Unravell​ed

For Parents and Carers

Our approach - unravelling and unpicking

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We offer a unique approach in that we work collaboratively as two specialists with combined expertise in autism, language and learning difficulties.

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When a young person starts to struggle or becomes very “stuck”, we work holistically to unravel what has gone wrong, and why. As part of this we consider the young person’s level of insight, perceptions and aspirations and how closely these tally with reality.

We reflect upon how others around the young person communicate, respond and support him or her. We unpick what is impacting upon self-esteem and whether any expectations are achievable and helpful. We think about strengths, and problem solve ways to reduce barriers. Our focus is upon enabling the young person and their family to understand him or herself better, develop coping strategies and make progress.

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We believe that informal assessment and skilled observation often provide the best information. Our view is that standard formal assessments with standardised scores often give limited information and don’t necessarily reflect the young person’s ordinary functioning. We therefore only use these if they help us to unravel the problem.

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Similarly, unlike other private practitioners we write practical, helpful reports which contain strategies rather than scores. We want our reports to contain accessible meaningful information rather than wordy jargon which can often be overwhelming.

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​Who we work with

It doesn't matter to us whether young people have a formal diagnosis or not. We are not medical professionals but Helen will give a professional opinion whether your child may be on the autistic spectrum, and Ian will give a professional view about possible Specific Learning Difficulties. Our aim is to provide a full picture of your child's skills.

Essentially, we work with children and young people with autism, language and learning needs - including literacy and numeracy - who may be:

• Highly-anxious or overwhelmed

• Isolated and alone, even if they are attending school

• Challenging in their behaviour, at home and/or in the school or setting

• Out of school or struggling to stay in education

• With additional mental health needs

• Adopted or looked after

• At risk of exploitation

• Disillusioned, that people don’t ‘seem to get them’ or they can’t be helped

• Stuck or struggling with education because of additional learning needs,  or with obsessive/perfectionist tendencies

• Struggling with transitions (e.g. home-school, into school, primary to secondary school)

• Able learners who struggle with meta-cognition (thinking about how they learn effectively) e.g. difficulties with time-management, organisation, revision, coursework etc

• Any or all of the above

We also work with

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• Staff in your child's school or educational setting

• You as the parent or carer, and your wider family, if necessary

• Other professionals that may be working with your child or family

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Please see our note on potential, professional 'Conflicts of Interest', concerning those with whom we would not be able to work.

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Our packages

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Our video-consultation is ideal if you need a professional discussion with us, to find a way forwards for your child. Many parents find this extremely helpful. However, it does mean that advice will be based on your perceptions of the situation, which may or may not align with your child's views.

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To reflect this, Packages 2 or 3 - the in-depth and comprehensive consultations, respectively - feature direct work with your child, giving time for them to share their views, worries and aspirations. This direct work provides valuable additional information about your child through observation and formal or informal assessment (where indicated).

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Transparent pricing from the outset

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Unlike many working in the sector, we are fully transparent about prices from the outset - all our prices are published on our website. Any additional costs or work will be fully discussed and mutually agreed as beneficial to unravelling the situation, and we will never suggest extra work that will add little to the picture. Please see our prices page for full details.

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Click on the buttons below, to view details of our support packages...

Parent/Carer Video Consultation

In-Depth Consultation

Comprehensive Consultation