I have one child with an EHCP & I couldn't be less satisfied without being dead Three years of battle Got an EHCP but mainstream Then a court case Just before, the LA gave her a specialist school, court over Twist: the school is full Still no education The system is totally broken

223000 children mainly neurodivergent children are regularly absent in Scotland. Many are on part time or very part time timetables. 1 hour a week for example. Other have long lasting absences due to being burnt out by being consistently overwhelmed. We want national standardised accurate recording

So the LA aren't just messing parents about, they're messing schools and colleges about to They've named a specialist provision (caving just before tribunal) who have No Room for my daughter.... Just when you think you've an answer... Nope SEND children are being let down by a broken system

Daily reminder that 222,000 children, young people and their parents/carers are struggling right now. They may have had no sleep. Burnout means they aren’t engaging in normal activities. Barely able to leave their rooms or houses. Or so distressed being upset, crying and screaming. School is cause.

Almost two weeks ago I attended a fused glass workshop. It was two hours of design, chat & delicate glueing. The finished curved piece is both beautiful & a reminder of a lovely crafternoon with friends.

Three years out of education 18 months with an EHCP (said mainstream but mainstream said no) Nearly 300 pages of evidence Two weeks before the court tribunal, the LA concede With all of one week before Easter break in her final year of high school So much energy & time wasted to save money

These children and their families are being left down by a system that doesn't suit them I have two teens not in education - school has devastated their mental health instead of giving them friends, belonging, confidence

This is an amygdala hijack When the thinking brain shuts down due to fear & what's left is a fight/ flight/ freeze response Yesterday it was just a scorched kitchen counter But it's also running, going missing, shouting, cowering... Trauma and neurodivergent brains are an interesting combo

Neither of our autistic children have thrived in mainstream. No it's worse. They've been traumatised & suffered devastating impact on their mental health.

To say we've been navigating a sh*tshow may be classic British understatement One child is falling apart & it's tearing us all up We're tempted to up sticks & move 200 miles away, but all the support is here.

So we shut down screens and phones But that doesn't work We shut down the WiFi We know she's hot-spotting her phone to Yet Another secret device Her AuDHD brain just cannot cope with being offline to enable sleep Instead we have to juggle IT madness & sleep deprived teen Why is it all so hard?

Best TikTok thing going is the two dudes trying food from every country without leaving NYC. If you haven’t seen them yet, it’s incredible. My favorite so far is last week’s. Legit got me emotional.

Today's been tough. Eldest was on a phone call at 4am and I didn't get back to sleep Navigating Olympic level parenting challenges in 4h sleep makes me go slightly insane Patience - nil Empathy - who cares? Compassion - nada This bright orange fungus was the highlight of my awful day

I wish it was as easy to save young lives as it was to mend the 3 items of clothing I saved from landfill *A pocket on my dress *A neckline of a teen's fav top, resewn *The lining of a dress There's a huge sense of achievement in mending that isn't the same as buying a replacement

Today I contemplated paths on my long dog walk .. I noted how some are wider with clear destination, some barely visible with twists and turns so you have no idea where they'll lead The walk felt like a meditation on life & reminded me to search out those who've been here before, for advice.

Found/ designed time to immerse myself in creativity, art, sculpture in the gorgeous landscape A much needed mini-holiday in a two week festive break that has been exhausting, not much fun & almost devoid of festivity I'm not looking forward to next week - I fear the struggle will be huge

I asked my OH (in all seriousness) if it was too early to take them down today (and that's me holding off for 3 days)

I think Fred wants a stocking ... Or a treat if he gives up the stocking without ragging it to pieces/ swallowing bits so he ends up at the vets Despite the obvious ruse, I'd rather swap a treat than spend hundreds at the vets

Celebrities sharing their experiences can help with education & representation Today, I saw a paragraph about Robbie Williams As I read, some ideas clicked in my brain - I think my son might have dyscalcula His time blindness His inability to memorise phone numbers His struggles getting lost...

Eldest was on her laptop until 5am this morning Despite her begging not to have screen time limits, her AuDHD brain can't seem to make smart decisions I woke at 0330am and am now stomping around like a bear woken from hibernation to an empty fridge

We keep routines as close to normal as possible - but even decorations, extra crowds, the radio, TV are different It's impossible to avoid the craziness

Many will have their routines off the charts this week. Please be gentle. 🫶🎄 #Autistic #Autism #Neurodivergent #Neurodivergence #Holidays

I'm currently at "I hate Christmas" levels of feeling like the burden is too heavy and very unevenly distributed I reckon the distribution is about 90% me, 9% my husband and 0.5% per teen (which is being generous) Everyone wants to put their feet up and have a good time Hello incompatible wishes

I've done my fourth present wrapping session To be frank I've not a clue what I've wrapped, whether I've found everything, or what day it is It's been a very odd few weeks with far too much adrenaline, far too little sleep and I'm totally discombobulated SEND parenting is hard at Xmas

Some things don't need gamifying My book recording app (so I know which book is next in the series, favourite authors etc) now tells me how long my reading streak is I don't need to know It doesn't matter to me, as much as not taking books on holiday I've already read Stupid app

My festive mojo has been cowed beneath family stuff, but poked her head out today & put my homemade bauble wreath up I also strung a few lights around my focus tree And got the ladder ready to get the decs from the loft (next year, we'll have a loft ladder, she says for 7th year in a row)

My daughter needs to know in advance if her most desired present is under the tree Or her anxiety makes the whole experience too stressful Her expression is not a measure we use as feedback ...

Today's going to be tricky Had about 2h sleep Because youngest ran away - caught by police miles from home in a big city We've no idea what to do to keep him safe anymore

The meeting seemed to go well - they listened and responded and commented on the information I'd sent them (a risk assessment re: dysregulation) Overall, I'm hopeful that they will create a safe and supported approach to my son's individual needs But time will tell

Today I have to open my son's schools minds to how to help him when he's dysregulated Last week they threatened, failed to listen to him, gave him a deadline he couldn't respond to & lied to him All whilst his brain was in fight/ flight mode Then suspended him for being distressed

My elder sister and I have taken our photographic pebbling to a new level - with 'Pebble Snap" Currently on a festive theme, we've been snapping photos of large bows, giant baubles, grotto doors... I sent her this today - I'm not sure she'll find festive skeletons anytime soon

During COVID, a therapist asked what support I had, I shrugged nervously (I'd none) Friday s/one asked what support I had, I listed * My soprano sisters * The SEND parent group * The Women who Talk (deep talk) There are so many people who lift me up, I'm truly grateful for them in my life

I am "stay safe when walking the dog on country lanes with no pavement" age today Cost less than £4 - which doesn't even make sense to me. If it saves my life, I don't care how square I look.

I can confirm that having a missing teen with autism & anxiety is a surefire way to lose your appetite & mind Seven hours of location tracking as he turns his phone mostly off & panic is not a fun way to spend a day Here's hoping he's home soon 🤞🏻🙏🏻

Everyone is not "a little" autistic Everyone is not "a little" ADHD Everyone is not "a little" OCD To be diagnosed with these conditions, a person must be meaningfully impaired by them.

Please share if this resonates with you. ❤️

Sometimes sharing an experience makes all the difference Saturdays my twin sister @sarahfoxspeaker.bsky.social and I watch Strictly together and What's App throughout.... So many Wows! Guessing the scores Anticipating a Charleston Emoticons mostly include 😍🤣😭

Gig photos rarely do justice to the scale of the sensory experience - but last night's Madness + Squeeze gig at the AO arena was epic... Great musicians and songwriters and performerS at their best...

#Oliverscampaign We didn’t suddenly create more neurodivergent people. We finally started listening. Diagnosis is not a trend, it’s visibility, understanding, and long overdue recognition

Schools aren't inclusive if their standards & expectations implicitly exclude young people who are unable to cope with the sensory overwhelm/ social life/ process long sequences of instructions... School expect pupils to master emotional regulation then judge them as "challenging" if they fail

Pushing for attendance isn't the same as making sure every student feels welcomed, safe, supported & included in school If children don't attend, ask what needs to change about school, not what the child needs to do differently

Me and thousands of Rockies at Birmingham NEC... Singing our hearts out. Sam Ryder was incredible. Love love loved it.

Alexithymia isn’t lack of emotion. It’s emotion without translation. The feelings are there. The map isn’t. And yet autistic people blame themselves for being “numb.” You’re not numb - you’re flooded. Your body is speaking a language you were never taught.

I had someone tell me that my daughter didn't have "serious" autism Since she struggles with everyday life, that felt like an ill-informed judgement, reflecting their sense that "there's nothing wrong with her" What other people see/ experience is her mask. Few see the real person.

Life is tough at the moment Both my children struggle to attend school One withdraws to their bedroom One runs away & absconds The latter is a far more stressful experience #SENDparent

Many autistic adults, especially the late diagnosed live with alexithymia. It shapes daily life in ways most people never see. Emotions arrive fast, hit hard, and vanish before we can understand them. 1/5

Today my son gave me permission to finally give away a pair of shorts & some cute winter hats he's kept/ refused to part with for 12 years And some generic infant school uniform that he last wore 6 years ago It feels somewhere between a breakthrough & a decision that he may change later 🤔

When teenage boys act out or vape or fight, or get I to trouble people are keen to blame the parents What about the government? The years of austerity reducing staffing in schools, in youth centres, in mental health? So that troubled youth have nowhere to go, no-one to listen?