Soft Touch Arts
Soft Touch Arts is a Leicester based arts education charity, who run a variety of projects for young people. These projects aim to improve the lives of those who may otherwise struggle to access services and activities.
Creative Studio is an alternative education scheme run by Soft Touch Arts – and funded by schools and local authorities.
It is a tailor-made specialist alternative arts programme for young people who need extra support and don’t fit into a traditional educational setting. The service specialises in working with young people who need extra support, including those who are autistic.
Soft Touch run regular evening music sessions led by instrumentalists, producers and contemporary musicians.
Click here for more information about the music sessions
Soft Touch have a constantly evolving range of projects on the go – for more information click here to go to their website.
Resources to support when children struggle to attend school
Emotionally based school avoidance (EBSA) Frequently Asked Questions
Send and You is a support service for Children and Young People with SEND and their families in Bristol, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset (SENDIASS). Which has produced a useful document on frequently asked questions
Not Fine in School
Not Fine in School is a resource for families with children who struggle to attend school due to various barriers. They share a variety of resources for young people, parents and carers. This includes information (including on systems, services and the law), a blog and parent/carer Facebook support group which offers a space for shared lived experiences and peer empowerment.
Square Peg
Square Peg is a social enterprise set up and run by people with lived experience of family members who have found it too difficult to attend school. They aim to effect change for children who struggle to attend school – and for their families.
Their work includes building connections between relevant organisations, research, consultation and raising awareness on relevant issues – including what sorts of changes are needed. Resources for parents, carers, children and young people include a bank of videos where people with lived experience share their stories.
Calmer teens programme school refusal
Calmer teens programme school refusal
A website run by a parent with lived experience of their child refusing school for parents and teens
National Autistic Society website
National Autistic Society website – Education
‘School stress and anxiety – How it can lead to refusal and impact on family life’
‘School stress and anxiety – How it can lead to refusal and impact on family life’
An excellent document to share with teachers on how to support an autistic student that is struggling with school related anxiety. Click here to access this document.
Define Fine’
Define Fine
A website supporting parent/carers to find solutions for school attendance difficulties. Providing peer support using resources to help parents advocate for the support their children and young people need to be able to learn and achieve. Define Fine is a parent/carer-led organisation set up in response to the growing number of children and young people who experience school attendance difficulties. Click this link to go to their website.
Dr Pooky Knightsmith - Keynote Speaker, Author & Advisor
Dr Pooky Knightsmith – Keynote Speaker, Author & Advisor
An autistic, with a PhD in Psychological Medicine from the Institute of Psychiatry, and a parent to neurodivergent children. Translates research into clear, practical strategies for schools and families
Click here to view ‘Supporting children struggling to attend school’
School Guide
School Guide
Dr Fisher is an Educational Psychologist
Dr Naomi Fisher
Dr Fisher is an Educational Psychologist with an interest in how the school system affects the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people.
National Autistic Society - resources to support with autistic burnout
National Autistic Society – resources to support with autistic burnout
How to get things done - Autism Space resource
Autism Space -printable/sharable PDF ideas on how to get things done (including ‘Now, Next, Later’ board)
Buckets for Brains visual to explain burnout
Buckets for Brains visual to explain burnout
By autistic artist Tzipporah Johnston
Autism Education Trust
Autism Education Trust
AET is website championing developing good autism practice in education from early years through to post 16, through training, good autism practice and free resources for teacher and parent/carers. Click this link to go to their website
Books
Can’t Not Won’t - A Story about a Child who Couldn’t Go to School' by Eliza Fricker
‘Can’t Not Won’t – A Story about a Child who Couldn’t Go to School’ by Eliza Fricker
Amazon says: ‘Eliza Fricker gets it. Her compelling, hard-hitting and irreverently humorous illustrations follow a family through the early days of school avoidance, the process of accessing support and the challenges of coping in the meantime. Can’t Not Won’t illuminates the absurdity and frustrations that often arise when dealing with health, social and educational systems, and will help any parent in the same boat feel seen. This guide acts as a way to communicate these difficult circumstances with others.
Wonderfully relatable, the book also includes written guidance for parents and professionals on what works best when it comes to managing school avoidance’.
For links to all our school related articles, click on the link below:
Supporting your autistic child through school
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For links to all our school related articles, please click here
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