Who is ROAR SEND for?
The course is for any educational professional working with children and young people who want to gain a deeper understanding of how to support children and young people in school with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and their mental health needs whilst also taking a whole school or setting approach to brain difference or neurodiversity. The course provides fun, interactive ways to explore this, along with a comprehensive training manual.
Please note: This course is funded free of charge for educational professionals in schools in Liverpool. Outside of this catchment area, this course would come at a cost.
Thank you so much for the fantastic training. I found the course both enjoyable and interesting. It has enhanced my knowledge regarding sensory processing, anxiety and mental health issues and other topics around the brain. I liked the fact that you could relate the training to the needs of the child/young person building upon their confidence and resilience.
Professional delegate.
Why is it important?
SEND affects around 1 in 5 children making it a major national priority: Over 1.7 million pupils in England have a Special Educational Need and Disability (SEND): Government White Paper 2026 – Every child achieving and thriving – GOV.UK
There are rising demands and pressures on the system and the prevalence of mental health problems is higher in children and young people with additional needs.
Autistic children are 28 times more likely to think about suicide or attempt suicide (Autistica 2020). These specific needs are often overlooked; there are many reasons for this, which the course explores, along with other risk and protective factors.
Research and policy highlight that mental wellbeing and learning are closely linked, with good mental health improving engagement, attendance and attainment.
The course examines how promoting inclusivity and tackling stigma and discrimination through a whole-school approach to brain difference can support mental health and well-being.
Course Breakdown
This course is made up of 5 modules:
- Labels and language – positive and negative impacts, unconscious bias, judgement, the Ecological Model, and the brain
- Anxiety – Diagnostic overshadowing, Specific Learning Needs, Alexithymia, intolerance to uncertainty and executive functioning
- Sensory processing – differences and difficulties, profiling and modulation
- Emotional distress – depression, suicidal ideation, attachment and resilience
- Whole school approach and parental engagement – school, parental mental health and co-production
Thank you for the sessions; I found them really valuable. They were beneficial for my work with young people with SEND, and also personally, as a parent. Instead of focusing on labels, I have been working on supporting my child's emotional development and reflecting on my own communication.
Professional delegate.
This course provided detailed, accessible information that I could take back and use within our setting. I really enjoyed this training - it covered so many bases, and I feel a lot more informed and excited to implement techniques. I think the activities made it even better as they helped me to consider and also investigate how we can implement different strategies, parent communication, looking into the resilience framework.
Professional delegate.
Fantastic training. Really useful day and helped me to consider lots of different aspects of Mental Health for SEND. Trainers were excellent.
Always enjoy MYA training. Really benefit from all training. The courses helps me 100% in my practice and always allows me to build good relationships with parents and carers.
Professional delegate.