Social, Emotional and Mental Health

Any child or young person can experience challenges to their mental health, but some children and young people are at greater risk of developing mental health needs than others. This will depend on a range of factors including a child’s temperament, the range and severity of challenging life events that they face and have faced previously, and the extent to which they learn coping skills and get support to build their resilience (support provided by emotionally available adults).

Childrens and young people who have SEMH needs may find it harder to:

• make and maintain appropriate and healthy relationships
• regulate their emotions
• focus and engage with rules, routines and the curriculum

Sometimes they may seem: 

• withdrawn behaviour
• challenging, overactive or disruptive behaviour
• poor attendance or punctuality.

These challenges might be linked to several different conditions and factors, including trauma, ADHD, ADD or sensory needs. 

ADHD

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a condition that affects people’s behaviour. Children with ADHD can seem restless, may have trouble concentrating and may act on impulse.

Symptoms of ADHD tend to be noticed at an early age and may become more noticeable when a child’s circumstances change, such as when they start school.

Most cases are diagnosed when children are under 12 years old, but sometimes it’s diagnosed later in childhood.

Sometimes ADHD was not recognised when someone was a child, and they are diagnosed later as an adult.

The symptoms of ADHD may improve with age, but many adults who were diagnosed with the condition at a young age continue to experience problems.

People with ADHD may also have additional problems, such as sleep and anxiety disorders.

If you think your child may have ADHD, this questionnaire can help you identify possible symptoms. You can also make an appointment with the school SENDCo or seek advice from CAMHS.

Trauma

Some children and young people may have experienced trauma. The UK Trauma Council defines trauma as ‘a distressing event or events that are so extreme or intense that they overwhelm a person’s ability to cope, resulting in lasting negative impact’.

Identifying the signs of trauma

A child or young person’s trauma will show in their behaviours and become a barrier to their learning.

What are some possible signs of trauma?

• Physical symptoms such as sleep problems including nightmares, headaches/stomach pains, or signs of regression (going back to things they did at a younger age such as bedwetting and thumb-sucking).
• Experiencing problems in their relationships with others.
• Being on edge or hyper vigilant (always on the lookout for danger).
• Experiencing heightened anxiety or persistent low mood. This can manifest as ‘fight, flight or freeze’ behaviours.