Did you know that a third of autistic people experience serious mental health challenges? This striking statistic is highlighted by Dr Joanna Grace in her latest podcast 'Barriers to Mental Healthcare for Autistic People'.

"Autistic people have been actively removed from research about mental health."

Dr Joanna Grace

A sensory engagement and inclusion specialist, Joanna emphasises that while there is substantial research on mental health, we often don't know if it applies to autistic individuals. During the podcast, they discuss:

• The prevalence of inaccurate mental health diagnoses among autistic adults.
• The impact the differences in interoception has on diagnosis.
• Practical strategies to support mental health within the autistic community.

Mental health has significant consequences for the quality and length of life. By understanding the risks and barriers, we can empower ourselves and others to take proactive steps in addressing these challenges.

Please note this podcast covers sensitive topics, including suicide, and carries a trigger warning.

View all podcasts available or visit our SENDcast sessions shop!

Joanna Grace is a sensory engagement and inclusion specialist, doctoral researcher, author, trainer, TEDx speaker and Founder of The Sensory Projects.

Joanna has worked with people with learning disabilities and neurodivergent conditions aged from 0-100 (well 1 day old – 87 years old to be precise) in a range of settings and context.

Through all she does Joanna is seeking to contribute to a future where people are understood in spite of their differences.

www.TheSensoryProjects.co.uk

www.Facebook.com/JoannaGraceTSP

https://x.com/Jo3Grace

[email protected]

https://www.youtube.com/@TheSensoryProjects

• B Squared Website – www.bsquared.co.uk
• Meeting with Dale to find out about B Squared - https://calendly.com/b-squared-team/overview-of-b-squared-sendcast
• Email Dale – [email protected]
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We have been involved with Special Educational Needs for over 25 years, helping show the small steps of progress pupils with SEND make. B Squared has worked with thousands of schools, we understand the challenges professionals working in SEND face. We wanted a way to support these hardworking professionals - which is why we launched The SENDcast! Click the button below to find out more about how B Squared can help improve assessment for pupils with SEND in your school.

Geoff and Nargis join Dale in the studio for this special episode to discuss the Autism & ADHD Shows (June–July) in London, Birmingham, and, for the first time, Liverpool (moved from Manchester).

They share how the event evolved from the Autism Show, launched in 2011 after their son's autism diagnosis, to its current format that also includes ADHD - driven by the rise in co-occurring diagnoses.

They also describe what attendees can expect: a welcoming, supportive community hub offering over 100 CPD-accredited learning hours, practical strategies, workshops, one-to-one clinics, and the chance to connect with exhibitors and services.

About the Autism and ADHD Shows

It's the national event dedicated to autism and ADHD. Attend to access a huge amount of trusted information and advice to help support an autistic or ADHD person in a home, education or workplace setting.

The CPD accredited programme has been designed to enable attendees to pick and choose the learning which is most relevant, whether it relates specifically to autism, ADHD or when both conditions co-occur. Interwoven between the many theatres, one to one clinics, and practical workshops, you'll also find an essential selection of specialist products and services. Discover what's on at each location:

The Autism and ADHD Show LONDON

19 – 20 June

The Autism and ADHD Show BIRMINGHAM

26 – 27 June

The Autism and ADHD Show LIVERPOOL

3 – 4 July

• B Squared Website – www.bsquared.co.uk
• Meeting with Dale to find out about B Squared - https://calendly.com/b-squared-team/overview-of-b-squared-sendcast
• Email Dale – [email protected]
• Subscribe to the SENDcast - https://www.thesendcast.com/subscribe

We have been involved with Special Educational Needs for over 25 years, helping show the small steps of progress pupils with SEND make. B Squared has worked with thousands of schools, we understand the challenges professionals working in SEND face. We wanted a way to support these hardworking professionals - which is why we launched The SENDcast! Click the button below to find out more about how B Squared can help improve assessment for pupils with SEND in your school.

Today is Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva (FOP) Awareness Day, and to mark the occasion we're sharing an episode focused on raising awareness of this rare condition.

In this conversation, Nicky Muller - a former trustee of FOP Friends and mother of Isla, who has FOP - joins Dale to share practical insight into supporting children with rare conditions and to tell Isla's inspiring story.

Nicky explains that FOP causes the body's soft tissues to progressively turn into bone, often after flare-ups triggered by injury or sometimes viruses. She highlights how unpredictable this is, and how it affects daily life - particularly movement, risk management, and schooling.

A key focus is Isla's recent transition to secondary school where they discuss difficulties around inclusion, PE participation, breaks/lunchtime, and the emotional impact. Nicky highlights the importance of school-wide awareness and an inclusive culture. Stressing that genuine inclusion is not just about the support in place, but whether a child feels safe, seen, valued and able to belong.

"The best one-on-ones are the ones where you don't even know they're there. Isla's voice is the voice that's heard - it's so difficult for her to feel not only included but valued."

Nicky Muller

View all podcasts available or visit our SENDcast sessions shop!

Nicky is an FOP awareness advocate and mum to Isla who is now 12 and diagnosed with FOP as a baby. A former trustee of the UK charity, FOP Friends and a career in Marketing, she combines lived experience with expertise to drive awareness, fundraising and support for families.

https://www.fopfriends.com

https://www.facebook.com/fopfriends

https://www.instagram.com/fop_mum/

https://x.com/FOPFriends

[email protected]

https://www.youtube.com/FOPFriends

www.fopfriends.com

• B Squared Website – www.bsquared.co.uk
• Meeting with Dale to find out about B Squared - https://calendly.com/b-squared-team/overview-of-b-squared-sendcast
• Email Dale – [email protected]
• Subscribe to the SENDcast - https://www.thesendcast.com/subscribe

We have been involved with Special Educational Needs for over 25 years, helping show the small steps of progress pupils with SEND make. B Squared has worked with thousands of schools, we understand the challenges professionals working in SEND face. We wanted a way to support these hardworking professionals - which is why we launched The SENDcast! Click the button below to find out more about how B Squared can help improve assessment for pupils with SEND in your school.

Bright Futures' research estimates that around 270,000 young people (age 5–24) miss 20% or more of their education each year due to long-term illness. The consequences for qualifications, employment and wellbeing are severe - for example, 79% of 18-24 year‑olds who are out of work due to ill health only have qualifications at GCSEs or below, compared with 34% of their peers.

These young people don't just lose learning: prolonged absence damages social connections, confidence and everyday school experiences. "Returning to normal" needs careful planning, not a simple reinstatement of lessons.

Josh Pelled, CEO of Bright Futures UK and a two-time cancer survivor, founded the charity based on his lived experience of missing significant portions of his education. Josh joins Dale to discuss 'supporting young people with long-term illness in education', covering the academic, social, and mental-health impacts of prolonged absence, the difficulty of reintegration, and how technology can help maintain learning and connection but cannot replace full inclusion.

"We can try to do things to bridge the gap between illness and education and make sure that a young person feels as supported as possible."

Josh Pelled

Listen to Josh delve into the practical, emotional, and systemic challenges faced by ill students and explore how educators, SENCos, and pastoral teams can be more proactive in helping these students stay connected to learning and community life.

View all podcasts available or visit our SENDcast sessions shop!

Joshua Pelled is the Founder and CEO of Bright Futures UK, a pioneering charity dedicated to reintegrating young people into education after serious long-term illness. His journey is deeply personal, having survived cancer twice— first at the age of five and again at sixteen. These experiences revealed the profound educational and social challenges that come with prolonged medical absences, inspiring him to create a support system he wished he had.

https://www.brightfuturesuk.org

https://www.facebook.com/BrightFuturesUKOfficial/

https://www.instagram.com/brightfuturesuk/

[email protected]

ONS Statistics – People with long-term health issues

Statutory Guidance – Ensuring a good education for children who cannot attend school because of health needs

• B Squared Website – www.bsquared.co.uk
• Meeting with Dale to find out about B Squared - https://calendly.com/b-squared-team/overview-of-b-squared-sendcast
• Email Dale – [email protected]
• Subscribe to the SENDcast - https://www.thesendcast.com/subscribe

We have been involved with Special Educational Needs for over 25 years, helping show the small steps of progress pupils with SEND make. B Squared has worked with thousands of schools, we understand the challenges professionals working in SEND face. We wanted a way to support these hardworking professionals - which is why we launched The SENDcast! Click the button below to find out more about how B Squared can help improve assessment for pupils with SEND in your school.

The needs around SEND in schools are increasing - both in numbers and complexity of needs – and many schools are struggling with the best way to support their learners effectively. They want to do the best for their students, but the DfE provides very limited guidance on supporting learners with SEND.

Jordan Garrett from Sensory Classroom joins Dale to discuss 'assessing complex learners'. Jordan brings a wealth of experience from specialist and mainstream settings, plus years of curriculum and resource development, and offers practical, classroom-tested advice.

Their discussion includes:

• Clear explanation of the gaps in current guidance and why schools struggle to turn these into day-to-day practice.
• Practical, person-appropriate approaches for curriculum and assessment that meet learners where they are - including translating mainstream topics into meaningful, multi-sensory lessons.
• How to use frameworks to track small steps of progress, show meaningful outcomes to parents and plan bespoke learning without creating lots more work.
• Ideas for making regulation, communication and sensory needs the foundation of teaching so pupils can access academic learning.
• Advice on building collaboration between teachers and TAs, using APDR cycles, and choosing trusted, adaptable resources rather than one-size-fits-all "solutions".

View all podcasts available or visit our SENDcast sessions shop!

Jordan is an experienced Specialist Education Teacher in the UK. She shares daily ideas, support and resources to support supporting adults of non-speaking children with SEN.

https://sensoryclassroom.org

https://www.facebook.com/share/z4JM3rfbXWsuw2Kb/?mibextid=LQQJ4d

https://www.instagram.com/sensoryclass

https://www.tiktok.com/@sensoryclass

Sensory Curriculum

• B Squared Website – www.bsquared.co.uk
• Meeting with Dale to find out about B Squared - https://calendly.com/b-squared-team/overview-of-b-squared-sendcast
• Email Dale – [email protected]
• Subscribe to the SENDcast - https://www.thesendcast.com/subscribe

We have been involved with Special Educational Needs for over 25 years, helping show the small steps of progress pupils with SEND make. B Squared has worked with thousands of schools, we understand the challenges professionals working in SEND face. We wanted a way to support these hardworking professionals - which is why we launched The SENDcast! Click the button below to find out more about how B Squared can help improve assessment for pupils with SEND in your school.

Did you know that common infections, like strep throat, can cause a neuroinflammatory response affecting the brain?

Today we're raising awareness of difficult to diagnose and often misunderstood conditions – Paediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS) and Paediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections (PANDAS). Tina Coope, a former teacher and parent whose daughter experienced sudden neuropsychiatric symptoms, explains how PANS and PANDAS present, why they're often missed, and what schools can do to support affected children.

This episode explains:

• What PANS and PANDAS are: what they are, typical triggers, and common symptoms.
• How they can mimic or overlap with neurodivergence yet require medical recognition and timely intervention.
• Classroom-ready guidance: spotting multiple unexplained changes, documenting patterns, making immediate needs-led accommodations during flares, and planning flexible support during recovery.
• Resources and training available.
• Why early recognition, careful recording, and good communication between school and family can make a huge difference.

"You're looking for multiple unexplained changes. They are uniformly, hugely distressing across the board of those symptoms."

Tina Coope

View all podcasts available or visit our SENDcast sessions shop!

Tina Coope is a former teacher with a Master's in Education and a rich background across mainstream and special schools. She's led specialist Autism provision and founded a Nurture unit in an infant school. When her daughter suddenly developed severe neuropsychiatric symptoms at age 7, Tina's professional and personal worlds collided.

Driven by lived experience, Tina became the Education Lead for PANS PANDAS UK in 2021, where she created the UK's first teacher and educational psychology training course on the conditions, and developed extensive resources for educators and allied professionals. She now co-chairs the national Education, Social Care and Health Group, shaping guidance for Local Authorities.

https://panspandasuk.org

https://www.facebook.com/panspandasuk/

https://www.instagram.com/pans_pandas_uk/

https://x.com/PANSPANDASUK

[email protected]

Resources for Education Professionals

Training

Local Authority Information and Update

• B Squared Website – www.bsquared.co.uk
• Meeting with Dale to find out about B Squared - https://calendly.com/b-squared-team/overview-of-b-squared-sendcast
• Email Dale – [email protected]
• Subscribe to the SENDcast - https://www.thesendcast.com/subscribe

We have been involved with Special Educational Needs for over 25 years, helping show the small steps of progress pupils with SEND make. B Squared has worked with thousands of schools, we understand the challenges professionals working in SEND face. We wanted a way to support these hardworking professionals - which is why we launched The SENDcast! Click the button below to find out more about how B Squared can help improve assessment for pupils with SEND in your school.

In recognition of International Purple Day today, Catherine Hodder, Head of Policy, Influencing & Youth Voice at Young Epilepsy joins Dale to discuss 'Understanding epilepsy's impact on children and young people'.

Epilepsy affects around 1 in 200 children in the UK, yet 1 in 3 children with epilepsy do not get the support they need to fully participate in school life.

Epilepsy is one of the most common conditions affecting children and young people, yet it is often misunderstood. Seizures can be subtle and are frequently missed or mistaken for inattention, many school staff do not feel confident responding when a seizure occurs, and as a result some children are unnecessarily excluded from lessons, sports and school trips.

Catherine explains:

• What epilepsy is and how seizures can look very different.
• Common myths and misunderstandings.
• Practical, school-focused advice: Individual Health Care Plans, emergency medication, and how to respond when a seizure happens.
• The impact of epilepsy on learning, memory and mental health.
• How schools can improve inclusion so young people don't miss out.
• A reminder about the DfE consultation on updated guidance for supporting pupils with medical conditions (open until 1 May).

This episode gives clear, practical guidance that helps staff feel confident supporting pupils with epilepsy - from first aid basics to building a supportive, inclusive school culture. It's full of resources and actions schools can take straight away.

View all podcasts available or visit our SENDcast sessions shop!

Catherine leads Young Epilepsy's policy, influencing and youth voice work to improve support systems for children and young people with epilepsy across the UK.

http://www.youngepilepsy.org.uk/

https://www.facebook.com/YoungEpilepsy

https://www.instagram.com/youngepilepsy/

https://www.tiktok.com/@youngepilepsy

[email protected]

You Can Help – Seizure Support Films for Young People

Purple Day – an annual awareness day for epilepsy

Supporting children and young people with epilepsy

Understand My Epilepsy

Updated draft guidance on supporting children and young people with medical conditions

• B Squared Website – www.bsquared.co.uk
• Meeting with Dale to find out about B Squared - https://calendly.com/b-squared-team/overview-of-b-squared-sendcast
• Email Dale – [email protected]
• Subscribe to the SENDcast - https://www.thesendcast.com/subscribe

We have been involved with Special Educational Needs for over 25 years, helping show the small steps of progress pupils with SEND make. B Squared has worked with thousands of schools, we understand the challenges professionals working in SEND face. We wanted a way to support these hardworking professionals - which is why we launched The SENDcast! Click the button below to find out more about how B Squared can help improve assessment for pupils with SEND in your school.

Did you know that children with Down syndrome have a different learning profile?

Ahead of World Down Syndrome Day this Saturday, Sarah Holton from Down syndrome UK, joins Dale to tell us how we can 'support children with Down syndrome to reach their full potential'. Sarah is a specialist advisory teacher and parent to two children, one of whom has Down syndrome. She shares practical, research‑informed strategies to help children with Down syndrome thrive.

Why listen?

• Understand the Down syndrome learning profile (strengths like visual learning; challenges like hearing, visual acuity, and verbal short‑term memory).
• Get classroom‑ready tips: use visuals, scaffold carpet time, teach play skills, and adapt materials for better inclusion.
• Discover the support available.

"It's really important that we make sure that we are finding ways for our children with Down syndrome to show what they know."

Sarah Holton

View all podcasts available or visit our SENDcast sessions shop!

Sarah is our Specialist Advisory Teacher and leads our Early Years Development Programme. Sarah has worked with DSUK for many years developing our PEGS programme, delivering regular behaviour bootcamps and Information Sharing Sessions on topics including early reading, numbers and choosing a preschool. More recently she has been involved in the development and delivery of our Early Years Development Programme. She is a mum to two children, one of whom has Down syndrome.

https://downsyndromeuk.co.uk/

https://www.facebook.com/PositiveaboutDownSyndrome/

https://www.instagram.com/positive_about_down_syndrome/

[email protected]

https://www.linkedin.com/company/down-syndrome-uk/

https://www.youtube.com/@positiveaboutdownsyndrome

Early Years Development Programme

Primary Development Programme

• B Squared Website – www.bsquared.co.uk
• Meeting with Dale to find out about B Squared - https://calendly.com/b-squared-team/overview-of-b-squared-sendcast
• Email Dale – [email protected]
• Subscribe to the SENDcast - https://www.thesendcast.com/subscribe

We have been involved with Special Educational Needs for over 25 years, helping show the small steps of progress pupils with SEND make. B Squared has worked with thousands of schools, we understand the challenges professionals working in SEND face. We wanted a way to support these hardworking professionals - which is why we launched The SENDcast! Click the button below to find out more about how B Squared can help improve assessment for pupils with SEND in your school.

This is a special episode focusing on the new White Paper and the SEND reforms consultation.

Last week, I published my response and reflections — not just on the White Paper and the consultation itself, but also on what they mean in the wider context of the current SEND system, the Curriculum and Assessment Review, and the new Ofsted Inspection Framework.

It turned into quite a big document… about 35 pages in total. There's a lot in there to digest, and a few people asked whether there might be an audio version.

So here we are.

In this episode, it's just me, reading through my response and sharing my thoughts. Hopefully it will help you reflect on how we got here, some of the challenges in the current system, what isn't mentioned in the White Paper and reforms, and where things might go next.

And of course, I'll also touch on what this means for B Squared and the work we're doing.

I am always open to conversations, so feel free to get in contact with your thoughts.

Here are the timings for the different sections: Section Start 1 0:01:29 2 0:05:09 3 0:09:15 4 0:47:31 5 1:02:41 6 1:13:21 7 1:22:53 8 1:32:09

Useful links...

• B Squared Website – www.bsquared.co.uk
• Meeting with Dale to find out about B Squared - https://calendly.com/b-squared-team/overview-of-b-squared-sendcast
• Email Dale – [email protected]
• Subscribe to the SENDcast - https://www.thesendcast.com/subscribe
• Fixing a Broken System document - https://bsquared.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Fixing-a-Broken-System-1.pdf
• SENDcast Session FREE Briefing on the White paper and SEND Reforms - https://thesendcast.com/product/whats-in-the-schools-white-paper-for-send/

We have been involved with Special Educational Needs for over 25 years, helping show the small steps of progress pupils with SEND make. B Squared has worked with thousands of schools, we understand the challenges professionals working in SEND face. We wanted a way to support these hardworking professionals - which is why we launched The SENDcast! Click the button below to find out more about how B Squared can help improve assessment for pupils with SEND in your school.

Young carers often take on adult responsibilities, balancing school, social life, and caregiving, all while navigating the emotional impact of disability in their families. This is an increasingly important area of discussion, particularly as schools are now required to report the number of young carers within their settings for the national census.

I'm delighted to share today's inspirational discussion with Kasia Thompson, a Teaching Assistant and Young Carer Coordinator at St Regis CE Academy – 'Young Carers: Voices That Matter'.

Kasia has developed an award-winning initiative aimed at supporting young carers, an often-hidden group within our schools. She shares her insights on:

• The challenges young carers face
• Strategies for recognising and supporting young carers within schools
• The importance of creating an inclusive environment for students with caring roles
• Practical steps for schools to engage with young carers and empower them

You'll also hear directly from St Regis students as they share their experiences as young carers. Join us as we explore how we can better support young carers, ensuring they feel seen, heard, and empowered.

View all podcasts available or visit our SENDcast sessions shop!

Kasia Thompson, is a Teaching Assistant and Young Carer Coordinator at St Regis CE Academy with a passion for supporting inclusion and understanding, particularly for families raising a disabled child.

Kasia developed an award-winning initiative supporting Young Carers within a mainstream secondary school. She has been a dedicated advocate for ensuring these students feel seen, supported, and empowered—creating an environment where they know they are not alone and have people ready to listen and stand beside them.

www.stregisacademy.org

https://facebook.com/kingswolverhampton

https://www.instagram.com/stregisceacademy

[email protected]

Wolverhampton Carers Team

Carers Trust

Young Carers in Schools

Children's Society

Sibs – sibling carers

• B Squared Website – www.bsquared.co.uk
• Meeting with Dale to find out about B Squared - https://calendly.com/b-squared-team/overview-of-b-squared-sendcast
• Email Dale – [email protected]
• Subscribe to the SENDcast - https://www.thesendcast.com/subscribe

We have been involved with Special Educational Needs for over 25 years, helping show the small steps of progress pupils with SEND make. B Squared has worked with thousands of schools, we understand the challenges professionals working in SEND face. We wanted a way to support these hardworking professionals - which is why we launched The SENDcast! Click the button below to find out more about how B Squared can help improve assessment for pupils with SEND in your school.