Dr Rose Psychology

01/09/2025

Some alternatives to “doubling down on 100% attendance”…

⭐ gradual transitions back to school, at a pace your child can manage

⭐ setting up ‘escape routes’ or ‘flight paths’ (clear and practiced strategies your child can use to move out of an overwhelming situation and into a space of safety)

⭐ listening to what your child says and how they feel about the return to school this week. Communicating this to their teacher/SENCO and making an individual plan based on their needs.

For some children, getting back to school is no where near as simple as pressuring parents to “double down” on 100% attendance. For some children the school they currently attend does not, or cannot, meet their needs. And so many children are in limbo awaiting a specialist placement somewhere that takes months or years to materialise.

To all those parents, this time of year can feel impossibly hard. Especially when we see endless happy posts of smiling children in their neat uniforms returning joyfully to school.

Ignore the news and social media, and listen to your child ❤️

12/08/2025

Sibling rivalry can feel soooo much more intense when family time is increased( like during school holidays!!) Some helpful tips here from Sibs - for brothers and sisters of autistic children ☺️

Is sibling rivalry getting you down? Find out ways to tackle arguments between your sibling child and their disabled or autistic brother/sister here. https://www.sibs.org.uk/supporting-young-siblings/parents/dealing-with-sibling-rivalry

12/08/2025

This is something we hear time and time again! Too many children grow up believing their struggles are a reflection of their ability or effort - when in fact, they simply process information differently.
That’s why awareness is so important; it helps stop the stigma and gets people talking with more understanding.

Looking for support? Visit our resources page for lots of helpful information, facts, downloads and webinars: https://bit.ly/4msofnY

06/08/2025

Free Stay and Play, and Dad’s Group running in August with the wonderful The Koala Tree 🐨 🌴

WHAT’S ON THIS WEEK?🐨

🧸SUMMER STAY & PLAY
On Tuesday 5th August….
We know that it’s frustrating when groups and classes shut up over the summer break🏖️. That’s why we are so thrilled that our Peer Support Worker Anna has suggested she comes back to run a Stay and Play over the summer!

She’ll be at The Old Needleworks on Tuesdays, 10am-12pm for 4 weeks over the summer holidays:
⏱️05 August
⏱️12 August

Free to attend thanks to National Lottery funding🩵

Hot drinks, snacks and toys ready for you!☕️
______________
✨NEW✨ 🩵DAD’S STAY & PLAY

On Saturday 9th August at 10am-12pm
The Dads are taking the reins! The Dads who come to The Dads group have decided to set up a Stay & Play. Run by Dads, for Dads. Dads bring your little ones 0-3 years old all welcome. We have toys, hot drinks, biscuits and chat!

Find us at;
📍The Old Needleworks, Britten Street, B97 6HD

Feel free to just turn up, we look forward to seeing you there 🐨

05/08/2025

Working with dyslexic children means I am sometimes also working with dyslexic parents (hello genetics 👋). I love finding support groups for adults, like this one, to share with any parents who may benefit.

* Studies show that genes can play a significant role in dyslexia. This means that children with a dyslexic parent or sibling are more likely to be dyslexic too. That’s why a good dyslexia assessment will usually ask about family history. However like all things it’s never that straightforward, there are a whole host of other factors which need to be considered too. If in doubt, an assessment from an experienced and qualified assessor can help *

British Dyslexia Association

Every month we host a free online get-together, and we’d love for you to join us!

This is a safe, supportive space to connect with like-minded individuals, share experiences, and discuss the everyday realities of dyslexia. Whether you're personally affected or supporting someone who is, this is a chance to be part of a welcoming community that truly understands.

📅 Tuesday 19th August 2025 12pm - 1pm
🔗 https://bit.ly/4lZfbqZ

02/08/2025

Fabulous to hear about a new drop-in in from Worcestershire Children's Physiotherapy & Occupational Therapy Team

We are excited to announce that after a successful pilot of the physiotherapy drop-in clinic in Kidderminster, we are beginning to roll out other locations. Starting in October, we will have a drop-in clinic at Holly Trees Family Hub in Redditch (Family Hubs - Bromsgrove and Redditch ). This will run alongside their 'Bumps, Babies and You' group which is free to attend.

We look forward to welcoming you and children under 5 with any gross motor concerns.

When: First Wednesday of the Month, 1-2:30pm.
Where: Holly Trees Family Hub, Mabey Avenue, Redditch, B98 8HW

29/07/2025

Patch are offering 8 free webinars for adopters and permanence carers, including one about navigating School and Education for children with attachment needs and experience of developmental trauma.

This is an area I feel so passionate about, and I meet many children and young people in my clinical work whose needs are not being met well in education. It’s wonderful to see organisations offering support for families for free 👏

Reserve tickets below:

https://www.ourpatch.org.uk/events/

Join us for a virtual discussion on Adoption & Fostering – Two Perspectives, where we’ll explore the unique experiences of both adoptive par

25/07/2025

Children and young people who are “extremely distractable”… do you get the sensory tools out or not?

This morning I’ve had so much fun working with a young person. The aim of our session was to complete a comprehensive cognitive assessment. Along the way, I made sure we had the time and space to explore how and when sensory tools are helpful to them, as well as noticing when they weren’t!

These items are absolutely not a one-size-fits-all tool, but recommended with care and used thoughtfully I have seen some tools be incredibly helpful for some children, young people and adults.

I would love to hear other thoughts and experiences, especially from about whether sensory tools have been helpful for your children and young people! And what happens when they try to use these in school?

21/07/2025

One of the unspoken challenges of raising a child with additional needs … the sibling(s) who feel “it’s not fair”! Sibs - for brothers and sisters are a fabulous charity and they have some great advice here about validating your child’s feelings (because sometimes it really does feel unfair!), teaching the difference between fairness and equity, and allowing your child’s opinion to matter and be heard.

The Sibs website also has brilliant resources to validate and support children and adults who have a brother or sister with additional needs: https://www.sibs.org.uk/youngsibs

How do you respond to cries of “It’s not fair!” when your autistic or disabled child needs something different to their siblings? Find out here. https://www.sibs.org.uk/parent-tips/fairness

17/07/2025

None of these books have “all the answers” to the experiences of children, young people and their parents. From my years of work as a Clinical Psychologist I have come to appreciate that people are far more unique, diverse and beautiful than any book can capture.

But these are all books which have (in small or big ways!) challenged my assumptions, inspired me to dig deep into my own beliefs and values, and ultimately helped shape the way I work with children and their families.

Whether you're a teacher, parent, social worker, therapist... (or anyone who knows a parent or child!) I believe these books offer some important perspectives on parenting, learning, education systems, and psychological wellbeing.

I would love to hear thoughts from anyone who has read these! And as we gear up for the summer holidays, what other books do you recommend?

(Featuring books by Dr Naomi Fisher and many more wonderful people!)

Dyscalculia is a specific learning difficulty that affects a child’s ability to understand and work with numbers e.g. in maths and numeracy.

15/07/2025

I’ve just discovered a charity called Parents In Need who support families through the SEND Tribunal process by helping cover the costs of professional assessments.

On their website, they say:

“We help anyone who believes their child with SEN isn’t receiving the right education and who is without the resources to pay for the reports themselves.”

They are kindly contributing towards the cost of one of my specialist assessments with a family. Their work is making an important difference for families so I’m sharing here incase anyone else may benefit:

Find out more: https://www.parentsinneed.org

10/07/2025

Here’s to the parents who attend every birthday party, whilst everyone else drops off.

Here’s to the parents who spend hours each night lying quietly, and for whom an evening off is a distant dream.

Here’s to the parents who are constantly on call, with one ear alert for a cry.

Here’s to the parents who can’t take their eyes off the slide, because it’s only one push away from disaster.

Here’s to the parents for whom leaving the house must be planned like a military operation – and even then it’s not a sure thing.

Here’s to the parents whose heart jumps at an email from school.

Here’s to the parents who no one notices until it all goes wrong and all hell breaks loose.

Here’s to the parents who are called ‘helicopter’ or ‘over-involved’ or ‘anxious’ or ‘permissive’. Here’s to the parents who ‘can’t let go’.

Here’s to the parents who hear the tuts and the eye-rolls, and the scandalised whispers behind people’s hands. Here’s to the parents who walk the path of shame, with eyes burning into their backs.

Here’s to the parents who work the hardest, and who are given the least credit. The ones who absorb it all, keep up a calm front, and who only allow themselves to collapse behind closed doors.

Here’s to the parents putting in hour after invisible hour, keeping their children on keel.

Here’s to you all. We see you. You’re not alone.

Words: Dr Naomi Fisher
Illustration: Missing The Mark