Published by School Can't Australia
For parents and caregivers of young people who struggle to attend school, and related education and health professionals. We share experiences and insights into what is going on for our young people and how we can offer support.
Listen on Apple PodcastsContent note: In this episode, Laila shares her experience with suicidal ideation during high school. She speaks about this with honesty and care. If you or someone you love is struggling, please reach out to Lifeline on 13 11 14, or if you are under 25, Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800. Laila was school captain in year six. She loved school, had great friends, played sport, danced ten hours a week, and pushed herself to perform in everything she did. By the first week of year seven, she couldn't get out of the car. In this episode, Leisa is joined by Laila, now 23 and thriving, and her mum Alex, to talk through what their School Can't journey looked and felt like from the inside. Laila and Alex talk about: the exhausting tension of desperately wanting to be at school and being completely unable to get there. the six months in year seven of sitting in car parks, rebuilding trust moment by moment. the year ten meeting where the Director of Curriculum essentially told Laila to give up and leave, and about Laila accepting her graduation certificate from that same person two years later. the role COVID online learning played in making year eleven and twelve survivable. what happened after: a gap year, an Open Foundation course at Newcastle Uni with no ATAR required, and eventually TAFE and a Diploma in Interior Design that she loves. This is a story with a very happy ending. But it's also an honest account of how hard the middle part was, including a period of serious depression and suicidal ideation that Laila speaks about with characteristic clarity and courage. Key practical information mentioned in this episode: HSC Pathways: In NSW, students can complete HSC over five years with fewer subjects; https://www.nsw.gov.au/education-and-training/nesa/hsc/rules-and-procedures/2026-guide/students-atypical-circumstances Open Foundation programs — available at universities including Newcastle; no ATAR or HSC required, more information on the university websites. TAFE - often recommended as a supportive environment for School Can’t young people, flexible entry, valuable credential pathways Send us Fan Mail Support the show School Can’t Australia Facebook Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/schoolphobiaschoolrefusalaustralia If this podcast or the School Can’t Australia community has helped you , please consider making a donation or volunteering to help. Find out more here: https://www.schoolcantaustralia.com.au/get-involved#donate If this episode helped you please take a moment to subscribe, rate, or review the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. It genuinely helps other School Can't families find us. If you are a parent of carer in Australia and experiencing distress, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or contact the Parent Help Line. - https://kidshelpline.com.au/parents/issues/how-parentline-can-help-you You can contact us to volunteer to share your School Can't story or some feedback via email on schoolcantpodcast@gmail.com Disclaimer The content of this podcast is based on personal lived experiences and is shared for informational and storytelling purposes only. It should not be treated as medical, psychological, or professional advice under any circumstances. If you have concerns about your health or well-being, please seek guidance from a doctor, therapist,...
Millie Carr is an educator, inclusive outreach coach, and late-diagnosed AuDHDer who has spent years supporting schools to build more inclusive environments through her Unmasking Education work. She's also a parent, her daughter, diagnosed autistic in grade one, is now in year 12 and completing Virtual Schools Victoria after years of high-masking at school took its toll. In this conversation, Millie and Leisa dig into what masking actually is and why assuming it's a conscious choice gets us into trouble. Masking can be entirely unconscious, and for many of our young people it's not just adjusting behaviour for context. It's a full-scale suppression of natural responses just to get through the day. Millie introduces the Coke bottle analogy to explain what's happening when kids hold it together at school and explode at home or, just as concerning, hold it everywhere until burnout forces a complete shutdown. She also talks about the students who are even harder to spot: the perfectionists, the ones who never ask for help, the ones who seem to be doing brilliantly until they suddenly can't get out of bed. The conversation moves into what schools can practically do differently and Millie makes a compelling case that the answer isn't more IEPs. It's Universal Design for Learning: building classrooms where every student has access to choice, where supports aren't singled out, and where the culture normalises different brains working differently. She describes her own classroom capacity check-in as one example of how that can look in practice. For parents who've been told "she's fine here, it must be something at home" this episode will be both validating and useful. Resources mentioned in this episode: Unmasking Education on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unmasking.education Millie’s website: https://www.unmaskingeducation.com.au/ Millie's masking course Classcover Learn: https://www.classcoverlearn.com.au/course/masking-and-unmasking-in-the-school-setting CAST Universal Design for Learning framework: https://udlguidelines.cast.org/ Novak Education Guide to Universal Design for Learning (UDL): https://www.novakeducation.com/guide-to-udl Ilume Learning: professional development in UDL: https://illumelearning.com.au/ Send us Fan Mail Support the show School Can’t Australia Facebook Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/schoolphobiaschoolrefusalaustralia If this podcast or the School Can’t Australia community has helped you , please consider making a donation or volunteering to help. Find out more here: https://www.schoolcantaustralia.com.au/get-involved#donate If this episode helped you please take a moment to subscribe, rate, or review the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. It genuinely helps other School Can't families find us. If you are a parent of carer in Australia and experiencing distress, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or contact the Parent Help Line. - https://kidshelpline.com.au/parents/issues/how-parentline-can-help-you You can contact us to volunteer to share your School Can't story or some feedback via email on schoolcantpodcast@gmail.com Disclaimer The content of this podcast is based on personal lived experiences and is shared for informational and storytelling purposes only. It should not be treated as medical, psychological, or professional advice under any circumstances. If you have concerns about your health or well-being, please seek guidance from a doctor, therapist,...
We're wrapping up our school holidays break with this foundational episode, and if you've only just found us, this is a great place to start. Dr Ross Greene is the founder of the Collaborative and Proactive Solutions (CPS) model and the author of The Explosive Child and The Kids Who Aren't Okay: The Urgent Case for Reimagining Support, Belonging, and Hope in Schools . His core principle, that kids do well if they can, sits at the heart of how School Can't Australia approaches support for families, and it comes up again and again in the stories parents share on this podcast. In this conversation, hosts Leisa Reichelt and School Can't Australia's Louise Rogers talk with Dr Greene about what CPS actually looks like when a young person is struggling to attend school. The model starts from a simple but radical premise: school avoidance is a behaviour, not a problem. The problem is whatever is making school hard — and you can't solve it without asking the young person. Dr Greene walks through the three-step CPS process — the empathy step, the define adult concerns step, and the invitation step — and what each looks like in the messy reality of a child who won't, or can't, talk about what's wrong. He also covers Plan A, Plan B, and Plan C, and makes a clear case for why putting some expectations on hold isn't permissive parenting — it's strategic prioritising. If you're still in the early stages of understanding why your young person is struggling, or you've been trying to "fix" school attendance without much luck, this episode will reframe how you think about the whole situation. Resources mentioned in this episode: Lives in the Balance — free CPS resources: livesinthebalance.org The Kids who Aren't OK (book) - https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-kids-who-aren-t-okay-ross-w-greene/book/9781668203903.html The Essential Conversation by Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot - https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-essential-conversation-sara-lawrence-lightfoot/book/9780345475800.html Send us Fan Mail Support the show School Can’t Australia Facebook Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/schoolphobiaschoolrefusalaustralia If this podcast or the School Can’t Australia community has helped you , please consider making a donation or volunteering to help. Find out more here: https://www.schoolcantaustralia.com.au/get-involved#donate If this episode helped you please take a moment to subscribe, rate, or review the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. It genuinely helps other School Can't families find us. If you are a parent of carer in Australia and experiencing distress, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or contact the Parent Help Line. - https://kidshelpline.com.au/parents/issues/how-parentline-can-help-you You can contact us to volunteer to share your School Can't story or some feedback via email on schoolcantpodcast@gmail.com Disclaimer The content of this podcast is based on personal lived experiences and is shared for informational and storytelling purposes only. It should not be treated as medical, psychological, or professional advice under any circumstances. If you have concerns about your health or well-being, please seek guidance from a doctor, therapist,...
We're taking a short break over the school holidays. We'll be back with some great new episodes very soon! Meanwhile, here is a classic listener episode in case you missed it, or worth listening again. Esther Jones unschooled all three of her children and now supports parents around the world through their own unschooling journeys via courses, her podcast, and her book, The Parents' Guide to Unschooling Yourself . In this conversation, Leisa and Esther dig into what unschooling actually is (and isn't), why so many families find their way to it through the trauma of School Can't rather than by choice, and why the biggest stumbling block is almost always the parents, not the young people. In this conversation they cover: the difference between unschooling and simply doing school at home; what "enough" actually looks like when your child is in burnout and spending their days gaming; how parental anxiety and the need for proof of learning can quietly undermine the very space you're trying to create; and the link between parental self-compassion and nervous system co-regulation. Esther also shares what happened when her own children, raised entirely outside the school system, eventually chose to re-enter formal education, and what that tells us about the long-term outcomes families worry about most. If you're contemplating the possibility of home education, feeling like you're failing, or struggling to let go of what learning is "supposed" to look like, we think this episode will help. Resources from this episode: Esther Jones’ Website - https://www.esther-jones.com/ The Parents Guide to Unschooling Yourself - https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-parent-s-handbook-to-unschooling-yourself-esther-jones/ The Unschool Space (Facebook) - https://www.facebook.com/TheUnschoolSpace/ The Unschooling Summit - https://www.theunschoolingsummit.org/ Send us Fan Mail Support the show School Can’t Australia Facebook Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/schoolphobiaschoolrefusalaustralia If this podcast or the School Can’t Australia community has helped you , please consider making a donation or volunteering to help. Find out more here: https://www.schoolcantaustralia.com.au/get-involved#donate If this episode helped you please take a moment to subscribe, rate, or review the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. It genuinely helps other School Can't families find us. If you are a parent of carer in Australia and experiencing distress, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or contact the Parent Help Line. - https://kidshelpline.com.au/parents/issues/how-parentline-can-help-you You can contact us to volunteer to share your School Can't story or some feedback via email on schoolcantpodcast@gmail.com Disclaimer The content of this podcast is based on personal lived experiences and is shared for informational and storytelling purposes only. It should not be treated as medical, psychological, or professional advice under any circumstances. If you have concerns about your health or well-being, please seek guidance from a doctor, therapist,...
We're taking a short break over the school holidays, so this week we're revisiting one of our favourite episodes from the archive. Emma Brooksby , Managing Director at U&I Educational Partners, ADHDer, and former school principal, joins Leisa to unpack executive function: the set of skills that let us plan, manage time, switch between tasks, and regulate our emotions. Emma explains why these skills aren't directly taught at school (they develop largely "through osmosis"), and why that creates a hidden, compounding load for young people who experience executive dysfunction - one that can tip into the anxiety and overwhelm at the heart of many School Can't experiences. Emma and Leisa walk through the four big areas where this shows up at school - planning and organisation, task initiation, time management, and emotional regulation, using everyday examples (lost jumpers, forgotten textbooks, the dread of starting homework) to show how quickly small breakdowns escalate into shame, anxiety, and avoidance. They also talk practical strategies: why removing scaffolding too early backfires, how AI tools like Goblin Tools' Magic To Do can break overwhelming tasks into manageable steps, and why "just get started" is rarely as simple as it sounds. Recommended Resources U&I Educational Partners - https://www.uandi.com.au/ Goblin Tools, Magic To Do - https://goblin.tools/ Harvard Centre on the Developing Child - https://developingchild.harvard.edu/ Learning to Plan and be Organised (book) by Kathleen Nadeau - https://www.amazon.com.au/Learning-Plan-Be-Organized-Executive/dp/1433822172 Send us Fan Mail Support the show School Can’t Australia Facebook Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/schoolphobiaschoolrefusalaustralia If this podcast or the School Can’t Australia community has helped you , please consider making a donation or volunteering to help. Find out more here: https://www.schoolcantaustralia.com.au/get-involved#donate If this episode helped you please take a moment to subscribe, rate, or review the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. It genuinely helps other School Can't families find us. If you are a parent of carer in Australia and experiencing distress, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or contact the Parent Help Line. - https://kidshelpline.com.au/parents/issues/how-parentline-can-help-you You can contact us to volunteer to share your School Can't story or some feedback via email on schoolcantpodcast@gmail.com Disclaimer The content of this podcast is based on personal lived experiences and is shared for informational and storytelling purposes only. It should not be treated as medical, psychological, or professional advice under any circumstances. If you have concerns about your health or well-being, please seek guidance from a doctor, therapist,...
Send us Fan Mail Support the show School Can’t Australia Facebook Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/schoolphobiaschoolrefusalaustralia If this podcast or the School Can’t Australia community has helped you , please consider making a donation or volunteering to help. Find out more here: https://www.schoolcantaustralia.com.au/get-involved#donate If this episode helped you please take a moment to subscribe, rate, or review the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. It genuinely helps other School Can't families find us. If you are a parent of carer in Australia and experiencing distress, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or contact the Parent Help Line. - https://kidshelpline.com.au/parents/issues/how-parentline-can-help-you You can contact us to volunteer to share your School Can't story or some feedback via email on schoolcantpodcast@gmail.com Disclaimer The content of this podcast is based on personal lived experiences and is shared for informational and storytelling purposes only. It should not be treated as medical, psychological, or professional advice under any circumstances. If you have concerns about your health or well-being, please seek guidance from a doctor, therapist,...
Get in touch? Email us at schoolcantpodcast@gmail.com with your feedback, suggestions or to volunteer to share your School Can't experience. This episode takes a different shape from our usual format. Rather than a single guest, it draws together voices from more than a dozen past guests and lived experience parents to build a fuller picture of burnout. At its centre is a reframe: burnout isn't a medical disorder or a character flaw, it's a nervous system response to chronic stress, closer to smoke from a fire than the fire itself. Once that's understood, so much of what looks like laziness, manipulation or misbehaviour starts to make sense as something else entirely: a loss of spark, a slow withdrawal as masking becomes unsustainable, a body and brain that have simply run out of capacity to keep going. The episode doesn't shy away from one of the most damaging patterns in this space — the well-meaning advice, often from professionals, to make home less comfortable in order to push a young person back into school. Several families share what happened when they followed that advice, and the outcomes are genuinely heartbreaking. This section briefly touches on self-harm and suicidal ideation — please take care while listening. From there, the focus shifts to recovery: what it actually looks like, why following a young person's passions matters more than any formal program, why progress is rarely a straight line, and why parent burnout is just as real and just as deserving of compassion as the burnout experienced by young people themselves. The episode closes with a metaphor that's stayed with many of our listeners — the caterpillar dissolving in the chrysalis before it can become a butterfly — a reminder that transformation is often happening even when it's invisible. Voices featured in this episode include Dr Naomi Fisher, Tiffany Westphal, Tanya Valentin, Laura Hellfeld, Eliza Fricker, and lived experience parents Mark, Jessica, Jennie, Emma, Diana, Wendy and Jodie. Content warning: this episode includes discussion of self-harm and suicidal ideation. Relevant resources: (available in your podcast app) Episode 60 — Why School Can't Young People Struggle with Self-Care and Hygiene, with Laura Hellfeld Episode 55 — Jodie's Lived Experience Episode 51 — Jessica's Lived Experience Episode 43 — Wendy's Lived Experience Episode 42 — Tanya Valentin on School Can't, Parental Grief and Transformation Episode 28 — Dr Naomi Fisher on Parental Burnout Episode 27 — Diana's Lived Experience Episode 23 — Eliza's Lived Experience Episode 18 — Lived Experience with Mark Thompson Episode 9 — Jennie's Lived Experience Episode 8 — Understanding Burnout in Our Young People with Dr Naomi Fisher Episode 7 — Emma G's Lived Experience Send us Fan Mail Support the show School Can’t Australia Facebook Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/schoolphobiaschoolrefusalaustralia If this podcast or the School Can’t Australia community has helped you , please consider making a donation or volunteering to help. Find out more here: https://www.schoolcantaustralia.com.au/get-involved#donate If this episode helped you please take a moment to subscribe, rate, or review the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. It genuinely helps other School Can't families find us. If you are a parent of carer in Australia and experiencing distress, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or contact the Parent Help Line. - https://kidshelpline.com.au/parents/issues/how-parentline-can-help-you You can contact us to volunteer to share your School Can't story or some feedback via email on schoolcantpodcast@gmail.com Disclaimer The content of this podcast is based on personal lived experiences and is shared for informational and storytelling purposes only. It should not be treated as medical, psychological, or professional advice under any circumstances. If you have concerns about your health or well-being, please seek guidance from a doctor, therapist,...
Permaculture designer Cecilia Macaulay joins host Leisa Reichelt for a surprising but genuinely practical conversation about how the design of our home environments can either add to or reduce the nervous system burden on School Can't families. Drawing on 34 years of permaculture design, and on Japanese cultural practices she's studied over decades, Cecilia introduces the idea that home can be designed to work for us rather than against us, without requiring willpower, discipline, or a big cleanup effort. Her approach, which she calls Togetherness Design, starts from the principle that order is natural, and that small, well-placed design choices can create a sense of competence, calm and belonging for both children and parents. Cecilia shares practical, immediately usable ideas: why the kitchen sink is the single best place to start, how "floordrobe islands" can transform an overwhelming room into a liveable one, what perpendicular shoes at the front door have to do with nervous system regulation, and why design, not rules, is the key to creating lasting change in a household under pressure. This episode is also a reminder that the young people in our community who have found their way out of conventional schooling can build meaningful, even remarkable lives on their own terms, Cecilia's own career is a case in point. Special Offer for Listeners: The Home That Loves You Back: 9-Month Guided Home Harmonising Project starting June 28: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/the-home-that-loves-you-back-9-month-guided-home-harmonising-project-tickets-1981827693982 Use the code: SchoolCant200 for a $200 discount (limited to the first six to sign up) Other Resources: Cecilia’s Website and Blog to sign up for stories and events: https://www.ceciliamacaulay.com.au Cecilia on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cecilia_macaulay/ Cecilia on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cecilia.macaulay.australia Send us Fan Mail Support the show School Can’t Australia Facebook Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/schoolphobiaschoolrefusalaustralia If this podcast or the School Can’t Australia community has helped you , please consider making a donation or volunteering to help. Find out more here: https://www.schoolcantaustralia.com.au/get-involved#donate If this episode helped you please take a moment to subscribe, rate, or review the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. It genuinely helps other School Can't families find us. If you are a parent of carer in Australia and experiencing distress, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or contact the Parent Help Line. - https://kidshelpline.com.au/parents/issues/how-parentline-can-help-you You can contact us to volunteer to share your School Can't story or some feedback via email on schoolcantpodcast@gmail.com Disclaimer The content of this podcast is based on personal lived experiences and is shared for informational and storytelling purposes only. It should not be treated as medical, psychological, or professional advice under any circumstances. If you have concerns about your health or well-being, please seek guidance from a doctor, therapist,...
Tiffany Westphal, director of School Can't Australia, joins host Leisa Reichelt to discuss a common stressful experience facing School Can't families: the school attendance plan. Drawing on recent survey research conducted with the School Can't Australia community, Tiffany reveals some genuinely shocking findings, including that 46% of families were presented with an attendance plan with no prior consultation, 29% were never consulted at all, and 73% felt pressured to agree to a plan they didn't think would work. Only 20% said their plan reflected the advice of their young person's allied health or medical team. Tiffany and Leisa explore why attendance plans so often fail. From the absence of child and family input, to the mismatch between what schools are measuring (attendance) and what actually needs to be addressed (the barriers and stressors making school feel unsafe). They discuss the difference between attendance plans and exposure plans, why a distressed child in the late stages of School Can't needs a fundamentally different approach, and what genuine collaborative problem-solving can look like in practice, including how Leisa used a "hypothesis" framing to shift responsibility back to the school. There's also practical guidance for families who are right in the middle of this: red flags to watch for, when to ask for a different contact at the school, when to bring an advocate, and why it's okay to say "I disagree." Relevant resources: Send us Fan Mail Support the show School Can’t Australia Facebook Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/schoolphobiaschoolrefusalaustralia If this podcast or the School Can’t Australia community has helped you , please consider making a donation or volunteering to help. Find out more here: https://www.schoolcantaustralia.com.au/get-involved#donate If this episode helped you please take a moment to subscribe, rate, or review the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. It genuinely helps other School Can't families find us. If you are a parent of carer in Australia and experiencing distress, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or contact the Parent Help Line. - https://kidshelpline.com.au/parents/issues/how-parentline-can-help-you You can contact us to volunteer to share your School Can't story or some feedback via email on schoolcantpodcast@gmail.com Disclaimer The content of this podcast is based on personal lived experiences and is shared for informational and storytelling purposes only. It should not be treated as medical, psychological, or professional advice under any circumstances. If you have concerns about your health or well-being, please seek guidance from a doctor, therapist,...
Rachel, a parent from southern Tasmania, joins host Leisa Reichelt to share her lived experience supporting her son, now in Year 11 and engaged with school, through what has been anything but a straightforward journey. Rachel's son is autistic with PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance, or Pervasive Demand for Autonomy), ADHD, dyslexia, dysgraphia and a high IQ. That combination created enormous challenges in settings that weren't designed to accommodate his needs. But also enormous possibilities when the right supports were finally in place. Rachel walks us through the early warning signs from daycare onwards, a primary school experience marked by suspensions, bullying and the gradual removal of the very accommodations that were keeping her son engaged/ Then the 19-month battle to get him into a school better suited to his needs, which was ultimately resolved in eight days once an advocate got involved. She shares the specific, practical accommodations that have made the difference: running when overwhelmed, frozen peas and corn for sensory regulation, a safe space during substitute teacher lessons, dropping subjects that created knock-on dysregulation, and a highly modified timetable built around his strengths. She also talks about the role of a positive behaviour support practitioner in shifting the whole school culture, and why that kind of whole-school investment pays off for every student. Rachel also shares her perspective on what's at stake with the proposed NDIS reforms, and points to resources for families who want to stay informed and take action. Relevant resources: The Growing Space (NDIS information and advocacy) - https://www.thegrowingspace.com.au/ Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC) - https://www.dpacaustralia.net/ Australian Neurodivergent Parents Association (ANPA) - https://www.thisisanpa.org/ Regional Autistic Engagement Network Tasmania - https://www.raentasmania.com.au/ Association for Children with Disability (national, state branches) - https://acd.org.au/ Send us Fan Mail Support the show School Can’t Australia Facebook Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/schoolphobiaschoolrefusalaustralia If this podcast or the School Can’t Australia community has helped you , please consider making a donation or volunteering to help. Find out more here: https://www.schoolcantaustralia.com.au/get-involved#donate If this episode helped you please take a moment to subscribe, rate, or review the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. It genuinely helps other School Can't families find us. If you are a parent of carer in Australia and experiencing distress, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or contact the Parent Help Line. - https://kidshelpline.com.au/parents/issues/how-parentline-can-help-you You can contact us to volunteer to share your School Can't story or some feedback via email on schoolcantpodcast@gmail.com Disclaimer The content of this podcast is based on personal lived experiences and is shared for informational and storytelling purposes only. It should not be treated as medical, psychological, or professional advice under any circumstances. If you have concerns about your health or well-being, please seek guidance from a doctor, therapist,...
Consulting nurse Laura Hellfeld joins host Leisa Reichelt to explore one of the least-talked-about challenges facing School Can't families - hygiene and self-care. When young people are in burnout, the capacity for everyday self-care tasks like showering, brushing teeth and eating can quietly disappear, often leaving parents feeling confused, worried, and like they're somehow failing. Laura explains why this happens, drawing on nervous system science, interoception, sensory processing and the body's response to trauma and chronic stress. She offers a compassionate, practical framework for understanding what's really going on and how to respond. This episode covers why declining self-care is a signal worth paying attention to (not a behaviour problem to push through), why centering the person rather than the task makes all the difference, and how joy, self-expression and identity can be unexpected but powerful pathways back to body connection and care. Laura also shares her perspective on burnout as a medical condition, the unrecognised physical health needs that often sit underneath it, and why protecting your relationship with your young person is the most important thing you can do right now. If this podcast or the School Can't Australia community has helped you, please consider making a donation or volunteering to help . https://www.schoolcantaustralia.com.au/get-involved#donate Resources & support Laura’s Resources: Laura’s Resources and Newsletter on Substack - https://laurahellfeld.substack.com/ ND Nurse Consulting Webpage - https://laurahellfeld.co.uk/ Laura on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-hellfeld-nd-nurse-consulting/ Laura on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/LauratheNeurodivergentNurse Book - Flush Forward!: A Friendly Toileting Guide for Parents Supporting Disabled and Neurodivergent Young People - https://www.amazon.com.au/Flush-Forward-Toileting-Supporting-Neurodivergent/dp/1399830864 Book- Creating Safe Spaces for Autistic People - https://www.amazon.com.au/Colour-Reduced-Version-Creating-Autistic/dp/B0D12TZ8M3 Book - Gabby’s Glimmers : An Affirming Story of an Autistic Child and their Favourite Food - https://www.amazon.com.au/Gabbys-Glimmers-Alice-McSweeney/dp/1399997858 Mentioned in the episode: Katie Munday - https://autisticltd.co.uk/ Autistic Burnout Network Conference , June 5-6 2026 - https://www.autisticadvocate.co.uk/autistic-burnout-conference Book: How to keep house while drowning, KC Davis - https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B09QMRTK1C/ Book: The Autism Friendly Guide to Periods, Robyn Steward - https://www.amazon.com.au/Autism-Friendly-Guide-Periods-Robyn-Steward/dp/1785923242 Book: The growing up book - An Inclusive Guide to Puberty and Your Changing Body - Rachel Greener and Clare Owen - https://www.amazon.com.au/Growing-Up-Inclusive-Puberty-Changing/dp/1839947004/ Book: The Everybody Book of Consent - An LGBTQIA-Inclusive Guide to Respecting Boundaries, Bodies, and Beyond by Rachel E. Simon, https://www.amazon.com.au/Every-Body-Book-Consent-LGBTQIA-Inclusive/dp/1839976837/ Send us Fan Mail Support the show School Can’t Australia Facebook Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/schoolphobiaschoolrefusalaustralia If this podcast or the School Can’t Australia community has helped you , please consider making a donation or volunteering to help. Find out more here: https://www.schoolcantaustralia.com.au/get-involved#donate If this episode helped you please take a moment to subscribe, rate, or review the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. It genuinely helps other School Can't families find us. If you are a parent of carer in Australia and experiencing distress, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or contact the Parent Help Line. - https://kidshelpline.com.au/parents/issues/how-parentline-can-help-you You can contact us to volunteer to share your School Can't story or some feedback via email on schoolcantpodcast@gmail.com Disclaimer The content of this podcast is based on personal lived experiences and is shared for informational and storytelling purposes only. It should not be treated as medical, psychological, or professional advice under any circumstances. If you have concerns about your health or well-being, please seek guidance from a doctor, therapist,...
Corinne Smith describes herself as a "reluctant homeschooler". Someone who never planned to be home educating, but who found herself there after her child experienced School Can't from preschool onwards, through multiple school settings, including Montessori. Rather than retreat, Corinne founded KinHub, a registered charity in Sydney's Inner West. Kinhub is a a community built specifically for kids who don't fit into mainstream school and the families who are holding it all together alongside them. In this episode, Corinne shares: What School Can't looked like for her family, from difficult goodbyes at preschool to being carried through the school gate The role PDA played in their journey through mainstream and Montessori settings How they approached deschooling and why she thinks it matters more for parents than for kids The financial realities of stepping back from work to homeschool, and supports that may be available What KinHub actually looks like — and why it's built the way it is The Unseen, Unheard, Unstoppable art exhibition that gave 35 kids a public voice This one will resonate with families who are weighing up homeschooling and feel like they're about to lose everything that came with school. And it will inspire anyone who has wondered whether they could do something useful with a very hard situation. About Corinne and KinHub Email Corinne: hello@kinhub.org.au KinHub website: kinhub.org.au KinHub on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KinHubAu/ KinHub Art Exhibition in the News: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-04-20/sydney-school-cant-children-exibit-artwork-part-of-kinhub-scheme/106576750 Government Benefits for Home Education and Distance Education Assistance for Isolated Children Payment (NSW) - https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/assistance-for-isolated-children-scheme Jobseeker Payment, Exemptions for Principal Carers (Home Education and Distance Education) - https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/exemptions-from-mutual-obligation-requirements-for-principal-carers?context=60097#homeschooling Challenging the Education Orthodoxy Video: Do schools kill creativity? (Sir Ken Robinson, TED talk) - https://youtu.be/iG9CE55wbtY John Taylor Gatto, (Book) Weapons of Mass Instruction https://www.amazon.com.au/Weapons-Mass-Instruction-Schoolteachers-Compulsory/dp/0865716692 John Taylor Gatto, (Book) Dumbing Us Down https://www.amazon.com.au/Dumbing-Down-Curriculum-Compulsory-Schooling/dp/0865718547/ Sir Ken Robinson and Lou Aronica (Book) Creative Schools: The Grassroots Revolution That's Transforming Education https://www.amazon.com.au/Creative-Schools-Grassroots-Revolution-Transforming/dp/0143108069 Send us Fan Mail Support the show School Can’t Australia Facebook Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/schoolphobiaschoolrefusalaustralia If this podcast or the School Can’t Australia community has helped you , please consider making a donation or volunteering to help. Find out more here: https://www.schoolcantaustralia.com.au/get-involved#donate If this episode helped you please take a moment to subscribe, rate, or review the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. It genuinely helps other School Can't families find us. If you are a parent of carer in Australia and experiencing distress, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or contact the Parent Help Line. - https://kidshelpline.com.au/parents/issues/how-parentline-can-help-you You can contact us to volunteer to share your School Can't story or some feedback via email on schoolcantpodcast@gmail.com Disclaimer The content of this podcast is based on personal lived experiences and is shared for informational and storytelling purposes only. It should not be treated as medical, psychological, or professional advice under any circumstances. If you have concerns about your health or well-being, please seek guidance from a doctor, therapist,...
Judith came across School Can't Australia on the internet and suddenly, something that had puzzled her for over sixty years finally had a name. Now 66, Judith grew up missing roughly half her schooling. Nobody called it School Can't. Nobody really knew what to do. And for most of her adult life, she'd assumed her experience was unique until she stumbled across the School Can't community and realised how familiar her story would sound to families navigating this today. In this episode, Judith looks back on her experience with the perspective only six decades can bring, and shares: The early signs and how they compounded into a pattern nobody had the language to explain Why the conversations that might have helped never happened What she now believes she actually needed, and how different it looks from simply being made to attend school What happened to her education, her career, and her life and why it turned out better than anyone might have predicted Judith's story is a reminder that School Can't is not new and that the cost of misunderstanding it has always been real. It's also, ultimately, a hopeful one. This one is for families in the middle of it who need to hear that life on the other side is possible. And for educators and health professionals who want to understand what it looks like from the inside, across a whole lifetime. Send us Fan Mail Support the show School Can’t Australia Facebook Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/schoolphobiaschoolrefusalaustralia If this podcast or the School Can’t Australia community has helped you , please consider making a donation or volunteering to help. Find out more here: https://www.schoolcantaustralia.com.au/get-involved#donate If this episode helped you please take a moment to subscribe, rate, or review the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. It genuinely helps other School Can't families find us. If you are a parent of carer in Australia and experiencing distress, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or contact the Parent Help Line. - https://kidshelpline.com.au/parents/issues/how-parentline-can-help-you You can contact us to volunteer to share your School Can't story or some feedback via email on schoolcantpodcast@gmail.com Disclaimer The content of this podcast is based on personal lived experiences and is shared for informational and storytelling purposes only. It should not be treated as medical, psychological, or professional advice under any circumstances. If you have concerns about your health or well-being, please seek guidance from a doctor, therapist,...
We've just passed 50 episodes of The School Can't Experience — and many of those have been lived experience episodes: families coming on to tell us what School Can't has actually been like for them in real life. In going back through all of those episodes to prepare this one, something became very clear. Different families, different states, different children, different journeys — but so many of the same themes appearing again and again Episodes mentioned — listen to the full stories Ep 7 — Emma G's Lived Experience Ep 9 — Jennie's Lived Experience Ep 10 — Marissa's Lived Experience Pt 1 Ep 11 — Marissa's Lived Experience Pt 2 Ep 18 — Mark's Lived Experience Ep 23 — Eliza Fricker's Lived Experience Ep 24 — Jane's Lived Experience Ep 25 — Nicola's Lived Experience Ep 26 — Kate & Daniel's Lived Experience Ep 27 — Diana's Lived Experience Ep 30 — Simone & Yani's Lived Experience Ep 43 — Wendy's Lived Experience Ep 48 — Rachel's Lived Experience Send us Fan Mail Support the show School Can’t Australia Facebook Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/schoolphobiaschoolrefusalaustralia If this podcast or the School Can’t Australia community has helped you , please consider making a donation or volunteering to help. Find out more here: https://www.schoolcantaustralia.com.au/get-involved#donate If this episode helped you please take a moment to subscribe, rate, or review the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. It genuinely helps other School Can't families find us. If you are a parent of carer in Australia and experiencing distress, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or contact the Parent Help Line. - https://kidshelpline.com.au/parents/issues/how-parentline-can-help-you You can contact us to volunteer to share your School Can't story or some feedback via email on schoolcantpodcast@gmail.com Disclaimer The content of this podcast is based on personal lived experiences and is shared for informational and storytelling purposes only. It should not be treated as medical, psychological, or professional advice under any circumstances. If you have concerns about your health or well-being, please seek guidance from a doctor, therapist,...
Play and filial therapist Dr. Kate Renshaw joins host Leisa Reichelt to explore how play therapy can support children and families experiencing School Can’t, especially when kids struggle with traditional talk-based therapies. Kate describes why play therapy is developmentally sensitive and how the family-based approach, filial therapy can be powerful for both parent and child. She discusses creating consistent, relationally safe support across home and school. This episode also explores Kate’s evidence-based Teacher’s Optimal Relationship Approach (TORA), designed to help teachers use play-therapy-informed relational skills in everyday classroom interactions. Kate highlights research showing the student–teacher relationship is a key predictor of school attendance. They discuss practical ways families can “lean into play,” including joining children in their interests and screen-based play. Relevant resources; Play and Filial Therapy (Kate’s practice) - https://www.playandfilialtherapy.com/ Kate on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.katerenshaw/ Kate on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Play-Filial-Therapy-100057567515430/ Kate on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-play Australasia Pacific Play Therapy Association (Find a Therapist) - https://appta.org.au/ 62% of Children reporting maltreatment: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-04-03/major-child-maltreatment-report-findings/102160726 Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs): Summary of evidence and impacts - https://emergingminds.com.au/resources/adverse-childhood-experiences-aces-summary-of-evidence-and-impacts/ Send us Fan Mail Support the show School Can’t Australia Facebook Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/schoolphobiaschoolrefusalaustralia If this podcast or the School Can’t Australia community has helped you , please consider making a donation or volunteering to help. Find out more here: https://www.schoolcantaustralia.com.au/get-involved#donate If this episode helped you please take a moment to subscribe, rate, or review the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. It genuinely helps other School Can't families find us. If you are a parent of carer in Australia and experiencing distress, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or contact the Parent Help Line. - https://kidshelpline.com.au/parents/issues/how-parentline-can-help-you You can contact us to volunteer to share your School Can't story or some feedback via email on schoolcantpodcast@gmail.com Disclaimer The content of this podcast is based on personal lived experiences and is shared for informational and storytelling purposes only. It should not be treated as medical, psychological, or professional advice under any circumstances. If you have concerns about your health or well-being, please seek guidance from a doctor, therapist,...
In this week’s episode, Sydney mum, Jodie, shares her lived experience of School Can’t with host Leisa Reichelt. Jodie’s teenage daughter experienced a sudden mental health and School Can’t crisis after a house move in February 2025, following earlier anxiety, social struggles and bullying. As her daughter became severely dysregulated, ran away, and experienced suicidal ideation, Jodie describes intense pressure from school and clinicians to force attendance and make home “less comfortable,” which she felt escalated distress. After months and emergency callouts, she pulled her daughter out of school and registered with international online program Crimson Global Academy (CGA) for routine and support while prioritising safety, nervous system reset, connection, travel, and a return to dance. Over time her daughter rebuilt capacity, chose to return to in-person schooling, was offered a place at a new school, and is now happier. Jodie urges parents and professionals to trust signals, listen deeply, and consider unconventional pathways. Relevant resources; - Crimson Global Academy: https://www.crimsonglobalacademy.school/au/ Send us Fan Mail Support the show School Can’t Australia Facebook Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/schoolphobiaschoolrefusalaustralia If this podcast or the School Can’t Australia community has helped you , please consider making a donation or volunteering to help. Find out more here: https://www.schoolcantaustralia.com.au/get-involved#donate If this episode helped you please take a moment to subscribe, rate, or review the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. It genuinely helps other School Can't families find us. If you are a parent of carer in Australia and experiencing distress, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or contact the Parent Help Line. - https://kidshelpline.com.au/parents/issues/how-parentline-can-help-you You can contact us to volunteer to share your School Can't story or some feedback via email on schoolcantpodcast@gmail.com Disclaimer The content of this podcast is based on personal lived experiences and is shared for informational and storytelling purposes only. It should not be treated as medical, psychological, or professional advice under any circumstances. If you have concerns about your health or well-being, please seek guidance from a doctor, therapist,...
Dr Billy Garvey joins us on the School Can’t Experience Podcast to discuss why it shouldn’t be considered normal for children to struggle at school, and how the education system often fails to meet kids’ emotional and developmental needs. Together with host Leisa Reichelt, they explore early intervention and trusting parental instincts, the harms of dismissing distress as “just a phase,” and why trauma and bullying don’t build resilience. Billy emphasises agency and autonomy, relationship-based school re-entry, and the value of listening to a child’s lived experience—especially for neurodivergent kids. He explains co-regulation as starting with adult self-regulation, using calm proximity, validation, and repeated connection (often through play or shared interests like gaming). The conversation also covers parental stress, dads and disciplinary patterns, and Billy’s hope that better mental health training and support for educators can transform schools into true community sanctuaries. More resources from Dr Billy Garvey: Pop Culture Parenting podcast: https://www.popcultureparenting.com/ Growing Minds (a social enterprise dedicated to changing the future of our kids): https://www.guidinggrowingminds.com/ 10 Things I Wish You Knew About Your Childs Mental Health (Book): https://www.penguin.com.au/books/ten-things-i-wish-you-knew-about-your-childs-mental-health-9781761345838 Send us Fan Mail Support the show School Can’t Australia Facebook Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/schoolphobiaschoolrefusalaustralia If this podcast or the School Can’t Australia community has helped you , please consider making a donation or volunteering to help. Find out more here: https://www.schoolcantaustralia.com.au/get-involved#donate If this episode helped you please take a moment to subscribe, rate, or review the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. It genuinely helps other School Can't families find us. If you are a parent of carer in Australia and experiencing distress, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or contact the Parent Help Line. - https://kidshelpline.com.au/parents/issues/how-parentline-can-help-you You can contact us to volunteer to share your School Can't story or some feedback via email on schoolcantpodcast@gmail.com Disclaimer The content of this podcast is based on personal lived experiences and is shared for informational and storytelling purposes only. It should not be treated as medical, psychological, or professional advice under any circumstances. If you have concerns about your health or well-being, please seek guidance from a doctor, therapist,...
Lucette, a mum of two neurodivergent girls, education advocate and author, speaks with our host, Leisa Reichelt about a School Can’t journey that began as “Daycare Can’t” and “Kinder Can’t.” Lucette describes years of difficult drop-offs, restraint collapse, and escalating distress—including absconding and family crisis—before her eldest child, ‘Big A’, was identified as autistic and ADHD with high sensory needs, and the family began using more PDA-aligned, low-demand communication. Despite extensive home-provided supports and an early advocacy consult to understand school rights and adjustments, a change of teacher in Grade 1 coincided with worsening experiences and a missed school meeting, prompting a rapid school move. A a small mainstream school with strong leadership, staff training, and full-time classroom aides, eventually made a huge difference. Lucette emphasizes trusting your gut, bringing advocates or support people to meetings, knowing your rights, and she shares her children’s book about emotions and regulation, “When I’m Excited, I fart Glitter”. People & resources mentioned in this episode: Autism Goals - https://www.autismgoals.com.au/ Lucette’s book: When I’m Excited, I Fart Glitter - https://www.instagram.com/lmc.writes/ Send us Fan Mail Support the show School Can’t Australia Facebook Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/schoolphobiaschoolrefusalaustralia If this podcast or the School Can’t Australia community has helped you , please consider making a donation or volunteering to help. Find out more here: https://www.schoolcantaustralia.com.au/get-involved#donate If this episode helped you please take a moment to subscribe, rate, or review the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. It genuinely helps other School Can't families find us. If you are a parent of carer in Australia and experiencing distress, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or contact the Parent Help Line. - https://kidshelpline.com.au/parents/issues/how-parentline-can-help-you You can contact us to volunteer to share your School Can't story or some feedback via email on schoolcantpodcast@gmail.com Disclaimer The content of this podcast is based on personal lived experiences and is shared for informational and storytelling purposes only. It should not be treated as medical, psychological, or professional advice under any circumstances. If you have concerns about your health or well-being, please seek guidance from a doctor, therapist,...
This week we welcome Laura, a nurse and mum of three in Victoria, to share her family’s experience supporting her 15-year-old daughter, Mimi, through ongoing School Can’t. Laura describes Mimi’s early anxiety, neurodivergence, and how returning to school after COVID intensified distress, leading to escalating attendance struggles in high school, especially without close friendships and with limited school wellbeing capacity. She explains the daily realities of getting out the door, the impact on work and family relationships, and the personal parenting work required to shift away from “just make them go” approaches. Practical school-based supports (trusted staff members meeting Mimi on arrival) and the Hands-on Learning program, where Mimi’s engagement and attendance are consistently high, demonstrate how changing the environment can transform the accessibility of education. People & resources mentioned in this episode: Hands On Learning - https://handsonlearning.org.au Send us Fan Mail Support the show School Can’t Australia Facebook Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/schoolphobiaschoolrefusalaustralia If this podcast or the School Can’t Australia community has helped you , please consider making a donation or volunteering to help. Find out more here: https://www.schoolcantaustralia.com.au/get-involved#donate If this episode helped you please take a moment to subscribe, rate, or review the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. It genuinely helps other School Can't families find us. If you are a parent of carer in Australia and experiencing distress, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or contact the Parent Help Line. - https://kidshelpline.com.au/parents/issues/how-parentline-can-help-you You can contact us to volunteer to share your School Can't story or some feedback via email on schoolcantpodcast@gmail.com Disclaimer The content of this podcast is based on personal lived experiences and is shared for informational and storytelling purposes only. It should not be treated as medical, psychological, or professional advice under any circumstances. If you have concerns about your health or well-being, please seek guidance from a doctor, therapist,...
This week we welcomed Jessica, an OT and mother of two neurodivergent children, to share her lived experience of School Can’t. Jess’s eldest child experienced early anxiety and separation difficulties through escalating distress in primary school. Jess describes navigating borderline ADHD diagnosis, later recognising broader neurodivergence, trialling and stopping stimulants due to aggression on comedown, and finding both supportive and adverse school interactions. After a severe panic attack and medical leave, the family shifted to homeschooling and gradually rebuilt capacity through neurodivergent-friendly social groups, parent education (including Dr. Ross Greene’s Collaborative Proactive Solutions), and therapy. Jess explains how meaning-driven pathways via community school and VET led to renewed engagement, culminating in her child attending Year 12 four days a week, and she emphasizes holding hope and having Plan B/C/D options. CONTENT WARNING : This episode does take us to some dark places at times. Part of this interview includes discussing distressing experiences attending hospital, and also distressing interactions with some teachers. If you're a teacher, you might feel uncomfortable listening to parts of this story as this episode deals with several adverse experiences at school, including an assault of a teacher. We ask you to remember that just as Dr. Ross Greene says, kids do well if they can, we hold it to be true, that adults, including parents, teachers and medical professionals are generally doing the best that they can as well. iIf you don't have capacity for this today, feel free to skip this one or maybe listen another time. People & resources mentioned in this episode: Hub Clinic - https://hub.clinic/ Home Education Network (HEN) - https://home-ed.vic.edu.au/ Dr Ross Greene, Collaborative Proactive Solutions (CPS) - https://livesinthebalance.org/ Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) https://www.health.vic.gov.au/mental-health-services/child-and-adolescent-mental-health-services Tuning into Kids /Teens - https://tuningintokids.org.au/parents/finding-a-tuning-in-parenting-group/ Send us Fan Mail Support the show School Can’t Australia Facebook Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/schoolphobiaschoolrefusalaustralia If this podcast or the School Can’t Australia community has helped you , please consider making a donation or volunteering to help. Find out more here: https://www.schoolcantaustralia.com.au/get-involved#donate If this episode helped you please take a moment to subscribe, rate, or review the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. It genuinely helps other School Can't families find us. If you are a parent of carer in Australia and experiencing distress, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or contact the Parent Help Line. - https://kidshelpline.com.au/parents/issues/how-parentline-can-help-you You can contact us to volunteer to share your School Can't story or some feedback via email on schoolcantpodcast@gmail.com Disclaimer The content of this podcast is based on personal lived experiences and is shared for informational and storytelling purposes only. It should not be treated as medical, psychological, or professional advice under any circumstances. If you have concerns about your health or well-being, please seek guidance from a doctor, therapist,...