Therapeutic Tuition
Helping Children To Thrive
Being a Square Peg Kid can be a frustrating and bewildering experience. School is a neurotypical construct, designed to meet the needs of the 'average' brain. It can be hard to feel successful in an increasingly competitive and evolving school landscape. Neurodivergents are often the world's great under-achievers. Everyone can see and intuitively feel that their ability is strong, but showing that in a way that meets the demands of what school recognises as 'success' doesn't always fit with a neurodiverse profile.
In Therapeutic Tuition sessions for children, I use Maths and/or English as a vehicle. From a child's point of view, it's often the schoolwork that is perceived as the issue, rather than the ADHD or ASC, because that is what they are judged on every day and the messages they get from the adults at school are usually focused on 'work'. Often, they feel they are not keeping up, or doing very well or that they are failing, and their self-esteem is rock-bottom.
I typically work with children from about the age of 10. As children transition to senior school, they change from a primary nurture-model of school to a form-tutor secondary model. The leap is enormous and this is usually where our Square Peg Kids first start to experience difficulties. Staying afloat in mainstream primary with one base and, predominantly, one teacher tends to support neurodivergent children well. The change to greater expected independence and academic scrutiny in a much bigger environment at secondary level tends to be the crunch point.
My approach is based on nurturing compassion, patience and building rapport. From a strong, warm connection, everything can grow. I am a highly skilled and vastly experienced teacher in both state and independent schools in London and Bath, UK. I have helped children to prepare successfully for competitive entrance exams to highly regarded schools.
As a coach I can take the subject they perceive as the one they are struggling with and use that as our starting point. Gentle coaching for children is based on simple CBT foundations; while we chat about the 'work,' interventions are woven in. This means that the child can go to school with a growing toolbox, growing confidence and increased self-awareness.
Therapeutic Tuition Sessions
Weekly sessions take place online after school during term-time and mornings only during school holidays.
Momentum and continuity is essential to give children time and space to grow.
Ages 10+
Sessions last between 45-60 minutes depending on the child