All children and young people will go through some big changes in their lives that can affect them in different ways. We may not realise how hard this can be for some children. If a child or young person has additional needs or a disability this can become more difficult.
There are times of change that may make a child or young person feel more vulnerable. This could be a move from one school to another, moving up a class at the start of a new year or even a new teacher. Small changes can have an impact as well as big ones.
Children and young people with special educational needs may not always be able to understand or explain how they are feeling. This can mean early signs are missed. You may notice changes in your child’s behaviour, such as becoming quieter, more emotional or acting out. If this is the case, start by using the first steps given in health and SEND.
Early help and support for mental health and wellbeing can also be found in the following sections:
- Children’s health and development
- Parenting support
- Mental health services for young people
- Chathealth parent text service
- School nursing useful resources for SEND
If you think that your child has or is developing a mental health problem or has a developmental disorder, the services above can refer you to the next level of help. You can also:
- Speak to your health visitor or family doctor
- Speak to your child’s nursery or school setting
If your child is struggling with emotionally based school anxiety or separation anxiety which is creating a reluctance to attend school, you may find the following information and resources helpful:
- Warwickshire SEND inclusion guidance
- Warwickshire guidance on school attendance
- SEND practitioner and parent resources
- Action for Children - help your child or young person learn to cope with anxious feelings or anxiety.
- Young Minds school anxiety - a parent guide to support
What’s Normal?
Parents have said that it is difficult to know what normal emotional development is for children. This can make it difficult to determine when there may be a problem.
Standing in the Gap is a child mental health charity who have produced a series of videos to answer these questions, as well as when to get help and what shouldn’t be ignored.
Dimensions of Health and Wellbeing
Dimensions of Health and Wellbeing is a free, online tool providing self-care information to support adults, children and young people in Coventry and Warwickshire. Self-care information is tailored to a person’s own needs and the challenges they face and is available 24/7.
ECHO
ECHO supports children and young people living in Warwickshire aged 0 to 18 years, and also those age 18 to 25 years old who have an Education Health Care Plan (EHCP), who need support to:
- Address early emerging mental health needs
- Improve wellbeing
- Support development of emotional regulation
The service provides early emotional wellbeing and mental health support to children and young people and their families/carers for a range of concerns.
Coventry and Warwickshire MIND
Coventry and Warwickshire Mind is a local mental health charity linked to Mind, the national mental health charity in England and Wales. Coventry and Warwickshire MIND offer a range of mental health support services for adults and children and young people.