We are working on a project in a small number of schools to test and co-design a radically transformed prototype neurodevelopmental service model which we believe will reach children and young people who need help earlier. This new approach will focus more on their needs and how best to support them. It will, for the first time, introduce treatment offers into the neurodevelopment service.
Read more about our schools-based needs service.
The project will allow us to test with school staff and parents the usefulness and efficacy of a new range of tools designed to help schools and communities, before we roll them out across the county. It will be led by Assistant Psychologists and Neurodevelopmental Community Therapists.