Relationship building with parents and carers of children with additional support needs

Both Curriculum for Excellence the new ASL legislation recognise the importance of working  closely with parents of children with support needs if we are to get the best outcomes for those children. East Lothian Psychological Services have developed a training session that they have used successfully with teachers. It explores some of the issues for parents of children with ASN, improving communication, resolving conflict and the use of solution oriented meetings. The session will share some of the approaches and experiences from their training.

The session will be supported by parents from the ASN Group of the National Parent Forum of Scotland, themselves parents and carers of children with additional support needs, and who have direct experience of working and relationship building with staff and who are able to share their perspective on how this can best be achieved.

Leisa Randall, Principal Educational Psychologist, East Lothian Council

Leisa Randall is the Principal Educational Psychologist for East Lothian Council. She has worked as an educational psychologist in Scotland for 12 years. Previously Leisa was a primary school teacher in England, Scotland and Ethiopia.

She is a Chartered psychologist with the British Psychological Society and is registered with the Health Professionals Council. Leisa has special interests in a variety of areas within education, particularly attachment, resilience, suicide and self harm, casework evaluation and developing project management in schools.

She has written and co-written several published articles on various themes ranging from work with isolated children to looking at the effectiveness of educational psychology in practice.

Lisa will be joined by a representative from the National Parent of Scotland Additional Support Needs Sub group.