School Refusal, Big Emotions & Unexpected Wins | NeuroDADverse Ep 25

Описание: 🎧 Episode 25 of The NeuroDADverse, Ben and Dan open up about a week full of twists, school decisions, sickness bugs, sensory waves, and the unpredictable rhythms of raising neurodivergent children.

From navigating college open days to managing school refusal, advocating for reasonable adjustments, supporting anxious teens, and finding small yet meaningful wins, this episode is a grounded, honest chronicle of ND family life.

We talk about:
• Why sudden staff changes in services can feel devastating
• How ND kids often self-advocate before we realise
• School refusal vs genuine burnout
• Supporting siblings in different emotional places
• How anticipation & predictability reduce dysregulation
• Teens, autonomy, reasoning and building trust
• Sensory needs, stimming tools, and grounding aids
• Bath-time scores (including a LIVE result!)
• Planning for Christmas with ND-friendly expectations
• Multi-generational family gatherings and how to manage them
• Celebrating the small wins that don’t look like wins to anyone else

YouTube Chapters (accurate to ~61 minutes)
00:00 – Intro: Festive Chaos & ND Parenting Warm-Up
01:08 – Weekly Check-In & Three Words
02:30 – Sickness, Fatigue & Emotional Load of the Week
03:20 – College Open Days & Supporting Teen Decision-Making
05:17 – Staff Changes, Transitions & The Anxiety They Create
06:43 – Reasonable Adjustments & Preparing for Change
07:51 – When Your ND Child Becomes More Comfortable in a Space
09:22 – Managing Change & Behaviour Around New Staff
10:30 – Sleep, Proximity & Emotional Co-Regulation
12:29 – Teens, Nurture & Independence Cues
13:07 – Challenge Recap & The College Tour Experience
14:00 – Supporting Teens in Busy, Overwhelming Environments
15:17 – Encouraging Independence vs Overguiding
17:03 – School Refusal: Early Signs & Emotional Fatigue
18:10 – Alternative Provision & Big Decisions Ahead
19:21 – Sibling Experiences: Oscar’s School Choices
20:28 – Reasonable Advocacy vs Avoidance: Finding the Balance
22:27 – Behaviour at the End of Term: Why Everything Unravels
23:11 – BREAK
23:24 – Wins of the Week & Why They Matter
24:30 – Anticipation, Stability & Building Predictability
26:14 – Reducing Dysregulation Through Planning
27:43 – The Power of Being Calm as a Parent
28:48 – Reflecting on Early Years: How Far the Kids Have Come
30:10 – Teens, Conversation & Collaborative Reasoning
31:04 – Frankie Joins the Podcast (Guest Appearance!)
33:13 – Stimming Tools, Pain Stims & Grounding Aids
35:25 – Decorating Tools, IKEA Pencils & ND Family Staples
36:16 – Christmas Trips, Visits & ND-Friendly Outings
38:01 – Navigating Social Expectations Around Extended Family
41:26 – Curiosity vs Judgement in ND Interactions
43:06 – Restaurant Seating, Hypervigilance & ND Parenting Reality
45:53 – Wins, Food, Appetite & Unexpected Joys
46:53 – Looking Ahead to the Week Ahead
48:30 – Family Christmas Meals & Managing Overwhelm
49:53 – Football, Community & Shared Experiences
50:45 – Inclusive Christmas Spaces & Future Ideas
51:41 – Bath-Time Scores Return!
53:02 – The Bath-Time Score Track Record Revealed
55:07 – Hair Dryers, Sensory Needs & Hot/Cold Overwhelm
56:50 – Meeting Needs Without Shame
57:47 – A Big Score and Big Smiles
58:47 – Auto-Zoom Madness & End-of-Episode Laughter
59:59 – Wrap-Up: You’re Doing Great. You’re Enough. Not Alone.

If you’re a parent of a neurodivergent child, you’ll know this dance: one step forward, one sideways, one into the unknown. But progress is happening, even when it feels subtle.

🎙️ Two dads. One mission. Raising ND kids in a very NT world.

💡 If this episode resonates, whether you’re a zebra, a stripy horse, or still figuring it all out. There’s space for you in the NeuroDADverse.

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