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In this episode I'm joined by Julie Bevan founder of DotKids where we explore creativity.

Creativity often feels like something we leave behind in childhood.

Somewhere between school expectations, work, parenting and the pressure to be productive, many of us stop creating altogether. But creativity isn’t just about producing a perfect picture or being “good at art”. It’s about expression, regulation, confidence and wellbeing.

In this episode, I’m joined by Julie Bevan from Dot Kids, an organisation using creativity to support children’s confidence, emotional expression and wellbeing.

We talk about why creativity matters for both children and parents, how schools sometimes shift the focus from exploration to perfection, and why many adults lose their connection to creativity as they grow older.

We also explore how simple creative activities — even doodling or making marks on paper — can support mental health, self-regulation and family connection.

If you’ve ever thought “I’m not creative” or feel like you lost that part of yourself somewhere along the way, this episode might help you see creativity a little differently.

In this episode we talk about:

• Why creativity supports wellbeing for both kids and parents
• How perfection and outcomes can take the joy out of art
• The role creativity plays in emotional expression and regulation
• Why many adults stop creating as they get older
• Simple ways families can bring creativity back into everyday life
• The work Julie is doing through Dot Kids

You might even feel inspired to pick up a paintbrush, doodle on a page, or simply try something creative again.

Links and resources

DotKids
Julie Bevan – LinkedIn

www.dotkids.co.uk

Julie mentions two artists in particular during the episode they are Yayoi Kasama and Frida Kahlo

If you enjoy the podcast, don’t forget to follow or subscribe so you don’t miss future episodes.

I love to know how and what you do that's creative. Lets build a bank of ideas of creative things we can do as parents. Have fun!!

Support the show

I'm Liz, The Untypical OT. I support parents and carers in additional needs and neurodivergent families to protect against burnout and go from overwhelmed to more moments of ease.

🔗 To connect with me, you can find all my details on Linktree:
https://linktr.ee/the_untypical_ot

And if you'd like to contact me about the podcast please use the text link at the top or you can email at:
contact@untypicalparentpodcast.com.

Enjoyed the episode, got a suggestion or a question send me a text

In this episode of The Untypical Parent Podcast, I’m joined by Chrissa Wadlow from Sunshine Support, and this one turns into a proper real-life chat (the kind I know so many of us need).

Chrissa shares her journey as a SEND parent, including the very real reality of battling systems, being judged, and the toll that takes on your health and your whole family.

From there we get into boundaries, not just “rules for kids”, but the boundaries we need as parents to stay well. We talk about how to hold boundaries at home, how to protect yourself in meetings, and why noticing your nervous system signs (and stepping out when you need to) is a skill worth practising.

We cover:

• The trauma and exhaustion of fighting for provision
• Boundaries as protection (not punishment)
• Teamwork at home + sharing the load
• Handling meetings without reacting in the moment
• Modelling emotions and recovery for our kids

Links:

Sunshine Support + Sunshine Academy
Chrissa’s podcast: Sip of Sunshine

Support the show

I'm Liz, The Untypical OT. I support parents and carers in additional needs and neurodivergent families to protect against burnout and go from overwhelmed to more moments of ease.

🔗 To connect with me, you can find all my details on Linktree:
https://linktr.ee/the_untypical_ot

And if you'd like to contact me about the podcast please use the text link at the top or you can email at:
contact@untypicalparentpodcast.com.

Enjoyed the episode, got a suggestion or a question send me a text

Living in a neurodivergent family can feel like walking barefoot through a dark room full of Lego.

In this episode, I share a powerful metaphor from listener Lindsay Morris, and then take you into something very real happening in my own family right now.

After four years of recovery, support and rebuilding trust through an EOTAS package (Education Otherwise Than At School), my son is considering returning to school.

And I am terrified.

Not because he isn’t capable.

But because for many neurodivergent children, autistic, ADHD, PDA, school trauma doesn’t disappear overnight. Children do not go from “I can’t cope” to “I’m fixed.”

There is no switch.

In this episode I talk about:

• The Lego-in-the-dark metaphor for parenting a neurodivergent child
• Why safe circles matter more than perfect solutions
• EOTAS as structured recovery, not failure
• The fear of losing EHCP support too soon
• Why graded transitions matter
• The all-or-nothing approach many families face
• How to know when it’s time to take the next step
• Making leaps without losing the safety net

This is an honest episode about risk, recovery, fear and hope.

If you’ve ever sat at 3am wondering whether you’re making the right decision for your child, this one’s for you.

There is hope.
But there has to be flexibility.

If this resonates, please don't hesitate reach out, you are not doing this alone.

Support the show

I'm Liz, The Untypical OT. I support parents and carers in additional needs and neurodivergent families to protect against burnout and go from overwhelmed to more moments of ease.

🔗 To connect with me, you can find all my details on Linktree:
https://linktr.ee/the_untypical_ot

And if you'd like to contact me about the podcast please use the text link at the top or you can email at:
contact@untypicalparentpodcast.com.

Enjoyed the episode, got a suggestion or a question send me a text

What if the smallest straw isn’t the cause of your collapse, but the clue you’ve been carrying too much for too long? We sit down with Dr Lee David, GP, CBT therapist, author, and host of The Choice Space, to make stress understandable, visible, and workable for real families navigating complex lives.

We start by ditching the myth of the perfect parent and unpack why children need different versions of us. From there, Lee maps the physiology and psychology of stress: the stress bucket that fills with daily demands, and the burnout cliff that sneaks up when we keep pushing past our limits. You’ll hear how fight, flight, freeze, and even fawn show up in kitchens, school emails, and tense bedtime routines. We draw a clear line between energising, values-led pressure and the draining strain of immovable systems, think tribunals, slow services, and endless forms, and why “pleasant persistence” can protect your health without giving up your voice.

The heart of the conversation tackles inner beliefs that magnify stress. We explore sensitivity that makes a child’s anxiety echo in your body, the inner critic that turns every misstep into a verdict, and the slide from useful guilt into corrosive shame. With insights from Brené Brown and Kristin Neff, Lee offers a fierce form of self-compassion: boundaries, pauses, and choices that prioritise well-being so you can stay connected at home and effective with professionals. We also reframe self-care as shared family care and stack practical micro-tools you can use today, even on the busiest weeks.

Lee talks about SPICE, her five-part framework: Success (small wins), Physical (gentle movement), Important (values-first tasks), Connection (micro-moments that bond), and Enjoyable (simple pleasures that help you exhale). No lofty routines, just realistic, repeatable practices designed for parents managing neurodivergent and neurotypical needs, tight schedules, and high stakes. If you’ve felt “stressy,” close to the edge, or unsure how to help your nervous system settle when the system won’t budge, this conversation offers language, tools, and real hope.

If this helped, follow the show, share it with a friend who’s carrying too much, and leave a review so more parents can find these tools. Your story might be the light someone else needs.

If you want to connect with Lee you can find her here:

Dr Lee David - Instagram

The Choice Space Podcast - Instagram

In this episode Lee and I spoke about:

Kirsten Neff - https://self-compassion.org/

Dr Richard Duggins

Brene Brown - https://brenebrown.com/

Support the show

I'm Liz, The Untypical OT. I support parents and carers in additional needs and neurodivergent families to protect against burnout and go from overwhelmed to more moments of ease.

🔗 To connect with me, you can find all my details on Linktree:
https://linktr.ee/the_untypical_ot

And if you'd like to contact me about the podcast please use the text link at the top or you can email at:
contact@untypicalparentpodcast.com.

Enjoyed the episode, got a suggestion or a question send me a text

Parenting in a neurodivergent family is many things. Boring is most definitely not one of them.

In this episode, I reflect on a listener message from Carla Berlin that perfectly captures something so many of us live every day: the exhaustion, the unpredictability, and those incredible moments where our children completely amaze us. The wins that might seem small to others, trying a new food, speaking up, managing an environment they couldn’t before, can feel absolutely monumental in our families.

I talk about why comparison to “typical” can so easily make us miss the brilliance right in front of us, and why our children’s strengths so often don’t fit neatly into the systems they’re expected to succeed in.

I also share a more personal story, about my own experience of being late-diagnosed dyslexic, the lasting impact of school, and why focusing only on outcomes rather than effort can be so damaging. This leads into a wonderful email I received from a parent whose child’s future may have shifted simply because someone finally listened.

This episode is about:

• Recognising and celebrating strengths
• Understanding why forced pathways can harm mental health
• And why those “small” moments are anything but small

If you’re parenting in a neurodivergent family, this one is for you.

Article mentioned in the episode:
More Than Words — you can click here to read it

Chapters:

00:00 The Joys and Challenges of Neurodivergent Parenting
03:00 Personal Experiences with Dyslexia
07:19 Advocating for Strengths in Education

Support the show

I'm Liz, The Untypical OT. I support parents and carers in additional needs and neurodivergent families to protect against burnout and go from overwhelmed to more moments of ease.

🔗 To connect with me, you can find all my details on Linktree:
https://linktr.ee/the_untypical_ot

And if you'd like to contact me about the podcast please use the text link at the top or you can email at:
contact@untypicalparentpodcast.com.

Enjoyed the episode, got a suggestion or a question send me a text

“I learned quickly that I am my child’s voice. No one else will care the way I do.”

This quote from Greer captures the heart of our conversation.

Greer shares her experience of autism, ADHD, school systems, and the realities of raising a neurodivergent child in the UK.

Originally from the US and now based in England, Greer opens up about trusting her “mama gut,” facing dismissal from professionals, advocating fiercely for her son, and discovering her own ADHD along the way. She also explores how community, therapy, and self-compassion became lifelines in what can often feel like an isolating world.

Together, we talk about the emotional toll of constant advocacy, the myths around “lazy parenting,” why parents must be included in support plans, and practical strategies that make everyday life more manageable.

This episode is for any parent who has ever felt unheard, overwhelmed, or unsure of their next step, and is a reminder that you are not alone.

Connect with Greer:

Podcast: Neurodivergent Conversations (formerly The Unfinished Idea)

Instagram: The Unfinished Idea

Support the show

I'm Liz, The Untypical OT. I support parents and carers in additional needs and neurodivergent families to protect against burnout and go from overwhelmed to more moments of ease.

🔗 To connect with me, you can find all my details on Linktree:
https://linktr.ee/the_untypical_ot

And if you'd like to contact me about the podcast please use the text link at the top or you can email at:
contact@untypicalparentpodcast.com.

Enjoyed the episode, got a suggestion or a question send me a text

This week I share a comment from a listener. Sharon Thompson wrote what it’s like parenting in a neurodivergent family, the realities people don’t always see, and the strength it takes to keep showing up.

And in amongst that I’m bringing a little lightness too… because I’ve realised something about myself, I regulate with singing.
But I also think in songs.
Words and phrases trigger lyrics, and yes, sometimes I even treat everyone to a “perfect” song line… until my son reminds me it absolutely wasn’t perfect.

If you’re navigating neurodivergent family life, you’ll feel seen in this one.

Support the show

I'm Liz, The Untypical OT. I support parents and carers in additional needs and neurodivergent families to protect against burnout and go from overwhelmed to more moments of ease.

🔗 To connect with me, you can find all my details on Linktree:
https://linktr.ee/the_untypical_ot

And if you'd like to contact me about the podcast please use the text link at the top or you can email at:
contact@untypicalparentpodcast.com.

Enjoyed the episode, got a suggestion or a question send me a text

Content Note: This episode includes discussion of foster care, trauma, low mood and suicidal feelings. If these topics are difficult for you, please take care while listening.
If you are struggling, please consider speaking to someone you trust or seeking support. In the UK & ROI, Samaritans are available 24/7 on 116 123 or at samaritans.org.

Jordan Garratt, founder of Sensory Class, joins us to tell the story few people know about: the teacher who fell in love with special education, brought AAC and sensory joy into her lessons, and opened her home to children with complex needs, and even more complex histories.

Jordan talks us through foster care: the lows and the highs. The assessment panels and nameless referrals. The school place that should have been a lifeline, but wasn’t. Jordan also shares a drawing she made of a child standing on their hands underwater, and the praise of “you’re doing great”, even though she was drowning.

If you’re a parent navigating SEND, a fellow foster carer, or a professional supporting children and young people in care, receiving respite or adopted, this episode can be a tough listen at times, but it’s also a conversation full of love, honesty and truth.

Thank you Jordan for sharing with us.

If you would like to connect with Jordan you can find her here:

Website: https://sensoryclassroom.org/

Instagram: Sensory Class

Podcast: Sensory Classroom

Support the show

I'm Liz, The Untypical OT. I support parents and carers in additional needs and neurodivergent families to protect against burnout and go from overwhelmed to more moments of ease.

🔗 To connect with me, you can find all my details on Linktree:
https://linktr.ee/the_untypical_ot

And if you'd like to contact me about the podcast please use the text link at the top or you can email at:
contact@untypicalparentpodcast.com.