SEND Parenting Podcast

Applying for an EHCP can feel overwhelming, intimidating, and emotionally draining — especially when your child is already struggling.
In this episode, Dr. Olivia Kessel is joined by Dr Abigail Fisher and Eliza Fricker, co-authors of The Essential EHCP Guide for Parents and Carers, to gently demystify the EHCP process and remind parents of one crucial truth:
You are not failing. The system is hard.
Together, we break down what an EHCP really is, when to apply, and the common myths that delay support — including the belief that you need a diagnosis before starting. We explore how to advocate for your child without burning out, what makes an EHCP meaningful (and what makes it ineffective), and how parents can protect their own mental health while navigating a deeply flawed system.
This is not just a conversation about paperwork and plans.
 It is about trust, instinct, advocacy, and hope.
If EHCPs are part of your life — or you are wondering if they should be — this episode will help you feel less alone, more informed, and more empowered.
💬 Connect with Us
🌱 Join our SEND Parenting Private WhatsApp Community — a safe, welcoming space to share, learn, and feel supported by parents who truly understand the realities of neurodiverse family life.
⚡ Ready to go deeper?
Become part of the ADHD Warrior Mum’s Recharge Station — your space for group coaching, expert guidance, real connection, and the calm you deserve as you navigate this journey.
📩 Contact Me
If you would like to get in touch, you can email me directly at [email protected]
I would genuinely love to hear from you, especially about the topics you would like covered and the guests you would love to hear from in 2026.

In this powerful and honest conversation, I am joined by Michael McLeod, internationally recognised ADHD and executive function specialist and founder of GrowNOW ADHD, to unpack what ADHD really is and why so many children and families are being failed by outdated models of support.
We explore why ADHD is best understood as a developmental executive function disorder, with emotional regulation at its core — not laziness, defiance, or lack of willpower. Michael explains why traditional approaches like talk therapy, worksheets, and constant verbal prompting often make things worse, and what actually helps children build the skills they need for life.
In this episode, we discuss:
Why emotional dysregulation is one of the most overlooked signs of ADHD
The four pillars of executive function and how delays show up at home, school, and socially
Why screens are so dysregulating for the ADHD brain — and why “balance” is often unrealistic
How parenting language, structure, and boundaries can either escalate or reduce meltdowns
Why executive function predicts long-term success more than grades or academic performance
Practical strategies parents can use immediately, including reducing verbal prompts and creating more structure at home
This is a deeply validating episode for parents who are exhausted, overwhelmed, and questioning whether they are doing something wrong. It reframes ADHD with clarity, compassion, and evidence — and offers a way forward that feels realistic rather than punitive.
 📘 Michael’s book The Executive Function Playbook
 🌍 Grow Now ADHD Website
  ▶️ Russell Barkley YouTube
💬 Connect with Us
🌱 Join our SEND Parenting Private WhatsApp Community — a safe, welcoming space to share, learn, and feel supported by parents who truly understand the realities of neurodiverse family life.
⚡ Ready to go deeper?
Become part of the ADHD Warrior Mum’s Recharge Station — your space for group coaching, expert guidance, real connection, and the calm you deserve as you navigate this journey.
📩 Contact Me
If you would like to get in touch, you can email me directly at [email protected]
I would genuinely love to hear from you, especially about the topics you would like covered and the guests you would love to hear from in 2026.

Christmas is often sold as magical and restorative. For many mums of neurodiverse children, it is exhausting.
In this honest, deeply personal episode, Dr Olivia Kessel shares a raw Christmas Eve moment that reveals the hidden burnout so many mothers carry. This is a conversation about emotional regulation, guilt, shame, and the invisible labour of neurodiverse parenting.
If you made it through the holidays feeling drained, snappy, or empty, this episode is for you. Burnout is not a failure. It is a sign you have been giving more than you have.
You are not alone.
💬 Connect with Us
🌱 Join our SEND Parenting Private WhatsApp Community — a safe, welcoming space to share, learn, and feel supported by parents who truly understand the realities of neurodiverse family life.
⚡ Ready to go deeper?
Become part of the ADHD Warrior Mum’s Recharge Station — your space for group coaching, expert guidance, real connection, and the calm you deserve as you navigate this journey.
📩 Contact Me
If you would like to get in touch, you can email me directly at [email protected]
I would genuinely love to hear from you, especially about the topics you would like covered and the guests you would love to hear from in 2026.

The holidays can be magical… and completely exhausting when your child has ADHD.
Late nights, travel, sugar, screens, unfamiliar beds, and heightened emotions can quickly undo even the most carefully built sleep routine. If your child’s sleep falls apart during the holidays, you are not failing. This is genuinely harder for ADHD brains.
In this episode, Dr. Olivia Kessel shares practical, realistic strategies to help you protect your child’s sleep during the festive season and gently reset routines when January arrives.
In this episode, you will learn:
Why holidays are especially disruptive to ADHD sleep
How overstimulation, routine changes, and emotional intensity affect regulation
What to pack in a holiday sleep toolkit
How to protect wind-down time without becoming the “fun police”
When and how to manage sugar and screen time
What to do if sleep completely falls apart
How to reset sleep routines calmly in the New Year
This episode is for parents who are juggling family expectations, disrupted routines, and a child who struggles to switch off. You will leave feeling reassured, supported, and better prepared.
👉 Download the free Holiday Sleep Survival Guide 
Thank you for being part of the SEND Parenting Tribe. You are not alone in this.
💬 Connect with Us
🌱 Join our SEND Parenting Private WhatsApp Community — a safe, welcoming space to share, learn, and feel supported by parents who truly understand the realities of neurodiverse family life.
⚡ Ready to go deeper?
Become part of the ADHD Warrior Mum’s Recharge Station — your space for group coaching, expert guidance, real connection, and the calm you deserve as you navigate this journey.
📩 Contact Me
If you would like to get in touch, you can email me directly at [email protected]
I would genuinely love to hear from you, especially about the topics you would like covered and the guests you would love to hear from in 2026.

December promises twinkly lights and cosy moments, yet many parents feel like they’re sprinting through a minefield. I open up about the invisible load that spikes stress during the holidays—noise, judgment, lost routines, sensory overload—and explain why your nervous system interprets it all as danger. When the body tips into fight, flight, or freeze, calm isn’t a choice you’re failing to make; it’s a state you can learn to access with fast, reliable tools.

We unpack the zones of regulation for parents—blue, yellow, red, and green—and walk through a relatable holiday scenario to show how we slide from steady to overwhelmed in small steps. Then I share a three-step reset you can use anywhere: notice, name, navigate. You’ll learn a one-minute breath pattern to switch off threat mode and a 5-4-3-2-1 grounding sequence to anchor back in the present. From there, we get practical about hotspots: setting boundaries for family gatherings, using code words and pre-planned exits, lowering the bar to get out the door, and choosing “good enough” bedtime routines after big days.

The heart of this conversation is a reframe: you’re not a bad mum; you’re a tired human carrying a load most people can’t see. Perfection is brittle, but presence is resilient. Trade the Instagram script for small, humane choices that protect your energy and your child’s regulation—leave early, say no, order takeaway, let the outfit go, and pick connection over performance.

If you’re craving steady ground, join the Seven-Day Calm Parent Challenge. For £10 you’ll get daily guidance, audio support, a private community, and a live Q&A to help you map triggers, practise resets, set boundaries, and release guilt. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs it, and leave a review to help more parents find these tools. Let’s choose present over perfect together.
👉 Join the 7-Day Keeping Calm Challenge (£10)
💬 Connect with Us
🌱 Join our SEND Parenting Private WhatsApp Community — a safe, welcoming space to share, learn, and feel supported by parents who truly understand the realities of neurodiverse family life.
⚡ Ready to go deeper?
Become part of the ADHD Warrior Mum’s Recharge Station — your space for group coaching, expert guidance, real connection, and the calm you deserve as you navigate this journey.
📩 Contact Me
If you would like to get in touch, you can email me directly at [email protected]
I would genuinely love to hear from you, especially about the topics you would like covered and the guests you would love to hear from in 2026.