Embedding Dimensions into Partnership for Inclusion in Neurodiversity in Schools

PINS is a project that brings schools and parent carers together to create welcoming and supportive environments for neurodivergent children.  It helps ensure parent carers have a voice and builds strong connections between families and schools.

A number of primary schools across Coventry and Warwickshire signed up to be part of the programme.  School staff have been receiving a selection of interventions identified as part of the PINS Menu of Support Offer.  Parent engagement and listening events have been facilitated by Warwickshire and Coventry Parent Carer Forums.

Key aims:

• To embed the Dimensions of Health and Wellbeing within primary schools.
• To enable both staff and parents to produce a neurodiversity affirming profile to identify a child/young person’s strengths and where support would be of benefit.
• To use the Dimensions tool to navigate local and national resources and services for support.
• To use the Dimensions tool to support a whole school approach, creating a welcoming and supportive environment for neurodivergent children.

Dimensions Process

Dimensions Awareness and Coaching

When planning the engagement, we identified that the schools who were part of PINS had different levels of understanding of the utility of the Dimensions tool. 

We offered the sessions both online and in person, which were delivered by the Dimensions team and a parent carer of neurodivergent children.  The session was designed to share our personal experience of neurodivergence and how the Dimensions tool has helped our families. 

The focus was to explain the key outcomes of the Coventry and Warwickshire All-Age Autism Strategy and how the Dimensions of Health and Wellbeing Supports parent carers and professionals in understanding the strength and support needs of children and young people and navigating local and national resources.

As part of the engagement session, we demonstrated how the profile could be used to facilitate the conversations between parents, carers, and education staff to help understand a child/young person’s strengths and support needs both at school and home. 

We discussed the importance of using language which reflects the current preferences of our neurodivergent community, such as the term ‘difference with’ in place of ‘problems with’.

Feedback has been very positive and has included both staff and parents, carers wanting to use the tool both at school and at home with their families.  Some staff attendees are eager to train the whole staff group to produce profiles to identify the strengths and support needs of children in their class.

“I thought it was great way to find out how parents are feeling, and I have come away thinking of other ways we can support the children and their parents.”  (SENCO)

To see a list of the new Dimensions please click on one of the links below.

Children and Young People's Dimensions List

Adult Dimensions List