The School Can't Experience

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...

This week we return to our Lived Experience series and host Leisa Reichelt is joined by Mark Thompson, a father of two daughters from the south coast of New South Wales.  Mark shares the struggles and triumphs of raising his autistic daughter, codename Bluey, as she faces challenges with attending school. From the daycare where Bluey thrived, to the increasing difficulties in preschool and beyond,...

Dr. Ross Greene, founder of the Collaborative and Proactive Solutions (CPS) model joins host Leisa Reichelt and guest Louise Rogers from School Can't Australia in this episode of the School Can't Experience podcast. Dr. Greene explains the philosophy behind CPS, focusing on identifying and solving problems that cause challenging behaviours rather than just addressing the behaviours thems...

In this episode of the School Can't Experience Podcast, host Leisa Reichelt is joined by clinical psychologist Adelle Sushames to discuss innovative methods for improving communication with neurodivergent children.  Adelle shares her journey, introduces the card decks she has created (Spoon Thieves, Spoon Savers, ND Me), and explains how these tools help children articulate their experiences...

In this episode of the School Can't Experience Podcast, host Leisa Reichelt chats with clinical psychologist Monique Mitchelson, co-host of the Neurodivergent Woman Podcast.  They 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...

In this episode of the School Can't Experience Podcast, host Leisa Reichelt is joined by School Can’t Australia’s Tiffany Westphal and expert guest, Anna Clarke, to discuss the importance of neurodiversity affirming care.  Anna, a psychologist and play therapist, shares her personal and professional journey as a late-diagnosed autistic and ADHD individual. The conversation explores the princi...

In this episode of the 'School Can't Experience Podcast,' host Leisa Reichelt speaks with Jackie Hall, founder of the Parental Stress Center.  Jackie shares her journey to understanding the four ‘stressful thinking lenses’ that can make difficult parenting situations much more stressful, and how we can shift our mindset to alleviate distress. Jackie emphasizes the importance of self...

In this episode, host Leisa Reichelt is joined by Pavlina McMaster and Heidi Ryan to explore the concept of Deschooling. This is the first step in the transition to Home Education but the core concepts of Deschooling are valuable and reassuring to any School Can’t parent. Pavlina and Heidi share their personal journeys and insights into how they successfully navigated Deschooling, addressed trauma...

In this second part of Marissa Taylor’s Lived Experience episode we learn about how discovering low demand parenting and particularly the importance of collaboration through Dr Ross Greene’s CPS (Collaborative and Proactive Solutions) method was transformative for Marissa at a time when she was unsure how best to support her School Can’t children. Marissa shares some interesting ways she’s used CP...

In this Lived Experience episode Marissa Taylor shares her family’s experience of School Can’t as her various children each subsequently but very uniquely have their own School Can’t Experiences. Marissa shares the very different experiences she’s had dealing with schools in this journey and her learning curve into Home Education.  This is Part 1 of our discussion with Marissa. In Part 2 she will...

In this Lived Experience episode we meet Jennie Plummer who shares her experience of supporting youngest daughter, Bethany, through her School Can’t Experience. Including her ADHD and Autism diagnosis, burnout, and equine supported recovery. Along the way Jennie learned to listen, trust her gut and tune out the loud opinions of others around her. Send us Fan Mail Support the show School Can’t Aust...