SEND Parenting Podcast

EP 143 Saying yes until she failed changed everything


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Burnout has a way of making even the smallest task feel impossible. We open with a lifeline for parents raising neurodivergent children, then sit down with campaigner and founder Agnes Agyepong to trace how postnatal depression and isolation became the spark for two powerful vehicles of change: the Glow Mama Awards and a research-led movement tackling maternal and SEND inequalities.

Agnes shares the surprising role social media played in her recovery—authentic posts, wry humour, and micro-moments of solidarity that made her feel seen. That insight grows into Glow Mama, a people’s choice awards platform celebrating the creators who keep mothers going at 3 a.m. From there, Agnes dives into the Black maternal health crisis and the environmental factors that stack the odds against families long before labour begins, culminating in the Black Child Clean Air Report and cross-sector partnerships. The throughline is clear: these are public health problems that show up in clinics, classrooms, and on our streets.

We dig into SEND inequity with lived experience. Agnes talks about being treated with suspicion when her son was self-harming, becoming a school governor to be heard, and the way adultification bias and rigid behaviour policies fast-track exclusions before support arrives. We challenge the outdated, industrial model of schooling and argue for personalised education that works for every brain. Practical guidance runs throughout: why a Year 3 screening won’t secure legal protections, how an Educational Psychologist’s report unlocks exam access and durable support, and how to build an evidence trail that proves whether a school can meet need.

If you want clear next steps, we’ve got them: back petitions so policymakers see the data, write your MP so SEND rises in local triage, connect with specialist groups for Education Other Than At School pathways, and join community networks that share tactics without gatekeeping. Neurodivergent thinkers are not problems to be fixed; they are the innovators we need. Subscribe, share with a caregiver who needs hope, and leave a review to help more families find real tools and real change.

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SEND Parenting PodcastBy Dr. Olivia Kessel


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