We need to talk about anxious school avoidance

School avoidance, persistent absence, is a growing issue for many schools and families, different terminologies same heartache. What are you supposed to do when your child says they can’t go to school? Unfortunately, some families are at greater risk of their...
Back to School Part 2 Going back to go forwards

Back to School Part 2 Going back to go forwards

  In this film, on my #happyinschool YouTube channel, I talk about how we can start to discuss some of the tricky issues with our children, giving them time to make sense of them, before they go into a new setting (school) in the next few weeks. Some children are...

Getting ready to go back to school? try a little C.A.L.L.M.

I’ve been busy putting my ideas and experience into a number of articles during lockdown: pieces to help with home-learning, to combat boredom and more recently to help ease parents and teachers back into the school world, even though we don’t really know...

Zoom Zoom around the room

Really looking forward to talking to lots of autism and ADHD parents on Thursday.  I will also be doing a short book reading from S.E.N.D. in the Clowns, which is out in September. Looking for the perfect segment for you. Here’s the flyer with all of the...

Strengths-based Superpowers

“Focus on building your strengths rather than working so hard to overcome your perceived weaknesses.”   Susan Duffy Saw this quote on my Twitter feed and it inspired me to write this post: Your strengths are your superpower. Not sure what your strengths...

Tips to build self-esteem in young people (with ADHD)

Give your self-esteem a boost Self-esteem can change in an instant, measure yours and your child’s constantly. Literally, on a scale from 1 – 5, where 1 =rubbish and 5 = on top of the world, how do you feel? If you feel yourself slipping, try out a couple of the...