The SEND Mum Club

Amy Draper is my guest this week talking about her 18 month old son Donnie. Amy was told at 13 weeks pregnant there was a high chance her baby had Down syndrome but when he was born it was clear it was something else. After waiting a year for full genetics results Donnie was diagnosed with the very rare Aarskog-Scott syndrome. We talk about how it felt to be expecting one diagnosis only to receive...

Greer Jones joins me to chat about her eldest child who is 7 and has autism & ADHD (Greer chooses not to share his name publicly). We talk about her difficult route to diagnosis and how professionals made her feel like her son’s behaviour was down to her failing as a parent, leading to thoughts of suicide. We discuss how him being diagnosed with ADHD led to her own diagnosis and the huge gap b...

I couldn’t not speak on this subject as it’s sparked conversations and judgements that have been extremely hurtful to the Down syndrome community. Not the choice the couple made, but they statement they released and the meaning behind it.

My friend Sam Ofoegbu is my guest this week, talking about her little boy Theo who’s 4. Theo has Down syndrome and needed heart surgery after he was born. He is also on the ASD pathway. We discuss parenting a child with additional needs without a partner, how Sam coped with Theo’s surgery, why she is making the decision to home educate and what she thinks that will look like for them.

Dora Garcia joins me on this episode to chat about her 9 year old son Matteo who has Autism and ADHD. We discuss Dora being in denial before the diagnosis and how she feels perceptions changed after it. We talk about the importance of taking pockets of time for yourself to recharge and making sure you prioritise what’s actually important rather than trying to do everything. Dora discusses how she...

Amelia Christie is my guest this week, talking about her 5 year old son Oliver who has congenital heart disease, cerebral palsy, global development delay and is tube fed. We talk about how Amelia coped with lengthy stays in hospital for Oliver’s surgeries, lessons she learned and things she’s now put in place to make hospital stays slightly easier.  We talk about the importance of self-care while...

In this episode I talk to Christian Laing – co-founder of Stand Out Socks – about what life was like growing up with a sibling with Down syndrome. We discuss how that impacted Christian’s upbringing, how involved Ross was (and is) with Christian’s friends, and what Christian’s thoughts are now looking back as an adult.   Christian, Ross & Christian’s partner Natalie founded Stand Out Socks (yo...

I’m back after a little break over Easter and Vickie Tanner is my guest, talking about her 7 year old daughter Elsie who has Autism, sleep apnoea, epilepsy and is a wheelchair user. We discuss toilet training, milestones, Vickie’s own (very recent) diagnosis of autism, and the impact of SEN parenting on your mental health. Vickie shares her journey with Elsie on Instagram @elsiesworld__

This episode marks a year of The SEND Mum Club podcast. Thank you so much for listening! Liz Day is my guest this week, talking about her 4 year old son Henry who has the CASK gene mutation, an extremely rare genetic condition that affects boys much more severely than girls. We discuss the bleak outcome they were told to expect in terms of life expectancy and how Henry has already proved the docto...

Founder and CEO of Down Syndrome UK Nicola Enoch joins be this week for a special episode in the run up to World Down Syndrome Day on March 21st. We discuss Nicola’s journey as mum to Tom who is now 21 as well as her work with Positive About Down Syndrome and why it’s so important. Nicola is extremely honest about her feelings when Tom was born in this chat, as well as how she feels about their li...

It’s a special episode this week because I’ve got a couple on! Clare & Carl Graham join me to talk about their daughter Odette who has Down syndrome and cerebral palsy. We talk about the reality of how long acceptance can take, receiving a second diagnosis, comparison on social media and the impact all of that can have on your mental health. Clare & Carl are both really open about how they...

My guest this week is a special one because she’s one of my besties! Ani and I have been friends for nearly 22 years and she was one of my bridesmaids when she was pregnant with her daughter Melyn. After Melyn was born Ani and her partner found out she was deaf. In this episode we talk about the importance of allowing yourself to sit in the grief of a diagnosis, self preservation when researching...

Francesca Morgan joins me on this episode to talk about her 3 year old daughter Shania who has Down syndrome. We discuss her traumatic birth experience, followed by receiving Shania’s diagnosis in the wrong way, and feeling let down by multiple people involved in their care over the first couple of weeks. After unsuccessfully looking for SEN baby groups Francesca decided to set up her own and we t...

It’s another expert episode this week and I’m joined by Claire from The SEN Expert to answer your questions on all things SEN. We talk about how to get an EHCP if your child isn’t in school or nursery yet, appealing a DLA decision, EBSA (emotional based school avoidance), the challenges of trying to work and care for a child with complex needs and much more.  Claire talks about the legal test in t...

My guest this week is Paul Triggs, talking about his 8 year old daughter Violet who has autism. We talk about their journey to diagnosis, Violet’s sensory needs, and the positive affect her autism has on her siblings. Paul also talks about the footwear and fashion brand he’s set up – Through Different Eyes – through which he hopes to offer paid employment to people with additional needs.  You can...

Sam Prince is my guest this week talking about her daughter Immy who’s 15 and has autism. We chat about Immy’s difficult road to diagnosis and the life changing effect it had on her. Sam also discusses Immy’s ARFID, how it presents, the way in which it’s changed over the years and how it affects the whole family. We also talk about the autistic Barbie and why she’s dividing opinion.  You can find...

Happy new year! Steph Logan is my first guest of 2026 talking about her 6 year old daughter Lola who has autism. We talk about Lola’s sensory needs and how that means much more thought has to go into planning days out, the sleep struggle, and myself & Steph share positive interactions we’ve had with people while out with our children. Steph works in SEN supporting young adults and she has some...

It’s Christmas so I thought I’d gift you a montage of advice my guests have shared over the past few months. I hope you have a lovely Christmas and New Year (whatever that looks like for you) and I’ll be back in January with some more brilliant guests for you.  Tags: parenting podcast, additional needs, SEN, SEND, autism, ADHD, Down syndrome

In this week’s episode I’m joined by Lucy Dossor to talk about her son Daniel who’s 20 and has Down syndrome. We discuss how she coped with Dan having to have heart surgery as a baby and the aftermath of that, Daniel’s dynamic with his siblings growing up and what his friendships have looked like. We also talk about the transition from child to young adult and the challenges that brings, including...

Kate Anderson is my guest this week, talking about her daughter Florence who has Aicardi Syndrome. Kate talks about exactly what that means and what a typical day looks like caring for a medically complex child. We talk about the toll of frequent, long hospital stays due to repeated chest infections and the importance of accepting help from people. Kate is also really honest about her desire to ha...

In this episode I’m joined by SJ Philips to talk about her children Oliver and Emelia who both have autism that presents in very different ways. SJ talks about her extremely traumatic birth with Ollie, taking her local authority to court to get him a school place and exactly what that looked like, all while being extremely unwell herself. We discuss the impact that had on her relationship and how...

In this episode I’m joined by Kelly Hughes to chat about her daughter, 8 year old Gracie who has Down syndrome, autism, ADHD and PDA. We talk about the battle to find the right school for Gracie and the importance of having the right professionals involved in her care. We also discuss school refusal and Kelly opens up about a traumatic conversation she had with a doctor soon after Gracie’s birth....

I’m chatting to a SEND Dad this week, my friend and radio colleague Adam Weighell. Adam talks about the life changing impact of his son Toby being born at 26 weeks. We discuss life in the NICU, the moment he and his wife Gemma finally got to take Toby home after 142 days in hospital, and the fact they were aware Toby’s chance of being neurodiverse would be slightly higher due to how early he was b...

This is the first of a slightly different type of episode (which will be occasionally dropped in amongst the usual ones) where I speak to experts in different fields that you may find helpful. This episode is all about therapy. I’m joined by Naomi Bateren who is a psychotherapist to talk though the different types of therapy and how to access them – both through the NHS and privately - how to pick...

This week Carys Anderson is my guest, talking about her nearly 6 year old daughter Seleh who has an extremely rare genetic condition called Tessadori Bicknell Van Haaften syndrome. We discuss the difficulty of finding holidays that can cater for both physical disabilities and complex sensory needs, the difficulties of waiting so long for a diagnosis and how isolating that was, the benefits of ther...