🔬Spotting the Spark, Stage 1: Anxiety / Trigger 📝

Recognising and Responding to Stage 1 of Crisis: Early Signs of Anxiety in Children and Young People

👋 Welcome to SEMH Education!

This week marks the start of a six-part series exploring the stages of crisis in children and young people, particularly those with SEMH needs, neurodiverse profiles, or trauma backgrounds. We're beginning with Stage 1: Anxiety / Trigger, arguably the most powerful point for intervention, but also the most easily overlooked.

Why? Because this stage often doesn’t look like crisis. It looks like a child being “off”, withdrawn, or just having a bad day. But underneath that surface is a nervous system on alert, and a golden opportunity to respond early.

Let me know you’re here! Clicking the ♥️ button or pressing the ‘L’ key on your keyboard shows me you’re here and enjoying my content 😊.

📝 Inside the Full Analysis:

In the full post, I break down:

• 🔍 What stage 1 actually looks like

• 🤝 How we can support children in Stage 1

• 🧑‍🏫 Tips and tricks I’ve found that really work

• 🔬 Insight from Educational Psychologist Research

• ✍️ Bonus Bits - Scripts, CPD & More!

---

📰 SEMH Education Paid Subscriptions Are Now Live
💸 Just £26 for the full year until 1st July (then £40/year)

✨ Paid subscribers get:
🔹 2 exclusive posts/month
🔹 Deep-dive SEMH case studies
🔹 Toolkits, templates & staff briefing notes
🔹 Priority access to new resources
🔹 Access to subscriber-only Chat
🔹 Discounts on future CPD & content

If my free posts have helped you, this is your chance to go further, save time, and be part of a small, engaged network of professionals driving change.

🎯 Lock in £26/year before 1st July

---

🔍 What it Looks Like

Children in this stage are not in crisis, yet. Distress is brewing just under the surface. If you’ve not realised, one comment or action could result in them entering crisis.

You might notice: