Pay OnlineNEPS advice & resources for keeping children and young people well during Covid-19
The Department of Education and Skills’ NEPS psychologists have developed advice and some resources for young people to manage and stay well when schools are closed.
- Advice to young people while schools are closed
- Plan for the Day
- Blank Plan for the Day
- Relaxation techniques (text)
- Relaxation techniques (podcast)
NEPS psychologists have developed guidance for parents supporting children to create new routines at home. Having a Plan for the Day is key for children/young people to manage and stay well at this time.
NEPS psychologists have developed advice for parents and schools on talking to children and young people about Covid-19 here.
The NCSE is providing online resources for children and young people with Special Educational Needs who are at home as a result of the schools’ closure. The resources are designed to assist parents, teachers and students in special schools, special class placements and mainstream classes. please click on this link to view the resources for parents.
The following materials have been developed by Occupational Therapists and Speech and Language Therapists.
TOP TIPS! for Primary School Age Children
| Class | Description | View/Download |
|---|---|---|
| Supporting Students with Autism | An overview of web resources to support students with Autism during Covid 19. | English |
| Taking Care of Assistive Technology in the Home | This sheet provides helpful tips to parents of students who are using their assistive technology at home to access learning. | English |
| Junior and Senior Infants | A resource covering ideas for Play, Literacy, Attention and Listening | English Irish |
| 1st and 2nd Class | A resource covering ideas for Play, Literacy, Attention and Listening | English Irish |
| 3rd and 4th Class | A resource covering ideas for Play, Literacy, Attention and Listening | English Irish |
| 5th and 6th Class | A resource covering ideas for Play, Literacy, Attention and Listening | English Irish |
Occupational Therapy Resources
| Title | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| Let’s Get Regulated ! – Information for Teenagers | This resource pack aims to share some information and activities to support teenagers to self-regulate during this challenging time. These ideas can help teens to focus on the tasks they need to do and want to do; look after their mind and body; manage their emotions; regulate their energy levels and relax. | View/Download |
| Let’s Get Regulated ! – Information for Parents | This resource pack aims to share some information and ideas for parents on supporting self-regulation. Some of these activities could be integrated into your child’s play at home to support their self- regulation. | View/Download |
| Sensory Processing – Information for Parents | Spending more time indoors due to social distancing measures can be challenging for all children, especially those who find processing sensory information difficult. This information booklet explains the importance of the sensory systems to learning and behaviour. It also provides advice on creating a sensory friendly space at home that can help children stay calm and regulated during these testing times. | View/Download |
| Developing Gross Motor Skills – Activity Ideas for Home | This resource aims to provide parents with activity ideas for integration into children’s play at home to continue to support their gross motor skills development. The recourse contains activities to support core strength, balance, bilateral integration and ball skills. | View/Download |
| Home Motor Skills Programme – Fine and Gross Motor Skills | In this series of advice sheets from the Occupational Therapy Team, we first focus on the gross motor elements that are the foundation for all fine motor tasks that children complete at home and at school. The focus of the programme then changes to educationally relevant fine motor activities such as colouring, handwriting and scissor use. Each area can be followed through week by week. Links to great websites for further information and activity ideas are included in each section. | View/Download |
Speech & Language Therapy Resources
| Title | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| Modelling and Recasting | A resource for parents giving information on strategies to help you support your child’s speech, language and communication skills. This document gives examples of how to model, expand and recast speech, language and/or communication for your child. Modelling and recasting are highly effective, evidence based strategies used by speech and language therapists. These strategies are suitable for young children, older children and those with significant additional needs. This resource can be used to support targets identified by your child’s Speech and Language Therapist. | View/Download |
| Developing Language During Everyday Routines – An Information Guide for Parents | A resource for parents of young children and those with significant additional learning needs. The resource details different ways to promote and support language and communication skill development through everyday tasks such as mealtimes and bedtime. | View/Download |
| Word Learning Strategies & Resources | A resource for parents and post-primary students providing information, strategies and ideas for supporting vocabulary learning. | View/Download |
| Student Vocabulary Journal – post primary students | A workbook for post primary students to support vocabulary learning and revision. The workbook can be printed or used electronically. | View/Download |
| Social Story on attending a Covid-19 test centre – HSE Dublin North City Speech and Language Therapy (DNC) team | A social story created by the DNC SLT team to support children and young people to understand what will happen if you need to attend a test centre to be tested for COVID-19. | View/Download |
| Supporting children and young people with ASD during the Covid-19 pandemic: Visuals to Support Understanding | A resource for parents of children and young people with ASD providing information on how different visuals can support understanding of routines, schedules, specific events (e.g. going to a test centre) and time. | View/Download |
| Stammering – An information leaflet for parents of young children | An information leaflet for parents of young children giving strategies and advice on supporting your child at home. | View/Download |
| Stammering – An information leaflet for parents of older children and young people | An information leaflet for parents of young children giving strategies and advice on supporting your child at home. | View/Download |
| Emotional Literacy – An Information Resources for Parents | A resource for parents to support your child/young person in naming, understanding and discussing his/her emotions. Advice and tips can be tailored for a younger child as well as adolescents. | View/Download |
| Screen Time – Advice for Parents | A resource for parents of young children and primary school age children giving advice on positive screen time. This includes strategies for developing language and communication skills through screen time. Online Parent and Teacher Resources Speech and Language Therapy section Online Resources for Parents | View/Download |
| Supporting children and young people with ASD during the COVID -19 pandemic: Social Stories | A resource for parents of children and young people with ASD detailing how Social Stories™ may help with understanding the pandemic. It also includes advice and tips on how to write a social story. | View/Download |
| Reading Comprehension Strategies & Resources – Post Primary | A resource for parents and post primary students providing information on strategies to support reading comprehension. These include; using textbook features; summarising information and using visual supports. It provides links to free NCSE with worksheets and templates for supporting these strategies. | View/Download |
| Developing Vocabulary Skills – Activity ideas for home | A resource for parents of primary school children to support development of your child’s vocabulary skills. It gives details on how to use opportunities at home to identify, teach and reinforce vocabulary knowledge and use. | View/Download |
| Book Talk – Supporting Interactive Reading | A resource for parents to use when reading with young children. It includes advice and tips to support language and communication development using book reading. | View/Download |
| Helping your Child Express Themselves – An oral and Written Storytelling Resource | A resource for parents to support your child to develop their skills in expressing themselves orally and in writing – advice, strategies and visual resources on structuring, expanding and sequencing stories and explanations. | View/Download |
| Useful websites | View/Download |
Other Useful Websites
Oxford Owl – general learning topics
ABC Ya – learning games/activities
Math Salamanders – maths topic-specific games
Typing Club – online typing practice
Science Bob – science experiments
National Geographic Kids (Ireland) – SESE learning
National Geographic Kids (World) – SESE learning
Safe Kid Games – various online board games
