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Autism, PDA & Masking in School – One Mum’s Journey to Diagnosis and Fighting for Her Neurodivergent Children
Parent, Christine shares her experience of raising two neurodivergent children with autism. We discuss their journey seeking a diagnosis, the complexities of Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) and “masking” in school.
Navigating Neurodivergence a lived experience story
Explore neurodivergence in schools with Andy Tolly. Learn about Autism, ADHD, Anxiety disorder and mental health support for children at school.
The Silent Cost of School Exclusion
Hear Tier Blundell’s journey from being excluded in Year 7 to studying at Oxford University, and unpack the powerful connections between ADHD, racism, and school exclusion along the way.
Transforming Education with Rachel MacFarlane
We discuss practical strategies for building inclusive, equitable school cultures, emphasising the power of relationships, confronting bias, and prioritising emotional well-being so that every child can thrive.
The journey of treating OCD and BDD in children and young people
We’re joined by Dr. Bruce Clark, a consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist, who shares his insights on supporting young people with OCD and BDD. He highlights the need for early intervention, innovative care, and open dialogue—especially in schools and also discusses the impact of social media.
How to celebrate neurodiversity and learn from our children
In this episode we look at why it’s important to listen to neurodiverse children and young people, including those with autism and how it can help parents and carers understand and celebrate their experience. We’re joined by Scott Mair, director of Fatherhood Solutions as he shares his own family’s perspective of raising a neurodiverse child.
How to support anxious children in school: Lessons from Peter Ruppert of Anxiety Fitness
We discuss the impact of anxiety in children in school and what parents, carers and teachers can do. We’re joined by Peter Ruppert, founder of Anxiety Fitness, who shares his lived experience and how childhood anxiety shaped his journey.
Friendships, social connections, the online world, and executive functions
In this episode we talk to Dr Bettina Hohnen, about helping our children in their friendships and social connections and the challenges of screens and the online landscape.
We also look at the silent skills that make up our executive functioning. We learn why a child may respond in a certain way to something and how as a parent or carer we can re-frame this as a skills deficit rather than as naughty behaviour.
This episode is packed full of ideas and strategies for you to try out to help maintain a positive relationship with your child.
Trauma-informed practice and supporting young refugees with Svetlana Scheck-Robinz
In this episode we explore trauma-informed systems and processes and how schools and teachers can better support children who have experienced trauma. We especially discuss young refugees and asylum seekers and how we can prepare our schools and classroom approaches to support this specific cohort.
Empowering Children: The Role of Early Intervention with Vanessa Longley
In this episode of the Nip in the Bud podcast, Alis Rocca speaks with Vanessa Longley, the Chief Executive of Chance UK, about the critical importance of early intervention in children’s mental health.
From our Blog...
Beyond the ‘Coke Bottle’ Effect: Understanding Autism and PDA in the Classroom and at Home
For many parents of neurodivergent children, the school gates represent an invisible boundary. On one side, a child might appear calm, compliant, and for all intents and purposes ‘fine’. School staff and peers see a child who is doing okay throughout the day. If they are not thriving, this is often missed because they appear fine, well behaved and often slip under the radar. On the other side of the gate however, the pressure of a day spent ‘masking’ or hiding just how much they are struggling in order to cope with the demands of the school day, is a building pressure. A pressure that can often, like a shaken coke bottle, lead to an explosive release at home.
In a recent episode of the Nip in the Bud podcast, I meet with Christine Walsh who shares her journey navigating this phenomenon with her two neurodivergent sons. Her story offers an interesting and often illuminating roadmap for both parents and educators on how to move past surface appearance, supposition and oftentimes judgement, toward true acknowledgement of need and support. Here we discuss Christine and her family’s experience.
