Episode 69

When the road ahead seems shrouded in uncertainty, it's the stories of those who've walked it before us that shed the most light. This week we are joined by Esther Freeman, the visionary behind the SEND Parent Survival Guide, as we traverse the terrain of raising children with SEND. Esther's candid account of her own trials and victories offers a map for parents in the thick of similar struggles – a guide to finding balance between caring for their child and themselves. Through the guide's three pillars, we illuminate tools and strategies that can transform the chaos into a journey of growth and empowerment, underlining the profound importance of self-care and mental health in creating a nurturing family environment.

Join us as we uncover the strength in community, the necessity for boundaries, and the collective knowledge that lights the path for parents guiding their children with SEND.

Click here for link to The SEND Parents Survival Guide

Click here for auto generated Transcript

💬 Connect with Us

🎄 Early Christmas Gift: Join my free webinar on Keeping Calm During the Holidays
📅 Tuesday 9 December at 12:00 pm (UK time)
👉 Click here to receive the Zoom details.

🌱 Join our SEND Parenting Private WhatsApp Community — a safe space to share, learn, and feel supported by parents who truly understand.

⚡ Ready to go deeper?
Become part of the ADHD Warrior Mum’s Recharge Station — your space for group coaching, expert guidance, real connection, and the calm you deserve.

Episode 67

This week Dr Olivia is joined by Tamsyn Hendry, back for another bitesize recap! This episode they are revisiting Ep 18 with Rachel Horner, and are discussing our favourite takeaways and most important tips from that episode. For so many families, occupation therapy is truly a kind of magic. While so many may be telling us that there is something "wrong" with our children, occupational therapists meet them where they are at and tailor changes so small and simple, yet with life changing results. 

Tamsyn and Olivia pour over a lot of their favourite take-aways from the episode like the "Just Right" challenge, molded cultery, why autistic children may prefer super hot or cold food, and as always share how these lessons have changed their parenting in real life. 

This episode is a reminder that when we really meet our children where they are at, the smallest changes and accommodations have profound impacts on our lives. 

💬 Connect with Us

🎄 Early Christmas Gift: Join my free webinar on Keeping Calm During the Holidays
📅 Tuesday 9 December at 12:00 pm (UK time)
👉 Click here to receive the Zoom details.

🌱 Join our SEND Parenting Private WhatsApp Community — a safe space to share, learn, and feel supported by parents who truly understand.

⚡ Ready to go deeper?
Become part of the ADHD Warrior Mum’s Recharge Station — your space for group coaching, expert guidance, real connection, and the calm you deserve.

Episode 67

This week we are joined once more by the esteemed Dr Maryhan, in an episode that promises to equip you with the tools to nurture the skill of bouncing back from life's hurdles. The skill of resilience is both crucial to a neurodivergent child's life and simultaneously one that can be more difficult to cultivate due to the extra support our children need.

We talk Ginsburg's 7 C's of Resilience (with a focus on 'confidence' and 'competence'),
 Embark on a journey to understand the heart of parenting neurodiverse children—resilience. With Dr. Olivia Kessel and the esteemed Dr. Maryhanas your guides, this episode promises to equip you with the tools to nurture the skill of bouncing back from life's hurdles. We dissect Ginsburg's seven C's, with a focus on 'competence' and 'confidence', the importance of experiential learning, and balancing empathy and support with allowing the room for trials, failures and learning. We also discuss the importance of connections beyond the family unit, how to cultivate healthy coping mechanisms, and the empowerment that comes from control and agency.

Finally, we share the palpable excitement for Dr Maryhan's upcoming "Raising Resilient Adults" Conference (for which I, Dr Olivia Kessel, am a guest speaker). Parents, educators, and all invested in the future of neurodiverse children, join us in this pivotal conversation and walk away with a renewed commitment to the resilience-building journey.

It Takes A Village Conference will be held on 18th April 2024 at Farnborough-Hill school. It is for parents and professionals who want to hear from experts on how best to raise resilient adults.

To buy tickets click on this link  https://drmaryhan.com/ittakesavillage/

💬 Connect with Us

🎄 Early Christmas Gift: Join my free webinar on Keeping Calm During the Holidays
📅 Tuesday 9 December at 12:00 pm (UK time)
👉 Click here to receive the Zoom details.

🌱 Join our SEND Parenting Private WhatsApp Community — a safe space to share, learn, and feel supported by parents who truly understand.

⚡ Ready to go deeper?
Become part of the ADHD Warrior Mum’s Recharge Station — your space for group coaching, expert guidance, real connection, and the calm you deserve.

Episode 66

This week we have the fantastic Kate Steer @nurturedneurokids, a former teacher turned neurodivergent family coach, on the podcast to unravel the complexities of neurodiversity in education. 

Together, we talk about the changes in the education system that led to Kate's exit from teaching, the stifling pressures on creativity within classrooms, and journey that many families undertake as they step away from mainstream education. We talk about the importance of advocating for and honour parental instincts and transformative power of self-directed learning at home. 

Kate's expertise shines as she provides practical advice on preparing for pivotal meetings with school officials, and navigating the labyrinth of state education. If you're looking to empower your child to flourish on their unique educational journey, let our stories and strategies guide you toward a brighter, more accommodating learning environment.

💬 Connect with Us

🎄 Early Christmas Gift: Join my free webinar on Keeping Calm During the Holidays
📅 Tuesday 9 December at 12:00 pm (UK time)
👉 Click here to receive the Zoom details.

🌱 Join our SEND Parenting Private WhatsApp Community — a safe space to share, learn, and feel supported by parents who truly understand.

⚡ Ready to go deeper?
Become part of the ADHD Warrior Mum’s Recharge Station — your space for group coaching, expert guidance, real connection, and the calm you deserve.

Episode 65

This week we are joined by Tina MacGillivray, known as @thepdaparent on instagram and a beacon of resilience and knowledge in parenting. This week we talk to her about the journey of parenting her son with 48 XXYY syndrome, autism, Tourette's, and PDA.

This is a heartbreaking yet inspiring episode which tells the story of a parent who has realised that the support she needs just isn't there, and has taken matters into her own hand - an experience help with so many others in this community. We talk PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance), about being on the receiving end of an underfunded system, and the choice to disengage. We also discuss how Tina brought herself and her son back from the brink, low demand parenting, educating oneself about the nervous system, and the key role humour has in parenting.

The episode concludes with an empowering message to parents: your journey, though daunting, is laced with opportunities for transformation, growth, and the discovery of unexpected joy in the face of adversity. Join us as we share a story not just of struggle, but of profound hope and the indelible strength of the human spirit.

Click here for Tina's  The PDA Parent Newsletter 
PDA Books:

Understanding PDA in Children – Phil Christie

The Educators Guide to PDA – Laura Kerbey

 Collaborative Approaches to Learning for Children with PDA – Ruth Fidler 

💬 Connect with Us

🎄 Early Christmas Gift: Join my free webinar on Keeping Calm During the Holidays
📅 Tuesday 9 December at 12:00 pm (UK time)
👉 Click here to receive the Zoom details.

🌱 Join our SEND Parenting Private WhatsApp Community — a safe space to share, learn, and feel supported by parents who truly understand.

⚡ Ready to go deeper?
Become part of the ADHD Warrior Mum’s Recharge Station — your space for group coaching, expert guidance, real connection, and the calm you deserve.

Episode 64

This week I sit down with Matt Gupwell, founder of Think Neurodiversity and co-host of ADHD Talks, to discuss finding your passions and thriving within neurodiversity.

Diagnosed with ADHD and autism later in life, Matt unveils how this revelation reshaped his understanding of success and spurred his passion to help to make this journey easier for others than it was for him. We talk about medication, the profound effect a diagnosis can have, and learning to re-centre yourself after a diagnosis. As two people with a mutual passion for sharing reliable SEND information and resources, we discuss navigating misinformation online and highlight the necessity for individuals to proactively seek evidence-based resources. We also critique the deficit-laden narratives surrounding ADHD on social media and encourage neurodivergents to embrace their innate talents. And finally, we discuss the beautiful gift of relearning and redefining success for ourselves, and how to help our children find their own versions.

This is an uplifting and open minded conversation and I can't wait for you to hear it. 

Click here for Think Neurodiversity
Click here for Talk ADHD 

💬 Connect with Us

🎄 Early Christmas Gift: Join my free webinar on Keeping Calm During the Holidays
📅 Tuesday 9 December at 12:00 pm (UK time)
👉 Click here to receive the Zoom details.

🌱 Join our SEND Parenting Private WhatsApp Community — a safe space to share, learn, and feel supported by parents who truly understand.

⚡ Ready to go deeper?
Become part of the ADHD Warrior Mum’s Recharge Station — your space for group coaching, expert guidance, real connection, and the calm you deserve.

Episode 63

Join us this week as I am once more talking with the fantastic Chrissa Wadlow from Sunshine Support as we unravel the complexities of school attendance for neurodivergent children. 

From personal trauma to sensory overload, we analyse the reasons behind school avoidance and the essential trust between parents and children that must be preserved to prevent long-term psychological harm. We delve deep into the education system's outdated punitive measures surrounding attendance and the harsh interpersonal and societal impact on families they penalise.

We also remind parents of key legal protections for their children in school that they may not know about, like the fact that you do not need to provide medical proof of poor child mental health and the 15 day rule. By encouraging early recognition of individual needs and equipping parents with the knowledge to challenge systemic barriers, we aim to prevent disengagement and its far-reaching consequences for future generations.

Link to Sunshine Support
Mental health guidance - DfE

PDA Books:

Understanding PDA in Children – Phil Christie

The Educators Guide to PDA – Laura Kerbey

 Collaborative Approaches to Learning for Children with PDA – Ruth Fidler 

 PDA in the Family – Steph Curtis 

💬 Connect with Us

🎄 Early Christmas Gift: Join my free webinar on Keeping Calm During the Holidays
📅 Tuesday 9 December at 12:00 pm (UK time)
👉 Click here to receive the Zoom details.

🌱 Join our SEND Parenting Private WhatsApp Community — a safe space to share, learn, and feel supported by parents who truly understand.

⚡ Ready to go deeper?
Become part of the ADHD Warrior Mum’s Recharge Station — your space for group coaching, expert guidance, real connection, and the calm you deserve.

Episode 62

*CONTENT WARNING* This episode mentions suicidal ideation, gaslighting from social services, and child protective services.

This week I sat down with the indefatigable Chrissa Wadlow, founder of Sunshine Support, to talk to her about the journey that brought Chrissa to creating Sunshine. Chrissa's battle against the UK education system to get the support her autistic daughter needed will be both shocking and heartbreakingly familiar for fellow parents of SEND children. We talk about the infuriating and fraudulent bureaucracy that has been created by a deeply underfunded system, and how it very nearly cost her and her daughter's lives.

But this is not a sob story - Chrissa used her experience to go on and create Sunshine Support, a centre which works to empower and advocate for parents, carers, and professionals who support children and young people with SEND. They have free information resources, expert educational and legal advice, and community building for families at their wits end. This episode is a testament to power of never giving up, community, and how much easier the world is when we approach with curiosity, not judgement.


If you are struggling in your quest to get your child support, please click on link to Sunshine Support 

💬 Connect with Us

🎄 Early Christmas Gift: Join my free webinar on Keeping Calm During the Holidays
📅 Tuesday 9 December at 12:00 pm (UK time)
👉 Click here to receive the Zoom details.

🌱 Join our SEND Parenting Private WhatsApp Community — a safe space to share, learn, and feel supported by parents who truly understand.

⚡ Ready to go deeper?
Become part of the ADHD Warrior Mum’s Recharge Station — your space for group coaching, expert guidance, real connection, and the calm you deserve.

Episode 61

This week we are talking to the wonderful Lynn Greenberg who, along with her dyslexic son Jonathan, wrote the children's book "Robby the Dyslexic Taxi and the Airport Adventure". We talk today all about how the book came to be, its reception, and her journey with her son's dyslexia.

As her son is now an adult man, we reflect on how far neurodivergency advocacy has come in the past 15 years, and how much further there still is to go with early screening and intervention. We reaffirm the importance of educating yourself as a parent, and listening to your gut. And finally, we talk about empowering dyslexic children via the medium that often makes them feel excluded, and the importance of representation of neurodivergent people in books and stories.


Find Lynn and Johnathan at the Creative Cab Company
Purchase on Amazon Robby the Dyslexic Taxi

💬 Connect with Us

🎄 Early Christmas Gift: Join my free webinar on Keeping Calm During the Holidays
📅 Tuesday 9 December at 12:00 pm (UK time)
👉 Click here to receive the Zoom details.

🌱 Join our SEND Parenting Private WhatsApp Community — a safe space to share, learn, and feel supported by parents who truly understand.

⚡ Ready to go deeper?
Become part of the ADHD Warrior Mum’s Recharge Station — your space for group coaching, expert guidance, real connection, and the calm you deserve.

Episode 60

It's time for another bitesize summary episode! Ever witnessed the sheer joy and transformation a child experiences through the simple act of play? This week, Olivia and co-host Tamsyn Hendry review episode 25 with Anna Hodgson and Becky Hill from ClearSky charity. From the huge increases play therapy has in emotional growth and easing peer conflicts, to bridging communication gaps, to guarding child mental health, they recap the magical effects of play therapy. They also look inwards and reflect how they have been able to introduce play more in their own parenting, and talk about the importance of making time (even if it's just 15 minutes). 

 Whether you're a parent in the throes of child-rearing or a caregiver looking for fresh perspectives, this is a lovely digestible episode geared with insights and resources to guide you through the intricacies of nurturing our future generations.

💬 Connect with Us

🎄 Early Christmas Gift: Join my free webinar on Keeping Calm During the Holidays
📅 Tuesday 9 December at 12:00 pm (UK time)
👉 Click here to receive the Zoom details.

🌱 Join our SEND Parenting Private WhatsApp Community — a safe space to share, learn, and feel supported by parents who truly understand.

⚡ Ready to go deeper?
Become part of the ADHD Warrior Mum’s Recharge Station — your space for group coaching, expert guidance, real connection, and the calm you deserve.