This page is about new projects that are being rolled out to support neurodivergent children, whether they have a diagnosis or not.
This is Me
‘This is Me’ is a new tool being rolled out in schools that looks at a child’s strengths and needs, focussing on neurodivergence. It will help everyone to understand a child’s differences and meet their needs at home and at school.
A neurodivergent child’s brain processes information in a different way to others. They may have sensory differences, difficulty sleeping or adapting to a change in routine. They could find it hard to sit still, make friends or say how they feel. All of these things can make school very challenging.
Working with schools, families and children, a trained professional will complete a ‘This is Me needs summary’ after observing the child and talking to them. This will not result in a diagnosis but will help the child to get the support they need.
The professional could be a teacher, special educational needs coordinator (SENCO), family liaison officer or another professional who works closely with your school and has been appropriately trained.
The ’This is Me needs summary’ looks at nine different areas. They are: speech and language; energy levels; attention and impulse control; emotional regulation ability; motor skills; sensory skills; adaptability and flexibility; empathising and systemising; and cognitive abilities.
You can access resources, strategies, and advice for each of the nine areas on the 'This is Me' resource hub. These are designed to be used with a 'This is Me needs summary' but you may find them useful even if you are not completing 'This is Me'.
A personalised support plan will then be created which can be used in a school or home environment.
If a child is waiting for an assessment for autism or ADHD, they will not lose their place on the waiting list by taking part in ‘This is Me’.
When ‘This is Me’ has been introduced in a school, it will be the only method of referral for an autism or ADHD assessment. This means a child will get access to support from a new community team long before they have an assessment, which may not be needed once the support is in place.
Many children will not need a diagnosis as ‘This is Me’ provides personalised support based on a child’s needs.
‘This is Me’ will help you and your child’s teachers to have a better understanding of your child’s needs and strengths.
This will help everyone to understand your child’s differences and meet their needs at home and at school. That could involve making adaptations, such as introducing additional breaks, changing the environment or doing more outdoor learning.
Colleagues from health and education are working together to implement ‘This is Me' in all mainstream schools in Maidstone during this academic year. Findings from the rigorous evaluation process will be used to further develop the service. We then plan to introduce ‘This is Me’ in other areas in Kent and Medway from Autumn 2025.
Yes, this approach has been used successfully in Portsmouth for more than 18 months, with positive feedback from both families and schools. We tested the service in five schools in Tunbridge Wells, where families and schools also had a very positive response.
No. If your child is waiting for an assessment for autism or ADHD, they will not lose their place on the waiting list by taking part in ‘This is Me’.
When ‘This is Me’ has been introduced in a school, it will be the only method of referral. This means your child will get access to support from a new community team long before they have an assessment, which may not be needed once the support is in place.
Many children will not need a diagnosis at all as ‘This is Me’ provides personalised support based on a child’s needs.
Over the last few years, demand for autism and ADHD assessments in England has risen at such speed that services are unable to keep up.
In Kent and Medway, some children are waiting many years for an assessment and not getting the support they need. We are changing the process so that we offer support first, rather than children spending many years on a waiting list without help.
Many children may not need to join a waiting list for a diagnosis as they will already have the support they need.
No. Many children do not need medication but if your child does need it, ‘This is Me’ will not stop that happening.
‘This is Me’ will help parents and schools to manage the needs of children who may have ADHD, which may mean medication is not needed.
NHS Kent and Medway is working with Kent County Council and NHS providers to transform the neurodevelopmental support pathway for children and young people.
Members of school staff are being trained to provide the ‘This is Me needs summary’ in children’s own schools.
Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS)
PINS is a project that helps schools to improve the experience of children who are neurodivergent so that they feel welcomed, supported and able to take part in all aspects of school life.
PINS is a national initiative led by the Department for Education and NHS England.
In Kent, 20 primary schools in Maidstone are taking part in the project and a further 20 are taking part in Medway.
PINS will help parents to build strong relationships and improve communication with their child’s school so that they can have more confidence in how the school is supporting their child’s needs.
Parents’ views and experiences are a vital part of this project. Kent PACT (Parents and Carers Together – the local parent/carer forum) will hold forums like coffee mornings and other events for parents so that they can share their feedback, knowledge and ideas with other parents and their child’s school.
By working together, parents/carers and schools can support each other to give children the best experiences of school.
PINS will help your child by improving their school environment and helping schools adapt the way they do things to meet your child’s needs (which could include mental health, speech and language and physical and sensory) to help them learn and take part in all aspects of school life.
PINS will help all pupils in school – children don’t need a formal diagnosis to benefit from this project.
The schools that are taking part in the PINS project will have access to education and health specialists and the local parent carer forums, to help all school staff better understand the needs of neurodivergent children and create a school environment where all children can thrive. Parents and schools will have stronger relationships and better communication with each other.
PINS is a national project led by the Department for Education and NHS England which started in early 2024. Around 600 primary schools across England are taking part.
All children in the schools taking part in the PINS project will benefit from a better school environment and from more knowledgeable staff who can adapt their teaching styles to the differing needs of children.