From crisis to confidence in a specialist education setting
How Studio 3 helped a young person, their family and school move from reduced attendance and high distress to full-time education, broader engagement and greater confidence.
Key outcomes at a glance
2 hrs
to Full-time attendance
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School staff more confident in crisis moments
Severity and frequency of self-injurious behaviour reduced
The situation
A 5-year-old young person was attending school for only 2 hours per day.
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His world had become very restricted. At school, he would only engage with a small number of activities, mainly bouncing on the outdoor trampoline. Any attempt to move him onto another task could lead to moments of distress and significant self-injurious behaviour.
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The situation had become stressful for everyone involved.
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The school commissioned Studio 3 to carry out a joint clinical and educational assessment and provide ongoing support for the young person, the family and the specialist setting.
Our role
Joint clinical and educational assessment and support
Coaching and training for the school team
Observation in school and at home
Support plan developed for a Local Authority review
Our approach
Studio 3 brought together clinical and educational expertise to understand what was driving distress and what needed to change.
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One of our clinical specialists and our education advisor gathered previous information, observed the young person across school and home and spoke with the people who knew him best. The assessment helped the school and family move from reacting to crisis to understanding stress, overwhelm and communication needs more clearly.
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The plan focused on:
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Increasing the young person's range of activities
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Supporting communication through technology
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Working alongside the school's Speech and Language Therapists
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Coaching school staff in Low Arousal practice
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Providing clinical support for the family
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Creating a shared approach between home, school and professionals
The impact
The young person moved from 2 hours per day in school to full-time attendance
School staff became more confident and less fearful when supporting moments of crisis and distress
The severity and frequency of self-injurious behaviour reduced significantly
We developed a wider range of activities he could engage with
Why this matters
This was not a quick training input or a one-off assessment.
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It was a joined-up piece of clinical and educational work that helped the adults around the young person understand distress differently and respond with greater confidence.
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When the right support is built around the young person, progress becomes possible.