Courses and Support

PINS  - Partnership for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools 

 

 

 

Your school is involved in the PINS project alongside 39 other schools across Swindon, Wiltshire, Bath and North East Somerset. It provides an opportunity for families, schools, parent support forums and health providers to work together to support neurodivergent children. This term, we are going to post weekly information to parents about what Neurodiversity is and about how we can all support our children in a variety of ways. 

 

PINS Update 2 : What is Neurodiversity?

You may have already seen some information from our partners in Wiltshire Parent Carer Council (WPCC) about Neurodiversity as part of the PINS project in school. Neurodiversity describes how everybody’s brains develop differently.  Neurodivergent brains could be autistic, dyslexic, have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), sensory processing needs, Developmental Coordination Disorder (also known as Dyspraxia) or Developmental Language Disorder.

Different people’s brains require support in different ways. Over the coming weeks we will share updates about what we are sharing with your child’s school so we can all work together to understand and support children’s needs.  

 

 

 

PINS Update 4: Anxiety and Worries

What is anxiety and why do we feel it?

  • Anxiety is a natural response to a potential challenge- it can keep us safe
  • Anxiety is a normal response to situations that are new and challenging
  • Anxiety is not normal if it is affecting your everyday life

Think about and discuss what happens in your body when you are anxious. Talk with your child about how being anxious makes your body feel.

Use one of the following ideas to help you/ your child when you are feeling anxious:

 

  • Breathing techniques
  • Grounding
  • Distraction
  • Visualisation

More information can be found in this video:

https://www.worthit.org.uk/blog/mental-health-day-ideas

 

PINS Update 4: Lets talk about Sleep!

Why is sleep important?

  • Affects how we feel, behave, cope and learn 
  • Impacts our health

 

Common Sleep Difficulties:

  • Finding it difficult to go to sleep
  • Waking frequently in the night and not being able to go back to sleep independently

 

Ideas on what to do to help sleeping problems:

Keep a sleep diary

This will help to work out what is happening and if there are any patterns to your child’s sleep.

Work on a bedtime routine

  • Have a consistent bedtime routine- the last hour should be 30 minutes calming and then 30 minutes preparing for and getting into bed
  • Think about your child’s room (temperature, bedding, lighting)
  • Try to avoid any screens in the hour before bedtime

Watch the video

  • Scan the QR code for a 20 minute webinar to help understand more about sleep and how to support your child with their sleep

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Family and Community Learning Support

 

On this page please find information about courses and support available from the Family and Community Learning team at Wiltshire Council.

 

They can be contacted using the details below. 

 

Email: familyandcommunitylearning@wiltshire.gov.uk

Website: https://workwiltshire.co.uk/family-and-community-learning/