Parents & Carers

I’m an educational psychologist, which means I help children and young people who might be finding some things tricky at school or at home (e.g. learning, communication, emotions, social interaction, or behaviour). My role is to find out what’s going on and work out the best ways to help. I’m qualified to work with children aged between 0-25 years old.

Parents seek my input for a range of reasons. Some parents come to me because they want support quickly, or because they’d like a detailed assessment for their child. Sometimes families just want a fresh perspective or some extra ideas for how to help their child. We can discuss your concerns at the start to make sure my involvement is suited to your child’s

needs.

First, we’ll talk in a short introductory call (approx. 10 minutes) about your child, your key concerns, and what you’d like support with. We can then decide together whether it would be the right time for me to become involved. If we decide to go ahead, I'll explain clearly what the next steps will look like, so you know exactly what to expect and how I can support you and your child. As part of the process I’ll usually meet with you and school staff (if possible/applicable) and spend some one-on-one time with your child. Typically, for primary aged children and below, I will also do an observation. Afterwards, I’ll write a report with my findings and recommendations to help support your child. There will also be an opportunity to ask any questions prior to me finalising the report.

It depends on your child’s needs as there are a range of tools I can use. For example, I might do an observation, individual session with the child or use questionnaires to explore factors like how they think, learn, solve problems, cope with school tasks, how they’re feeling and/or getting on socially. If meeting with them individually I’ll use tools involving different activities or puzzles. Everything I do is designed to be child-friendly and supportive and I

will discuss the types of assessments with you.

You can let your child know that I’m here to help them and use the FAQs section for children on my website to help answer any questions they may have. I aim to make the sessions relaxed and friendly and children typically enjoy the time.

I often find that when schools are involved, it helps make sure everyone is working together to support your child. It also helps to inform my thinking and provides a more holistic assessment since information from schools can be helpful, and sometimes even differs from other information I receive, which is okay. I therefore always advocate for me to seek information from schools (usually the teacher and/or Senco). I also recommend that

parents share the report with the school so that they have the necessary information to support your child. If you have any reservations about the school being informed or involved, we can discuss this at the start.

Yes. After I’ve worked with your child, I’ll write a clear, easy-to-understand report that explains what I found and offers recommendations for support. I aim to provide it to you within a maximum of 2-3 weeks. You can use it at home and share it with school or other professionals to help everyone working with your child to be informed and work together to support.

If it’s relevant and in your child’s best interests, I can identify and diagnose specific learning differences, like dyslexia or dyscalculia, as part of the assessment. Educational psychologist assessments alone can’t give a medical diagnosis (e.g. Autism, ADHD, dyspraxia) but I can look at the kinds of things your child is finding challenging and suggest whether a referral to

a different professional or service might be helpful to explore the possibility of a medical diagnosis. My report can be used to support this referral. I’ll always explain what I notice and what steps you could take next.

As per the SEND code of practice 2014 statutory guidance, schools and local authorities have a responsibility to support children with additional needs, and they should make reasonable adjustments based on professional advice—like the recommendations I include in my report. If you’re applying for an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), my report can be used to support the EHC application as it will provide an overview of your child’s

strengths and needs. Sometimes local authorities may also wish to commission their own educational psychologists to work with your child as part of the EHCP assessment process.

The cost depends on the type of assessment or support required. I’ll always explain the fees up front so you are fully aware before I become involved. Please contact me for us to discuss your child’s individual needs and the associated cost.