the PIPER Model:

Personalised Interventions Promoting Emotional Resilience in Children with Social, Emotional and Mental Health Needs

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~ Book Reviews | Endorsements ~

I thoroughly recommend this book!  For a number of reasons it provides a fantastic resource for teachers and related professionals. First it makes sense the somewhat tortuous conceptualisations of the terms ‘mental health’ and ‘behaviour emotional and social difficulties’ so that the reader can understand the origins of the terms and relate them to problems faced by their children in the classroom.  Second it provides an up to date review of government documents on mental health issues and special educational needs.  Third it offers a succinct analysis of some of the more common ‘disorders’ that children with social emotional and mental health needs can experience.  Fourth, and perhaps most important, it provides helpful and detailed guidance to teachers and other professionals on how they can systematically support children who are experiencing problems. This guidance will be particularly useful in in-service training.

A unique feature of the book is the engaging way in which it is written.  From the outset the reader is guided through each of the chapters with helpful suggestions as to which might be the most appropriate to suit their particular concerns.  The materials also include helpful illustrations and ‘Reflections’ all of which help to keep the material alive and relevant. 

Perhaps the strongest endorsement I can make is that I can actually picture teachers reading this book during school during their school break time, unlike many other books which usually spend their lives on the shelves!

Peter Farrell PhD FBPsS
Emeritus Professor in Educational Psychology
Manchester University Institute of Education UK

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As Piper reminds us, approximately 20% of the world’s children experience some type of mental health problem that affects their emotional well-being, social life, health, and learning. Additionally, we know that most of these children do not receive services. The challenges of children’s mental health difficulties are most evident to teachers and parents. Teachers, in particular, are expected to facilitate the learning and development of children, in spite of the challenges children face, due to poverty, trauma, violence in homes and communities, war, and stresses of everyday life. I am continually amazed at the courage and commitment of teachers and very much appreciate any efforts we can make to provide support educators in facilitating children’s development and well-being.

Piper provides hope, but more importantly, solutions for teachers in addressing the needs of children with social, emotional, and mental health difficulties. Using action research, he provides a systematic and practical approach to the development and evaluation of classroom and school interventions. His approach embraces the rights of the child to be heard and understood; depicts the child within the broader ecology of school, home, peer group, and community, all contexts in which the child interacts with others and that ultimately influence well-being; offers an approach that facilitates thoughtful consideration of how to support children in distress; and recognizes the importance of consistent approaches across home and school.

Although this is written with UK policies and practices in mind, I expect what Piper proposes would resonate with educators and school/educational psychologists in other countries. The problems he describes are not unique to any country or school. Psychologists and educators see children struggle with emotion regulation around the world. In turn, the professionals struggle with how to best support children in distress in a way that assures healthy development and learning, and facilitates their inclusion in normal classroom contexts (i.e. prevents exclusion). I expect that the description of the pattern of escalation of distress and related behavior would resonate with teachers and psychologists in most schools. Based on my own experiences working with educators and preparing graduate-level school psychologists, this pattern of escalation is one of the most challenging classroom occurrences, and one that often results in exclusion of children from the classroom and sometimes from schools. I was heartened to read of Piper’s action research efforts that have led to the development of this book and excited about the possibility of sharing this text, once in print, with educators and psychologists in the US (and my local community).

Moreover, the book is written in a manner that is likely to engage readers and provides them with a set of materials that could be applied in schools and classrooms immediately. I expect teachers and psychologists would embrace this book as a necessary resource for not only working with children with social, emotional and mental health difficulties, but also for thinking about how to deal with children’s distress and related behaviors on a daily basis.

Perhaps what is most evident to the reader is Piper’s caring and compassion for children and teachers. It is clear that he has extensive experience in schools and classrooms and understands the challenges that teachers face. I expect this will become a necessary text for schools in the UK and beyond!

Bonnie K. Nastasi PhD
Professor of Psychology, School Psychology Program
Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
President-Elect, International School Psychology Association

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The PIPER Model: Personalised Interventions Promoting Emotional Resilience in Children with Social, Emotional and Mental Health Needs by Dennis Piper is a valuable resource for teachers and other educational professionals who are helping children with social, emotional and mental health challenges achieve wellbeing by supporting their academic learning and social and emotional development.

Like many books, this practical resource contains the essential foundational information about the etiology, manifestation and treatment of a comprehensive array of childhood disorders. What sets this book apart from all the others is the way it supports educational professionals in their acquisition of a practical and powerful approach, emanating from the development of deep empathy, to helping and educating children. I believe that Piper genius is found in his capacity to help educators understand the mental life and psychological processes of the children with whom they are working - creating the opportunity for the development of empathy, understanding and respect and genuinely effective helping.

Helping educators uncouple their own negative emotional reactions triggered by their erroneous assumptions about the capacities and motivations of children is a central aspect of Piper’s model and an essential requirement for helping these children. Only then can educators utilize the store of knowledge and skill that they already have in the service of these children. The most wonderful empirically-supported intervention has no power if it is delivered through clenched teeth by an educator who has lost connection with and faith in their students.

Piper presents a practical technology for placing a deep understanding of the child back in the center of educational planning.

John C. Carey PhD
Professor of School Counseling and
Director of the Ronald H. Fredrickson Center for School
Counseling Outcome Research
University of Massachusetts, Amherst, USA

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I have reviewed this book from a number of different perspectives always asking the question ‘Will it have real practical application for those hard pushed professionals who care deeply about the children and young people they are committed to supporting and improving life outcomes for?’

These perspectives are primarily from my own experience as a teacher, SENCo, Inclusion Resource Provision Manager, Deputy Head, School Inclusion Facilitator and most recently as a Programme Leader at MMU. However, they are also founded on the questions and perspectives expressed by my wife (a secondary pastoral support officer), my daughter (about to enter her first year of teaching) and close friends and family who are all too frequently anxious parents of children whose progress in school is impeded by such issues.

This book, I am most pleased to say, does not fall into the all too popular ‘Tips for Teachers’ or ‘Handy Hints for Heads’ category. This is because it is evidence based! What greater strength to a professional is there than being able to act with the knowledge and understanding that the content and guidance proposed has real credibility!

The book would have been timely at any point in my career but it has a real resonance for modern schools, professionals and most importantly children and young people. The existing and quite intimidating gap between the understanding, confidence and competence of professionals and the expectations their roles now carry are met in the content and guidance this book provides.

The clearly presented and easy-to-follow structure, evidence-based support and reflective-practitioner approach greatly facilitate Dennis’s original applications of his notable experience and research. This will have great application for any reader. The fact that these approaches have been successfully trialled by SENCos adds further to the credibility of its content.

It is and will continue to be a recommended reading for students enrolled on the National Award for Special Educational Needs Coordination at MMU and I will be directing others towards reading and using it.

Mal Ashman
Senior Lecturer Centre for Inclusive Education and Disability Studies Manchester Metropolitan University, UK
Programme Leader National Award for Special Educational Needs Coordination

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In this insightful and practical resource, Dennis Piper offers teachers and professionals the strategies they need to successfully support children with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs. The PIPER Model integrates the best of evidence-based approaches with years of experience to provide a concise, effective and invaluable approach that makes sense and empowers us to help children achieve successful outcomes. This is more than just another intervention; it is a game-changing framework that develops professional knowledge, capacity and confidence, leading to positive outcomes for children.

Dr Richard Skelton
Chartered Child and Educational Psychologist

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Many thanks for giving me the opportunity to read your book ahead of publication. I really enjoyed reading it and I think it would make a great reading and resource for teachers, SENCos, Learning Support Assistants, Teaching Assistants and other related professionals working with children with difficulties and special educational needs!

Dr Olympia Palikara
Senior Lecturer in Educational Psychology
School of Education, University of Roehampton UK

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This book is a fantastic resource for specialised and non-specialised practitioners, education students and school staff interested in working with children with social, emotional and mental health needs. The author introduces an innovative model of intervention that includes an overview of key concepts and practical guidance illustrated by professional experiences. However, this book is not only valuable as a practical tool, but also as a source of motivation and hope for those who believe in a more comprehensive model of education.

Dr David Menendez Alvarez-Hevia
Senior Lecturer in Education Studies
Manchester Metropolitan University UK

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This is a beautifully written book.

It seems to me that it is both most useful for everyone to read and gain a very thorough background in our mental health systems covering the usual range of theories which guide CAMHS and thus generally are accepted in our education system. I liked the emphasis on reducing anxiety. The emphasis on behaviour as communication, a wonderful NLP concept is also a change for many to get them to think differently.  

I think your book will make a wonderful text book and help to shift mindsets with better outcomes for pupils in mainstream or special.

Penny Moon
Author
Chief Executive | A Quiet Place
54 St James Street
Liverpool L1 0AB

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Even though this book is aimed at teachers, as a working GP I found it to be potentially of huge use in my day-to-day work. There is a solid and logical framework laid out which will enable those faced with emotionally distressed children to start to make sense of things and then go on to generate a  real and workable plan. Piper has shown that a key step is to see persistently disruptive behaviour as an attempt to communicate distress. This is an idea, which has use within a medical consultation. There is empathy not just for children but also for staff themselves who are faced with almost impossible situations on a daily basis. This is a fascinating insight for anyone with an interest in child development - not just in a school setting!​

Dr Brian Rhodes GP
GMC number 4184320
NHS Salford CCG

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Well done I am so impressed! You have created something that will change young people's lives for the better. Commendable!

Louisa Rees
SENCo
Barlow Hall Primary
Manchester

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Finally, someone who can see that behaviour is a form of communication!  This is a breath of fresh air from the traditional, and sometimes subconscious, assumption that behaviour is purely reactionary.  It is great that this resource truly puts the child first and ensures that we are reacting to what the child needs, not what we think they need.  Dennis clearly proves that promoting emotional resilience is key to giving the child the best tools to equip them with essential life skills.  Through his extensive experience ‘in the field’, he guides us through the process of getting mental health right, thus giving the greatest gift of having the mindfulness, the clarity, the self-belief, the strength and the ability to bounce back against a societal culture of ever increasing demands and expectations.  

Dennis has the welfare of the child at the heart of his approach.  It isn’t just about meeting goals and objectives.  The encouragement of self-soothing and self-regulating strategies shows how we are equipping the child with tools for life, not just to how to get through the year / term / week /day!

I like how the intervention is rooted in the use of evidence and assessment, as this is often what causes the biggest headache in our ‘Graduated Response’.  It is good that the child is seen in his/her full light, not just as a child in the classroom, but as a product of their community. 

Throughout the book, Dennis weaves in aspects of SEND that changes your own mindset.  For example, it has made me question how we view ‘bad’ or ‘inappropriate’ behaviour and how maybe we should shift our perspective and understand it as ‘different’ due to cultural differences or biologically based conditions.  This shift helps us become more inclusive in our attitude and our own resilience towards others. 

I’ve been looking for a way to help teachers to see that anxiety driven behaviours are often mis–interpreted as the child being ‘naughty’ or rebelling.  The use of this practical resource could be a good way of encouraging CPD for colleagues to understand this better.  One of the most beneficial CPD that this resource gives is that it illustrates how teachers themselves need to have a better work / life balance and to be more emotionally resilient in order to tap into their students better. The illustrations give a quick snapshot into the effect we have on our children.  Regardless of the hours spent on planning differentiated lessons, creating interactive resources and evaluating assessment data, Dennis shows us that in actual fact, we need to reflect upon our own emotional clarity and wellbeing to make sure that we are strong and real role models. 

Dennis also uses his expert knowledge in the field of SEND to provide clearly accessible information on ASD and ADHD.   This has encouraged me to reflect and make changes to the CPD in my own school to ensure that these children were not unknowingly discriminated against. 

Finally, something that I can use for selective mutism!  Thank you! It’s interesting and illuminating to read about SM and how the role that anxiety has in this.  We often get so obsessed / frustrated with ensuring the child has a means of communication, that we sometimes lose sight of what is causing this.  We put them in social groups and nurture groups, even when we don’t know the cause of it.  Some are unable to tell us what they need to help them, but if anxiety is the cause, we can do our best to involve everybody to help them.  I like the checklist for SM and will be using this in school. 

The information on anxiety highlights why it is critical that we work together to ensure that we are equipping our children with tools that they can use independently to be more resilient and emotional secure.  Dennis highlights this in a clear and urgent way, highlighting the dangers that anxiety fuelled behaviours can have and restrict in adult life.  He empowers us with a sense of that fact that we can actually change this.  Through Dennis’s experience as a teacher, and through collaborating with others, his book treats the reader with compassion and respect and understands that above all, the greatest CPD we can undertake is awareness to develop our ‘emotional attunement’ towards others. 

Dennis’s focus on empathy in its true form is refreshing.  It has encouraged me to be more empathetic and has highlighted what is means to be inclusive to staff and children alike, to become a more effective leader. 

The discussion of the impact of the new SEND CoP encourages optimism and embraces the change of the SEMH strand in the new SEND CoP.  This positivity makes a change from the negativity that is often associated with the many changes that are thrust upon us. 

The adaptation of Schopler’s Iceberg Model is well used to show the effect of anxiety and the impact the child’s whole community has on their emotional presentation. 

Dennis’s experience as a teacher, means that his writing is filled with honesty, understanding and good humour.  He understands that teachers at their wits’ end will  sometimes see anxiety fuelled behaviour as ‘weird’ or ‘in your face’, and that sometimes we don’t have the time to think about planning in different structures into our lessons.  This makes us trust him more. 

Dennis’s explanation of the importance of teachers’ self-reflection and self-awareness is frighteningly frank and is of upmost importance.  We need to look after ourselves before we even have a chance of helping our children.  Dennis’s clear and good humoured way of writing taps into us and hooks us in and makes us feel less guilty about how we react to challenging behaviour. 

The use of research and statistics, isn’t just thrown in mindlessly, but is used to prove and reassure us that we are going in the right direction with our focus on anxiety, mindfulness and therefore, the use of the RAMP.  This, mixed with Dennis’s good humour and down to earth understanding, is the kind of reassurance that we need to balance out the current (and political) focus on statistics, floor levels and targets!

The case studies and working examples are great ‘WAGOLLs’ ('What A Good One Looks Like!') and help us to understand what is expected and how it should look like in action. 

One of the things that make the book a great resource is having a full appendix of photocopiable materials that saves so much time! 

Janet Vo
SENCo

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Your book is absolutely fantastic! Having worked with SEMH pupils since 2002, with the opportunities of attending lots of courses on behaviour management, SEN and so on, none of the strategies and ideas suggested by experts in the field has been complied into a book such as yours.

Your book portrays my thoughts (as a teacher), and experiences with SEMH pupils on a daily basis. I (am sure) other staff working with SEMH pupils will agree with me that you have summarised our daily encounter with pupils into your book, providing solution to some of the issues that we face on a daily basis. I have never read a book that is so detailed in the field, i.e., one that provide solutions for all practitioners working with young people with SEMH.

The photocopiable resources are ‘ace’. Every class teacher of pupils with SEMH and SENCOs should use the book to help their young pupils.

It is obvious that you are writing from experience, this makes it more real, because I for one can recognise something that links to my encounter with pupils in every scenario from your book. And the beauty of it is that, there is a suggestion of how to help the young person each time.

To sum it up, this is a world class book, written by someone with decades of experience of working successfully with SEMH pupils. Pardon me for saying this Dennis, ‘I think you have lived through this book – this makes it unique in that it reflects both your personal and professional experiences, and the exciting thing is that it provides solutions. This gives me hope, knowing fully well that someone else has dealt with the same situation and arrived at the right outcome for each child.

Well done Dennis, fantastic book, very good reading and working document. I tell you, it is not a book that will sit on a shelf after it has been purchased – it is a working document that will be put to good use to the benefit of young people.

I will definitely buy a personal copy for myself and encourage other teachers and schools to purchase a copy.

Adenike Olubunmi Mulder
(trainee SENCO)

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WOW the book is totally amazing, much kudos; I can really see this being treated as "The bible of SEMH affected children" and rightly so as there is currently nothing like it available, well not that I managed to find when doing my case study! 

As I read it and re-read other parts I found myself thinking of pupils who could have benefited from this approach in the past and how many can benefit in the coming term.

It literally couldn't have come at a more appropriate time with the shift in policies and more money being promised to mental health.

The book is totally accessible, really very clear and concise with the perfect amount of information and evidence, it flows brilliantly and is seamless from start to finish, the order is clear and set out from the start and follows exactly as you stated it would. The case studies you included go a long way to back up the fact you have been there done that and can now sell the T-shirts and this is communicated throughout the whole book.

The diagrams and illustrations really help to break down some very complex situations and models and make them easily accessible to the reader.

The inclusion of web pages and resources will be priceless and give people a place to go to get them started or to learn more by themselves; the literature underpins the theory and model is promoted also its clear to see how one informs the other.

Electronic resources could be a good idea, as I really believe people will use them and they would be more accessible this way.

My Favourite Parts:

§  The inclusion of selective mutism; so many teachers including myself have encountered these children and struggled to understand what is going on? (Some people have left things the way they were and this book will not allow them to do that anymore).

§  Clear definitions of BESD and Disruptive children which shows how they don't always come as a pair.

§  The books draws attention to the need for the teacher/adult to be emotionally intelligent and reflective. 

§  The quotes throughout the text are thought provoking and questions which are raised are then answered.

§  Scary (but not well reported in the media) statistics about mental health issues in young people.

§  The statistics which show boys affected are a higher percentage for me raised the question is this why girls are generally out performing boys in education?

§  The inclusion of looked after children (LAC) as I feel sometimes they are forgotten because they are LAC and there can often be a stigma attached.

§  The 4 field map is awesome, so clear and easy to use.

§  The examples of the RAMP in action make a big difference and show how exactly it could work and self-check that they are doing the correct things.

§  The actual paper work which would be used is neither exhaustive or unnecessary which is tough to achieve in teaching ( it’s clear you had this in mind when designing and shows again you have been there and done it from a SENCo point of view.

An amazing approach designed by an experienced practitioner who has clearly done the job of SENCO.

I would like to pre order if possible and will certainly be recommending to any colleagues and peers, maybe even certain parents and social workers.

Paul Mason
Key Stage 2 Teacher and SENCO 

PS. I wasn't totally sure what to write although I wanted to put:

MOST KIDS ARE NOT NAUGHTY. THIS BOOK WILL SHOW YOU HOW TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THOSE THAT NEED HELP AND THOSE THAT NEED DISCIPLINE.

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We have been using the PIPER model/process for a year now at Parrs Wood. Pupils who have a Risk and Resilience Plan have since experienced a greater understanding from staff throughout school and a reduced exclusion rate as a response to their crises. It has helped to reduce the fear response from staff as they know what to do with a child in crisis and react smoothly and supportively. This has effectively reduced the number of incidents for some students. Class teachers have a higher success rate in responding to students with a plan and students are more able to recognise when they are emotionally struggling and how to cope. Within a year the attitude of school has turned from expecting students to conform to general rules of behaviour to understanding that we need to respond to the emotional need of the child. It has made a huge impact on the school and will continue to do so.

THANK YOU!

Ruth Sheldrake
SENCo
Parrs Wood High School Manchester

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Congratulations on the book! I have finished reading it. You intended it as a handbook and that’s exactly as it comes across. It’s really easy to read, helpful diagrams and examples to relate to. I like how the practitioner can flick between the chapters to see how the practicalities are backed up by the research. I will definitely be recommending it to colleagues and I feel honoured to have been part of your research, so thank you.

Let me know when I can get mine on Amazon, I’ll then get it signed!!

Sara Baird
SENCo
Ellenbrook Primary School

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the PIPER Model:

Personalised Interventions Promoting Emotional Resilience in Children with Social, Emotional and Mental Health Needs