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Supporting children's development
Supporting children's development

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3.5 Optional readings and resources

If you have time and would like to explore this topic further, take a look at the resources below.

CAMHS Inside Out: A Young Person’s Guide to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)]

This is a booklet for any young person who wants to know more about what to expect from Community Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services.

DfE (2015) Mental Health and Behaviour in Schools: Departmental Advice for School Staff

This resource has information on promoting positive mental health, identification, interventions, facts about mental health problems in children and young people, types of mental health needs and sources of support and information.

Listening tips for practitioners: Literacy Trust and Participation Works

MindEd is a free educational resource on children and young people’s mental health. It offers a wide range of free e-learning sessions, one of which is ‘the aggressive/difficult child’. This particular session gives you the opportunity to recognise the signs and symptoms, and possible causes of aggressive and antisocial behaviour and to consider how such behaviour could be handled.

PSHE Association (supported by DfE) (2015) Preparing to Teach about Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing.

Although this resource is primarily aimed at teachers planning a programme of lessons, there is some very useful information on a range of mental health issues such as eating disorders, anxiety and self-harm. It includes book lists and online sources of support towards the end of this document.

The Challenging Behaviour Foundation

Provides free downloadable information sheets focusing on challenging behaviour and children and adults with SEN.

The Mental Health Foundation website has descriptions of the typical symptoms displayed by children with different mental health disorders. If you visit their Mental Health A-Z you are able to search for mental health problems, topical issues and treatment options.

The Royal College of Psychiatrists website contains a wealth of readable, evidence-based information about mental health problems. The Parents and Youth Info Index is a good starting point for finding out information relevant to your role as a teaching assistant.