Sarah Dixon.mp4
Are labels helpful? How should we communicate an ADHD diagnosis to our children?
In this episode, Claire is joined by parent guest, Sarah Dixon. Sarah is a mother of two girls, aged 10 and 12, both of whom are dyslexic and have ADHD. As is her husband. Sarah is also Director and Trustee of the Accessible Learning Foundation - @a_l_f_official - a new charitable organisation focusing on early identification and support for those with neurodivergent conditions.
Sarah shares her journey from the realisation her children thought differently, through the identification stage to where they are now.
Claire and Sarah discuss the different ways ADHD can present in children, plus the impact of diagnoses, medication, and accessing accommodations at school on their children's ability to thrive. As Sarah says:
"I would just encourage all parents to share identifications with their children because it is so helpful. They then go, "Oh, that's why I found XYZ so difficult!" It can be such a sense of relief for children. "That's why I can't sit on the carpet, mummy!" It's just an understanding that they suddenly gain of themselves, and again, it allows them to work with their strengths and support their weaknesses."
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All Aboard ADHD - Pippa Simou
"We need real help noticing the things that do go well, because there's plenty that does go well, but we're very quick to... ignore it... It doesn't land. As a parent, can you capture those good things? Can they be in a book... an album... on a phone? Can you keep a record of those things to remind her?"
How can you positively reinforce your child with ADHD, and why should you?
Claire is joined by Pippa Simou - @theaddvantage_ - expert guest psychologist and specialist ADHD coach, to explore the surprising gender disparities for ADHD in girls, in this episode of All Aboard ADHD. They discuss how ADHD can present differently in girls, and the resulting vulnerabilities our girls can be at risk of due to lack of awareness, one of which is self-criticism.
Pippa stresses the importance of understanding ADHD vulnerabilities like this so that we can address them effectively, for example capturing the good things our children do, to remind them of their achievements when they make mistakes. She also highlights some of the incredible strengths and talents children with ADHD can have and shares some fantastic insight around the power of positive reinforcement and reward, rather than punishment.
This is a must-listen for parents of ADHD girls, particularly if they have been diagnosed with ADHD themselves.
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Soli Lazarus
The more we say to our little people, "you’re ok, I love you how you are, you are great, you are a superstar", the more we say that, these little children are going to be 30, 40, 50, 60 and not go through life thinking they’re not good enough or “why have things gone wrong for me?"
Claire is joined by Soli Lazarus in the latest episode of All Aboard ADHD to bust ADHD myths and talk about how we can help our ADHD children recognise their unique strengths. Soli is a former teacher with 30 years of experience, culminating in her career as a SENCO in a large primary school in London. Her adult son has ADHD and she has a number one best-selling book ‘ADHD Is Our Superpower’, aimed at empowering young people to see themselves positively.
Amongst the many inspiring insights to support parents to advocate for and support their ADHD children in this episode, Soli also advises parents to throw away the 'traditional parenting handbook’, emphasizing instead how positive reinforcement can have a huge impact on self-esteem for ADHD children.
A must-listen episode for parents navigating the ADHD journey. Search All Aboard ADHD wherever you like to listen.
"If it was any other condition of course, a ramp would be put in. It would be done because they would understand that they can't work effectively without it. So that's when you realise how long we have to go to get a level playing field"
How do we best advocate for our children if they need accommodations at school? How do we ensure they are supported and provided with opportunities to thrive?
In this episode of All Aboard ADHD, Claire is joined by @GeorginaFullerWriter - a freelance journalist, speaker, guest lecturer, and mother of three, two of whom have been diagnosed with ADHD. Georgina describes the early signs of ADHD traits in her children, along with some of the accommodations that have been helpful at school, for example movement breaks and extra time for exams.
Claire and Georgina discuss some of the damaging stereotypes and narratives surrounding ADHD in the media, the importance of having conversations to raise awareness, and also how crucial early diagnosis can be to ensure children have the best possible opportunities to thrive. Georgina also opens up about her experience of feeling judged by her friends due to her children’s diagnoses, the stigma around self-diagnosis, and how she has had to challenge some of her own preconceptions of ADHD as part of her journey.
To hear more about Georgina's story -- search ‘All Aboard ADHD’ wherever you like to listen
All Aboard ADHD - Leanne Maskell
"It's aimed at helping people get those habits implemented so they're in the toolbox. It's not a fix because I don't think people with ADHD are broken and need fixes. And yes! You probably won't be waking up at 6 o'clock in the morning every day for the rest of your life. You might do these habits for a while but it's actually just figuring out what works for you and building up these new ways of thinking and operating in the world"
How can ADHD coaching support you or your child with ADHD to work with your brain rather than against it? In this episode, Claire is joined by Leanne Maskell - @leannemaskell - to talk about the power of ADHD coaching and the raft of benefits it can bring to ADHD children and adults alike.
Leanne is an ADHD Coach, Author, and Activist, having presented to the World Health Organization on improving global access to support for ADHD. Previously working in mental health and disability law, Leanne set up ADHD Works - @adhdworks - to empower as many people as possible to learn about how to make ADHD work for them through courses, talks, and coaching. After being diagnosed with ADHD at age 25, Leanne published 4 books, including her latest book 'ADHD Works at Work' &‘ ADHD: an A to Z’, as featured on Sky News.
To learn more about ADHD coaching search ‘All Aboard ADHD’ wherever you like to listen.
All Aboard ADHD - Universal ADHD Screening - with Matt Hancock
What is the Neurodivergent Screening and Teacher Training Bill and how can it help teachers provide children with a better learning experience?
In this episode, Claire is joined by The Rt Hon Matt Hancock, who has represented West Suffolk as Member of Parliament since 2010, to talk about his campaign for the early identification for neurodiverse conditions in schools. Matt and Claire discuss the huge impact that undiagnosed neurodiverse conditions have not just on education but the youth offender and prison systems. A shocking 97% of children excluded from Primary School have a special educational need and for children who end up in the youth justice system, it is 80%.
As Matt describes:
"If you could rewind their lives to when they were 5 or 6 and understand how their brains worked differently and get that tailored support. But you can only support people when you have identified the problem. You can’t manage what you can’t measure. So this is such an important agenda and I think it can make a huge difference to people’s lives right across the board, but especially those who sadly end up in the youth justice system."
To learn more about how this bill will better support not just ADHD but all neurodivergent children in schools -- and have a huge impact on future generations -- search ‘All Aboard ADHD’ wherever you like to listen.
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