Our educational psychology team consists of highly qualified psychologists registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
All our psychologists have expertise in and can offer consultation, advice and support with needs related to, amongst others:
- child development
- neurodevelopmental differences
- learning needs, differences and difficulties
- emotional health and wellbeing, including emotionally-based school non-attendance
- the educational needs of children with complex medical, physical and health needs
We also work systemically with schools and professionals through training and consultation with school staff and other professionals. We currently deliver:
- the Neuroinclusive Education Network (previously Autism Education Trust) autism training for schools
- bespoke training on a range of other topics relevant to child development such as attachment and trauma
- training and supervision of Emotional Literacy Support Assistants in schools
- Early Bird courses for parents of autistic children or those awaiting a neurodevelopmental assessments (See: Hounslow EarlyBird Plus Team)
Four senior specialist educational psychologists also offer strategic guidance in four key areas:
- communication and interaction
- cognition and learning
- social, emotional and mental health
- physical and sensory needs
We also have close links to doctoral training programmes for educational psychologists and provide placements for trainee educational psychologists.
Trainee educational psychologists are already highly qualified and experienced professionals who are completing their doctoral training before they formally qualify as an educational psychologist.
They are supervised by a qualified psychologist and contribute knowledge of cutting-edge research and practices to the service and their work with schools and in the community.
How to get support
The educational psychology service is a specialist advice and support service. We accept referrals from schools, with parental consent.
Referrals need to be agreed between the school Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinator (SENDCO) and their link educational psychologist prior to being sent.
If you are a parent and believe that you child may benefit from educational psychology advice, you should first discuss this with your child’s school. They will typically put additional support in place and review its impact before referring to specialist services. The service does not accept referrals directly from parents.
How we work with children and young people
As a first step after referral, the educational psychologist typically arranges a meeting with the child’s parents and key members of staff who know the child or young person well.
During this meeting, the psychologist will explore the child’s developmental profile, areas of strength, need and/or difference. Based on this, the psychologist will decide on the best course of action, given the child’s needs. This could include:
- observing the child or young person at school
- reviewing the child’s books or other examples of learning
- working directly with the child to gather their views and obtain a clearer picture of their strengths and needs. Psychologists use a range of assessment tools, including standardised assessments, dynamic assessments and functional assessments. The psychologist will use their professional judgement and experience to decide which method of assessment is most appropriate when working with your child.
- liaising with other professionals who are also working with the child, such as Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists or mental health services professionals, amongst others
Resources
- A quick guide to autism (PDF)
- Reasonable adjustments for autism (PDF): Our pledges to make adjustments that make our visits and assessments more accessible for neurodivergent populations.
- Post-diagnostic guides. Developed by psychologist Dr Emilia Misheva, these guides will help you find out more about autism and explore the individual profile of strengths and needs of your young person. They come in two versions - one for autistic young people and another one for parents, carers and professionals.
- What to do if you think your child might be autistic
Contact
- email: edpsychs@hounslow.gov.uk
Please note that the Educational Psychology Service does not offer emergency support.
