Akasha Tariq

Akasha Tariq is an M.Phil psychologist with two years of professional experience supporting children with autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, Down syndrome, developmental delays and other learning needs. Her work combines psychological understanding with individual, child-centred teaching — find this child’s strengths and learning style, then write small goals a parent can see.

She has particular experience in the centre’s school-readiness programme: foundational academic, cognitive, communication, social and functional skills for a move into formal schooling. That includes pre-reading and reading, letter and sound recognition, vocabulary, comprehension, pre-writing and writing, pencil control, fine-motor coordination, number recognition, counting, following instructions, attention, sitting tolerance, task completion and classroom readiness. Letters are not a trophy. Sitting, waiting and asking for help are what school uses from day one.

Every child has their own way of learning. My role is to understand their needs, build on their strengths, and create opportunities for them to learn, grow, and become more independent.

How she works. Understanding Minds. Building Skills. Empowering Children.

What a school-readiness session actually practises

Structured, engaging activities; individual learning goals; positive reinforcement; prompting then fading the prompt; task analysis; consistent support. The aim is not only marks. It is attention, communication, independence, social interaction and adaptive skills so a classroom is survivable, not a daily crash.

Progress is measured against this child, not against a neighbour’s five-year-old. How the centre frames readiness: Mahnoor on school readiness, the printable checklist, and special education.