What the evidence supports — and what it does not.
Hewston Higgins resources use classroom strategies that align with established SEND guidance. The books themselves are educational resources, not medical treatments.
More than 1.8 million pupils in England have identified SEN.
Department for Education statistics for 2025/26 report 538,547 pupils with an EHC plan and 1,319,780 pupils receiving SEN support. In primary schools, 19.4% of pupils had an EHC plan or SEN support.
Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England 2025/26.
Evidence-informed classroom strategies
The Education Endowment Foundation highlights five approaches that can particularly support pupils with SEND: explicit instruction, cognitive and metacognitive strategies, scaffolding, flexible grouping and appropriate use of technology. EEF also describes visual, verbal and written scaffolds as forms of temporary support that should be closely matched to the learner's current needs.
Sources: EEF Five-a-day SEND guidance and EEF Special Educational Needs in Mainstream Schools.
ADHD: structure and environmental adjustments matter
NICE guidance says support for children and young people with ADHD should consider the importance of structure in daily activities, reasonable adjustments in education and environmental modifications tailored to individual needs. Examples include reducing distractions, shorter periods of focus with movement breaks and reinforcing verbal requests with written instructions.
Source: NICE NG87 — Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: diagnosis and management.
Autism: visual supports and sensory considerations
NICE guidance for autistic children and young people recommends taking the physical environment into account, including the use of meaningful visual supports and individual sensory sensitivities such as lighting and noise. It also supports adapting information to the child's developmental level and needs.
Source: NICE CG170 — Autism spectrum disorder in under 19s: support and management.
What we can say responsibly
- The resources are designed using visual context, short chunks, repeated structure, discussion and reflection.
- Those design choices are consistent with evidence-informed classroom strategies used to support diverse learners.
- The resources may help teachers create more engaging, accessible conversations and activities.
What we do not claim
- We do not claim that a Hewston Higgins book diagnoses, treats, cures or prevents ADHD, autism, dyslexia, anxiety or any other condition.
- We do not claim that the products are clinically proven unless a future product-specific study supports that statement.
- Educational resources should be adapted to the individual child and used alongside appropriate school, family and professional support.
Last evidence review for this website: October 2026. Guidance and statistics can change; links above lead to the primary sources.