Children and young people may experience a wide range of social and emotional difficulties which manifest themselves in many ways. This page outlines some ways in which social, emotional and mental health needs may present at the Specialist Level of the Graduated Approach.

Needs Descriptors

Emotional Health and Wellbeing

The CYP’s emotional regulation needs may consistently (throughout each day) impact on their attendance, engagement in learning and/or wellbeing.

The CYP may:

• routinely experience distress which is presented through observable behaviours or internalisation.
• experience high levels of stress that persistently affect their daily functioning.
• place unreasonable expectations on themselves that cause extremely high levels of stress and/or self-injurious behaviours or harm to others.
• be persistently absent from school, or lessons.
• experience frequent emotional dysregulation and be unable to understand or communicate their emotional needs.
• need substantial support to mutually regulate their emotions and responses to the environment and change.

Social Behaviour

The CYP may regularly (multiple times per day):

• be unable to recover after setbacks and may express this through harmful behaviours to self/others.
• use language to deliberately harm or shock others.
• demonstrate unsafe behaviours as a result of emotional dysregulation e.g., hitting, kicking, biting, spitting, hair pulling,
• exhibit behaviours that give rise to safeguarding concerns.
• Present with behaviours that may cause significant risk to self or others requiring constant supervision.
• intentionally harm others to avoid things they find too hard.
• be unaware of any personal, social, environmental, and physical risks and their own vulnerabilities.
• have a lack of body awareness which causes a risk to self and/or others in attempts to seek sensory input or regulation.

Relationships

The CYP may:

• be unable to form any positive relationships resulting in vulnerability, social isolation and disengagement.
• show signs of distress at attempts from others to form relationships.

Links

• Removing Social, Emotional and Mental Health Barriers
• Training and Resources

 

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