SENsational - The Special Educational Needs Podcast

We’re thrilled to welcome Tony Lloyd, CEO of The ADHD Foundation Neurodiversity Charity, to our podcast. In this episode, we discuss the role parents and carers play in supporting young people as they explore their sexuality and identity, plus ideas and tips on creating a safe, inclusive space where they can thrive. You can now watch our podcast episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/Withers...

On this episode of SENsational, we're delighted to be joined by our new podcast host, Laura Oliver, Senior Occupational Therapist from our Group, plus our guest Lorraine Titchener, Head Teacher at Lavender Lodge, for a discussion exploring strategies to support neurodivergent children and young people in school. We discuss common misconceptions about neurodiversity in education, the role that teac...

We're joined by Helen Rutherford, a specialist sleep practitioner from The Sleep Charity, who has several years of experience supporting neurodiverse children and young people with sleep. In this episode, she discusses the common sleep challenges experienced by children with special educational needs, expert tips and strategies for supporting your child’s sleep through this seasonal shift and beyo...

We're joined by Kirsty Doyle, Entrepreneur & Fashion Designer, discussing how she works with young people to build aspiration as they enter the world of work. On this episode of SENsational, Kirsty shares her experience of her entrepreneurial journey, talking about her set-backs and challenges, and how she has worked with children and young people across the UK, offering inspiring sessions and...

On this SENsational episode, we are joined by Maggie Morton and Laura Oliver, Occupational Therapists for Witherslack Group as they discuss children's most common sensory-seeking behaviours and the best ways to support them. They also explore sensory regulation, sensory overload and the best strategies and activities that can be integrated into the daily lives of our children to help them build es...

Ever wondered if your young person might need an EHCP? Simone Mattinson, Partnerships Manager for our Group, shares her first-hand experience from a parent and professional perspective. From exploring how to navigate the EHCP process to details of a draft EHCP, plus many more interesting insights worth knowing.  For more details on the EHCP process, download our free 'A Guide To The Education...

Join us for a discussion with Wendy Yeo, Head Teacher of our Castlefell School, and Arron Hutchinson, Education Training Director of The ADHD Foundation Neurodiversity Charity, exploring ways to support your child settle into a new school. Whether it is the jump from primary to secondary or transitioning to a SEN provision, they have top tips and strategies to support your child along the way. We...

We believe that every child or young person deserves access to inspirational education, regardless of their unique learning requirements or needs. Susan Gill, Head Teacher from our Bridgeway School, talks us through the unique benefits of Special Educational Needs schools and some of the amazing outcomes of pupils who have flourished the support they need. We hope you enjoyed this episode of SENsa...

There are so many moving parts to home life, right? From school runs to meal times and everything in between, how can it all be managed? In our latest episode of our podcast, SENsational, we explore managing a neurodiverse household with Tracy Bowyer, Parenting Co-Ordinator from The ADHD Foundation Neurodiversity Charity. Thank you for listening, and we hope you find this episode of SENsational us...

We're pleased to bring you this episode of SENsational titled 'Autism: What Every Parent Needs to Know, with Anne-Marie Harrison, training director from Ideas Afresh Education. This episode is designed for parents and carers right at the beginning of their journey. Perhaps you’re just discovering your child is showing traits of autism, or you’re even considering applying for an assessment to diagn...

Social media and online games are evidently present in our children and young people's lives. On this episode of SENsational, we are joined by two Witherslack Group experts, Dr. Dee Khaira, Clinical Psychologist and Lois Howard, IT Infrastructure and Development Manager, where we explore educating ourselves and our children, platforms that come with surprising risks, plus top tips on keeping our c...

Learning to read can be challenging for our neurodiverse children and young people. On this episode of SENsational, we are joined by leading phonics consultant Amy McElhatton, who talks us through the importance of introducing reading at an early age, how we can break learning down into more manageable chunks, and how to collaborate with your child's school to ensure that learning can be implement...

Chris Bonnello, autistic advocate and award-winning writer and speaker, joins us for another episode of SENsational. In this podcast, Chris explores finding methods to succeed in both school and social environments whilst learning to embrace the authenticity of ASD. Thank you for listening, and we hope you find this episode of SENsational useful. You can explore more of our resources, including we...

On this episode of SENsational, we have the pleasure of sharing knowledge of our expert speaker Emma Weaver, Deputy CEO of the ADHD Foundation Neurodiversity Charity, unravelling strategies on how to deal with impulsive behaviour, the ‘stop, think, and do’ coaching model, and how to help children overcome low feelings after an outburst.   Thank you for listening, and we hope you find this epi...

The exam period can be a particularly stressful and overwhelming time for neurodiverse children and young people, and so as parents and professionals, it is important to know how to help guide them through this. In this episode of SENsational, we welcome Colin Foley, Training Director at the ADHD Foundation Neurodiversity Charity, and Chris Bonnello, an Autism advocate and author of ‘Autistic, Not...

Preparing our children for finishing school and heading off to their next adventure can be a difficult time and there is sure to be some anxieties around such a big transition. For our neurodiverse families, there might be heightened concerns around how will our children manage, will there be enough support, are they even ready and what will they do without us! In this episode of SENsational,...

On this episode of SENsational, we welcome Emma Weaver, Deputy CEO of the ADHD Foundation Neurodiversity Charity and Stephen Howell, Lead Practitioner at Witherslack Group, as our expert speakers for our topic, Changing Perceptions: A Pathway to Positive Behaviour. During our conversation, we look at why neurodiverse children sometimes have difficulty self-regulating, the impact of positive and ne...

As part of Witherslack Group’s Seasonal Support Pack, we are delighted to bring you a very special episode of our podcast, SENsational! This session focuses on advice and support over the Christmas holidays, which can be a wonderful time for making special memories, but also a challenging time for many families. Throughout this episode, we’ll cover lots of practical strategies to help make Ch...

Join us for a super powered episode where were we discuss strategies to help develop wellbeing, confidence and self-esteem.  During our discussion we focus on nurturing a strength based approach to neurodiversity and the positive impact this can have on our children and young people. This approach aims to help people see the best in themselves and empower them with their own unique quali...

ADHD is a complex neurodevelopmental condition, characterised by hyperactivity, impulsivity and inattention. For parents and carers, having a child diagnosed with ADHD can be daunting, but it doesn't have to be. In this episode we chat with Lisa Rudge, Director of Parent Services at the ADHD Foundation on all things ADHD; what it is, what to expect, myths related to the condition, challenges...

For many, there is much joy in going for a run, a nice long walk or taking part in a team game, and we know the positive impact exercise can have on both adults and children; peace of mind, freedom and feel-good factor to name a few. In this podcast, we discuss the positive impact that exercise can have on our neurodiverse children and young people, whilst recognising that, for some, it might not...

Trying to keep on top of things as an adult can test our organisational skills, as well as our patience, however, it’s really important to look at the hurdles our ADHD children face in their day-to-day life, when it comes to keeping themselves organised, planning and of course staying calm if it’s not all going to plan. For the next episode of the SENsational podcast, we will be focusing our...

This session focuses specifically on mindfulness exercises to support children and young people with the transition back to school after the summer break. Our guide through this experience is Michelle Conroy, Therapist and Mindfulness Coach for Witherslack Group.  We hope you find this special edition useful, and if you would like to find out more about the Back to School Campaign, pleas...

Confidence is so important to a child’s future happiness, health, and success. Confident children are likely to be better equipped to deal with peer pressure, responsibility, frustrations, challenges, and both positive and negative emotions. This episode of SENsational explores the key factors in developing a child’s confidence, strategies to build up self-esteem,  facing fears, self-image and the...

The Role of Friendship with Autism  Making friends or developing a social circle can present it’s challenges for children and young people with ASD. Every child is different and for some the importance of having friends might be a key element to their happiness, and for others the anxiety of being involved in that social position or as part of a group can be too much. To offer support to families...