I have a learner who needs support because…
Each child and young person is unique. Support that works for one child may not work for another child who has the same diagnosis or is in a similar circumstance.
However, there is a wealth of information, advice, training, learning resources and support services out there to help you support children and young people with specific additional support needs.
In this section we’ve collated a list of some of helpful places to get you started when you’re looking for ideas, information or resources to support a child or young person with a specific support need.
We’ve selected these support needs based on the most commonly mentioned support needs in enquiries to our helpline.
Autism
- Autism Toolbox is an online resource developed to support the inclusion of autistic learners in Scottish early learning and childcare settings, primary and secondary school.
- Scottish Autism advice line (01259 222 022) is open to professionals and can offer you advice and information, and discuss partnership approaches to providing more specific direct support to children, young people and their families.
- National Autistic Society is a UK-wide charity which offers a range of advice and information for professionals as well as training and professional development opportunities.
- National Autism Implementation Team (NAIT) is a multi-disciplinary team of professionals experienced in working with autistic individuals. They draw experience from education, speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and psychiatry. NAIT provide education resources as well as practitioner to practitioner advice.
- Meeting the needs of autistic learners is a GTC Scotland guide for professionals that was written in partnership with Children in Scotland, Scottish Autism, National Autistic Society and NAIT.
Anxiety and mental health
- Childline offer children and young people the chance to talk confidentially one-to-one with a trained counsellor. Sometimes you can help a child or young person by helping them find someone safe they can talk to about how they’re feeling.
- Young Minds is a UK wide charity supporting young people’s mental health by offering them, their families and the professionals who work with them support. They offer resources, training and courses specifically for professionals.
- Children’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Professional Resource was created by the organisation Mental Health Foundation Scotland, Digital Bricks Learning and Children’s Health Scotland to help provide schools staff with knowledge and understanding of mental health and wellbeing in school. Includes information and advice on working with pupils and families to promote and support positive mental health.
- Enabling Conversations is a resource developed by Suicide Prevention Scotland and the V&A Dundee, in partnership with Children in Scotland. It is designed to help trusted adults talk with young people about suicidal thoughts or feelings. The resource offers practical advice on starting supportive conversations, creating a safe space, and listening without judgment.
- Mentally healthy schools is a website for UK primary and secondary schools and further education settings, offering information, advice and practical resources to understand and support pupil mental health and wellbeing.
- Penumbra Self-Harm Network Scotland provides resources and information for those supporting people who self-harm including a self-harm FAQs for professionals and ‘In conversation’ videos.
- Place 2 Be is a charity working with local authorities across Scotland to provide in-school mental health support.
- Positive mental wellbeing (Education Scotland) are regularly updated pages that provide information, resources and signposting to organisations to support primary and secondary staff in supporting mental wellbeing.
ADHD/ADD
- Scottish ADHD coalition support local voluntary support groups for parents and people with ADHD across Scotland. You can learn more about ADHD on their website, and see if there is a local support group you can signpost your learner’s family to.
- Salvesen Mindroom Centre have been supporting children with learning difficulties and who are neurodiverse (including ADHD/ADD) for over 21 years. They offer a range of help, support, training and resources for professionals.
- Edinburgh Psychoeducation Intervention for Children and Young People (EPIC) have created the EPIC Understanding the Strengths and Difficulties of ADHD. This free, research-based guide helps teachers understand the thinking and learning profiles of children with ADHD, highlighting both their strengths and the areas where they might need extra support. It covers key topics such as attention, memory, organisation, and emotional regulation, and links to practical strategies that can be used in the classroom.
Children and young people from an Armed Forces family
- Forces Children Scotland is a charity supporting children and young people from armed forces and veteran families. The website shares experiences of growing up in an armed forces family, and offers a range of direct support for young people. They offer a series of free online webinars for professionals.
- Forces Children’s Education is a website, created by the Association of Directors of Education Scotland (ADES) in conjunction with the Scottish Government, Local Authorities and the Ministry of Defence. It provides a range of information and resources for educators and Armed Forces Families in Scotland. Some of the resources have been directly signposted below.
- Toolkit for Teachers is a resource, hosted on the Forces Children’s Education website, this guidance document aims to answer questions educators, and other school staff may have when a pupil from an Armed Forces family joins school. Created in collaboration with teachers.
- Supporting Armed Forces Families: A learning resource (Forces Children’s Education) is a professional learning activity created to help improve awareness and understanding of the unique experiences of Armed Forces families, as well as encourage reflection on current approaches and support available. Also available on the Education Scotland GLOW digital learning platform.
- Armed Forces Family Liaison Offices (AFFLO): contact form If you are supporting a family involved with the Armed Forces, you may find it helpful to contact the AFFLO in your current local authority or the local authority area you are moving to. You can do this using the contact form hosted on the Forces Children Education website.
- Education Scotland’s pages on Interrupted Learning includes specific advice to help support those who may be missing, or have missed, school due to a serving family member. This also includes specific information on improving transition support.
- Supporting children from Armed Forces families (Education Scotland) was created following an Armed Forces Good Practice event in 2019, this page includes a range of visual resources from schools supporting pupils in their areas, as well as a sample Welcome booklet produced by a Local Authority.
- Scottish Government’s Welcome Guide to Scotland has been designed to support service personnel and their families in their move to Scotland. It includes a section specifically on education, and also covers housing and healthcare (amongst other topics. This may be helpful for families you support. See also our pages on Moving to Scotland.
Children and young people from a Gypsy, Roma or Traveller family
- This Scottish Government page offers helpful information for schools on how to support children and young people from travelling communities. It includes data, real-life examples, and practical steps to help improve attendance, boost engagement, and reduce exclusions. It also explains what’s expected of schools when it comes to inclusion and equality.
- STEP offers a range of professional resources for teachers working with travelling communities. These include practical tools, guidance, and training designed to help educators support Gypsy, Roma and Traveller learners, build positive relationships with families, and create more inclusive learning environments.
Children and young people seeking asylum and refuge
- Education resources to support work with migrant families and families seeking asylum and refuge provide information, advice and support for teachers who have a child from a family that is seeking aslyum and refuge in their classroom. Hosted by Education Scotland, it includes information and resources for teaching to refugee or asylum seeking children and their families, as well as teaching resources to improve awareness amongst learners.
- Welcome Packs have been created by The Educational Institute of Scotland for new Scots. These are specific to three age ranges (P1-P4, P5-S3 and S4-S6) They have been created to inform children, young people and their parents of their rights as pupils in the Scottish education system, give a quick background about Scotland and to convey a positive and welcoming message. Copies can be downloaded from the EIS Welcome to Scotland webpage.
Distressed behaviour
- Our Enquire resource Managing Behaviour in Schools: A Timeline of Support gives professionals a guided pathway to working with young people who present distressed behaviours in school.
- Zones of Regulation is a framework designed to help children and young people understand and manage their emotions. It uses colour-coded zones to support emotional regulation, self-awareness, and social skills in schools and at home.
- EPIC: Emotionally Positive Inclusive Classrooms is a practical strategy guide for teachers, created by the University of Edinburgh. It offers simple, evidence-informed approaches to help build emotionally safe and inclusive learning environments.
- The Scottish Centre for Conflict Resolution (SCCR) have Resources for Teachers which aim to increase understanding of emotions and emotional regulation.
- The National Autistic Society have a resource guide called Distressed behaviour – A guide for all audiences with information on some strategies to try and information on getting support.
Dyslexia
- Addressing Dyslexia Toolkit is a comprehensive online resource for all professionals involved in the identification of dyslexia and support for literacy. It was produced by Dyslexia Scotland.
- Dyslexia Scotland’s helpline is open to professionals and offers you the chance to get expert advice and guidance about dyslexia and supporting dyslexic learners.
- Meeting the needs of dyslexic learners is a GTC Scotland guide for professionals that was written in partnership with Dyslexia Scotland.
- Dyslexia Action offer specialist dyslexia training, courses and qualifications for professionals.
- Dyslexia Unwrapped is an online hub for dyslexic children and young people that you can look at together with your learner.
English as an additional language
- Education Scotland’s Learning in 2+ Languages provides advice for education practitioners on how best to support bi-lingual learners and help ensure all learners achieve their potential. Designed as an interactive PDF, each of the six main sections can be viewed independently or as part of a whole.
- Scottish Association for Teaching English as an Additional Language is the national body for teaching EAL in Scotland. Their website provides a host of useful links and practical resources.
- Scottish EAL Co-ordinating Council is a network for education professionals coordinating the support for learners with English as an Additional Language (EAL) in schools and early years settings, and for teachers supporting bi-lingual children and young people.
- The Bell Foundation Resources is a collection of tools, guidance, and classroom materials designed to support learners who use English as an Additional Language (EAL). The website provides practical resources for teachers, school leaders, and education professionals to help improve outcomes for EAL learners across all phases of education. Resources include assessment frameworks, strategies for language development, and professional learning materials, all freely available to download.
Enhanced learning support needs
- CALL Scotland provides national expertise in assistive and accessible technology. They offer assessments, software and hardware guidance, communication tools and training. Their page of Previous webinars allows professionals to access recorded sessions on a range of topics, including communication support, assistive apps, and how to use a Talking Mat.
- The Scottish Sensory Centre (SSC) provides specialist training and resources for children who are deaf, visually impaired or have sensory needs. It offers strategies, research and technology guidance to support communication and access to learning.
- CIRCLE, provides a framework that helps staff design inclusive learning environments through a process of reflective practice. It shares practical strategies for empowering pupils, adapting teaching approaches and working collaboratively to deliver support.
- PAMIS provides practical resources and training for professionals supporting children with profound and multiple learning disabilities. Their guidance on communication, multi-sensory storytelling, postural care and digital passports helps staff create accessible and engaging learning experiences.
- Sight Scotland offers advice and activity ideas for children with visual impairment and additional challenges. Their materials support staff to develop sensory stories, adapt environments and use calming, sensory-based activities.
- Enable Works provide services for young people who require additional help as they move from school into adult life. Their programmes and transition resources assist professionals in planning pathways into further learning, employment and community opportunities.
- Milestones to support learners with complex additional support needs from Education Scotland focuses on supporting learners with complex needs at the very early stages of learning to communicate. It offers guidance and tools for tracking small-step progress, planning meaningful experiences and supporting children as they begin to develop their literacy.
- Education Scotland’s Learners with complex additional support needs materials support staff to help families to plan flexible, high-quality learning, adapted to significant learning differences. These resources guide curriculum design, communication approaches and sensory-led teaching for when pupils have a long-term absence.
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)
- FASD Hub Scotland is part of Adoption UK (Scotland). The service provides advice, resources, and training for professionals working with children and young people affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) to build their knowledge of FASD and learn strategies to support success.
- Education Scotland has a dedicated resource for educational professionals in Scotland, offering an overview of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), its impacts, and key questions for school settings. It also provides direct links to e-learning modules and practitioner factsheets tailored to support learners affected by FASD.
Highly able
- Scottish Network for Able Pupils (SNAP) at the University of Glasgow is a specialist service providing information, guidance and resources for professionals supporting highly able learners.
- East Ayrshire Council has a page on Support for highly able children which provides information and guidance for education professionals on identifying and supporting highly able learners.
Requires support to attend school
- The Scottish Government – Included, Engaged and Involved (Part 1) is national guidance that supports schools to promote attendance and respond to absence. It highlights the importance of whole-school approaches, early support, and partnership working.
- Education Scotland’s attendance resources provide practical guidance and tools to help practitioners understand the reasons behind absence and support engagement and attendance in schools. These include resources such as Self-reflection questions for promoting attendance and Putting children and young people’s views at the centre which support schools to reflect on practice and ensure children and young people’s voices are central to their approach.
- YouthLink Scotland’s Improving attendance and engagement toolkit offers a practical, relationship-based approach to attendance. It includes tools to help track engagement and support joint working across schools and other services.
- The Scottish Government’s School attendance: guide for school staff provides a clear overview of national expectations around attendance, helping practitioners understand their roles and the approaches they can take to support children and young people.
Requires support with preparing for life after school
- ARC Scotland’s transitions resources include a Knowledge Hub, e-learning platform, and a one-hour Introduction to Transitions course. Together, these provide links to legislation, guidance, case studies, and practical training for practitioners supporting young people with additional support needs as they move from school into adulthood.
- ARC Scotland’s Compass is a digital toolkit for young people with additional support needs and the adults in their lives. That provides a clear timeline of responsibilities and supports co-ordinated, child-centred planning across services.
More like this
We’ll continue to add further ASN factors to this page. In the meantime, if you’re not sure where to start for supporting a learner, remember you can always contact our helpline. Our advisers can answer your questions about additional support for learning and signpost you to specialist resources and services.