Knowing when children and young people are struggling, and identifying the best ways of supporting them is vital. This is all the more important when working with children with varying learning difficulties who may not always be able to communicate their feelings.
By demystifying terms such as mental health, wellbeing, learning difficulties and the sensitivities surrounding labels, this practical and evidence-based guide helps you achieve an in-depth understanding of the children and young people you work with. It provides you with skills and knowledge for supporting their mental health and wellbeing in educational settings – from nursery to secondary school in both mainstream and specialist environments with talking and non-verbal communication approaches to accommodate varying needs. Most importantly its holistic approach explores the interaction between the child’s learning difficulties and the psychological, social and environmental factors which influence how they manage their ups and downs in life. This lets you think beyond the child and the classroom.
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Dr Kirstie Rees is a Chartered Educational and Child Psychologist with significant experience of supporting children and young people with a range of learning difficulties. She is a Practice Tutor on the MSc in Educational Psychology at the University of Dundee, and her Doctoral research focuses on the development of young people with complex learning difficulties. Kirstie has published papers in this area and has presented at conferences in the UK and overseas. She holds an MSc from the University of Glasgow and a Postgraduate Diploma in Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties from the University of Birmingham. Kirstie was formerly a teacher and has a PGCE from the University of Cambridge. She is chair of the Scottish ACAMHS branch (The Association of Child and Adolescent Mental Health) and is on the Scottish Division of Educational Psychology Training Committee. Kirstie is based in Glasgow, Scotland.