EP 128: Most children have multiple diagnosis with Lizzie Shearing and Liz Britton from Learning DNA
The gap between what neurodiverse children need and what traditional education provides continues to widen, leaving parents desperate for answers while waiting years for diagnoses and appropriate support. In this eye-opening conversation, Lizzie Shearing and Liz Britton share how Learning DNA's revolutionary approach is transforming outcomes for children with ADHD, autism, dyslexia, and other neurodevelopmental differences.At the heart of their methodology is the recognition that most children don't fit neatly into diagnostic boxes. "I think what really struck me in my role as a SENCO was that there isn't really one child I've ever met that only has one difficulty," explains Lizzie, highlighting why the traditional siloed pathways to support often fail our most vulnerable learners. Their 360-degree assessment evaluates fourteen distinct learning skills, creating a comprehensive picture that prioritizes interventions based on individual needs rather than diagnostic labels.One of the most fascinating revelations is how frequently visual processing difficulties are misdiagnosed as dyslexia. Lizzie shares how proper screening and intervention improved her own daughter's reading speed by 25% overnight through specialized glasses and vision therapy. This exemplifies Learning DNA's evidence-based approach, which looks beyond labels to identify and address the root causes of learning barriers.The conversation explores their innovative therapeutic programs, including movement therapy using AI tracking technology, personalized learning programs, vision therapy, and auditory integration training. What makes their approach particularly powerful is how they bring together families, schools and specialists to create holistic support systems with practical strategies for both home and classroom environments.For parents navigating the overwhelming journey of supporting a neurodiverse child, this episode offers both hope and practical guidance. Discover how understanding your child's complete learning profile – rather than chasing diagnoses – could be the key to unlocking their potential and transforming their educational experience. Could your child's learning challenges be different than you think?Click here for Learning DNA enter SEND30 for a 30% discountClick here for Private SEND Parenting WhatsAPP Communitywww.sendparenting.com
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EP 127: Parenting Your Neurodivergent Child with Diane Dempster, co-founder of Impact Parents
We dive into a powerful conversation about parenting neurodivergent children from the inside out with guest Diane Dempster, coach, speaker, and co-founder of Impact Parents. Diane shares her personal journey as a "recovering yelling mom" and how she discovered that the way we show up as parents matters more than what we do.• How the "Super Mom trap" catches neurodivergent parents who try to do everything for their children• Why parents are "the missing link" in helping neurodivergent children thrive • Recognising when you're having a "wobbly" day and what to do about it• Practical tools like the "3-5 challenge" for setting realistic expectations• Questioning whether difficult behaviours are "naughty or neurological"• Reframing self-care as "bringing your needs into the equation"• The importance of asking for help and modelling this skill for your children• Setting an intention to do something for yourself every day, no matter how small• Breaking free from internal critical voices that may not even be your ownIf you're looking for a safe space to connect with other parents navigating their neurodiverse journey, our private WhatsApp community offers support, insights and real conversations with like-minded parents who truly understand. Join the conversation today. You can find the link in the show notes.Click here for Impact ParentsClick here for the SEND Parenting Private WhatsApp Communitywww.sendparenting.com
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EP 126: ADHD Parenting: Heal Yourself, Help Your Child with Randy Free of Aspire Coaching
What if your journey to help your child with ADHD actually begins with healing yourself? Randy Free, founder of Aspire Coaching, offers a refreshing perspective that might just transform your family dynamics.When traditional parenting approaches fail with neurodivergent children, parents often feel trapped in cycles of conflict, meltdowns, and mutual frustration. Randy's personal story of raising two children with ADHD resonates deeply—the hours spent on homework, the struggles within an inflexible education system, and the constant worry about how their story would end. Through this journey, he discovered a profound truth: healing the family system creates space for the child to thrive.The heart of our conversation explores Randy's PEACE framework (Perspective, Ease tension, Attune, Connect, and Empower), offering a structured path toward calmer, more connected parenting. We unpack how children's emotional outbursts aren't manipulative or defiant but distress signals from a brain where logic becomes inaccessible during emotional moments. Randy introduces practical tools like the STOP method for identifying emotional warning signs and creating personalised calming strategies before reaching full meltdown.Perhaps most importantly, we challenge the misconception that gentle parenting means permissiveness. Randy articulates the crucial balance between empathetic connection and maintaining clear boundaries, showing how fewer, more focused expectations actually create space for children to thrive. The conversation takes a beautiful turn as we recognize how neurodivergent children flourish when their education aligns with their passions—like Randy's son who struggled to get out of bed for school but achieved perfect attendance at motorcycle mechanics school.Whether you're in the trenches of daily ADHD challenges or simply seeking to better understand neurodivergent minds, this episode offers compassionate insight alongside practical strategies. Join us to discover how one breath, one conscious choice at a time, you can transform both your parenting approach and your relationship with your wonderfully unique child.Click here for Randy FreeClick here for access to private SEND Parenting WhatsAPP Communitywww.sendparenting.com
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EP 125: Financial protection for neurodivergent children with Lisa Chauhan & Cara Roughani of Send Protect
Financial planning for neurodivergent children is not just about money but about love, responsibility, and the legacy we leave when we're no longer here.• Cara explains how her journey with her autistic son during COVID lockdown led to creating SendProtect after noticing financial advisors weren't addressing SEND-specific needs• SendProtect offers free educational events, webinars and consultations to help SEND parents understand long-term financial planning• Life insurance policies should be written in trust to prevent inheritance tax and provide immediate access to funds• Children's ISAs can become problematic at age 18 if your child lacks financial capacity, requiring court applications• Vulnerable person's trusts provide a government-approved way to save money for SEND children without affecting benefits• Even £5 per week can provide meaningful financial protection through properly structured life insurance• Having a will with children's guardianship specified is essential to prevent SEND children entering temporary care• Workplace support for SEND parents is crucial—employers need to understand the additional caring responsibilitiesJoin the conversation in our private WhatsApp community where SEND parents connect for support, insights and understanding. Find the link in the show notes.Click here for SEND Protect www.sendparenting.com
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EP 124: When your child slips away with Guy Shahar of Transformative Autism
What happens when the child you thought you knew begins to slip away? For Guy Shahar, watching his one-year-old son Daniel lose words, self-feeding abilities, and connection was heartbreaking. "It's like you're losing your child," Guy shares, describing the helplessness that washed over him and his wife as traditional medical pathways offered little beyond frustration and dismissal.Their story takes an unexpected turn when they follow their intuition to a small therapy center in Israel, emptying their savings on what Guy calls "stronger than a whim, but without any rational basis." What follows is nothing short of remarkable - a transformation that begins on the very first day when Daniel, who hadn't touched solid food in over a year, sits calmly at a table feeding himself. The magic, Guy explains, isn't in mysterious techniques but in learning profound attunement and containment - creating safety while truly seeing and responding to what his son actually needed rather than what conventional parenting expected.Guy's journey doesn't end with Daniel's progress. While establishing the charity Transforming Autism, he discovers his own neurodivergence, adding layers of insight to his understanding: "Autistic children are often particularly sensitive and empathic - turbocharged even. It's overwhelming, that's why they shut down." This revelation reshapes his advocacy work, focusing on helping parents understand their children's extraordinary potential from the earliest moments. Through intensive home-based therapies and accessible online parent groups, his charity now guides families toward the confidence to parent neurodivergent children on their own terms.For parents just beginning this journey, Guy offers compassionate wisdom: allow yourself to grieve the future you imagined, seek community with those who understand, and remember that while the path may not resemble what you expected, the connection waiting on the other side can be more profound than you ever thought possible. Connect with the Send Parenting WhatsApp community through the link in our show notes, where you'll find others walking similar paths with open hearts and shared understanding.Click here for Transforming AutsimClick here for Guy's book Transforming AutismClick here to join the private SEND Parenting WhatsApp Communitywww.sendparenting.com
Welcome to the Send Parenting Podcast. I'm your neurodiverse host, Dr Olivia Kessel, and, more importantly, I am a mother to my wonderfully neurodivergent daughter, Alexandra, who really inspired this podcast. As a veteran in navigating the world of neurodiversity, I have uncovered a wealth of misinformation, alongside many answers and solutions that were never taught to me in medical school or in any of the parenting handbooks.Each week on this podcast, I will be bringing the experts to your ears to empower you on your parenting crusade.
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