There is a moment in some school meetings where the language changes.

You walk in expecting support. Adjustments. Solutions.

But then different words start appearing.

‘Safety.’

‘Impact on others.’

‘Capacity.’

‘We’ve tried everything.’

And you can feel the shift before you fully understand it.

You start thinking:

How did this go from help… to risk?

WHY THIS MATTERS

ADHD mums are already carrying invisible labour, school advocacy, therapy coordination, and the emotional regulation of the entire household.

So when a school meeting shifts tone, it doesn’t land as ‘this is complex.’

It lands as threat.

Threat that your child is being positioned as the problem.

Threat that you’re about to be performance-managed as a parent.

Threat that exclusion is quietly being prepared.

And once the language moves from support to safety, your nervous system knows what’s coming — even if no one has said it yet.

This episode unpacks that shift.

What it actually means.

And what you can do before the door quietly closes.

WHAT WE COVER

1. The early signs a school is moving from inclusion to managing out
2. How ‘we’ve tried everything’ often means the plan was never implemented properly
3. Why perceived defiance and PDA profiles trigger exclusion faster than quiet masking
4. What ‘regulated and choosing it’ misunderstands about neurodivergent distress
5. The difference between documentation for support and documentation for removal
6. How modified timetables, wellbeing days, and shortened hours become informal exclusion
7. What to ask for when supports ‘aren’t working’
8. How to request IEP reviews, fidelity checks, and functional behaviour assessments
9. Why building your own paper trail (including positives) matters

THIS EPISODE IS FOR YOU IF…

1. You’ve left a school meeting feeling blindsided
2. You’re getting more ‘pick up’ calls and reduced hours
3. Your child is being described as ‘defiant’ rather than overwhelmed
4. You’re hearing leadership speak more than classroom teachers
5. You’re scared you’re about to lose your child’s placement
6. You’re trying to advocate without burning the entire system down

RELATED ADHD MUMS EPISODES

🎧 SCHOOL SERIES: When School Stops Feeling Safe

https://adhdmums.com.au/podcast_episode/episode-19-when-school-stops-being-safe/

🎧 SCHOOL SERIES: Your Child Isn’t ‘Acting Out’ — They’re Burning Out

https://adhdmums.com.au/podcast_episode/episode-5-school-series-your-child-isnt-acting-out-theyre-burning-out/

🎧 You’re Not ‘That Mum’ — You Learned to Protect Your Child at School

https://adhdmums.com.au/podcast_episode/youre-not-that-mum-back-to-school-edition

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