Early Years SEN toolkit - Social, emotional and mental health needs

Activities and resources to support children with social, emotional and mental health needs (SEMH).

Assessment, planning and recording templates

It is helpful to understand that all behaviour is a form of communication.

There’s always a reason for the way young children behave. Use these templates to help you unpick and understand what may be causing unwanted behaviours.

Once you have begun to understand some of the reasons for specific behaviours it can be easier to understand how to support the child to behave differently.

• ABC chart (pdf format) 
  This observation template aims to identify things that may be triggering a child’s unwanted behaviour and/or things that may inadvertently be encouraging it.
• Behaviour iceberg (pdf format)
  Like an iceberg, the behaviour is what you observe but there is a lot more going on beneath the surface. Use this chart to think about possible reasons for the behaviour presented.
• Positive behaviour plan (docx format)
  Use this plan alongside the EYSEN support and outcomes plan to provide greater detail about specific actions and strategies.
• Risk assessment on behaviour template (doc format)

Activities and strategies

Activities and strategies to help with developing good social, emotional and mental health and supporting children with special educational needs in these areas.

• Expressing feelings (pdf format)
• Self esteem (pdf format)
  This could be printed off and used as a poster in your setting for staff and adults
• Giving effective praise (pdf format)
• Helping children to behave positively (pdf format)
• Helping children to learn how to problem solve (pdf format)
• Guidelines for giving instructions (pdf format)
• Ignoring and distracting (pdf format)
• Choices and consequences (pdf format)
• Social stories (pdf format)
• Heavy work activities to help calm and focus (pdf format)
• The attention rule: a useful reminder for staff (pdf format)

Resources

• Early support produce resources on Behaviour

• The Inclusion Development Programme (IDP) Supports practitioners to learn more about special educational needs and the best ways of supporting children.
• Promoting wellbeing in early years settings