How To... Mental Health In Primary

This comprehensive yet practical book provides professionals working with primary children with SEN with a framework to develop their everyday practice in building children's emotional resilience and strengthening their mental health. It offers strategies for whole-school emotional wellbeing provision as well as customisable intervention plans to be used in small groups and with individuals on a one-to-one basis.

Its user-friendly content is informed by contemporary national policies and recommendations and provides a theoretical background to support practical copiable activities and worksheets that will guide practitioners' work.

This book is essential for practitioners working directly with primary children with SEN as well as those who work in partnership with primary school settings and their pupils. It is also invaluable to the families of young children with SEN who are looking for ideas on how best to support their child's emotional wellbeing.

This book is full of information, suggestions and tried-and-tested activities to build the knowledge, skills and confidence you need to improve the mental health of children with SEN. It will help you to:

• understand important childhood developmental milestones and the impact of SEN
• understand the key mental health difficulties found in primary-aged children
• recognise the importance of preventative whole-school provision, and know how to establish and improve this provision
• know how to assess emotional need and who needs to be involved in this process
• be able to plan, personalise, deliver and assess an intervention programme
• improve working relationships with parents and families of the children you work with, as well as professionals from other sectors.

Contains 128 A4 pages and a CD-ROM with printable activities.

About the author

Dr Melanie Forster is a dual-qualified teacher and consultant clinical psychologist. She has extensive experience working within Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and as a local authority SEN consultant. She frequently delivers training to specialist practitioners regarding a diverse range of SEN needs.