Happy in School Project

Thank you Dale Pickles for inviting me onto your 200th special episode of SENDcast... it was great to talk to you again with such interesting and passionate co-guests. You have created something uniquely powerful and part of that power and ease of expression is you - well done! Watching myself is like a visual expression of Connors in 3D: "squirming in your seat" "driven as if by a motor" "interrupting others when they're speaking.." Aside from my animation levels, I hope listeners enjoy our conversation on this ever more important topic as thousands of families are struggling every single day. I was one of them. Keep up the great work!

https://lnkd.in/e43hatdx “These are really serious, complicated, complex issues that, in a way, lumping it all together as ‘school non-attendance’ doesn’t even begin to explain some of the nuances of what’s happening in individual families." Suzy Rowland #bullying #physicalhealth #identity #sensoryprocessing #apd #auditoryprocessing #dv #siblingillness #dsylexia #dsycalculia #adhd #neurodivergence #schooldistress #schoolnonattendance #ebsa #parenting #neurodivergentparenting #schools #education

A thoughtful piece by Laura Crane on the practicalities of applying an EHCP to the specific needs and wants of a child in school, particularly in terms of resourcing and delivering a joined-up package with professionals across education, health and social care. She concludes that the onus falls predominantly on those in education and perhaps therein lies the genesis of the intense difficulty for many parents and their children with additional educational needs: https://lnkd.in/eveNQWDB https://lnkd.in/exY4EWMw

"It has become increasingly clear that some people with ADHD also have self-control problems, affecting their ability to regulate emotions. For example, one in 50 (2.1%) children with a diagnosis of ADHD also have a mood disorder, such as depression, while more than one in four (27.4%) have an anxiety disorder. Many also have verbal or physical outbursts due to an inability to regulate their emotions." Here's the full article:

https://lnkd.in/eRya6-rA I'm hosting an event in October for Black History Month - You can expect a little bit of singing, maybe a bit of head bobbing and a lot of talking about equality, inclusion and neurodiversity! It will be held at the lovely MAC (Midlands Arts Centre) in Birmingham in the heart of cannon hill park, where I used to spend many happy hours chatting to the animals in the nature Centre! #events #brum #community #neurodiversity #autism #adhd

The CDC report echoes findings from a 2022 ADDitude survey of 1,187 caregivers, which found that an astounding 75% of adolescent girls with ADHD also have anxiety, 54% suffer from depression, more than 14% have a sleep disorder, and nearly 12% report an eating disorder — more than three times the national average for neurotypical women. The report was released in Feb 2023 by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC).

Schools in England send police to homes of absent pupils with threats to jail their parents: #news https://lnkd.in/e-ygppb2

Do follow André Skepple for his incredible tech solutions to some of the diagnostic and practical EHCP update issues faced by so many parents and local authorities... watch this space! #tech #solutions #echp #diagnosis #screening

As a former corporate communications specialist, it always intrigues me how quickly people formulate their opinions, based on the opinions of others, especially if those others are in the public eye. Working in schools and across the additional learning needs space, I meet and support distressed parents who are literally in emotional pain due to their conflict of needing to be a competent and reliable employee, as well as meet society's somewhat unrealistic expectation of being fully present parent. Parenting a child with additional needs whilst holding down a full-time (or part-time) job is not easy, and the stakes are even higher if you're navigating the landscape of a child with anxiety, a boss who has no real understanding of the family pressures and micro decisions you need to make to keep the whole show on the road. Parenting blaming whole groups is neither helpful nor bares any relationship to reality - it simply results in deepening resentments between groups of people who are all trying to do their best in a highly conflicted environment. I can't speak for all parents but my take (and many parents I have spoken to) is this: *For most families, full time work is essential, requiring both parents working with possibly one out of the house and the other hybrid, depending on the workplace culture, (the single-working parent juggle, is altogether too complex to go into here). *Childcare in London is expensive (even if you're in a higher earning bracket, more than £40k). *Keeping children at home (whatever day of the week) is by no means an 'easy' option for parents. *If your child is a teenager, who is struggling with mental health challenges, friendship/bullying issues, the instinct to keep them at home is more about their safety than lazy parenting. There is so much to discuss around this topic, to include nuance and variations of circumstances..little surprise I wrote a book on it...called 'I can't go to school!' #schoolattendance #schooldistress #schoolanxiety #parentblame #mentalhealthawarenessweek #bullying #schoolpolicy

As a former corporate communications specialist, it always intrigues me how quickly people formulate their opinions, based on the opinions of others, especially if those others are in the public eye. Working in schools and across the additional learning needs space, I meet and support distressed parents who are literally in emotional pain due to their conflict of needing to be a competent and reliable employee, as well as meet society's somewhat unrealistic expectation of being fully present parent. Parenting a child with additional needs whilst holding down a full-time (or part-time) job is not easy, and the stakes are even higher if you're navigating the landscape of a child with anxiety, a boss who has no real understanding of the family pressures and micro decisions you need to make to keep the whole show on the road. Parenting blaming whole groups is neither helpful nor bares any relationship to reality - it simply results in deepening resentments between groups of people who are all trying to do their best in a highly conflicted environment. I can't speak for all parents but my take (and many parents I have spoken to) is this: *For most families, full time work is essential, requiring both parents working with possibly one out of the house and the other hybrid, depending on the workplace culture, (the single-working parent juggle, is altogether too complex to go into here). *Childcare in London is expensive (even if you're in a higher earning bracket, more than £40k). *Keeping children at home (whatever day of the week) is by no means an 'easy' option for parents. *If your child is a teenager, who is struggling with mental health challenges, friendship/bullying issues, the instinct to keep them at home is more about their safety than lazy parenting. There is so much to discuss around this topic, to include nuance and variations of circumstances..little surprise I wrote a book on it...called 'I can't go to school!' #schoolattendance #schooldistress #schoolanxiety #parentblame #mentalhealthawarenessweek #bullying #schoolpolicy