Worry

Provision and/or strategies: approaches, adjustments and specific interventions expected to be made by settings according to the ages and stages of the CYP

Universal

• Ensure that CYP and family voice is actively gathered and valued to help understand a holistic picture of a CYP's presentation and use this to inform provision.
• Work collaboratively with families to ensure consistency across settings.
• Reduce uncertainty by using predictable routines (supported by visuals as appropriate) and supporting transitions and social situations in advance (e.g. through explanation, rehearsal or visual supports).
• Provide access to emotionally available key adults and ensure CYP know how to seek support.
• Use co-regulation approaches (e.g. calm tone, reassurance, modelling regulation) to support CYP in managing feelings of worry.
• Use clear, consistent and reassuring language to explain what is happening and what is expected.
• Provide appropriate reassurance and acknowledge effort and engagement in a way that supports emotional safety.
• Provide access to a calm, safe space where CYP can go to regulate when feeling overwhelmed.
• Recognise and anticipate CYP's patterns of worry and adjust pace or demand responsively based on need.
• Reduce sensory and environmental triggers and anticipate patterns . More information can be found in the SCI and Physical and Sensory sections.
• Teach clear help-seeking systems (e.g. named adults, check-ins, worry boxes).
• Use and teach self-regulation strategies (e.g. breathing, relaxation) to support emotional control and reduce frustration.
• Sequence tasks clearly, giving one instruction at a time to reduce cognitive overload.  More information can be found in the Cognition and Learning section.
• Use memory supports (e.g. vocabulary mats, worked examples) to aid task completion.
• Use timed work periods with planned breaks to sustain attention and reduce fatigue.
• Model and develop self-monitoring and organisational skills. 
• Reinforce attention and organisation strategies through home-setting collaboration

Targeted

• Draw on guidance from the Neuroinclusive Education Network to inform inclusive practice.
• Provide low-distraction environments where needed.
• Provide access to a safe, calm space where the CYP can regulate when overwhelmed.
• Carefully scaffold transitions (e.g. through the use of PATH , preparing CYP in advance and clearly communicating any changes.
• Deliver brief, structured CBT-informed support (e.g. visual thought-feeling-behaviour frameworks), including access to supported digital tools where appropriate.
• Teach explicit routines for task initiation and completion (e.g. "start-do-check").
• Break challenging situations into small, manageable steps, gradually increasing exposure (e.g. observe → join briefly → participate fully).
• Incorporate regular individual check-ins to personalise support and monitor progress.
• Provide graduated support, moving from adult reassurance towards increasing independence.
• Provide targeted small-group interventions (e.g. ELSA) to develop coping and emotional regulation skills.
• Provide strategies and supports that can be used beyond the setting (e.g. for transitions, home-setting consistency or preparation for change).