Review: Mental health and well-being of children and young people with learning disabilities. A Teacher’s Guide (Giveaway)

This post is a paid collaboration with Jessica Kingsley Publications.

As a teacher, I have read Dr. Kirstie Rees Mental health and wellbeing of children and young people with learning disabilities. A guide for teachers was easy to assess. I wish I’d had this when I was a new SENCo; an educational psychologist on the bookshelf is needed now more than ever. While books cannot replace diagnostic assessments or tailored, personalized approaches, this book provides a strong starting point for supporting the mental health of children with learning disabilities. Great for the less experienced teacher, and a brilliant reminder with new learning experiences throughout, if you’ve been in office for decades.

Whatever your role, when was the last time you really examined your beliefs around inclusivity, mental health, the social model, the medical model, or the biopsychosocial model of disability? (Ahem, LA council members). The inclusion of much-needed reflection time is well documented in the book. This matters because unconsciously held attitudes drive decision-making and daily interactions that impact the mental health and well-being of children and young people (CYPs). The clear definitions of terms used and explorations of models of disability give your brain a useful reflective nudge, keeping you up to date with more recent developments and terminology. Our own beliefs about disabilities are often the biggest obstacles our children face. It is worth delving deeper into your ideas.

Get the most out of the book

The layout works. It’s accessible, clear and packed with useful resources with thought-provoking questionnaires. Part one is about beliefs, attitudes and understanding around mental health. Part two covers practical strategies and preventative approaches, while part three delves into more targeted work for specific areas of need.

You can follow signage where and how to get in and out as needed, or read cover to cover, exploring theories of child development and disability along the way. The chapters end with a useful summary of the key learning points, useful for busy teachers without protected contactless time purely for reading, reflection and research. Dr. Rees supports the challenge of ‘keeping up’ with education.

Prevention is better than cure.

I love the ‘Support Toolkit’ with its clear explanation of intensive interaction, visuals, social stories and relaxation techniques. The toolkit offers a way forward for parents and teachers to work together effectively, likely the only way out of our current crisis, with no end in sight to budget cuts, service waiting lists and capacity issues. We have no time to waste when it comes to mental health and need interventions that we can weave into everyday parenting and education. The toolkit chapter provides tools to work on together, hopefully without guilt and shame.

Don’t skip part 1!

It is tempting to dive into practical work, but examining our values ​​and attitudes, of what is understood about models of disability, of inclusion, of cultural influence, and the terms we use, is sorely needed at this time. Part One provides an excellent starting point to lead an informed debate and perhaps align highly divided and differing perspectives. It brings much-needed challenges to outdated thinking and provides a platform from which authentic and informed improvements can emerge. We can move beyond the sometimes well-intentioned, but often one-sided echo chambers of social media algorithms. If you, as a parent, educator, LA SEN officer, advocate or councilor, influence or make decisions about children, explore part one and take the time to put the hood on your own thoughts and understanding.

Changing the conversation.

As Dr. Rees writes: “…our values ​​are set against a political backdrop of capitalism and competition”. Enter competence! Part one usefully challenges the ‘this didn’t exist in my time’ commentary, often delivered through rose-colored memories of times gone by, using education without aggression. Insight is changing the conversation, given the very real mental health impact of growing up in today’s environment, this fast-paced, digitally driven world. We can find informed solutions for these modern times and recognize the benefits that can be achieved by promoting the relationship-based approaches and celebration of differences that are at the heart of this book.

The book discusses recent findings from neuroscience, knowledge that simply did not exist in the not-too-distant past. Dr. Rees guides us through what has been learned about sensory needs, attachment disorders, anxiety, trauma, and concerning behaviors, while steering our language away from pejorative, divisive statements. It addresses competing demands, the complexity that schools face and the interaction of multi-layered and complex factors.

With careful reading, perhaps we can begin to recognize not only what a difference individuals can make, but also what a significant difference the environment makes. How the lack of suitable institutions and facilities impacts children with learning difficulties. How important it is to think about the child’s needs in the context of where they are, and not where we idealize them. Perhaps those with real influence can finally and fully accept what schools needto be better organized‘ (p31) to achieve the avalanche of goals we have set for them in our society. Dr. Rees has written a lot about it, and in my opinion it is a must-read for teachers. I have no doubt that once read it will be a well-thumbed copy.

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I have been working in education for 25 years as a teacher, deputy headteacher and headteacher, including 20 years as a SENCo, a role that is close to my heart. I recently completed my Masters in Autism Studies and SEN from the University of Birmingham. My greatest achievement, however, is being a proud (albeit all exhausted) mother of four. Two of them have additional educational needs. My youngest has autism and ADHD and a range of associated needs, which require an EHCP. I have first-hand experience when it comes to fighting for your child’s rights, from placement, provision, tribunal, mediation and beyond, and this only serves to fuel my passion for wanting to make a difference.

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