All About ADHD and Neurodiversity

31/12/2023

I love this

04/01/2023

This message resonates at this time when schools/parents seem to be increasingly putting pressure on kids to read and write before starting school , accelerate through learning, achieve university level subjects during highschool… it is easy to lose sight of the importance of learning how to be kind, inclusive, empathetic, working out how to be a good human, immerse in creative play, dreaming time… all of which needs time and space in childhood.

No need to steal childhood....💛

03/10/2022

Australian & New Zealand ADHD Awareness Month campaign -

02/10/2022

Given it is Adhd awareness month, perhaps we can reflect on the allocation of resources in schools. So many people dismiss the imperative for private schools to do better for children who live with adhd and learning difficulties. The excuse that is always trotted out is: ‘state schools are better resourced for kids with learning differences like adhd.’ It is almost a universal response.

Have you compared the resources of state schools and independent schools?

Have a look at the grounds of private schools.

Have a look at how they allocate their resources… all the excellence programs for sport and academic pursuits. Did you know that the ‘firsts’ in cricket and rugby are treated to beautiful lunches at their games, and that lunch is also provided to their blessed parents?

How about reallocating some of the money that is plowed into the elite end of the school spectrum ? How about diverting just a fraction of those resources to providing support to children who had the misfortune of being born with a learning difficulty or with poor regulation?

Inclusive education is coming to all schools. And the private schools better get on board with that idea because parents of kids who have adhd will not continue to be pushed out of schools …

October is ADHD awareness month!

We need to keep the conversation going about ADHD and help those around us understand it.

This month let's:
1. Talk openly about ADHD
2. Correct misinformation about ADHD when you hear it (in a nice way)
3: Post on social media about ADHD
4: Talk about the positives of ADHD

We are stronger together.

21/09/2022

I could not love this more

27/08/2022

A brilliant account of living with adhd. if you are curious about adhd this is a good listen.

Em Rusciano, Australian comedian, writer, singer and media presenter, addressed the National Press Club of Australia in partnership with Women in Media. She ...

22/07/2022

School can be a difficult journey for kids with ADHD, and their families. Kids do well if they can (Dr Greene’s wise words). And when they can’t, they can really benefit from adults who understand what is happening for them.

Resources that might help you and your child:

Ask your school to read or re-read Ross Greene's "The Explosive Child" Dr Greene’s view is very much that all children do their best, and if a child is not meeting expectations, it is up to the adults to look connect with the child, and use their skills to dive into what is happening for the child and then problem solve that specific unsolved problem together. I just did a great course on this and I am going to do the trainer course in collaborative problem solving with the child.

Have a look at Web Site resources-

Www.livesinthebalance.org
This is Ross Greene’s site and there are amazing free resources on this site for you and school

https://www.additudemag.com - you will find links to the podcast recordings here and lots of resources. Lots of very helpful things to give the teacher, and to give you parental guidance.

Lou Brown's web site has great recources, fact sheets and useful info - https://thrivingwithadhd.com.au/
Lou is a West Australian who started as a nurse and became an expert in ADHD and she is currently doing her PhD in a compassionate parenting guide for parents of kids with ADHD

Sue Larkey is an expert on Autism and she has some great info on her web site too. https://suelarkey.com.au/

It is important that your child is not shamed or humiliated for something that they cannot control -their capacity is their capacity - and punishing them for not having capacity to meet expectations only damages their self esteem. It will not build the child's capacity.

We need to help school leave behaviourist teaching/discipline behind (reward and punishment) and move into an empathetic space where the child's difficulties are recognised. I really like Ross Greene's program - it is all about collaborative problem solving - and by using this program of collaborative problem solving, we teach the children to develop the skills that are frequently lagging for them - reasoning, emotion regulation, planning, problem solving.

Teaching a child with ADHD and Autism can be overwhelming and very tricky. The more support and knowledge and information you have - the better you will all manage.

Edit - Medication is definitely one of the important tools in our tool box. It is is something our son gets great benefit from, especially at school. We constantly monitor and adapt the meds as our son grows. But it is not a fix-all.

Courses and resources to help you teach children on the autism spectrum and make a difference in their lives and those who support them.

18/05/2022

I am often asked for information by parents who have a new diagnosis for their child... Here is the information I generally send out. You might also find it useful:

FACEBOOK
There are some great facebook groups for moral support, shared wisdom and recommendations for practitioners (Brisbane ADHD & ASD support group; Too Peas in a Podcast; Parents for ADHD Advocacy; Sue Larkey Podcast Community; Square Peg round Whole.

BOOKS

1. Ross Greene's "The Explosive Child" - this is essential reading. Dr Greene is not into specific diagnoses - his view is very much that all children do their best, and if a child is not meeting expectations, it is up to the adults to look connect with the child, and use their skills to dive into what is happening for the child and then problem solve that specific unsolved problem together. I just did a great course on this and I am going to do the trainer course in collaborative problem solving with Dr Greene. Unlike Dr Greene I believe diagnoses are practical and useful – but there is no doubt in my mind that the collaborative problem solving approach developed by Dr Greene is a reliable way to develop the lagging executive function skills that are necessary for a child to navigate life’s challenges.

2 Russell Barkley's 12 Principles for Raising a Child with ADHD; also listen to him on the ADDitude Podcast (he has several episodes but I like episode 345 as a good place to start). Russell is a clinical psych and a world expert on ADHD. He speaks a lot of truth and wisdom. Listen to the podcast talk by him.

RESOURCES
1. Lou Brown is an Australian ex-nurse currently pursuing her PhD in the area of ADHD. Her site has a lot of good resources on it: Thriving with ADHD (Lou Brown, ADHD Coach, Perth, Australia)

2. The Ultimate Guide to School and Homes (book) - Sue Larkey (Queenslander) - Sue is a teacher, and an expert in Autism. She has this book and a lot of other helpful resources on her site.

PODCASTS

- ADDitude (a podcast where experts give hour long talks on specific topics - it is excellent and should be available on your podcast app);
- Square Peg Round Whole (an advocacy podcast - Australian ... I have been interviewed for this one)
- Too Peas in a Podcast (An Aussie parent support podcast ... I have been interviewed for this one too).

WEB SITES

https://www.additudemag.com - you will find links to the podcast recordings here and lots of resources. Lots of very helpful things to give the teacher, and use for guidance in parenting.

Look for a 'get to know my child' page on any of the web sites... they are useful one page documents that you create to kick start that connection between child and teacher - which is critical to the child learning. The child will not be able to learn anything at school unless they feel connected in that classroom, liked by the teacher and safe. The child's capacity to meet some classroom expectations might be much less than their neurotypical peers - it is important that the child is not shamed or humiliated for something that they cannot control -their capacity is their capacity - and punishing them for not having capacity to meet some classroom expectations only damages the child's self esteem and love of school. It will not build the child's capacity.

PARENT COACH
I recommend Psychologist Lorren Arezio (07 32612909). She is at Bald Hills and can do telehealth appointments.

Parents often need help to parent their ADHD and Autistic kids because these kids can need very different parenting. Learning to leave behaviourist parenting behind (reward and punishment) and move into an empathetic space where the child's difficulties are recognised can be very tricky.

As I said above, I really like Ross Greene's program (I just did a certificate course with him) - it is all about collaborative problem solving - and by using this program of collaborative problem solving, we teach the children to develop the skills that are frequently lagging for them - reasoning, emotion regulation, planning, problem solving.

Parenting a child with ADHD and Autism can be overwhelming and very tricky. The more support and knowledge and information you have - the better you will all manage.

04/05/2022

This is a brilliant for inclusivity in NSW schools … I wonder if Queensland schools will eventually eventually benefit from this initiative in NSW?

I just thought I would share some good news here. I have just secured Dr Ross Greene to meet with the NSW Department of Education! I had an idea and I articulated it. I advocated for it and I didn't stop until I heard that word, "yes".
Dr Ross Greene is going to meet with the NSW Department of Education.
Dr Ross Greene is going to be a guest on my podcast!
He said that he would like to dedicate more of his time to dedicate to this project as it is on a "large scale".
Please join in celebrations with me as this is a big win for people with ADHD and other disabilities.