Attune-Ed

04/09/2025

28/08/2025

Right now, thousands of children and their parents and caregivers, are feeling the familiar flutter of anxiety about returning to school.

(Educators, too, but that’s a story for another post.)

For many families, there’s a quiet, heavy anticipation: Will my child manage to get through the school gates this time?

For the young people themselves, the fear is very real. Their brains and bodies often respond as though they’re in survival mode. It doesn’t feel rational, it doesn’t feel helpful… and yet it can feel impossible to change.

…

Last term, we worked alongside small groups of young people experiencing barriers to school attendance.

Through our sessions and the incredible learning support team who worked alongside us, they were able to increase their access to learning, engage with more support services, and attend in ways that helped reduce their stress.

But this ONLY worked because they had choice. They decided what we worked on, where they sat, the lighting in the room, whether they spoke, and even which snacks were available. They opted in and out of activities for their own comfort.

Our approach (and that of my brilliant team) is relational, slow and gentle.
We only work with young people on their terms.

We listen to families, collaborate with educators and support staff, and most importantly, we ask the young people directly what they need.

Sometimes that looks like gentle movement or breathwork.
Other times it’s playing games, building escape rooms, or drawing pictures.

These activities create the conditions where safety can be felt, friendships can form, and connection can grow.

It isn’t a quick fix. It’s the careful laying of foundations for trust.

This time of year is rarely easy, but we need to meet each young person exactly where they are.

…

I’m Ange 👩🏻‍🦰 a therapist, supervisor, trainer and therapeutic group lead.

We use art, creativity and immersive technologies to help neurodivergent young people, and the adults in their lives, to reduce anxiety and increase social connection.

21/08/2025

It’s GCSE Results Day! 🥳
 
Good luck and congratulations to everyone receiving their results today 🫶
 
Be proud of yourself no matter the outcome and remember these results do not define you or your future🌟
 
Well done for completing this chapter of your life, exciting things are ahead... ✨
 

21/08/2025

Trauma Geek - Janae Elisabeth

20/08/2025

❤️❤️❤️

20/08/2025

20/08/2025

New research shows boys and girls with DLD may present differently — often, girls mask symptoms and go undetected. This school year, make sure screening and support consider all students. Visit DLDandMe.org

20/08/2025

Old but gold

19/08/2025

The 'DLD Toolbox' is a must-view resource for all professionals who diagnose DLD (Developmental Language Disorder).

On her website Professor Lisa Archibald provides a thorough guide to many of the diagnostic issues. It really is EXTREMELY useful, regardless of your experience.

Check it out here: https://www.uwo.ca/fhs/lwm/news/index.html or simply search 'dld toolbox'

What resources help you learn more about DLD?

radld.org

18/08/2025

Autism and ADHD Waiting Lists in Wales – What’s Really Happening?

Over the past few months, I’ve supported families across Wales who are desperate for clarity. Many have been waiting years just to begin an autism or ADHD assessment. These aren’t just numbers—they’re waiting, worry, and missed opportunities.

Hywel Dda University Health Board tells its own story:
✨ Over 4,000 adults are on the ADHD waiting list.
✨ Over 2,000 adults are waiting for an autism assessment.
A significant portion have already waited longer than a year.

That reflects only one region. Across Wales, the situation is more urgent. In September 2024, about 20,770 children and young people were waiting for neurodevelopmental assessments. Forecasts suggest that number could rise to 41,000–61,000 by March 2027.

Every waiting list represents more than lost time: it stands for anxiety, educational setbacks, and delays in far-reaching support.

This week, I’m proud to spotlight the work we’ve delivered through South Wales Autism Assessments in partnership with local NHS teams, all guided by the NHS’s values:
• Following our successful tender in February 2025, we completed 85 neurodevelopmental assessments between March and April 2025. Those assessments mapped to 510 individual assessment components spanning both autism and ADHD elements. 
• Each assessment included both in-person (ADOS-2, QB Test) and online components (ADI‑R, DIVA), plus Conners 4 questionnaires for ADHD—reflecting a truly multidisciplinary, thorough approach. 
• Our clinical team always included a Clinical Psychologist, with a second professional (such as a Speech and Language Therapist, Educational Psychologist, or Mental Health Nurse)—reinforcing the robust, multi‑lens approach families deserve. 
• We made 13 home visits, engaged an Arabic translator, delivered Easy Read reports, and adapted for children of separated parents who required duplicate assessments—all to increase accessibility and reflect real‑world needs. 
• Every family received a detailed, multidisciplinary report and a feedback meeting. Final reports were also sent to the families’ GPs—streamlining administrative flow and reducing the NHS’s burden. 

Diagnostic outcomes from those assessments highlight neurodiversity’s breadth:
• Autism only: 29.4% (25 cases)
• ADHD only: 22.4% (19 cases)
• Both autism and ADHD: 36.5% (31 cases)
• No diagnosis: 11.8% (10 cases) 

These figures affirm how complex and overlapping neurodevelopmental profiles can be.

What can we do across Wales?
✅ Advocate for transparent, Wales-wide reporting of ADHD and autism waitlist data—across all age groups and Health Boards.
✅ Build needs-led support models, so people receive timely help even before diagnosis.
✅ Offer equitably accessible services—via home visits, tailored communication, translation, and multidisciplinary contexts no matter the postcode.

With waiting lists growing and families strained, this is not just a health challenge—it’s an education, employment, and wellbeing imperative.

If this speaks to you, please comment or share. The more visible these gaps become, the harder they are to ignore.

Chris

18/08/2025

Get in touch for more info 😊