FamilyFX Library
Explore detailed articles on the questions that keep returning across family life, school, health, relationships and growing independence. Each has a one-page summary sheet you can print or take to an appointment. Read any 3 free, then membership opens the rest.
Looking for shorter, timelier pieces? Those are on the blog.
226 articles
Community life and inclusion
What should I tell a club, holiday scheme or childcare setting about my child?
Share the concise information a club or childcare setting needs for safe, workable inclusion while protecting the child’s privacy and voice.
Written July 2026
Community life and inclusion
What are hidden disability schemes, and what can we ask for in public places?
Understand what lanyards, cards and access schemes can signal, how to ask for an adjustment and why arrangements need direct confirmation.
Written July 2026
Community life and inclusion
How do we plan a holiday our child can cope with?
Choose a workable holiday around travel, accommodation, food, familiar anchors, family priorities and the recovery it will require.
Written July 2026
Community life and inclusion
How do we prepare for airports, flights and long journeys?
Plan an airport, flight or long journey around the exact barriers, confirmed assistance, familiar supports, disruption and recovery.
Written July 2026
Community life and inclusion
How do we handle birthday parties and family gatherings?
A concise plan for invitations, greetings, food, noise, participation and leaving a party or family gathering.
Written July 2026
Community life and inclusion
How do we get through haircuts, dentists and other unavoidable appointments?
Make necessary appointments more accessible by identifying the exact barrier, reducing uncertainty and agreeing a safe pause and completion plan.
Written July 2026
Community life and inclusion
How do I decide whether an event is worth the sensory cost, and plan recovery?
Weigh what an event offers against its full sensory, social and practical cost, then adjust the event and protect recovery.
Written July 2026
Assessment and diagnosis
What should we focus on in the first months after a diagnosis?
A calm plan for understanding an ADHD or autism report, talking with your child and turning recommendations into realistic next steps.
Written July 2026
Assessment and diagnosis
What is a developmental history, and how do I prepare?
What clinicians mean by developmental history, which information may help, and how to prepare when dates or early records are incomplete.
Written July 2026
Assessment and diagnosis
What information should school provide for an assessment?
How school can provide specific, balanced and source-labelled information for an ADHD or autism referral and assessment.
Written July 2026
Assessment and diagnosis
What happens during an ADHD or autism assessment?
What an ADHD or autism assessment may include, how clinicians combine information, and what families can ask at each stage.
Written June 2026
Assessment and diagnosis
What happens if there is no diagnosis?
How to understand a no-diagnosis assessment result, ask about the reasoning and keep needs-led support moving.
Written June 2026
Assessment and diagnosis
What can we do while we wait for an assessment?
A practical plan for current school, health and family needs while a child waits for ADHD or autism assessment.
Written June 2026
Assessment and diagnosis
NHS or private assessment: what should we weigh up?
How to compare NHS-funded, patient-choice and self-funded ADHD or autism assessment routes, including quality, reports, follow-up and ongoing care.
Written June 2026
Assessment and diagnosis
How do I prepare my child for an assessment without coaching them?
How to give a child honest, practical information about an ADHD or autism assessment without rehearsing diagnostic answers.
Written June 2026
Assessment and diagnosis
Does my child need an assessment, and how do I decide?
A practical way to decide whether an ADHD or autism assessment could answer a useful question, and what support can begin without one.
Written June 2026
Assessment and diagnosis
How do I get a referral for an ADHD or autism assessment?
How to identify the local referral route, prepare useful information and respond when an ADHD or autism referral is returned or declined.
Written June 2026
Attendance and exclusions
What is emotionally based school avoidance?
What EBSA means, what it does not establish, and how to investigate a child's difficulty attending school without reducing it to a label.
Written June 2026
Attendance and exclusions
When my child cannot get through the school gate
A calm, practical route from a difficult school morning to a specific attendance plan that addresses the barrier rather than blaming the child.
Written June 2026
Attendance and exclusions
What is a reduced timetable?
What a temporary reduced or part-time school timetable should contain, the questions to ask, and why it is not a substitute for suitable support.
Written June 2026
Attendance and exclusions
What happens after a suspension or exclusion?
The documents, education arrangements, return planning and review questions families need after a school suspension or permanent exclusion.
Written June 2026
Attendance and exclusions
Suspension and exclusion linked to SEND
Questions to ask when SEND, disability or unmet need may have contributed to behaviour leading to suspension or permanent exclusion.
Written June 2026
Attendance and exclusions
Planning a move to a new school or setting
A practical transition plan for changing school or setting, including information sharing, visits, support, first-day routes and review.
Written June 2026
Attendance and exclusions
Attendance letters, meetings and penalty notices
How to respond to school attendance correspondence, prepare for a meeting and understand when support may move into formal action.
Written June 2026
Attendance and exclusions
How a school reintegration plan works
How to plan a return after absence, suspension or disrupted attendance by changing the conditions, not only increasing the hours.
Written June 2026
Attendance and exclusions
Attendance and exclusion rules across the UK nations
The correct attendance, reduced-hours and exclusion starting points for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Written June 2026
Attendance and exclusions
Anxiety, burnout or unmet need at school?
How to compare possible explanations for school distress without turning anxiety, burnout or unmet need into an unsupported conclusion.
Written June 2026
School and SEN support
What sensory adjustments can a school make, and how do we ask?
Map the sensory barrier across a real school day, choose a workable adjustment and review access rather than relying on a generic sensory list.
Written June 2026
School and SEN support
What should be in a school support plan, and how often is it reviewed?
A practical school support plan structure: needs, child views, provision, ownership, intended outcomes, evidence and meaningful review.
Written June 2026
School and SEN support
What is SEN Support, and how does the graduated approach work?
How SEN Support works in England: assessing a specific need, planning provision, delivering it in ordinary school life and reviewing its effect.
Written June 2026
School and SEN support
What happens in a SEN support meeting, and how do I follow it up?
Use a school support meeting to compare evidence, make decisions and leave with precise actions, then follow up without creating a second meeting by email.
Written June 2026
School and SEN support
What classroom adjustments help a child who cannot focus or sit still?
Find the point where attention or movement blocks access, then test practical changes to instruction, task, environment and movement.
Written June 2026
School and SEN support
What are reasonable adjustments at school, and how do I ask for them?
How to connect a disabled pupil's substantial disadvantage to a practical school adjustment, ask clearly and review whether it works.
Written June 2026
School and SEN support
What can I do when agreed support at school is not happening?
Confirm what was agreed, find the point where delivery failed, protect the child's immediate access and use the correct escalation route.
Written June 2026
School and SEN support
School support in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland: what is different?
The current terms, school-level routes, plan types and independent advice services for additional needs outside England.
Written June 2026
School and SEN support
How does support at school work, and what can I ask for?
A clear route through school support: identify the barrier, ask what is already happening, agree a specific change and review whether it helps.
Written June 2026
School and SEN support
How do we set up home-school communication that works for everyone?
Create a bounded home-school communication system with a clear purpose, source, frequency, owner and separate urgent route.
Written June 2026
School and SEN support
How do I agree a homework arrangement with school?
A bounded school agreement for homework access: reliable task information, expected output, support limits, a stopping point and review.
Written June 2026
School and SEN support
How do I show school that my child is struggling when they seem fine in class?
Compare school, child and home accounts without trying to prove masking, then agree what to observe and what support to test.
Written June 2026
School and SEN support
Does my child need a diagnosis before school can put support in place?
What schools can identify and change before diagnosis, how to describe need clearly and when an assessment may still add useful information.
Written June 2026
Puberty and teenagers
Why has everything become harder now my child is a teenager?
Work out what has changed across puberty, school, sleep, friendships and independence before deciding how much support your teenager needs.
Written June 2026
Puberty and teenagers
When should I step in and when should I step back?
Use the actual decision, likely harm and support available to choose whether your teenager needs control, coaching or immediate protection.
Written June 2026
Puberty and teenagers
Should my teenager tell people they are autistic or have ADHD?
Help your teenager decide what to disclose, to whom and for what purpose, while preparing for both useful support and unhelpful reactions.
Written June 2026
Puberty and teenagers
What helps a neurodivergent teenager with homework and revision?
Turn homework and revision into visible, bounded tasks, while asking school to address access barriers rather than transferring them all home.
Written June 2026
Puberty and teenagers
How do I teach my teenager about privacy and boundaries?
Turn broad ideas about privacy into clear rules for bodies, rooms, possessions, messages and the limited times an adult must intervene.
Written May 2026
Puberty and teenagers
How do I talk to my teenager about sex and consent?
Give clear, inclusive information about consent, sex, relationships, online pressure and confidential sexual-health support without waiting for a crisis.
Written May 2026
Puberty and teenagers
How do I prepare my child for puberty and body changes?
Explain puberty before changes become urgent, using accurate language, accessible information and a practical plan for new body-care tasks.
Written May 2026
Puberty and teenagers
How do I help my teenager look after their body and hygiene?
Break washing, teeth, hair, clothes, skin and deodorant into accessible tasks without shame, force or assumptions about maturity.
Written May 2026
Puberty and teenagers
How do I keep my teenager safe when they take risks?
Respond to risk with a specific safety plan, usable routes home and calm help, while acting promptly where danger or exploitation cannot wait.
Written May 2026
Puberty and teenagers
How do I help my child manage periods?
Prepare for periods with clear information, usable products, discreet school arrangements and health support when pain or bleeding affects daily life.
Written May 2026
Puberty and teenagers
How do I build everyday independence with chores, money and travel?
Teach one useful household, money or travel task at a time, keeping tools and chosen support in place as the teenager gains control.
Written May 2026
Co-parenting and wider family
What should a babysitter know before looking after my child?
Prepare a short, usable handover covering communication, health, safety, the evening plan and when the babysitter must call.
Written May 2026
Co-parenting and wider family
What if my partner thinks our child needs firmer discipline?
Turn an argument about being stricter into one shared outcome, an observable plan and a clear boundary around harm.
Written May 2026
Co-parenting and wider family
What do grandparents need to understand about my child?
Give grandparents the practical information that helps this child feel known, safe and able to build a relationship in their own way.
Written May 2026
Co-parenting and wider family
How do we make family gatherings easier for everyone?
Plan the people, timing, food, sensory load and exit so participation does not depend on one child enduring the whole event.
Written May 2026
Co-parenting and wider family
How do we get the adults in our family on the same page?
Agree the information, outcomes and responsibilities that need to be shared while allowing adults and homes to work differently.
Written May 2026
Co-parenting and wider family
How do we keep routines consistent across two homes?
Create a dependable core for health, handovers and difficult transitions while letting each home use routines it can sustain.
Written May 2026
Co-parenting and wider family
How do I respond to relatives who do not believe the diagnosis?
Answer disbelief once, protect the child from debate and set a practical boundary around what relatives say and do.
Written May 2026
Parent wellbeing
Why do the routines I set up keep falling apart?
Build a household routine around the adult who must maintain it, with a clear start, visible ownership and a way to restart after disruption.
Written May 2026
Parent wellbeing
Why does ordinary parenting advice not work for our family?
Identify the assumption hidden inside parenting advice, preserve the useful aim and redesign the method around your child and family.
Written May 2026
Parent wellbeing
Why do noise and mess at home affect me so much?
Work out whether sound, visual load, interruption, unfinished decisions or lack of control is using your capacity, then change the environment.
Written May 2026
Parent wellbeing
What if I am autistic or have ADHD as well?
Use accessible parenting systems now, record the broader lifelong pattern and seek adult assessment if knowing would help you.
Written May 2026
Parent wellbeing
What does self-care look like when there is no time?
Protect basic health and tiny points of recovery without pretending that small actions replace sleep, treatment, practical help or respite.
Written May 2026
Parent wellbeing
How do I look after myself when my child needs so much?
Protect the minimum conditions that keep you functioning, reduce care that does not need to sit with you and ask for support in concrete terms.
Written May 2026
Parent wellbeing
How do I stay calm when I am already overwhelmed?
Notice the earliest usable sign, reduce the immediate task and hand over or pause before overwhelm becomes frightening or unsafe.
Written May 2026
Parent wellbeing
How do I ask for help without feeling like a failure?
Turn the work you cannot sustain into a specific request with an owner, time, safety boundary and clear definition of what help must change.
Written May 2026
Parent wellbeing
Am I burned out, or am I failing as a parent?
Replace the verdict about your parenting with a clear account of exhaustion, functioning, care load and the health or practical support you need.
Written May 2026
Siblings and family
Why do different rules for each child feel unfair?
Explain the need behind different arrangements, protect shared rights and examine what the difference costs the child who calls it unfair.
Written May 2026
Siblings and family
What if my other child resents their brother or sister?
Hear what resentment is pointing to, change the family arrangements that are costing the sibling and protect their right to a life of their own.
Written May 2026
Siblings and family
What do I do when a sibling is frightened or hurt at home?
Check immediate safety and injury, hear the sibling privately and change the family plan when fear or harm has become part of home life.
Written May 2026
Siblings and family
How do we run a family meeting everyone can cope with?
Make a family meeting short, accessible and worth attending by solving one shared problem without demanding speech, stillness or agreement.
Written May 2026
Siblings and family
How do we build a family life that works for every child?
Look beyond the loudest need, protect what belongs to each child and build household arrangements that real adults can sustain and review.
Written May 2026
Siblings and family
How do we reset family life after a difficult period?
Rebuild an ordinary week after crisis, illness, burnout or repeated conflict without pretending the old family arrangement still works.
Written May 2026
Siblings and family
How do I give my other children time when there is none left?
Find the kind of attention each child notices, protect it in a stretched week and repair cancellations without making impossible promises.
Written May 2026
Siblings and family
How do I explain my child's diagnosis to their brothers and sisters?
Give siblings accurate, age-respectful information while protecting the diagnosed child’s privacy and leaving room for questions over time.
Written May 2026
Communication and friendships
Why does my child need extra time to process what I say?
Recognise delayed processing, reduce competing input and leave a real pause so your child can understand and respond without starting again.
Written April 2026
Communication and friendships
Why does my child misunderstand what people mean?
Work out whether the difficulty lies in hidden meaning, missing context, language load or a two-way misunderstanding, then make the message clearer.
Written April 2026
Communication and friendships
What is AAC and who might benefit from it?
AAC includes low-tech and high-tech ways to support or replace speech. Learn what it can do, who can be assessed and what good provision involves.
Written April 2026
Communication and friendships
What do I do when my child is left out or falls out with a friend?
Help your child understand what happened, decide whether repair is wanted and recognise when exclusion has become a pattern adults must address.
Written April 2026
Communication and friendships
How should I communicate when my child is overwhelmed?
Use fewer words, lower the immediate communication load and keep familiar ways to say stop, help, pain and space available.
Written April 2026
Communication and friendships
How do I make parties, playdates and break times easier?
Reduce the hidden social and sensory work in three common settings, while preserving the child’s choice to join, pause or leave.
Written April 2026
Communication and friendships
How do I support a child who speaks little or not at all?
Treat the child as a communication partner, notice every reliable method, expand access beyond requests and seek assessment without waiting for speech.
Written April 2026
Communication and friendships
How do I help with friendships without taking over?
Help with access, preparation and safety while leaving the child free to choose the person, pace and shape of the friendship.
Written April 2026
Communication and friendships
How do I give instructions my child can follow?
Turn a broad request into a clear first action, make the sequence visible and check whether the task is accessible before repeating it.
Written April 2026
Communication and friendships
How can I help my neurodivergent child communicate and make friends?
Understand what is making communication or friendship hard, then reduce the specific barriers without turning your child into a social-skills project.
Written April 2026
Screens and gaming
What should I do if my child is bullied or sees harmful content online?
A first-hour response to online bullying or harmful content: protect the child, preserve useful evidence, report through the right route and plan recovery.
Written April 2026
Screens and gaming
Is social media safe for my autistic or ADHD teenager?
Assess social media by its features, the teenager’s purpose and the support available, with current UK age and safety information.
Written April 2026
Screens and gaming
Is my child addicted to gaming, or is something else going on?
How to distinguish intense gaming, a difficult stopping point and wider unmet needs from gaming disorder that warrants specialist assessment.
Written April 2026
Screens and gaming
How do we write a family digital agreement that holds?
Build a short, usable family digital agreement covering access, endings, safety, privacy, spending, exceptions and review.
Written April 2026
Screens and gaming
How do I get my child interested in anything other than gaming?
A practical way to widen life beyond gaming without removing the one activity that may currently feel accessible, social or restorative.
Written April 2026
Screens and gaming
How do I protect my child from grooming, scams and online exploitation?
Teach recognisable pressure patterns, reduce risky contact and payment routes, and know what to do after grooming, blackmail, fraud or exploitation.
Written April 2026
Screens and gaming
Do screens make ADHD or autism worse?
What screen use can change in daily functioning, what it cannot prove about ADHD or autism, and how to test the effect on your child.
Written April 2026
Screens and gaming
Do parental controls work, and how do I set them up?
A platform-independent checklist for choosing, setting, testing and reviewing parental controls without treating them as a safety guarantee.
Written April 2026
Boundaries and demand avoidance
What is collaborative problem solving, and how do I use it at home?
A calm, repeatable process for understanding one unsolved family problem, naming both concerns and testing a practical agreement.
Written April 2026
Boundaries and demand avoidance
What is demand avoidance, and is PDA a diagnosis in the UK?
What parents need to know about demand avoidance, the disputed PDA profile and asking for useful assessment and support in the UK.
Written April 2026
Boundaries and demand avoidance
What do we do when co-parents disagree about boundaries?
A practical way for co-parents to agree the few outcomes that matter without requiring identical homes, language or parenting styles.
Written April 2026
Boundaries and demand avoidance
Is my child refusing, or unable to do what I have asked?
A practical way to distinguish disagreement from a task a child cannot understand, start, tolerate or complete in that moment.
Written April 2026
Boundaries and demand avoidance
How do I set boundaries without a battle every time?
A complete boundary process for deciding what is fixed, checking access, offering an honest route and reviewing repeated conflict.
Written April 2026
Boundaries and demand avoidance
How do I reduce demands without giving up on expectations?
A demand review that keeps safety, health, rights and family function while removing pressure that does not earn its place.
Written March 2026
Boundaries and demand avoidance
How do I offer choices without losing authority?
How to offer genuine, manageable choices around a clear family boundary without hiding the outcome or handing over an impossible decision.
Written March 2026
Boundaries and demand avoidance
How do I phrase requests so my child can say yes?
How to make a request clear, honest and possible to act on without turning careful wording into a trick for compliance.
Written March 2026
Boundaries and demand avoidance
How do boundaries change with a teenager?
How to move from child rules towards clear safety limits, growing privacy, negotiated family responsibilities and reviewable independence.
Written March 2026
Boundaries and demand avoidance
Do consequences work for an autistic or ADHD child?
How to tell whether a consequence protects, teaches or repairs, and when it merely adds distress to an inaccessible task.
Written March 2026
Eating and toileting
Why is toilet training so hard for my neurodivergent child?
How to separate bowel and bladder health from the sensory, communication, movement and sequencing skills involved in learning to use a toilet.
Written March 2026
Eating and toileting
Why is my child still wetting the bed, and when should we get help?
How to assess persistent or newly returned bedwetting, reduce its practical impact and ask for treatment without blame or unsafe fluid restriction.
Written March 2026
Eating and toileting
Why does my child refuse baths, hair washing and teeth cleaning?
How to identify the exact sensory, pain, movement, communication or predictability barrier in personal care and build a workable hygiene routine.
Written March 2026
Eating and toileting
When does picky eating become restricted eating, and who can help?
How to recognise when limited eating has moved beyond an ordinary phase, document the impact and ask for feeding, nutritional or swallowing assessment.
Written March 2026
Eating and toileting
Why does my child eat things that are not food?
What pica means, which non-food eating needs medical advice and how to reduce immediate risk while recording the pattern for assessment.
Written March 2026
Eating and toileting
What should I do about constipation, soiling and toileting accidents?
How to recognise possible constipation behind soiling, seek clinical treatment and build a discreet, non-punitive continence plan across home and school.
Written March 2026
Eating and toileting
Is my child’s fussy eating sensory, behavioural or a medical concern?
A practical way to separate ordinary food preferences from sensory barriers, swallowing or health concerns and patterns that need feeding or nutritional assessment.
Written March 2026
Eating and toileting
How to take the pressure out of mealtimes without giving up on nutrition
A practical low-pressure mealtime plan that protects current intake, reduces conflict and keeps health or feeding concerns visible.
Written March 2026
Eating and toileting
How do I ask for reasonable adjustments at a medical appointment?
How to identify the access barrier, request a specific healthcare adjustment in advance and confirm what will happen on the day.
Written March 2026
Eating and toileting
How do I get my teenager to shower and use deodorant?
A respectful way to establish an effective teenage hygiene routine by separating knowledge, initiation, sensory access, practical skill and privacy.
Written March 2026
Eating and toileting
Could pain, constipation or illness be behind my child's behaviour?
A practical body-systems check for changed behaviour, with symptom recording, clinical follow-through and urgent boundaries.
Written March 2026
Sleep and rest
Why will my child not settle or switch off at night?
A practical way to identify the kind of sleep problem, remove avoidable barriers and build a sleep plan around the child rather than one bedtime rule.
Written March 2026
Sleep and rest
When should we speak to the GP about sleep or melatonin?
When a child’s sleep needs clinical attention, what to take to the appointment and how to have a safe, useful conversation about melatonin.
Written March 2026
Sleep and rest
Why does my child wake in the night, and what should I do?
A practical night-waking plan that checks comfort, health, breathing, patterns and support before assuming the child has learned a bad habit.
Written March 2026
Sleep and rest
What should I do when my child wakes at 5am?
A focused plan for persistent very early waking that checks schedule, comfort, environment and health without turning dawn into a daily battle.
Written March 2026
Sleep and rest
What is delayed sleep phase, and does my teenager have it?
How to recognise a consistently delayed sleep pattern, distinguish it from one late bedtime and take useful evidence to the GP.
Written March 2026
Sleep and rest
What counts as rest for a child who cannot switch off?
How to recognise and protect forms of rest that reduce demand and effort, even when a child does not look still, silent or conventionally relaxed.
Written March 2026
Sleep and rest
How do sensory needs affect sleep, and what can we change?
A practical way to identify sensory barriers to sleep and test small bedroom or bedtime changes without turning the room into a treatment programme.
Written March 2026
Sleep and rest
Is this a sleep habit problem or something more?
How to distinguish a bedtime pattern from pain, breathing, medication, anxiety, circadian timing or another sleep concern that needs assessment.
Written March 2026
Sleep and rest
How do I set up a bedroom that helps my child sleep?
A room-by-room-style sleep check for comfort, light, sound, safety and predictability, using the child’s actual experience rather than an ideal-bedroom checklist.
Written March 2026
Routines and transitions
Why are transitions so hard for my child, and what helps?
A practical way to understand difficult transitions and support the ending, the crossing and the first step into what comes next.
Written March 2026
Routines and transitions
What should the first hour after school look like?
How to plan the first hour after school around arrival, food, communication, recovery and a manageable route into the evening.
Written March 2026
Routines and transitions
How much should I still be doing for my child at this age?
A practical way to decide which daily-living support to keep, teach, share or reduce without using age alone as the test.
Written March 2026
Routines and transitions
How do we make school mornings less chaotic?
A practical method for rebuilding the school morning around real timings, fewer decisions, accessible steps and an honest hard-day version.
Written March 2026
Routines and transitions
How do we get through the school holidays without the routine collapsing?
How to replace the school timetable with a few reliable anchors, visible day shapes and realistic plans for care, outings and recovery.
Written March 2026
Routines and transitions
How do we build routines that help without becoming rigid?
How to create a stable household routine with flexible routes, honest updates and a hard-day version that protects what matters.
Written March 2026
Routines and transitions
How do visual timetables and first-then boards work at home?
How to use a visual timetable or first-then board to show activity order, make endings clear and keep changed information trustworthy.
Written March 2026
Routines and transitions
How do I prepare my child for a party, trip or family event?
How to prepare the whole event envelope: travel, people, sensory conditions, participation, uncertainty, exit and recovery.
Written March 2026
Routines and transitions
How do I get my child to help with chores without a battle?
How to turn household contribution into a clear, accessible task with a fair finish, visible support and less repeated conflict.
Written March 2026
Routines and transitions
How do I handle a change of plan without it ruining the day?
How to communicate a changed plan, protect what still matters and build a workable alternative without demanding instant flexibility.
Written March 2026
Routines and transitions
How do I get everyone out of the front door without shouting?
How to redesign the final minutes before leaving around one launch point, explicit roles, a usable departure cue and a plan for late days.
Written February 2026
Executive function
Why is my child's bedroom and school bag always chaos?
How to reduce search, sorting and reset demands in a teenager’s room and school bag without turning organisation into a character judgement.
Written February 2026
Executive function
Why does my child forget what I asked seconds later?
Why a spoken instruction can disappear before a child acts, what else can look like forgetting, and how to make requests easier to use.
Written February 2026
Executive function
Why does my child abandon things halfway through?
How to tell whether a child lost the next step, the finish line, capacity or reason to continue, and help them return without restarting the conflict.
Written February 2026
Executive function
Why do our home systems stop working after the first week?
Why a promising checklist, routine or home station fades, and how to repair the smallest failed part instead of starting over.
Written February 2026
Executive function
Why can my child know what to do and still not do it?
A parent’s guide to executive function, task performance and the practical gap between understanding an instruction and carrying it out.
Written February 2026
Executive function
Why do my reminders turn into arguments, and what should I say instead?
How to stop a reminder becoming a running commentary, find the point that is stuck and agree cues that preserve clarity and dignity.
Written February 2026
Executive function
Which visual supports and checklists work at home, and how do I make them?
How to choose, make and test a visual support that answers one real household question without adding clutter or language load.
Written February 2026
Executive function
How do I help my child start a task they keep putting off?
A practical guide to finding what blocks task initiation and helping a child reach a clear, manageable first action.
Written February 2026
Executive function
How do I help a child with no sense of how long things take?
A practical way to make duration, sequence and departure times visible when a child repeatedly underestimates or loses track of time.
Written February 2026
Executive function
How do I break a big task into steps my child can follow?
How to turn a large or vague household task into a visible sequence without creating an even longer list for a child to manage.
Written February 2026
Executive function
How do I build an external brain for my child at home?
How to place plans, cues, materials and checks where a child can use them instead of expecting every task to be held in memory.
Written February 2026
Executive function
Do reward charts work for a child with ADHD or autism?
What a reward chart can and cannot change, how to test one respectfully, and when the task needs access or teaching instead.
Written February 2026
Identity and self-esteem
What is masking, and how would I know my child is doing it?
What autistic masking can look and feel like, why children may adapt their behaviour, and how to respond without making assumptions.
Written February 2026
Identity and self-esteem
What if my child does not want to be autistic or have ADHD?
How to respond when a child rejects an autism or ADHD diagnosis, without arguing, forcing an identity or withdrawing useful support.
Written February 2026
Identity and self-esteem
Should my child tell their friends and teachers?
How to decide who to tell about an ADHD or autism diagnosis, what each person needs to know and how to protect the child’s choice.
Written February 2026
Identity and self-esteem
How do I rebuild my child's confidence after years of being told off?
Practical ways to repair repeated criticism, make success accessible and help a child build a more accurate view of themselves.
Written February 2026
Identity and self-esteem
How do we talk about strengths without pretending the hard parts are not there?
A grounded way to recognise a child’s strengths, interests and values without using positivity to minimise difficulty or deny support.
Written February 2026
Identity and self-esteem
How do I help my child feel safe enough to stop masking?
How to reduce the pressure to mask while protecting a child’s choice, privacy, safety and access to everyday life.
Written February 2026
Identity and self-esteem
How do I explain ADHD or autism to my child? A parent's guide by age
How to give a child honest, age-appropriate information about ADHD or autism and keep the conversation open as their questions change.
Written February 2026
Identity and self-esteem
Difference or deficit? The words we use and how a child hears them
How to describe neurodevelopmental difference and real difficulty without turning either into a judgement about the child.
Written February 2026
Sensory processing
Why does noise upset my child so much?
How to identify the sound, setting and meaning that make noise difficult, use hearing protection carefully and know when to ask for audiology advice.
Written February 2026
Sensory processing
Why does my child squint, cover their eyes or avoid busy places?
How to separate light, glare, movement, clutter and navigation demands, make one place easier to use and know when an eye check is needed.
Written February 2026
Sensory processing
Why does my child not notice hunger, thirst, pain or needing the toilet?
How to support a child who notices body signals late, intensely or unclearly without guessing what every sensation means or overlooking illness.
Written February 2026
Sensory processing
Why does my child crash, climb and never stop moving?
How to understand repeated movement without assuming one cause, create safer routes for force and motion, and review whether an activity improves participation.
Written January 2026
Sensory processing
Why does my child hate labels, seams, haircuts and hair washing?
How to separate touch, temperature, balance, pain and loss of control in dressing and hair care, then change the exact part that hurts.
Written January 2026
Sensory processing
Why do smells and tastes bother my child so much?
How to separate taste, smell, texture, temperature and oral input, reduce environmental barriers and respond safely to mouthing or changed senses.
Written January 2026
Sensory processing
Why do everyday things feel unbearable to my child? A parent's guide to sensory processing
A practical guide to noticing sensory input, understanding mixed responses and changing an activity or environment without assuming one cause.
Written January 2026
Sensory processing
What is sensory load, and why does it build up across a day?
How sensory and other demands can accumulate, why the last event may be misleading and how to change the day before access collapses.
Written January 2026
Sensory processing
Do weighted blankets, ear defenders and sensory toys work?
How to judge sensory products by purpose, safety and real-life effect, with specific guidance on weighted blankets and hearing protection.
Written January 2026
Sensory processing
How do we make home less overwhelming, room by room?
A practical room-by-room method for reducing sensory barriers at home without redesigning the house or putting one person’s needs above everyone else’s.
Written January 2026
Meltdowns and shutdowns
Why does my child go silent, freeze or sleep? Understanding shutdowns
How shutdown may affect speech, movement, decisions and energy, what helps in the moment and when a quiet presentation needs medical assessment.
Written January 2026
Meltdowns and shutdowns
Why does my child explode over something tiny?
Why the last small problem may release a much larger accumulated load, and how to work backwards without dismissing the thing that happened.
Written January 2026
Meltdowns and shutdowns
Why do mornings end in tears before school?
How to find the first stuck point in the morning, reduce decisions and protect the route out without treating every difficulty as school refusal.
Written January 2026
Meltdowns and shutdowns
What should I say during a meltdown, and what should wait until later?
Short, usable language for reducing pressure and protecting safety during a meltdown, with guidance on which conversations to postpone.
Written January 2026
Meltdowns and shutdowns
What is happening in my child’s body during a meltdown?
A careful explanation of the stress response during overwhelm, what parents may notice and why body-based support must remain individual.
Written January 2026
Meltdowns and shutdowns
What is co-regulation, and how do I use it at different ages?
What co-regulation means in daily family life, why it is more than staying calm and how support changes from early childhood to the teenage years.
Written January 2026
Meltdowns and shutdowns
Meltdowns and shutdowns: a parent’s guide to what is happening and what helps
A complete guide to recognising overload, responding during meltdowns and shutdowns, supporting recovery and learning from the pattern without blame.
Written January 2026
Meltdowns and shutdowns
Is my teenager's anger a meltdown?
How to tell anger, argument and overwhelm apart without trying to diagnose the moment, while keeping limits, dignity and safety clear.
Written January 2026
Meltdowns and shutdowns
How long does it take a child to recover from a meltdown, and what helps?
Why recovery may continue after visible distress ends, how to notice returning capacity and how to avoid restarting demands too soon.
Written January 2026
Meltdowns and shutdowns
How do we put things right after a frightening meltdown?
How to address injury, fear and damage after a meltdown without forcing an apology or turning the explanation into an excuse.
Written January 2026
Meltdowns and shutdowns
How do I plan ahead for situations that always end in a meltdown?
A step-by-step plan for one repeated flashpoint, covering the necessary outcome, earlier support, exit, safety and recovery.
Written January 2026
Meltdowns and shutdowns
How do I take the shame away after my child has lost control?
How to separate a child’s identity from what happened, keep responsibility clear and respond when shame becomes self-hatred or hopelessness.
Written January 2026
Behaviour
Why does punishment make my child's behaviour worse?
Why punishment can add pressure without solving the reason for behaviour, and how to use safety limits, repair, teaching and proportionate consequences instead.
Written January 2026
Behaviour
When behaviour is doing the work of words
How to identify what a child may be communicating through behaviour and build a faster, safer message they can use when speech is not available.
Written January 2026
Behaviour
What is my child's behaviour telling me? A decoder for parents
A six-step method for describing one difficult moment, considering what contributed and testing one small change without jumping to a diagnosis.
Written January 2026
Behaviour
Is my child attention-seeking, or asking for connection?
How to understand behaviour that brings adult attention, identify the kind of connection a child needs and teach a safer, more reliable route to it.
Written January 2026
Behaviour
Is this defiance, or can my child not do it yet?
How to separate unwillingness from missing, overloaded or inconsistent skills, while keeping necessary expectations and safety limits clear.
Written January 2026
Behaviour
Is it my child or the setting? Spotting a mismatch between demands and needs
How noise, pace, language, uncertainty, social pressure and task design can make behaviour differ between settings, with practical ways to test the mismatch.
Written January 2026
Behaviour
How to hold boundaries without blame
A practical way to keep necessary limits clear, reduce shame and change the route when a child cannot meet an expectation as it is currently set.
Written January 2026
Behaviour
How do I find the pattern? Keeping a one-week behaviour log
A short, sustainable way to record difficult and easier moments for one week, test one explanation and bring useful evidence to school or health appointments.
Written January 2026
Behaviour
Could pain or illness be changing my child’s behaviour?
How to notice when behaviour may reflect pain or illness, gather useful observations and get help without expecting a child to explain everything in words.
Written January 2026
AuDHD and complex profiles
Why has my child started making sudden movements or sounds?
A practical explanation of childhood tics, Tourette syndrome, school support and the movement changes that need prompt medical assessment.
Written January 2026
AuDHD and complex profiles
Why does one strategy help one difficulty and make another worse?
How to balance support when predictability, attention, sensory, communication and autonomy needs pull in different directions for an AuDHD child.
Written January 2026
AuDHD and complex profiles
Why does my child crave routine and fight it at the same time?
Why a child with autism and ADHD may need predictable structure but struggle to start, follow or tolerate the routine, with practical ways to support both needs.
Written January 2026
AuDHD and complex profiles
Why does my child struggle with handwriting, buttons and bike riding?
How coordination difficulties can affect handwriting, dressing, eating, play and confidence, with practical support and routes to DCD assessment.
Written January 2026
AuDHD and complex profiles
Is this trauma or neurodivergence? Why the picture can look the same
How trauma responses can overlap with autistic, ADHD and other neurodevelopmental needs, and how to describe both without forcing a false choice.
Written January 2026
AuDHD and complex profiles
Is this OCD or an autistic routine? Rules, rituals and repeated thoughts
How OCD compulsions and autistic routines can look similar, what not to infer at home and what information can help a careful assessment.
Written December 2025
AuDHD and complex profiles
Is this dyslexia, dyscalculia or a wider learning need?
How to describe persistent literacy, number and broader learning difficulties, ask school for support and understand the assessment routes.
Written December 2025
AuDHD and complex profiles
Is this anxiety, or is it part of my child's neurodivergence?
How anxiety can overlap with autistic and ADHD experiences, what information helps assessment and what families can change without waiting for a label.
Written December 2025
AuDHD and complex profiles
Can a child be autistic and have ADHD? Understanding AuDHD
How autism and ADHD can coexist in one child, how their needs may interact and what a careful assessment and useful support should consider.
Written December 2025
Autism
Why does my child take everything I say literally?
Why indirect, figurative and ambiguous language can be difficult for some autistic children, with practical ways to communicate clearly without talking down.
Written December 2025
Autism
Why does my child need to know exactly what happens next?
How uncertainty can affect autistic children, how to provide honest predictability and how to build flexibility without engineering distress.
Written December 2025
Autism
Why does my child line things up, rock or repeat the same phrase?
What repetitive behaviour and stimming may do for an autistic child, when to leave it alone and when to look for pain, risk or unmet need.
Written December 2025
Autism
Why does my child cope at school and fall apart at home?
Why an autistic child may appear to cope at school but show strain at home, and how families and schools can compare the demands and hidden support.
Written December 2025
Autism
Why are autistic girls and verbally able children missed for so long?
Why some autistic children are recognised late, what can sit behind an apparently capable presentation and how to describe concerns accurately.
Written December 2025
Autism
What is the autism spectrum, and what does it mean for my child?
Why autism is called a spectrum, why functioning labels can mislead and how to build a more useful picture of an individual child.
Written December 2025
Autism
What do parents tend to notice first? Autism in the early years
A developmentally careful guide to possible early signs of autism, what else may overlap and how to raise a concern without trying to diagnose at home.
Written December 2025
Autism
Understanding autism in children: a parent's guide
A clear guide to what autism can mean for a child, what families may notice, how assessment works and how to offer useful support now.
Written December 2025
Autism
Can my child be autistic if they are affectionate and sociable?
Why affection, eye contact, empathy and wanting company do not rule autism out, and what social communication differences may look like in sociable children.
Written December 2025
Autism
Are special interests a problem or a strength?
How to understand an autistic child’s intense interests, protect their value and respond when an interest creates a specific difficulty.
Written December 2025
ADHD
Why is ADHD so often missed in girls?
Why girls with ADHD may be recognised later, what can be overlooked, and how to describe concerns without relying on stereotypes.
Written December 2025
ADHD
Why does my child only get going at the last minute? ADHD, motivation and reward
Why distant deadlines may not create enough traction for a child with ADHD, and how to bring feedback, purpose and the first step closer.
Written December 2025
ADHD
Why does my child have no sense of time?
What people mean by ADHD time blindness, what the research can and cannot show, and how to make passing time easier to use.
Written December 2025
ADHD
Why does my child forget what I asked halfway through?
How working memory can affect instructions in children with ADHD, and how to move the next step out of memory and into view.
Written December 2025
ADHD
Why can my child never sit still? Activity levels from toddler to teenager
How ordinary movement and ADHD-related hyperactivity can look at different ages, from early childhood to the teenage years.
Written December 2025
ADHD
Why does my child act before they think?
What impulsivity can look like in children with ADHD and how to create a usable pause before words, choices or unsafe actions.
Written December 2025
ADHD
Why can my child focus for hours on one thing and not start their homework?
Why intense focus can coexist with difficulty starting homework, and how to make the first step easier without blaming or bribing.
Written December 2025
ADHD
Understanding ADHD in children: a parent's guide
A clear guide to how ADHD can affect attention, activity, impulses and everyday life, including assessment, support and what parents can observe.
Written December 2025
ADHD
Is this ADHD, immaturity or ordinary childhood behaviour?
How to look beyond one difficult behaviour and decide when attention, activity or impulsivity patterns deserve closer assessment.
Written December 2025
ADHD
Could a quiet, dreamy or anxious child have ADHD?
How inattentive ADHD can be missed when a child is quiet, compliant or anxious, and what parents and schools can observe.
Written December 2025
Preparing for adulthood
What should we prepare before our child turns 18?
A calm way to plan education, healthcare, money, decisions and daily life with a neurodivergent teenager before adulthood.
Written December 2025
Preparing for adulthood
What happens to an EHC plan after 16, and when does it end?
How EHC plans work after compulsory school age in England, including college, apprenticeships, higher education, annual reviews and when a plan may end.
Written December 2025
Preparing for adulthood
What happens to disability benefits when my child turns 16?
What families need to do about DLA, PIP, Child Disability Payment and Adult Disability Payment when a disabled young person turns 16.
Written December 2025
Preparing for adulthood
What changes when my child turns 16 or 18?
A UK guide to the education, healthcare, benefits and decision-making changes that may happen when a disabled young person turns 16 or 18.
Written December 2025
Preparing for adulthood
Post-16 support in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland: what is different?
A practical comparison of additional learning support after 16 in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, including plans, transition and college support.
Written December 2025
Preparing for adulthood
Post-16 options: compare the course, setting and support
Compare sixth form, college, apprenticeships, supported employment and other post-16 routes around the young person and the support they need.
Written December 2025
Preparing for adulthood
How do we build independence in money, travel and daily living?
A practical way to help a neurodivergent teenager manage money, travel and everyday tasks while keeping useful support in place.
Written November 2025
Preparing for adulthood
Moving from children’s to adult health services
Prepare for the move from children’s healthcare to adult services, including referrals, medication, family involvement and possible gaps.
Written November 2025
Preparing for adulthood
How college support works and what changes after school
How to arrange learning support, adjustments and practical help at college, including what does and does not transfer from school.
Written November 2025
School and SEN support
How to keep useful notes for school and GP meetings
A manageable way to record what happens, what helps and what your child says, then turn those notes into a short summary for school or the GP.
Written November 2025
Community life and inclusion
How to plan a day out without everyone dreading it
Plan an accessible family day out around what matters, the likely barriers, a clear exit and the recovery time your child may need.
Written November 2025
Behaviour
Why is my child behaving like this? A parent's guide to reading behaviour
When a child's behaviour seems to make no sense, there is usually more going on than you can see. How to read it, find the pattern, and what may help.
Written November 2025