98 entries shown
Phoenix domain
Emotional experience & regulation
Explore how feelings are experienced and expressed, how a young person sees themselves, and what happens during and after distress. These entries look at emotional patterns in the context of everyday life.
Difficulty regulating emotions
Everyone sometimes experiences emotions that feel difficult to manage. For some young people, however, emotions can become intense very quickly, last for a long time, become difficult to communicate, or require significant support and time to recover from.
Open entry E008Owner-recreatedDifficulties identifying emotions
Some young people find it difficult to recognise, distinguish or describe their emotional states.
Open entry E018Canonical draftShutdown and freezing under stress
Not every stress response is loud or active.
Open entry E023Canonical draftLow self-esteem and negative self-beliefs
Self-esteem is not repaired by praise alone.
Open entry E034Canonical draftLow mood and loss of interest
Everyone experiences sadness, disappointment and periods of reduced motivation. Concern grows when low mood or loss of interest is persistent, represents a change, affects daily life or is accompanied by hopelessness, self-neglect, self-harm or thoughts of suicide.
Open entry E036Canonical draftSelf-harm
Self-harm means intentional self-poisoning or injury, irrespective of the apparent purpose. People may self-harm for different, changing or unclear reasons. Self-harm is not the same as suicidal intent, but the two can overlap and both require direct, compassionate assessment.
Open entry E037Evidence reviewedEpisodes of acute overwhelm
Episodes of acute overwhelm occur when the demands being placed on a young person exceed their available capacity to manage them at that moment.
Open entry E038Evidence reviewedDifficulty recovering after intense distress
The end of visible distress does not necessarily mean that recovery is complete.
Open entry E039Evidence reviewedIntense anger and frustration
Anger is a normal human emotion. It can communicate frustration, injustice, blocked goals, fear, hurt, confusion, loss of control or the sense that something important is not being understood.
Open entry E101Evidence reviewedDistress about body and appearance
The concern may focus on shape, size, weight, height, skin, hair, teeth, facial features, scars, visible difference, puberty-related change, disability, or how the body moves or works.
Open entry E102Evidence reviewedDistress about discarding or parting with possessions
Some young people experience intense distress when an object is thrown away, replaced, donated, moved or no longer belongs to them. The object may hold a memory, feel emotionally significant, seem potentially useful, represent security or feel difficult to abandon.
Open entryRelated presentations in other areas
You can start in more than one place. Related entries help you follow the questions that matter in the young person’s situation.
- Anxiety
- Sensory overload
- Impulsivity
- Perfectionism and fear of failure
- Difficulty communicating needs
- Behaviour that creates safety concerns
- Masking and post-demand exhaustion
- Intrusive thoughts and compulsive behaviour
- Withdrawal from interaction and participation
- Repetitive thinking about worries or past events
- Strong responses to criticism or signs of rejection
- Difficulty shifting between ideas, tasks or strategies
- Difficulty recognising internal body signals
- Difficulty communicating when under pressure
- Strong responses to sound
- Strong responses to touch, clothing or grooming
- Strong responses to light or visual environments
- Repetitive movements, sounds or actions
- Highly focused or absorbing interests
- Distress when separating from familiar people
- Repetitive checking or rituals used to reduce distress
- Unwanted repetitive thoughts or mental images
- Strong responses to reminders of frightening experiences
- Episodes of sudden intense fear with strong physical sensations
- Difficulty resolving disagreements and repairing relationships
- Difficulty recognising when support is needed
- Hearing or sensing things that other people do not
Phoenix domain
Communication & interaction
Explore how a young person makes sense of what others communicate and shares their own thoughts, needs and ideas. These entries cover spoken and unspoken communication, from understanding language to taking part in conversations.
Social-communication differences
Communication is a shared process.
Open entry E012Owner-recreatedDifficulty communicating needs
Communication is broader than speech.
Open entry E014Canonical draftDifficulty understanding spoken instructions
Spoken instructions disappear as soon as they are given.
Open entry E028Canonical draftDifferences in speech clarity
Speech clarity concerns how spoken sounds are produced and organised. It is not the same as knowing words, understanding language, having ideas or wanting to communicate.
Open entry E029Canonical draftStammering and speech fluency differences
Stammering, also called stuttering, is a difference in the flow and timing of speech. It may include repetitions, prolongations or blocks in which a word does not emerge. Tension, extra movements, word changes or avoidance can develop around speaking.
Open entry E030Canonical draftSpeaking in some situations but not others
Speech can be physically available and still become inaccessible in a particular social context. A young person may talk freely at home, whisper to one trusted person or speak when no one is watching, yet be unable to produce words in class or with unfamiliar adults.
Open entry E060Evidence reviewedDifficulty asking for help or signalling difficulty
Adults often say:
Open entry E061Evidence reviewedDifficulty finding words when speaking
Knowing a word and being able to retrieve it quickly are not quite the same thing.
Open entry E065Evidence reviewedDifficulty organising and retelling events or ideas
Communicating an event, explaining an idea or telling a story requires more than knowing the relevant information.
Open entry E066Evidence reviewedDifficulty keeping track of group conversations
Group conversation creates demands that are easy to underestimate.
Open entry E067Evidence reviewedDifficulty understanding indirect or non-literal language
People frequently communicate more than the literal meaning of their words.
Open entry E068Evidence reviewedDifficulty communicating when under pressure
Communication capacity is not always stable across situations.
Open entry E106Open Beta · source-checked draftChallenges understanding other people's perspectives
Understanding another person's perspective requires us to work with information we cannot directly observe. People differ considerably in how easily they infer what somebody else knows, intends or understands.
Open entryRelated presentations in other areas
You can start in more than one place. Related entries help you follow the questions that matter in the young person’s situation.
- Difficulty regulating emotions
- Demand avoidance
- Sensory overload
- Executive-function difficulties
- Difficulties identifying emotions
- Difficulty sustaining attention
- Literacy difficulties
- Peer-relationship difficulties
- Behaviour that creates safety concerns
- Shutdown and freezing under stress
- Eating and food selectivity
- Toileting and continence difficulties
- Masking and post-demand exhaustion
- Maths and numeracy difficulties
- Difficulty producing written work
- Difficulty learning and retaining new information
- Difficulty accessing visual information
- Difficulty accessing sound and spoken information
- Self-harm
- Episodes of acute overwhelm
- Intense anger and frustration
- Difficulty managing uncertainty
- Frequent reassurance seeking
- Difficulty starting tasks
- Difficulty holding information in mind
- Needing longer to process information and respond
- Difficulty recognising internal body signals
- Difficulty navigating unstructured situations
- Difficulty decoding unfamiliar written words
- Difficulty understanding what has been read
- Persistent spelling difficulties
- Difficulty organising ideas in extended writing
- Difficulty identifying relevant information among competing input
- Reduced awareness of external sensory information
- Strong responses to sound
- Repetitive movements, sounds or actions
- Distress when being observed or evaluated
- Unwanted repetitive thoughts or mental images
- Episodes of sudden intense fear with strong physical sensations
- Difficulty trusting or relying on adults
- Difficulty saying no or expressing discomfort
- Difficulty recognising and maintaining personal boundaries
- Vulnerability when others use pressure, persuasion or manipulation
- Difficulty recognising when a situation or relationship is becoming unsafe or coercive
- Difficulty joining shared activities or groups
- Difficulty resolving disagreements and repairing relationships
- Hearing or sensing things that other people do not
Phoenix domain
Thinking, attention & executive function
Explore the thinking involved in directing attention and getting things done. These entries look at remembering information, starting and organising tasks, keeping track of steps, and finding a different approach when plans change.
Difficulty with transitions
Transitions happen constantly.
Open entry E006Owner-recreatedExecutive-function difficulties
Executive functions are the mental processes that help us turn intentions into action.
Open entry E010Owner-recreatedImpulsivity
Impulsivity describes acting quickly with limited opportunity to pause, evaluate consequences or select between possible responses.
Open entry E013Canonical draftDifficulty sustaining attention
Attention is not a simple on/off ability.
Open entry E046Evidence reviewedDifficulty starting tasks
Starting a task is a significant cognitive and emotional act.
Open entry E047Evidence reviewedDifficulty completing tasks
Beginning a task and completing it are different demands.
Open entry E048Evidence reviewedDifficulty holding information in mind
Many everyday tasks require us to keep information temporarily available while doing something with it.
Open entry E049Evidence reviewedNeeding longer to process information and respond
People differ in the amount of time they need to process information.
Open entry E050Evidence reviewedDifficulty planning and organising
Planning involves looking ahead from a goal and working out what needs to happen.
Open entry E051Evidence reviewedDifficulty estimating and managing time
Clock time may be precise, but our experience of time is not.
Open entry E052Evidence reviewedDifficulty shifting between ideas, tasks or strategies
Flexible functioning requires us to change course.
Open entry E059Evidence reviewedDifficulty making choices and decisions
Choice is often presented as inherently empowering.
Open entry E077Evidence reviewedDifficulty identifying relevant information among competing input
Attention is not simply about whether a young person is paying attention.
Open entry E084Evidence reviewedHighly focused or absorbing interests
Interests are an important part of identity, learning and enjoyment.
Open entry E100Evidence reviewedDifficulty recognising when support is needed
Before somebody can ask for help, they usually need to recognise:
Open entryRelated presentations in other areas
You can start in more than one place. Related entries help you follow the questions that matter in the young person’s situation.
- Demand avoidance
- Perfectionism and fear of failure
- Difficulty understanding spoken instructions
- Literacy difficulties
- Sensory seeking
- Sleep and fatigue
- Maths and numeracy difficulties
- Difficulty producing written work
- Difficulty learning and retaining new information
- Motor coordination and movement difficulties
- Intrusive thoughts and compulsive behaviour
- Difficulty recovering after intense distress
- Repetitive thinking about worries or past events
- Difficulty managing uncertainty
- Handwriting, recording and written-output difficulties
- Difficulty carrying out personal care and everyday living routines
- Difficulty navigating unstructured situations
- Difficulty finding words when speaking
- Difficulty organising and retelling events or ideas
- Difficulty keeping track of group conversations
- Difficulty reading accurately and fluently
- Difficulty understanding what has been read
- Difficulty organising ideas in extended writing
- Difficulty retrieving previously learned information
- Difficulty learning and carrying out familiar sequences of actions
- Difficulty applying learning in a different situation
- Reduced awareness of external sensory information
- Strong responses to light or visual environments
- High levels of movement and physical activity
- Heightened alertness to possible threat
- Vulnerability when others use pressure, persuasion or manipulation
- Difficulty resolving disagreements and repairing relationships
- Challenges understanding other people's perspectives
Phoenix domain
Anxiety, uncertainty & threat
Explore what worry, fear and uncertainty can look like in a young person's everyday experience. These entries consider anticipation, seeking reassurance, and responses to situations that feel unfamiliar, unpredictable or unsafe.
Anxiety
Anxiety is part of ordinary human life. It helps us notice potential danger, prepare for uncertainty and respond to situations that matter.
Open entry E011Owner-recreatedPerfectionism and fear of failure
Wanting to do something well is not itself a problem.
Open entry E035Canonical draftIntrusive thoughts and compulsive behaviour
Intrusive thoughts are unwanted mental events that can feel disturbing, shameful or dangerous. Compulsions are repeated behaviours or mental acts used to reduce distress, gain certainty or prevent a feared outcome. Relief is often temporary, and the cycle can demand increasing time and avoidance.
Open entry E042Evidence reviewedRepetitive thinking about worries or past events
Thinking repeatedly about something important is not inherently problematic. Reflection can help young people understand experiences, solve problems and learn.
Open entry E043Evidence reviewedDifficulty managing uncertainty
Uncertainty is unavoidable. Plans change, other people's behaviour cannot always be predicted and many everyday questions do not have immediate answers.
Open entry E044Evidence reviewedFrequent reassurance seeking
Seeking reassurance is a normal part of development and relationships.
Open entry E085Evidence reviewedDistress when separating from familiar people
Humans depend on relationships.
Open entry E086Evidence reviewedDistress when being observed or evaluated
Being observed changes a situation.
Open entry E087Evidence reviewedRepetitive checking or rituals used to reduce distress
Repetition itself is not the defining feature of this presentation.
Open entry E088Evidence reviewedUnwanted repetitive thoughts or mental images
Human minds produce thoughts that we do not deliberately choose.
Open entry E089Evidence reviewedHeightened alertness to possible threat
Being alert to threat is protective.
Open entry E090Evidence reviewedStrong responses to reminders of frightening experiences
Past experiences shape expectations.
Open entry E091Evidence reviewedPersistent avoidance of situations associated with fear
Avoidance is often sensible.
Open entry E092Evidence reviewedEpisodes of sudden intense fear with strong physical sensations
Fear involves the body as well as the mind.
Open entryRelated presentations in other areas
You can start in more than one place. Related entries help you follow the questions that matter in the young person’s situation.
- Demand avoidance
- Difficulty with transitions
- Difficulty attending school
- Peer-relationship difficulties
- Shutdown and freezing under stress
- Eating and food selectivity
- Low self-esteem and negative self-beliefs
- Maths and numeracy difficulties
- Stammering and speech fluency differences
- Speaking in some situations but not others
- Withdrawal from interaction and participation
- Strong responses to criticism or signs of rejection
- Difficulty starting tasks
- Difficulty completing tasks
- Difficulty estimating and managing time
- Difficulty shifting between ideas, tasks or strategies
- Difficulty making choices and decisions
- Difficulty asking for help or signalling difficulty
- Difficulty communicating when under pressure
- Difficulty retrieving previously learned information
- Strong responses to sound
- Difficulty trusting or relying on adults
- Difficulty saying no or expressing discomfort
- Difficulty joining shared activities or groups
- Distress about body and appearance
- Distress about discarding or parting with possessions
Phoenix domain
Sensory experience, body & daily living
Explore how a young person experiences sensations, movement and signals from their body. These entries connect those experiences with daily activities, including eating, sleeping, personal care and finding comfort in different environments.
Sensory overload
Every environment asks the nervous system to process large amounts of sensory information: sound, light, movement, touch, smell, temperature, bodily sensation and the presence and movement of other people.
Open entry E019Canonical draftSensory seeking
People continually use sensation to become alert, settle, orient, explore and act. Some young people seek particular kinds or intensities of input more often than the setting expects.
Open entry E020Canonical draftSleep and fatigue
Sleep and fatigue affect attention, memory, emotional regulation, movement, pain, attendance and safety. A young person who appears unmotivated may be using most of their available capacity simply to remain present.
Open entry E021Canonical draftEating and food selectivity
Eating is a complex activity involving appetite, internal body signals, sensory experience, chewing and swallowing, pain, motor skill, predictability, culture, social context and emotional safety.
Open entry E022Canonical draftToileting and continence difficulties
Toileting depends on body awareness, bowel and bladder function, mobility, clothing, communication, sensory comfort, privacy, timing, habit and a safe environment.
Open entry E031Canonical draftMotor coordination and movement difficulties
Movement supports participation throughout the day: sitting, walking, dressing, using tools, eating, playing, writing, navigating space and joining practical learning. These tasks draw on balance, posture, timing, coordination, strength, vision, sensation, motor planning and repeated opportunity.
Open entry E032Canonical draftDifficulty accessing visual information
Visual access is more than reading an eye chart. It includes seeing detail, contrast, movement, depth and visual fields; locating information in clutter; interpreting what is seen; moving safely; and sustaining visual attention without excessive fatigue.
Open entry E033Canonical draftDifficulty accessing sound and spoken information
Hearing access is not a simple on/off state. It changes with the frequencies available, distance, background noise, reverberation, the speaker's position, technology, fatigue, illness and whether communication is spoken, signed, written or combined.
Open entry E056Evidence reviewedDifficulty recognising internal body signals
Bodies continuously provide information about internal states.
Open entry E057Evidence reviewedDifficulty carrying out personal care and everyday living routines
Everyday routines such as getting dressed, washing, brushing teeth, managing personal belongings and preparing for the day can appear simple because adults perform them automatically.
Open entry E078Evidence reviewedReduced awareness of external sensory information
Sensory differences do not always involve experiencing too much.
Open entry E079Evidence reviewedStrong responses to sound
Sound is not experienced identically by everyone.
Open entry E080Evidence reviewedStrong responses to touch, clothing or grooming
Touch is not a single experience.
Open entry E081Evidence reviewedStrong responses to light or visual environments
Visual environments differ enormously.
Open entry E082Evidence reviewedHigh levels of movement and physical activity
Movement is a normal part of learning, regulation and human activity.
Open entry E083Evidence reviewedRepetitive movements, sounds or actions
People repeat actions for many reasons.
Open entry E103Evidence reviewedHearing or sensing things that other people do not
A young person may hear a voice, their name or another sound; see something; feel a presence; or experience another sensation that is not shared by people nearby. It may be frightening, confusing, neutral, comforting, brief or longstanding.
Open entryRelated presentations in other areas
You can start in more than one place. Related entries help you follow the questions that matter in the young person’s situation.
- Difficulty regulating emotions
- Difficulty with transitions
- Executive-function difficulties
- Difficulty attending school
- Difficulties identifying emotions
- Social-communication differences
- Difficulty communicating needs
- Difficulty sustaining attention
- Difficulty understanding spoken instructions
- Literacy difficulties
- Behaviour that creates safety concerns
- Shutdown and freezing under stress
- Masking and post-demand exhaustion
- Difficulty producing written work
- Difficulty learning and retaining new information
- Differences in speech clarity
- Low mood and loss of interest
- Episodes of acute overwhelm
- Difficulty recovering after intense distress
- Withdrawal from interaction and participation
- Difficulty completing tasks
- Needing longer to process information and respond
- Handwriting, recording and written-output difficulties
- Difficulty navigating unstructured situations
- Difficulty keeping track of group conversations
- Difficulty communicating when under pressure
- Difficulty learning and carrying out familiar sequences of actions
- Difficulty identifying relevant information among competing input
- Strong responses to reminders of frightening experiences
- Persistent avoidance of situations associated with fear
- Episodes of sudden intense fear with strong physical sensations
- Difficulty recognising and maintaining personal boundaries
- Difficulty recognising when support is needed
- Distress about body and appearance
Phoenix domain
Participation, relationships & agency
Explore a young person's experience of joining in, building relationships and having a say in their own life. These entries look at belonging, personal boundaries and choice, including situations where participation is difficult or limited.
Demand avoidance
Some young people find everyday demands unusually difficult to manage.
Open entry E007Owner-recreatedDifficulty attending school
Difficulty attending school is a presentation, not an explanation.
Open entry E016Canonical draftPeer-relationship difficulties
Peer relationships are not a single skill that a young person either has or lacks.
Open entry E017Canonical draftBehaviour that creates safety concerns
Some behaviour creates an immediate risk of injury, serious disruption, exploitation or loss of access. Adults have a duty to act on that risk.
Open entry E024Canonical draftMasking and post-demand exhaustion
Some young people consciously or unconsciously alter, suppress or rehearse aspects of themselves to meet expectations, avoid attention, gain acceptance or stay safe. They may copy peers, force eye contact, suppress movement, hide confusion, script conversation, tolerate sensory pain, agree automatically or delay distress until they leave the demanding setting.
Open entry E040Evidence reviewedWithdrawal from interaction and participation
A reduction in interaction or participation can be an important signal, but it does not have one meaning.
Open entry E045Evidence reviewedStrong responses to criticism or signs of rejection
Being criticised, excluded or rejected can hurt. Sensitivity to other people's acceptance is a normal part of human relationships and can become particularly important as peer belonging grows in significance.
Open entry E058Evidence reviewedDifficulty navigating unstructured situations
Unstructured time can be extremely valuable.
Open entry E093Evidence reviewedDifficulty trusting or relying on adults
Trust is not simply a personality trait.
Open entry E094Evidence reviewedDifficulty saying no or expressing discomfort
Adults often focus on teaching young people to follow instructions.
Open entry E095Evidence reviewedDifficulty recognising and maintaining personal boundaries
Boundaries help people negotiate:
Open entry E096Evidence reviewedVulnerability when others use pressure, persuasion or manipulation
Manipulation is something one person does to another.
Open entry E097Evidence reviewedDifficulty recognising when a situation or relationship is becoming unsafe or coercive
Unsafe situations do not always look obviously dangerous.
Open entry E098Evidence reviewedDifficulty joining shared activities or groups
Joining a group is a surprisingly complex social task.
Open entry E099Evidence reviewedDifficulty resolving disagreements and repairing relationships
Conflict is not evidence that a relationship has failed.
Open entryRelated presentations in other areas
You can start in more than one place. Related entries help you follow the questions that matter in the young person’s situation.
- Anxiety
- Difficulty with transitions
- Social-communication differences
- Impulsivity
- Difficulty communicating needs
- Sensory seeking
- Sleep and fatigue
- Eating and food selectivity
- Toileting and continence difficulties
- Low self-esteem and negative self-beliefs
- Differences in speech clarity
- Stammering and speech fluency differences
- Speaking in some situations but not others
- Motor coordination and movement difficulties
- Difficulty accessing visual information
- Difficulty accessing sound and spoken information
- Low mood and loss of interest
- Self-harm
- Intense anger and frustration
- Frequent reassurance seeking
- Difficulty estimating and managing time
- Difficulty carrying out personal care and everyday living routines
- Difficulty making choices and decisions
- Difficulty asking for help or signalling difficulty
- Difficulty organising and retelling events or ideas
- Difficulty keeping track of group conversations
- Difficulty understanding indirect or non-literal language
- Difficulty applying learning in a different situation
- Strong responses to touch, clothing or grooming
- High levels of movement and physical activity
- Repetitive movements, sounds or actions
- Highly focused or absorbing interests
- Distress when separating from familiar people
- Distress when being observed or evaluated
- Heightened alertness to possible threat
- Strong responses to reminders of frightening experiences
- Persistent avoidance of situations associated with fear
- Difficulty recognising when support is needed
- Distress about body and appearance
- Distress about discarding or parting with possessions
- Challenges understanding other people's perspectives
Phoenix domain
Learning, literacy & numeracy
Explore how a young person approaches learning and makes use of what they have learned. These entries cover reading, writing and number, alongside remembering new skills and applying them in different tasks or situations.
Literacy difficulties
Literacy is not one skill.
Open entry E025Canonical draftMaths and numeracy difficulties
Mathematics is not one ability. It draws on understanding quantity, symbols, language, spatial relationships, learned facts, procedures, reasoning, attention, memory and confidence.
Open entry E026Canonical draftDifficulty producing written work
Producing written work is a chain of coordinated demands. The writer must generate and organise ideas, select language, spell, form or type words, manage punctuation and layout, monitor meaning and remain engaged long enough to revise.
Open entry E027Canonical draftDifficulty learning and retaining new information
Learning involves more than being present for an explanation. New information must connect with prior knowledge, be processed accurately, consolidated over time, retrieved when needed and used flexibly in new situations.
Open entry E054Evidence reviewedHandwriting, recording and written-output difficulties
Producing written work requires far more than having an idea.
Open entry E069Evidence reviewedDifficulty decoding unfamiliar written words
Reading an unfamiliar written word requires a young person to use what they know about the relationship between written symbols and spoken language.
Open entry E070Evidence reviewedDifficulty reading accurately and fluently
Learning how to decode a word is not the end of reading development.
Open entry E071Evidence reviewedDifficulty understanding what has been read
Successful reading is ultimately about meaning.
Open entry E072Evidence reviewedPersistent spelling difficulties
Spelling requires a young person to move in the opposite direction from reading.
Open entry E073Evidence reviewedDifficulty organising ideas in extended writing
Writing something down and constructing an extended piece of writing are different demands.
Open entry E074Evidence reviewedDifficulty retrieving previously learned information
Learning something and retrieving it later are not the same process.
Open entry E075Evidence reviewedDifficulty learning and carrying out familiar sequences of actions
Many everyday skills depend on actions occurring in a particular order.
Open entry E076Evidence reviewedDifficulty applying learning in a different situation
Learning something in one context does not guarantee that it will automatically appear everywhere else.
Open entryRelated presentations in other areas
You can start in more than one place. Related entries help you follow the questions that matter in the young person’s situation.
- Difficulty attending school
- Motor coordination and movement difficulties
- Difficulty accessing visual information
- Difficulty holding information in mind
- Difficulty carrying out personal care and everyday living routines
- Difficulty finding words when speaking
- Difficulty organising and retelling events or ideas
- Difficulty understanding indirect or non-literal language
- Highly focused or absorbing interests
- Distress when being observed or evaluated