Not Your Typical Podcast

The Prediction Predicament - sounds like a Big Bang theory episode doesn't it!! Here, we are, the last episode of 2024, I cant believe it! For todays episode, and please ignore the husky December germs voice, I am chatting about the prediction predicament. In essence the impact that a difference in what two people predict is going to happen and the reality of what actually does happen and then how...

This was such a great conversation. I adored my time with Georgina from Fantastic Alternative Brains (FAB) and I know you will too. We can learn so much, and need to learn so much about the different ways our brains think and learn. And did you know that dyslexia isnt just linked with reading and writing?! I know that you are going to take away so much from todays episode. You can find Georgina on...

Christmas is a fun time of year, everyone gets very excited and the energy and the overwhelm stacks up. For parents of neurodivergent children, this can be a really difficult time of year. In this episode I will be sharing ways you can support families to do Christmas their way and the permission to know that this is ok. I hope you enjoy it

You will gain so much from this episode from Becky. Becky heads up a team of SENCo's supporting over 200 early years settings in the UK. She will share how she enables the whole team to embed neurodiversity affirming practices, share tips and tricks and conversations you can have with your team to do the same. The take aways from this episode are ones not to miss

In this episode I talk a little about my story in identifying differences in my sons development. I share what happened the day I was told of his confirmed autism, but also the months and years prior. Life navigating this journey as a parent is far from easy and sometimes we just need a little understanding an empathy. I hope you find this beneficial

I cannot tell you how insightful and informative this conversation was. You will gain so much knowledge, advice and practical tips that will change the way you work with your neurodivergent children. As an OT with a specialism and passion for Interoception, Katie shares her experiences and wisdom with us in a must hear episode. You can find Katie via the links below Instagram @therapeeze www.thera...

What is inclusion? Is it a thing, or is it a feeling? Is it as simple as being included or excluded? In todays episode I discuss my thoughts , what I believe inclusion is and how we can go about ensuring we provide an inclusion setting for our children , their families and for our teams. There is also a HUGE opportunity for one of my lovely listeners! Trust me, you wont want to miss it

Did you listen in to Part one, episode 27? I shared my thoughts on circle time in early years settings. Well after that aired, myself and great friend of this podcast Ruth Jones had a detailed discussion, it was so good and she shared some great points, that I felt it was podcast material. So here it is, part two of the circle time debate. You can find Ruth at @ruth_jones_slt

Intervention - The action of becoming intentionally involved in a difficult situation, in order to improve it or prevent it from getting worse How does that online definition fit with you?  How does that sound when we are talking about our 2-4 year olds?  Prevent something from getting worse!! What exactly are we preventing from getting worse? Not sure that works for me and certainly don’t think t...

Join me this week in my conversation with the wonderful Charlotte Moutford. Charlotte has over 20years teaching experience in a range of settings - mainstream, special, additional needs bases and overseas. She has over 5 years experience working to support school staff to provide the best, most appropriate educational experience to individual autistic learners Charlotte lives in a neurodivergent h...

In this episode I share the 4 pillars of emotional wellbeing for our children, helping us to understand what our children need from us and how by embedding these, we can truly deliver on neurodiversity affirming practice. Leave a comment, share across your networks and let me know what you think and how you are delivering the pillars

This was such a great conversation with Jo Gaunt, Educator, Parent support, founder of the Be Wise and THRIVE approach and author of Your Safe Space. Jo is part of a busy neurodivergent household and has used both her professional and personal experiences to support others. Her approaches are right up my street, you will quickly see that Jo and I are so aligned in our work and in our narrative. Do...

Do you offer circle time in your setting? Why? Do you know the purpose of circle time? Is it working for all children? Is it impactful for all children? In this episode we will explore whether its a great way to spend our time, or the best way to support all children. Check out my opinions on it and maybe some alternatives> Like, share and comment if any of this episode resonated with you

In todays episode you will hear from the wonderful Simon Airey. Simon is a highly experienced teacher who does things differently! You will hear great insights into life in a classroom that has inclusion as it heart, you will learn strategies and support that will make such a difference and go a long way to creating a safe and inclusive learning environment. You can find Simon over on Instagram, h...

Given where life has been over the years for myself and my son, given how tricky things have been, right from the starting point really in his life with a very complicated birthing experience, how have we made it to this point?  What has enabled us both to make these huge milestones, what factors have been in place to support this progress, this mindset and this achievement.  For me it comes down...

You are going to enjoy this one! To celebrate the last episode of the season and this academic year I have a great guest for you. He is someone I admire, someone I absolutely adore and someone who has changed my life! Please welcome my husband John to the party! John is no stranger to early years, having worked in the sector for 40 years. But here he switches things up, here he interviews me, aski...

This was such a lovely conversation with the wonderful Wendy White. Wendy was a childminder who created a resource at home to support her children to understand, discuss and develop self regulation strategies. After an Ofsted inspector told her that they could be so beneficial for other childminders and EY settings, My Mood Stars were created. They are a wonderful resource and in this episode Wend...

Today is a short one, but i'm hoping powerful all the same! Want to know what the best SEN resource is? Could it be a dark tent? Could it be a weighted lap dog? Could it be a wonderfully created sensory room? Could it be fidget tools? Well its actually none of those things. Check out the episode to find out exactly what it is. Want to grab a copy of my Ebook? Download it below   https://www.ap...

This was such a great conversation with the wonderful Sam. Sam is the founder of SPD tuition and coaching, creator of the Behaviour Balance System and the Behaviour Bank. Sam has over 20 years experience in the education sector and she is now leading a change, an innovation! She has a 360 approach to creating a neuroaffirming, collaborative and informed approach to behaviour, both at home an in se...

In todays episode I share my reflections on SEN policy and how the phrasing we use can create immediate barriers in our joint collaboration with parents, as well as provide a foundation of problematic negativity within the team. Concerns, weaknesses, not meeting the expected outcomes should not be words used within a neuroaffirming SEN policy. So what should we use instead! Check out todays episod...

Today I have a great conversation with the wonderful Sarah from Cocoro. www.wearecocoro.co.uk Sarah helps parents, nurseries and schools empower children to grow up with resilience, happiness, self-regulation, and self-worth. When childhood is truly understood, we can create a culture of emotional well-being that has a true impact on children’s lives. This was such a great conversation with a very...

Who would have thought me having a haircut would create a great podcast episode?! Take a listen to hear how a trip to the hairdressers promoted lots of conversation on my social media that wasn't about my actual haircut, but actually my experience in the chair! Id love to know your thoughts.

This was such a great conversation with Liz from @the_untypical_ot Liz has over 20 years experience in the field working in a range of environments, as well as describing herself as being part of a neurodiverse family. In this conversation Liz helps us to make the connection with OT and behaviour and helps us to better understand some of the sensory needs of our children. Make sure you connect and...

What does affirming actually mean? To declare ones support for.... Supporting our children to be who they are – to agree with, to give encouragement to because you want them to succeed Think of yourself as a football supporter – you cheer, you sing, you give encouragement o the team to score the next goal, you cheer their successes and even when things don’t go according to plan, you’re pitch side...

Today i have a great conversation with Annabel, the founder of Thriving Minds Education – an education advocate who’ is supporting and empowering young members of the neurodivergent community. For most of her life, Annabel Tannenbaum didn’t know why she was different. Growing up, she says she always felt like an outsider, struggling to get a grasp on learning and socialising while grappling with a...