FND and young people (13+)

For parents and carers

• Believe the symptoms; avoid debates about whether they are “real”
• Ask school for a written plan: rest space, exam access arrangements, phased return, reduced timetable if needed
• Keep one shared note of patterns for clinic (sleep, stress, flares, recovery)
• Protect your own support network — carers matter too
• Coordinate messages so home and school are not giving opposite advice

For young people

You are not alone, and you did not cause this by being weak. Peer-led spaces exist so you can ask real questions without a lecture.

• Teen Space: fndconnect.org.uk/teens/
• Ask Mia (Q&A handbook): fndconnect.org.uk/teens/ask-mia/
• Write down what school needs to know in your own words

School / college — what to ask for

Safety

Emergency: 999. Urgent advice: NHS 111. Childline 0800 1111. Local CAMHS crisis routes where available. Teen Space is peer information, not a crisis service.

Keep the young person involved

Ask what matters to them: friendships, lessons, hobbies or feeling less watched. Let them help decide what staff and friends are told. Adults can support planning without turning every conversation into a symptom check. Agree a trusted person they can approach if they feel worried or misunderstood.

Coordinate home, school and healthcare

Ask the treating team for advice that school can use, including how to respond to episodes. Choose a named school contact and agree how missed learning will be supported. Make changes with the young person and review how they work; a shorter timetable is not automatically the right answer for everyone.

Protect connection as well as learning

Plan a manageable way to stay in touch with friends and valued activities. Ask staff to address bullying or disbelief. Exams, transitions and returning after absence may need advance planning. If feeling unsafe or unable to cope, tell a trusted adult or seek urgent help; online peer support cannot provide emergency care.