My specialist experience working with young people with SEN to develop trusting and meaningful relationships

I have been working with children with additional needs for 20 years, both in mainstream and specialist settings. Over time one thing has become very clear to me. Children learn best when they feel safe, understood and not under pressure.

Building that trust rarely happens instantly. Often it begins in simple ways. Talking about a child’s interests, sharing a small activity together, or allowing them space to settle before we begin.

When children realise they are not being judged or pushed too quickly, something shifts. They relax, take small risks and begin to try things that previously felt too difficult.

From there the real work can begin. Once that relationship is in place, learning, confidence and independence tend to follow much more naturally.

My experience supporting young people with ADHD

Many children with ADHD have curious, energetic minds. Ideas come quickly, but organising them can be much harder.

Long explanations and rigid structures rarely help. What tends to work better is breaking tasks into clear steps, changing the pace regularly and allowing space for movement.

I often use visual routines or short structured activities so children can see where they are going next rather than feeling lost in the task.

With older students we also talk about why certain strategies help. Once they understand the purpose, they are far more likely to use them independently.

My experience supporting young people with working memory difficulties

Some students understand a concept perfectly well, yet struggle to hold several pieces of information in mind at the same time. Instructions disappear halfway through a task and frustration quickly follows.

Slowing things down usually helps. Breaking work into smaller steps and using visual prompts allows children to keep track of where they are.

As they become familiar with these approaches, they begin to develop their own ways of organising information.

Gradually learning feels less overwhelming and more manageable.

My experience supporting young people with executive functioning and study skills

Many capable students struggle not with the learning itself, but with organising how to approach it. Planning tasks, getting started, or managing time can feel surprisingly difficult.

Together we explore practical ways to structure work. This might involve visual planners, step by step task breakdowns, or simple routines that make larger tasks feel less daunting.

Over time the aim is for students to recognise which strategies help them most.

That growing awareness is often what leads to greater independence in their learning.

My experience teaching primary English and Maths

Over the years I have worked with many children who quietly lost confidence in English or Maths because small learning gaps had built up along the way.

When those gaps are addressed carefully, something interesting often happens. A child who once felt stuck begins to realise that things can actually make sense.

Lessons are adapted to the individual learner. Some respond best to visual explanations, others to practical activities, and some simply need time to think things through without feeling rushed.

Seeing that moment when understanding clicks again is often one of the most rewarding parts of the work.

My experience developing confidence and self esteem

Confidence and learning are closely connected. When children struggle repeatedly, it is easy for them to start believing they simply cannot succeed.

Part of my role is helping them question that belief. Progress often begins with small successes that slowly rebuild trust in their own ability.

I also introduce simple emotional regulation tools when helpful. Approaches such as mindfulness or the Zones of Regulation help children recognise what they are feeling and understand how to settle themselves.

As children begin to feel more in control, their willingness to try new things often grows.

My specialist experience providing engaging sessions to inspire a love of learning

Engagement looks different for every child. Some thrive on movement and hands on activities, others enjoy conversation, stories or imaginative play.

Whenever possible I build learning around a child’s natural interests. A topic they care about can quickly transform how they approach a task.

Sometimes the smallest adjustments help. A favourite toy might become part of the lesson, or a child might choose their learning space.

When curiosity replaces pressure, learning often begins to feel enjoyable again.

My skills and experience supporting young people to develop their independence

Independence is something that grows gradually. Most children do not suddenly become confident in managing their work on their own. It tends to happen through small steps, repeated many times.

During sessions we often pause to reflect on how a task was approached. What helped, what felt confusing, and what might make it easier next time. These conversations help children begin to notice their own learning process.

Over time they start recognising which strategies work for them. That awareness is often the point where real independence begins to develop.

When children realise they can organise their thinking and approach challenges more calmly, their confidence tends to grow alongside it.

My experience teaching children with Autism

Every autistic child I have worked with has brought a very different way of experiencing the world. Understanding those individual differences is always the starting point.

For many children, predictability helps learning feel safer. Clear routines, visual supports and knowing what to expect can remove a great deal of anxiety from the learning process.

At the same time, interests often play a powerful role. When a lesson connects with something a child already loves, engagement often appears naturally rather than needing to be pushed.

Over time, once a child feels comfortable and understood, they usually become far more willing to explore new ideas and challenges.

My Experience with Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA)

Children with a PDA profile often experience everyday demands as something far more intense than they appear on the surface.

What might look like refusal is often a response to feeling overwhelmed or losing a sense of control. Because of this, traditional approaches that rely on direct instructions can quickly increase anxiety.

A more flexible approach tends to work better. Turning tasks into shared problem solving, introducing humour, or approaching learning more indirectly can make a surprising difference.

When children feel that they still have some control within the situation, they are often much more open to engaging.

My Experience Working with Children with Anxiety

Anxiety can show itself in many different ways. Some children become very quiet and hesitant, while others appear restless, frustrated or easily overwhelmed.

Before learning can really begin, children often need help feeling calmer and more settled. Creating a predictable environment and working at a gentle pace can make a noticeable difference.

Simple breathing exercises or short moments of mindfulness sometimes help children regain a sense of control when they feel overwhelmed.

My background in craniosacral therapy has also deepened my understanding of how strongly stress can affect the body as well as the mind. Some families choose to incorporate this work to help a child settle before learning begins.

My Experience Teaching Young People with Sensory Processing Needs

Understanding a child’s sensory needs can make a significant difference to how comfortable they feel in a learning environment. Some children benefit from regular movement breaks, others need quieter surroundings or small sensory supports to help them stay focused.

In sessions I may include simple sensory tools such as fidget objects, movement activities or short grounding exercises to help children regulate their attention and energy levels. Some children need opportunities for more active movement and stimulation, while others benefit from calming input that helps them settle and refocus.

When a child is working with an Occupational Therapist, I am very happy to collaborate and support the strategies already in place. I can incorporate elements of the child’s sensory diet into our sessions so that the approaches used by different professionals remain consistent. These might include movement activities, sensory circuits or calming routines that help the child regulate their nervous system and feel more balanced before learning.

I am also very mindful that some sensory behaviours, such as stimming, are important forms of self regulation. Rather than trying to stop these behaviours, my focus is on understanding what the child’s body is communicating and helping them find supportive ways to regulate so they can feel comfortable and able to engage.

My background in cranio sacral therapy also gives me an additional understanding of how physical tension and stress can affect concentration and sensory processing. The therapy itself is very gentle and some families choose to incorporate it as part of their child’s wider support.

By paying attention to both the emotional and physical side of regulation, I aim to create an environment where children feel comfortable, settled and ready to learn.

My experience supporting young people with dyspraxia

Children with dyspraxia often work much harder than others to organise movement and coordination. Tasks that appear simple from the outside can require a great deal of effort.

In sessions I often include gentle movement activities alongside learning, particularly those that support balance, sequencing and fine motor skills.

Progress tends to happen gradually, and patience plays an important role. What matters most is creating an atmosphere where children feel comfortable practising without feeling rushed.

As their confidence grows, many children begin to approach both physical tasks and learning with greater ease.

My experience working with young people with dyscalculia

For children with dyscalculia, numbers can feel unpredictable and confusing. It is common for them to lose confidence very quickly when maths has repeatedly felt difficult.

Because of this, I often begin by slowing things down and exploring mathematical ideas in more concrete ways. Visual materials and practical activities can help bring abstract concepts into clearer focus.

Just as importantly, I pay close attention to how children feel about maths. Many arrive believing that they simply are not capable of understanding it.

When those beliefs begin to shift, even slightly, progress usually follows.

My experience teaching social skills and navigating friendships

Social situations can feel complicated for some children, especially when the rules of interaction are not always obvious.

Tools such as social stories and comic strip conversations allow us to slow those moments down and look at them together. Breaking interactions into smaller pieces often helps children understand what is happening and why.

Role play can also be useful. It gives children the chance to practise situations in a safe environment before encountering them in real life.

With time and practice, many children begin to approach friendships with greater confidence.

My experience working with children with challenging behaviour

Challenging behaviour rarely appears without a reason. It is often a signal that a child is feeling overwhelmed, frustrated or unable to express what they need.

Looking beneath the behaviour usually reveals much more than the behaviour itself. Once the underlying difficulty becomes clearer, more supportive strategies can be put in place.

Remaining calm and consistent during difficult moments helps children feel safe rather than judged.

When children begin to feel understood, they are often far more able to develop new ways of coping and regulating themselves.