Strategies and Interventions to support unmet needs in children and young people
Behaviour is often the part we can see, but the reasons behind it can be very different. The same behaviour, such as disengaging from work, withdrawing, becoming frustrated, or appearing distracted, can come from different underlying needs, depending on what is happening internally for the child or young person.
For example, a pupil who disengages from learning tasks might be experiencing a lack of confidence or fear of getting things wrong. For another pupil, the same disengagement might be linked to sensory overload, feeling overwhelmed by the work, anxiety about expectations, or difficulty sustaining attention. Although the behaviour looks the same on the outside, the need underneath is very different and so the response needs to be different too.
The Understanding Me Cards help adults identify which of the seven need areas a behaviour is communicating. This supports staff to choose responses and strategies that genuinely fit the child, rather than relying on assumptions or one‑size‑fits‑all approaches, leading to more meaningful support for wellbeing, learning, and relationships.
Explore Unmet Needs Categories
Understanding behavior starts with identifying the underlying areas of unmet need. Select a category below to explore its drivers, indicators, and practical support strategies.
Psychological foundations of the seven categories
The Understanding Me Cards are organised around seven core categories of need: Autonomy & Independence, Learning & Confidence, Self‑worth & Identity, Belonging & Relationships, Sensory Needs, Physical Well‑being, and Safety & Regulation. Together, these reflect the main psychological, developmental and physiological needs that influence how children and young people feel, behave and engage at school.
These categories were created using well‑established psychological theories, including Self‑Determination Theory (which highlights the importance of autonomy, competence and connection), attachment theory, sensory integration theory, polyvagal and regulation‑based models, and research into executive functioning, emotional development and wellbeing. Rather than being tied to a single model or diagnosis, the categories bring together what decades of psychology and educational research consistently show: behaviour is shaped by unmet needs across multiple domains, not by one single cause.
Importantly, these categories are not labels and they do not suggest that one ‘type’ of child fits one box. Most children will show needs across more than one area at different times. The purpose of the categories is to support understanding and reflection, helping adults identify which needs are most relevant in a moment, so that responses are thoughtful, compassionate and genuinely matched to the child.