Turn Understanding Into Practical Support at School
Psychologist-led consultation to help families and education settings make sense of a young person’s needs and consider what may help within their learning environment.
This can be useful when there is already information about the young person, but support needs to be translated into practical approaches that work within everyday education.
Families & education settings
Where greater clarity is needed around how a young person can be supported within school, college or another learning environment.
Young person + learning demands + environment
Looking at how the young person’s strengths and needs interact with the expectations and conditions around them.
Consultation rather than diagnosis
This service focuses on understanding and support. It does not provide a new diagnostic assessment.
When Knowing the Need Hasn't Yet Solved the Problem
Sometimes a young person already has a diagnosis, assessment, identified need or existing support, but there is still uncertainty about what will actually help within their educational setting.
Recommendations need translating into practice
An assessment may explain the young person well, but school still needs help working out what those findings mean day to day.
Current support is only partly helping
Strategies may already be in place but not having the expected impact, or they may work in some situations but not others.
Different people are seeing different things
Experiences at home and school may look different, and it can be useful to consider what the environments themselves are asking of the young person.
A transition is approaching
Moving class, school, college or into greater independence may create new demands that need planning ahead.
Looking at the Whole Learning Context
The consultation is shaped around the young person and the questions that need answering rather than using one standard package for every family.
How are demands being experienced?
Considering workload, instructions, literacy, memory, processing, independence and other relevant learning demands.
What is happening around the young person?
Looking at noise, sensory load, classroom structure, transitions, unpredictability and other environmental factors.
How are expectations being understood?
Exploring communication, instructions, feedback, asking for help and how information is shared with the young person.
What may make things work better?
Considering practical adjustments, strategies and changes that fit the young person and can realistically be used within education.
Start With the Question That Needs Answering
Clarify the concern
We begin by understanding what is happening now and what the family or education setting would like help making sense of.
Review relevant information
Existing reports, school information or other relevant background can be considered where useful.
Understand the pattern
We look at the interaction between the young person, the demands being placed on them and the environment in which those demands occur.
Identify practical next steps
The consultation focuses on what could realistically be adjusted, supported or approached differently.
Young Person, Demands & Environment
Difficulties do not sit entirely within the young person. The same child can function very differently depending on what is being asked of them and the conditions in which they are expected to do it.
What are their strengths and needs?
Their learning profile, preferences, communication, sensory needs and individual ways of approaching different demands.
What are they being asked to manage?
The learning, organisational, social, communication and independence demands within the setting.
What around them helps or makes things harder?
Classroom structure, sensory conditions, routines, expectations, relationships and wider educational context.
Focused Around the Situation You Need Help With
Turn a report into practical support
Help translate assessment findings into approaches that make sense within the young person’s educational setting.
Review what is and is not working
Consider why existing strategies may only be partly effective and what could be changed.
Plan for changing demands
Think ahead about the support that may help when the young person moves into a different educational environment or level of independence.
Discuss School Consultation & Support
Tell us a little about the young person, what is currently happening and the question you would like help answering.
Consultation Rather Than Assessment
Make sense of an existing situation
The service focuses on understanding what is happening and what may help within the educational context.
It does not provide a diagnosis
Where formal cognitive or specific learning difference assessment is required, a Cognitive SpLD Assessment may be more appropriate.
The support depends on the question
The scope is agreed around the young person’s circumstances rather than using the same format for every situation.
Before You Enquire
Does my child need a diagnosis?
Not necessarily. Consultation can be useful where there is already enough information to understand the area of concern and the main question is what may help in practice.
Can you look at an existing assessment report?
Yes. Existing assessment or professional reports can be considered where they are relevant to the question being explored.
Is this a new assessment?
No. School Consultation & Support is a consultation service. It does not provide a new diagnostic assessment or psychometric profile.
Can this help if home and school see different things?
Yes. Different environments place different demands on a young person, so differences between home and school can form an important part of understanding the overall picture.
Can it help with an upcoming transition?
Yes. Consultation can be used to think ahead about changing demands and what may help the young person manage a new educational setting or greater independence.
How much does School Consultation & Support cost?
The cost depends on the scope of the consultation and the support required. Get in touch with some information about what you need and a price can be confirmed.
Help Understanding Become Useful in Practice
Get in touch to discuss the young person’s current situation and what you would like support making sense of.