Navigating an autism or ADHD assessment can often feel overwhelming, isolating, and filled with uncertainty. From facing long waiting lists and school attendance struggles, to managing post-diagnostic identity and burnout, how do we best support children and parents through the assessment journey? In this episode, Family Futures team members Charlotte Mumford, ADHDer and Autistic person, and Georgie Kovoor, Clinical Specialist, Senior Music Therapist, and member of the neurodiversity assessment team draw on both clinical practice and personal lived experience. They discuss the reality of assessments: why a diagnosis is never just a label, how early masking leads to after-school meltdowns, and why a neuro-affirming approach bridges the gap between home, school, and therapy. Together, they discuss: What we’ve learnt from parents on discovery calls: school attendance barriers, feeling blamed The waiting list reality: navigating uncertainty, late diagnosis, and the post-diagnostic shift in perspective Why post-assessment feedback matters: focusing on both strengths and difficulties, and communicating findings to children and young people in an age appropriate way Trauma vs. neurodiversity: understanding the overlap Masking and after-school collapse: why children appear "fine" in school but meltdown at home Practical self-care and permission to pause: managing EHCP burnout, social comparisons, and family regulation Where to begin: from 20-minute discovery calls to sensory integration assessments and parent consultations Get in touch today and book a free discovery call with our therapy team for help and guidance in finding the right support for your child www.familyfutures.co.uk/forms/therapy-enquiry Resources mentioned: Explore our neurodiversity assessments and therapies: https://www.familyfutures.co.uk/therapy Training and resources for schools and professionals: https://www.familyfutures.co.uk/training Watch the 'Unauthorised Absence' trailer: https://youtu.be/B_G4Ytpc8Vg?si=A_Ke__-Hexn8ANBV @neuroteachersUK: teacher training mentor : https://www.instagram.com/neuroteachersuk?vrfl=MTdibGM1c2t5OW16bw==In a typical UK classroom of 30 pupils, an estimated 4 to 6 children are neurodivergent Timestamps 00:00 – Welcome and introductions: lived experience and clinical perspective 01:00 – 'Unauthorised Absence': school distress, attendance struggles, and parental blame 04:15 – The assessment waiting game: uncertainty, advocacy, and late diagnosis 06:45 – What happens after a diagnosis: communicating strengths and needs to children 10:10 – Supporting schools: insights from our neuro-affirming and trauma-informed webinar 12:15 – Trauma vs. autism/ADHD: exploring the diagnostic overlap in the classroom 14:15 – Classroom observations: bridging the gap for teachers and SENCOs 17:15 – Masking at school and after-school meltdowns: why children crash at home 19:30 – Parental burnout, self-care, and letting go of comparison guilt 24:00 – The power of rest: honouring neurodivergent downtime 25:30 – Where to start: discovery calls, parent consultations and sensory assessments If you enjoyed today’s conversation, please subscribe and share. You can explore more resources, research, and ways we support families at familyfutures.co.uk
