The School Can't Experience

Welcome to the School Can't Experience Podcast hosted by Leisa Reichelt. In this episode, Wendy, a high school teacher and foster parent, shares her story of caring for her foster son Jax, who has struggled with school attendance for several years. Wendy shares the various challenges they have faced with the education system, their experiences with foster care, and their journey towards findi...

In this episode, host Leisa Reichelt is joined by Tanya Valentin, a neuro-affirming family coach from New Zealand.  Tanya shares her journey of discovering her neurodivergence and her family's experiences with school burnout and autism. They discuss the challenges, grief, and shame faced by parents, and the transformative power of finding new paths to education and parenting.  Tanya also talk...

In this episode of the School Can't Experience Podcast, host Leisa Reichelt is joined by Pavlina McMaster, Coordinator at the Home Education Network to shed light on some common myths about Home Education, including:  Myth #1:Home Education is a last resort Myth #2: I have to work so don’t have time to Home Educate Myth #3: I’m not smart/educated enough to teach my kids Myth #4: Home Educatio...

In this episode of the School Can't Experience Podcast, host Leisa Reichelt speaks with Kate Broderick, a dual qualified speech therapist and occupational therapist, about the transition from behaviorism to a relationship-based approach in education.  Kate shares her personal journey as a parent of neurodivergent children and discusses the importance of building trust-based relationships to c...

In this episode Melisa and her son Jamie to share their inspiring story with host, Leisa Reichelt. Jamie, who struggled with conventional schooling due to autism and other challenges, found an unconventional but successful educational pathway. Despite difficulties including bullying, sensory challenges and a lack of support in school, Jamie flourished through home education, ultimately enrolling i...

In this episode of the School Can't Experience Podcast, hosted by Leisa Reichelt, we discuss the best strategies for preparing children for school transitions.  As the school year ends, many parents are concerned about how to set their children up for success in the next academic year, especially when transitioning between primary and high school.  Guests Tiffany Westphal from School Can&apos...

In this episode of the School Can't Experience Podcast, host Leisa Reichelt is joined by Pavlina McMaster and Heidi Ryan from the Home Education Network (HEN) to discuss the challenges and benefits of home education for neurodivergent children & young people. Pavlina and Heidi share their personal experiences, highlighting how home education caters to the unique needs of these children, f...

In this episode, host Leisa Reichelt speaks with Hugh Viney, CEO of Minerva Virtual Academy (MVA), the UK’s fastest growing school that specifically caters to kids whose needs are not met by the mainstream school system. MVA's unique model centers on a 'happiness first' ethos, providing a blend of self-directed online learning, live lessons, mentoring, and community activities. Hugh...

In this episode of the School Can't Experience Podcast, host Leisa Reichelt is joined by Esther Jones, a UK-based parent and unschooling advocate and author of The Parent's Handbook to Unschooling Yourself.  Esther shares her personal journey of unschooling her three children and the principles behind the philosophy. We explore how parents can inadvertently present the biggest challenges...

Em Hammond of Neurowild joins us for this special episode. Em, a speech therapist and illustrator, emphasizes the importance of understanding and supporting neurodivergent children, particularly in educational settings.  We talk through Em’s resource called ‘Reasons Why Autistic Kids May Not Be OK With ‘Having a Go’ and why this request can be ableist, dismissive of our kids experience and ultimat...

Happy school holidays (in Australia) to all who celebrate. As a holiday special we are revisiting this popular episode, an interview with clinical psychologist Monique Mitchelson. We explore the often misunderstood concept of resilience, especially for our neurodivergent young people. Monique, who is autistic and ADHD herself, shares her journey and highlights the challenges and necessary shifts i...

In this episode host Leisa Reichelt is joined by Dr Kara Johns to discuss the crucial role that General Practitioners (GPs) can play in supporting families struggling with School Can’t. Dr. Johns, a GP from South Australia, shares her personal and professional insights on handling School Can't situations. They explore the importance of building strong GP-family relationships, navigating the A...

In this episode of the School Can't Experience Podcast, host Leisa Reichelt discusses the recent Australian Network for School Attendance Conference with Tiffany Westphal and Louise Rogers from School Can't Australia.  They share valuable insights and highlights from the event, discussing various topics such as the impact of stressors on student attendance, the importance of lived experi...

In our first parent/young person duet episode, Simone and her teenager Yani share their journey through years of school struggles, home education, and eventually finding a path forward that works. Together, they talk openly about the challenges of separation anxiety, dyslexia, School Can’t, and the toll it takes on both parent and child. What shines through is their honesty, resilience, and the st...

In this episode of the School Can't Experience Podcast, host Leisa Reichelt speaks with Symone Wheatley-Hey, an advocate for neurodivergent voices in education.  Symone shares her personal journey of navigating 'School Can't' as a sole parent to two neurodivergent children. The discussion covers Symone's experiences with home education, the impact of PDA (Pathological Dema...

Returning guest Dr. Naomi Fisher joins host Leisa Reichelt and School Can’t Australia’s Tiffany Westphal and returning guest Dr. Naomi Fisher to deep dive into the pressing issue of parental burnout.  Dr. Fisher, Clinical Psychologist and expert in supporting parents with burned out School Can’t kids, provides valuable insights into recognizing, understanding, and combating burnout among parents a...

In this episode, you’ll meet Diana, a mother of two young people with School Can’t experiences. Diana joins host Leisa Reichelt to candidly share her experiences supporting her son James through his struggles with mainstream schooling. From early signs like separation anxiety and hating birthday parties and swimming lessons, to the challenges of advocating for access to Distance Education includin...

In this episode of the School Can't Experience Podcast, host Leisa Reichelt is joined by South Australian parents Kate and Daniel, who discuss their experiences caring for three neurodivergent children, two of whom they are currently home educating.  They share their challenges with the traditional school system, the transition to home education, the realities of day to day life and low deman...

In this episode, host Leisa Reichelt is joined by School Can't mum Nicola, who shares her family's journey through School Can’t challenges.  Nicola discusses the challenges her family has faced in finding the best way to support her children in their well being as well as their education. She shares the challenges of shifting her mindset, having come from a background that valued academi...

In this heartfelt episode of the School Can't Experience Podcast, host Leisa Reichelt is joined by Jane, a School Can’t parent.  Jane shares her journey with her son Johnny, who was diagnosed with ADHD and autism, and the struggles they faced within the school system. Despite a series of setbacks, Jane's advocacy led to finding a supportive educational environment where Johnny is now thr...

In this episode of the School Can't Experience Podcast, host Leisa Reichelt is joined by Louise Rogers from School Can't Australia and their guest, Eliza Fricker.  Eliza, known for her insightful School Can't Illustrations and webinars, shares her personal journey of navigating 'School Can't' with her daughter. They discuss the challenges of the school environment, th...

In this episode, host Leisa Reichelt compiles into stories shared by six parents—Jennie, Marissa, Mark, Jane, Emma, and Lisa—who talk about their struggles and revelations while caring for children who struggle with school attendance.  From early signs of stress and school-related anxiety to burnout, the episode highlights common themes like masking, parent blaming, and the importance of understan...

This episode features a conversation with Tiffany Westphal, Director at School Can't Australia. With host, Leisa Reichelt, Tiffany helps us explore the top six school-based stressors identified in a survey conducted for the Senate Inquiry into School Refusal.  They discuss the nature of stressors, and the key findings from the research, providing valuable insights for parents, carers, and edu...

In this episode, host Leisa Reichelt is joined by Lisa McLean as they discuss her daughter Mia's struggles with school attendance and anxiety.  Lisa shares her family's journey from identifying early signs of anxiety in primary school, navigating high school challenges, understanding the mind-body connection, to ultimately finding alternative educational pathways.  They discuss the stres...

This week we’re talking with Emma Brooksby, Managing Director at U&I Educational Partners, about the demands school places on executive function. Emma, who has ADHD and a background as a school principal, shares her journey and offers insights into how executive function challenges manifest in educational settings and ways to support students who have executive function challenges. We explore...