SEMH

What are SEMH special needs?

Some facts about SEMH needs

An estimated 150,000 children in UK mainstream and special schools are believed to have SEMH challenges. Behaviours children with SEMH needs may display include:

• Anger
• Frustration
• Verbal or physical aggression
• Severe anxiety
• Self harming
• Withdrawing

What are the causes of SEMH needs?

Causes of SEMH vary from child to child, but can usefully be seen to fall into certain broad categories:

• Attachment historyThis can be caused by lack of acceptance of a child’s self-identity or key needs not being met.
• Trauma historyOther contributory factors might be a change in family dynamics (for example, emotional upheaval caused by divorce, or sudden financial hardship due to a parent losing their job), as well as broader social changes that impact on a child, such as an incident in their school or community.

Ways to work with children who have SEMH needs

Well-trained specialist tutors can help provide many of the kinds of support most beneficial to helping children with SEMH needs. Building a relationship of trust can be a highly beneficial part of support. Ways to achieve this might include:

• Provide clear and fair boundaries and stick to them
• Make every day a fresh start
• Be consistent and say what you mean
• Help the child to identify their own challenges - and give them manageable strategies to develop a sense of self-responsibility in being able to act differently

A specialist tutor can also take real time to talk with a child exhibiting SEMH needs, to help them explore the underlying nature of their feelings. In a school setting, ways to do the same can include:

• Learning mentors
• Sensory boxes that can help a child calm down
• One-to-one support
• School-based counsellor
• Draw and Talk support assistants
• In-school bereavement support
• Trained therapists who can use art, drama and music to work with emotional problems

Building Relationships

In a school setting, building relationships with their peers can also be highly beneficial to help a child with SEMH needs.

• Circle of friends
• Social skills group
• Playground leaders
• Pupil well-being ambassadors

Resources for SEMH needs

Specialist tutors can draw on a range of resources to help children dealing with SEMH needs. You can see an example of one teacher toolkit to help pupils with SEMH here.