You Can Grow Your Own Way

We're back with the team from Planet Puberty to cover one of puberty's biggest changes - emotions! This week we dive into mood swings, extreme feelings, lust, friendships and why the brain suddenly spits the dummy. As parents, how can we support our tweens and teens through this tricky stage? And how do we keep ourselves sane?! We talk about all this and more and see what we can detangle.

Remember friendships before children?! Heading out somewhere on a whim, staying up late chatting with wine, regular Saturday walks with coffee, people being available?! We go through a huge transition of how our friendships look when children come into our lives. But what happens when your child is neurodivergent? When milestones look different, social outings need scaffolding and specialist appoi...

The discovery process of understanding our little neurodivergent ones can be an emotional and daunting experience. We can see our children weighed for what they can’t do, have lists made of their deficits and feel our children squeezed into boxes. We'll discuss some of the more frequently used assessments, what they're for and how they're measured. And most importantly, how do we still see our chi...

We're back talking all the sticky topics of puberty with Heather Jolly. Today, we deep dive into some of the more daunting changes our bodies can go through and how to discuss them with our neurodivergent tweens. We chat menstruation, strange sensations and period products. We venture into wet dreams, unexpected erections and body shame. We share tools to take the ick out of the conversation and o...

We say it all the time, if you've met one neurodivergent person then you've met one neurodivergent person. So how then do we tailor our strategies and supports to help someone with their individual needs? But what if we could get some guidance? Using QEEG brain mapping and imaging, it is possible to look at how the brain functions to see which areas need greater support. We chat to Daniel Lane fro...

Let's be real, talking to our kids about body changes and hormones feels scary. It's messy and giggly and feels a bit weird... How do we then navigate the added challenge that neurodiversity can sometimes bring? We chat candidly with Heather Jolly from Family Planning NSW about how to get the conversation started... and ensure it can continue. Part 1 is all about accessing information and how to s...

What are neuroaffirming and low demand parenting? Why are they important? And could they have the ability to alter the energy in your family home? Celebrating the individualism of your unique child and placing them at the centre of the decisions made about them is the most effective way to create a positive self image for your child. But what does this look like in practice? And how do we balance...

In this next episode in our Taboo Topics series, we discuss the realities of child to parent violence, its prevalence amongst children with neurodivergence and its impact. Let’s start by being clear, a child who is neurodivergent is not automatically violent or aggressive, but some are. And it’s parents and siblings who are often impacted by this violence. So how does it happen? We talk to Lee Tem...

The world of supports for our neurodivergent child can feel huge and overwhelming. Who does what? How can they help? How often should my child see them? How many supports are too many supports? We want to do the best for our children, but is providing EVERY support the right answer? And can informal supports also have a place in helping your child? We chat to David Trembath of CliniKids, the clini...

Triple P (Positive Parenting Program) recently launched Stepping Stone, a program specifically designed to help parents and carers who’s children have additional support needs. So what is Triple P and, most importantly, what is Stepping Stones? And how can it help? Triple P was created in Australia to empower parents to raise an incredible next generation of children. It’s now available in over 30...

Neurodivergence can also come with high occurrences of other conditions and complexities, these are referred to as comorbidities. Today we discuss the most commonly occurring conditions - what they are, how they appear and how to spot them. Covering both mental and physical health conditions, this can seem daunting and overwhelming but, as they say, forewarned is forearmed, and, in Leah's own word...

We all know the old adage of You Are What You Eat, but how true is this for our neurodivergent children? Having a regular healthy diet when you are neurodivergent can provide a whole range of challenges. Sensory preferences, digestive discomfort, anxiety about food and other issues can make getting proper nutrition really tough. But what are the benefits of finding ways to inject certain nutrients...

Any parent will navigate challenging behaviours from their children almost every day? But what happens when those behaviours are more frequent, extreme or developmentally inappropriate? How do we build fulfilling relationships with our children when their social and emotional language can be so different to ours?   We chat to Chelle Taylor of Blossomtree Psychology about the grit and muck of paren...

So what are Learning Disorders? Let’s talk Dyslexia, Dysgraphia and Dyscalculia. How do we define them? How can parents and teachers identify them? What myths do we need to bust about them? We explore the every day challenges that these disorders can create, methods for identifying and supporting, and how we show our children that there are so many ways to be smart! Join us for this in depth discu...

We cover a lot of loaded definitions on this podcast, and Giftedness is pretty high up there in terms of being incorrectly represented and misunderstood. So let’s get real and talk about what Giftedness actually is, the various types of Giftedness, and how to support your child through it’s challenges. We also delve into the term 2E, what it means and how it appears. We discuss the challenges of p...

Use the power of language to give you strength to get through those tough times.

The conversation around self care is EVERYWHERE at the moment and it’s a buzz term that’s being bandied about for parents and carers of children with neurodivergences. But how much of it is helpful? What is TRUE self care? Why is it important? And how can we find realistic and achievable ways to help us be the best we can, to also give our children our best? Also released this week are a collectio...

Take three deep cleansing breaths to calm your nervous system

A style of breathing to help bring peace and clarity

When you need to shake out the cobwebs to get the job done, this helps clear the fog

Set intentions, create focus and use affirmations to strengthen your resolve.

Have you ever noticed that certain body movements can help your children feel safer in their own skin? Do you have a wriggler or a roller or a bouncer? Do they seek out your touch or shy away from it? Understanding your child’s vestibular, proprioceptive and tactile systems can be a key to helping them feel grounded and comfortable when other stimuli are overwhelming. We will be discussing what th...

Occupational Therapists (OTs) can seem like magical “catch-all” wizards for our neurodivergent children. So in this episode we break down what an OT is, what they do and how they do it. We delve into the many ways an OT can support your neurodivergent child’s growing brain and why are they are fast becoming the essential spoke to your child’s support wheel. We’ll also answer some of our audience q...

Anxiety and neurodivergence seem to like hanging out together A LOT! Current statistics have approximately half the neurodivergent population also diagnosed with Anxiety. So why do we think they're such great friends? Let’s delve in to why Anxiety often partners up with a range of neurodivergent disorders. What triggers this pairing? How do we spot it? And how can we help our neurodivergent childr...

While receiving a diagnosis is incredible for helping to explain why your child may have felt a bit like a fish out of water in a neurotypically organised world, it can be just the beginning of your journey. It can seem incredibly daunting if you make the decision to tell family and friends about your child’s diagnosis. Where do you start? What do you say? And how do you ensure they see your child...