Posts by Sinead Rhodes
How can I help my child with ADHD with their thinking (executive function) skills?: Physical activity may help
We know that physical activity has positive effects for the physical health of children and young people. Physical activity can be especially useful for children and young people with ADHD who like and benefit from regular movement. Now research is showing the positive effects may extend way beyond physical effects for those with ADHD –…
Read MoreHow can my neurodivergent child find friendships that work for them?: Finding your tribe
Autistic young people often have difficulties finding friendships that work for them. The same often applies to young people with other similar and commonly associated conditions such as ADHD and Dyspraxia, to name just a few neurodevelopmental conditions where peer relationships may not always be straightforward. Friendships can be difficult for many autistic people because…
Read MoreHow can I help my neurodivergent daughter prepare for puberty and their first period?
Why is it important to research puberty and periods in neurodivergent girls? We recently completed a research study, led by researcher Ailbhe McKinney, on the topic of first periods and puberty in neurodivergent young girls. We were interested in this topic as many neurodivergent young girls, especially those who are autistic, have difficulties coping with…
Read MoreDealing with emotions in autistic and ADHD children
Managing emotions is a real issue for many children and teenagers with ADHD and of course their parents in caring for them and supporting them. Research has shown that this difficulty in managing emotions appears early in childhood. A recent study, led by Dr Aja Murray at the University of Edinburgh, has suggested that children…
Read MoreHow can I support my neurodivergent child with eating?
There is now considerable research evidence to show that autistic children and young people find meal times stressful and are more selective in the foods they eat than their peers. Research has shown that there are many different aspects to difficulties with food and eating including food fussiness, sensory difficulties with food and under eating…
Read MoreHow can I support my child’s sensory needs?
Sensory processing refers to how the brain registers and interprets sensory information from both within our bodies and the world around us. It simply put is how we react to things like noises we hear, smells we smell, items we see. We have eight senses altogether and each of us uniquely experiences these. Some…
Read MoreEPIC Think Learn whole class teacher resources now online
EPIC Think Learn have been working hard behind the scenes developing whole class neurodiversity materials for primary school teachers and we are delighted that these are now available! What do these resources focus on? The resources can be used to teach all children in a class about their thinking skills. These lessons will empower children…
Read MoreWhy is my autistic child anxious?
Autistic children and young people often need to know what is going to happen in advance and to follow a certain routine. This is known as an ‘intolerance of uncertainty’. A systematic review (where all the studies on this topic were analysed together) was carried out to look at the relationship between intolerance of uncertainty…
Read MoreDoes my child have a higher risk of developing mental health difficulties because they are neurodivergent?
There has been quite a lot of research studies carried out to examine if autistic young people are at higher risk of developing anxiety and / or depression. We examined this question in relation to depression in a systematic review. This is basically where we bring all research studies on a topic together and look…
Read MoreWhen do neurodivergent girls begin to mask and is it linked to mental health difficulties?
Now it’s back to school time, many neurodivergent young people will be thinking about the difficulties and complexity of the school environment and how they fit in with their peers. We know that children and young people who are neurodivergent often hide their condition symptoms known as masking or camouflaging. While we know they have…
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