The Amber Tree

06/05/2025

Three little letters but one big emotion which can be experienced in numerous different ways. Some days it maybe small sad chunks every now and again but on another day it could be a big heavy sad bearing down.

16/01/2025

Anxiety can set up a vicious cycle, particularly for young people with ASD who are at risk of early onset sever anxiety in school. Early adaptations to create an accessible education will have a significant positive outcome for mental health and educational outcomes.

Credit for the picture: Jodie Clarke, Children's Well-being Practitioner & Autism Specialist

16/10/2024

The Amber Tree is 1 year old! A few months ago we asked the families we help for some feedback.

All of those who responded stated that we were helpful, provided individualised care plans, listened and treated them with kindness and respect. Here are a few comments: "Excellent communication", "family approach... considers the needs of my other children", "very kind and understanding", "the care has been a game changer for my daughter", "knowledgable and child-centred... I don't know how we would have managed without your input".

We also asked if we did anything that was unhelpful. There was one ask: more availability. We are working on that! Here is to another year 🥳

04/10/2024

Anxious people often find they struggle to focus and remember what they have learnt. As exam loom it is more and more tempting to manage this with extra revision. Actually the best way is to work less, breaking the revision into little chunks with a lot of time outdoors, movement breaks, chill out time and time with friends and family. Deploying this method may actually increase your grades if you are anxious.

02/07/2024

I like this little comic strip and what it is trying to tell others but there is an inaccuracy that creates a difficulty for parents who are trying to help their children in a way that they never experienced themselves. The last picture shows the little girl has grown into a woman and is now sheltering her own daughter from generational trauma. Now the reality is that this is impossible if the woman had not made her own (probably not perfect - some rain may still get through) umbrella for herself at some point. She can then use the fact that she is not getting as much rain on herself to be able to construct a fully functional umbrella for her child. You also hear this type of advise on aeroplanes - put your own oxygen mask on, then help others. With generational trauma, if you don't want to pass it on - seek help for yourself to manage it, and this in turn will help ensure you can effectively help your child.

20/05/2024

13/05/2024

Adaptions are needed for some children to access education. They are not school "refusers" any more than a child in a wheelchair is "refusing" to climb the stairs.
Credit to Neurowild for the picture

21/04/2024

I asked some children to say if one person was better than the other and described one who was anxious and one who was daring. All said the anxious one was bad and the daring one was good. But this isn't true. If you look at evolution the daring one comes from the hunter, the risk taker. This type of human could bring in food and would be the first to take on a predator in a fight. Definitely good, definitely important to human survival. The anxious one was the protector of the group. Standing guard, sounding the alarm and planning the escape from threats. Definitely good, definitely important to human survival. But now only one trait is celebrated. Both traits cause suffering and harm when they are too strong but it seems to me that more needs to be done to celebrate the meerkats of life. To help them feel their natural ability is equally helpful and important. To empower them to learn how to use this ability in a way they and those around them find useful.

23/02/2024

The main reason I chose to start The Amber Tree is because I didn't feel you were being heard. You would say you needed help and to get it they put up barriers. You said you needed a different approach but were given a "one size fits all". You said it wasn't working but they kept doing the same. You said your child can't manage this at the moment so they discharged you. There isn't always an easy solution but at the very least you should feel heard and be given a choice of what may help. Thats why The Amber Tree exists.