The challenge
Why does challenging behaviour persist even with good strategies in place?
Challenging behaviour, limited self-regulation, poor emotional literacy, and difficulties with relationships are among the most demanding issues facing schools and settings today. Too often, responses focus on behaviour management strategies rather than asking a more fundamental question: what developmental skills does this child still need to develop in order to manage themselves, understand others, and function successfully in a learning environment?
Behaviour is communication — and Launchpad helps you decode what the child is telling you.
The gap Launchpad identifies
The developmental skills that underpin self-regulation and behaviour
PSED is deeply intertwined with communication, symbolic understanding, and pragmatic social skills. Launchpad identifies which foundational skills — such as joint attention, self-regulation, emotional recognition, turn-taking, empathy, and relationship-building — are missing or underdeveloped. Understanding a child's actual developmental level in these areas transforms how adults respond and plan.
- Joint attention and early shared focus skills
- Self-regulation and emotional management at each developmental stage
- Emotional recognition and vocabulary
- Turn-taking, reciprocity, and social interaction
- Empathy and perspective-taking (projection skills)
- Relationship-building and appropriate boundary understanding
How Launchpad solves it
Assess → Identify → Build → Track
Step 1 — Assess
Understand the developmental picture
Use Launchpad's pragmatic and social-emotional skill assessments to establish where each child is on the developmental continuum for self-regulation, social interaction, and emotional skills.
Step 2 — Identify
Find what underpins the behaviour
Identify the specific skill gap — whether it is joint attention, emotional recognition, self-regulation, empathy, or social communication — that underpins the presenting behaviour.
Step 3 — Build
Build from the inside out
Implement targeted strategies and skill-building opportunities matched to the child's actual developmental readiness — building regulation and relationship skills from the inside out.
Step 4 — Track
Monitor and connect to learning
Monitor progress in PSED skills as part of a holistic picture, linking improvements in self-regulation to broader learning outcomes and ELG attainment.
What's included for members
Everything you need in one place
- Pragmatic skills progression from early attention through to complex empathy and relationships
- Self-regulation and emotional development skill steps
- Social communication assessments for 2+, 3+, and 4+
- Guidance on understanding behaviour as developmental communication
- Links to PSED ELGs and EYFS curriculum requirements
- CPD resources to build whole-team understanding of PSED development
Who this is for
Built for everyone dealing with behaviour and social-emotional development
- EYFS leaders and class teachers dealing with challenging behaviour
- Inclusion leads and pastoral teams
- SENCOs supporting children with social, emotional, and mental health needs
- Leaders wanting a development-informed approach to PSED across the whole setting
Real impact
What schools are saying
“Launchpad for Literacy has been the key to success and every teacher is now confident and uses Launchpad every day.”
Deb Ward, Executive Headteacher – Northumberland
“
Launchpad has made us more aware of those incremental steps which children need to secure. It has helped more children to achieve GLD.
EYFS Lead, Ashley Academy, WISE Academies MAT – South Tyneside