Dr Sinead Rhodes, Senior Research Fellow in Child Life and Health and the Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, has collaborated with colleagues from across the disciplinary spectrum to create a unique programme of practical support for neurodivergent children and young people backed by the latest research.

Child and adolescent mental health care in the UK is in crisis, with demand skyrocketing since the Covid-19 pandemic and overwhelming NHS provision. The waiting time for assessments for neurodivergent conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can be up to five years, but think tank Centre for Young Lives has found that failure to provide children with effective support can lead to poor long-term outcomes, including an increased prevalence of mental ill health and a greater risk of school exclusion. It is therefore essential that parents and teachers of children with additional support needs – whether diagnosed or not – have ready access to trusted, high quality support that is backed by research. 

Having conducted research with neurodivergent children on waiting lists for over 25 years, I have witnessed the waiting times get longer and longer, and parents and teachers feeling unsupported. I see the need for parents and teachers to learn about up-to-date research on neurodivergence and to receive that information in a way that they can implement straight away.

Now, a collaboration between researchers in the University of Edinburgh’s Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences and in Moray House School of Education and Sport has resulted in the first ever suite of research-based, child-centred resources for parents and teachers of neurodiverse children and young people, with or without a diagnosis. 

Collaborating for change 

Developmental psychologist and Senior Research Fellow in Child Life and Health and the Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences Dr Sinead Rhodes is committed to understanding and supporting cognition in children and young people with neurodevelopmental conditions. In 2018 she embarked upon a research collaboration with fellow CCBS and Moray House researchers to co-develop resources that could help overwhelmed parents, teachers and clinicians to support the neurodivergent children and young people in their care.

To ensure the resources would meet carers’ and teachers’ needs, Dr Rhodes assembled a team of collaborators with diverse expertise and experience to tackle the problem from neurodevelopmental, educational, and healthcare angles. EPIC (Edinburgh Psychoeducation Intervention for Children and Young People) takes an individualised ‘toolkit’ approach that facilitates optimal learning, behaviour, and wellbeing in children and young people. Its principles apply to all children but are particularly relevant to children and young people with ADHD, ASD, DCD/dyspraxia and those born prematurely. EPIC’s ‘Understanding’ booklets can be used by parents and teachers to identify a child’s strengths and difficulties and help with understanding them, while the ‘Strategy’ booklets can be used to implement strategies that optimise thinking skills, learning and wellbeing. 

A multidisciplinary foundation of diverse, complementary skills and expertise was vital for the successful development of the concept, approach, and materials of EPIC. Founding team members Dr Josie Booth and Dr Tracy Stewart are both psychologists based in Moray House, and their extensive experience of working with children and young people in schools, developing programmes and undertaking research in partnership with teachers was all instrumental in the development and evaluation of EPIC.   

Research-backed resources 

With public engagement specialist and neuroscientist Dr Iona Beange on board, in 2024 EPIC Think Learn spun out into a Community Interest Company and launched with an online membership platform of written, video and audio materials, including webinars that explain how best to use its resources and films that demonstrate how EPIC uses games to help children practice executive function skills. There are also regular online Q&A sessions where parents can ask more specific questions about their children. Initially catering to parents and carers, services for teachers, including in-service training options, and resources for clinicians are now available.

Learn more about EPIC Think Learn