psychology Archives - Resource Library - Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust

The exercises in this booklet will be great to use with your child in many different situations. They can be done as part of their bedtime routine, before a hospital appointment, or during a procedure – anytime you feel appropriate. There is no right answer about when is the best time to do them....

This resource is for all parents, carers, children and young adults that visit Sheffield Children’s Hospital. We recognise that entering a hospital can be a uncomfortable experience and it is common to lose structure in your day and forget your regular routine. With this resource, we hope to offer...

Feeling sad is a normal reaction. Everyone feels sad and low in mood sometimes but if these feelings persist and stop your child from doing their day-to-day activities this may be a sign that your child is experiencing depression. Expressing how they are feeling Help your child to express how they...

Everyone experiences bereavement and loss sometime in their life. This is just the same for children. Remember that the loss of a pet or something else important in their life might affect a child just as much as the loss of a person. Explaining it Be careful with the language and explanations you...

Different types of attention Managing attention is a key skill that is fundamental to everything we do. There are different types of attentional capabilities: Sustained attention Sustained attention is sometimes referred to as concentration. It involves focusing on a task for a prolonged period of...

Spending time with your children Try to make sure that siblings have some time where they get your full attention and get to spend time with you 1:1. It can be hard to find time for this when life is hectic, but even a small amount of time is valuable. Taking time to notice and… Continue...

Promoting good self-esteem is important for everyone, especially children and teenagers. It is okay to be different Create an ‘it’s okay to be different’ atmosphere at home. Reassure them that everybody is different. That life would be boring if we were all the same. Point out your...

Many children need routine in order to help them understand the world around them. This means that change and transition often cause them a great deal of anxiety. This could be a minor change, such as taking a different route to the supermarket or a larger change such as going on holiday or moving...

A meltdown is best understood as a panic attack, where the child is completely overwhelmed, rather than wilfully naughty or defiant. Traditional discipline is largely ineffective for meltdowns, as the child is not in a state to learn anything. During a meltdown Try to keep calm and be aware that...

It can be hard to manage executive skills, but there are a few ways you can help your child. General tips Create routines for your child’s day and week Use rewards to help reinforce positive behaviour and avoid punishing negative behaviour Model planning, organisational and time management skills...

Anxiety is a normal feeling that everyone will experience at some point in their lives. Anxiety can include feelings of worry and tension, as well as physical feeling such as a racing heart, sweating or trembling. Some anxiety is normal for most people. It can help us to think about and avoid...

When a child suffers a burn injury, is it understandable that they might feel wobbly and anxious around things that are hot or warm. Their brain has made a link between warm and hot things to getting burned and being in pain. To avoid getting burned again, the brain says ‘no’ about going...

What is an acquired brain injury (ABI)? An acquired brain injury is when something has caused damage to the tissue of the brain. The affects can be temporary or permanent. Brain injuries can be caused by many different things. These can include the following: road traffic incident hit to the head...

What are executive functions? Executive functions are a set of skills that allow us to live independently and do our daily activities. They can be thought of as a co-ordinator, whose job is to manage of all other cognitive functions (such as language, memory, attention) so that you can complete...

People with neurological conditions can have difficulties understanding and managing their emotions. This booklet for parents and carers provides a set of tools and resources for understanding and managing feelings.

Making time in the day to take a break from activities and help your body to relax is a helpful way in managing your condition. There are lots of different ways to relax and they take practice to do. Here are some ideas you might like to try. Good resting is about: setting aside regular…...

What is family therapy? Living with a child with chronic pain can bring extra pressures to family life and sometimes unexpected challenges to relationships. You may need help to discover how best to support your child to manage their pain in ways which for some, may at first seem at odds with what...

This resource has been put together to help you know what to expect when coming to Psychology at the Safeguarding Support Unit (SSU). Coming back to SSU – what will be the same? You probably will have visited our Safeguarding Support Unit before. You might even spot some of the same people you saw...

Distraction can be a very useful way of helping a child to remain calm and not to panic when they are in a stressful situation or about to go through a stressful or painful procedure. Parents and carers can play an important role in helping to ease your child’s fears and worries. It is...

What do clinical psychologists do? Clinical psychologists aim to help children, young people and families in times of difficulty. They listen to your worries and find a helpful way forward. They do not give medicines or do any physical examinations. Dr Charlotte Wright is the clinical psychologist...