Homeopathy & School Anxiety For many reasons, it’s very common for children and teenagers to experience worry or anxiety about going to school. For some, it’s the uncertainty of a new environment or unfamiliar people. For others, it’s the challenge of separating from home, or a quiet fear about what the day might hold, either in school, or away from the environment or people they feel safest with. It’s important to remember that school anxiety is not “bad behaviour” or something to be pushed through. It’s communication. Every child’s experience is different, and their feelings are always valid, even when we don’t yet fully understand them. Before we look at how to support anxiety, we gently need to become curious about what might be underneath it. For some children, school can feel overwhelming from a sensory or social perspective. For others, there may be something happening within the school environment itself, friendship challenges, feeling misunderstood, or a pace or style of learning that doesn’t align with how they process the world. When anxiety becomes more intense, or shifts into not being able to attend, it’s especially important that a child feels deeply listened to and supported. There is no one-size-fits-all approach. Support needs to be shaped around the individual child and from a whole child approach. Some families choose to include homeopathy as part of their support toolkit. When used thoughtfully, it can gently support a child’s nervous system and emotional wellbeing. Within homeopathy, remedies are not chosen based on the anxiety alone, but on the child’s overall way of being; their temperament, sensitivities, and how they respond to stress. Below are three remedy profiles often considered in the context of school anxiety. These are not labels, but gentle patterns that may help guide understanding. Baryta carbonica Some children may appear younger than their peers in how they navigate the world. They might feel unsure of themselves in group settings, find decision-making difficult, or become particularly anxious during times of transition, such as starting a new school or moving to a different class. There can be a strong desire to fit in, but also a sense of not quite knowing how. Busy classrooms and social expectations may feel overwhelming, and anxiety can build quietly over time. These children often do best with predictability and preparation. Walking through what to expect, visiting the school in advance, and gently scaffolding new experiences can help them feel safer and more secure. You might also notice a preference for routine and familiarity, doing things the same way, choosing the same foods, or feeling unsettled by change. When supported well, these children often begin to grow in confidence, gradually finding their voice, preferences, and sense of self. Silica Some children experience the world as intensely overwhelming, particularly from a sensory and energetic perspective. Noise, light, busy environments, and social demands can quickly lead to overload. These children may appear quiet, cautious, or hesitant. They often think deeply and may become stuck in “what if” worries, imagining all the things that could go wrong. They can seek safety in closeness to a trusted adult, wanting to stay near a parent, teacher, or familiar person who helps them feel regulated. There can also be a sense of low energy or stamina, where the demands of a full school day feel like too much. When supported, these children tend to thrive in calmer environments, with reduced pressure and a strong sense of safety. They may not seek large social groups, but instead form deep, meaningful connections and shine in areas they feel passionate about. Pulsatilla Some children have a deep emotional need for connection, reassurance, and closeness. For them, going to school can feel like a separation that is genuinely distressing. This may show up most strongly at drop-off, with tears, clinging, or a need for comfort. These children are not being difficult, they are seeking safety through connection. Warmth, reassurance, and co-regulation are key supports here. They often do best with nurturing relationships, both at home and in school. A kind, understanding teacher can make a significant difference. These children may be very attuned to others and eager to please, sometimes putting their own needs aside in order to feel accepted. At times, they may seem changeable, needing closeness but also becoming overwhelmed if there is too much stimulation or attention. When supported in a balanced and attuned way, they begin to feel more secure, and their confidence naturally grows. Across all children, anxiety may also show up in the body; through tummy aches, headaches, fatigue, or frequent illness. These are real, physical responses to stress, not something imagined or exaggerated. As caregivers, our role is not to remove all anxiety, but to help children feel safe enough to move through it. That might look like: slowing mornings down offering more predictability and preparation advocating for a child’s needs within the school environment or simply sitting alongside them and saying, “I see you, and I’m here.” When children feel understood, supported, and regulated, they are far more able to access learning, build relationships, and grow in confidence. And that’s the heart of it. Not changing the child to fit the environment, but shaping the environment, the supports, and the relationships around the individual child. Because every child deserves to feel safe, seen, and that they truly belong. Back To Blog
Tag: junior cert
The Connection Between Anorexia and Autism
The Connection Between Autism and Anorexia: A Gentle Exploration of Why So Many Autistic Girls Go Undiagnosed Navigating the world as an autistic girl can be an experience full of beauty, sensitivity, and depth. But it can also be filled with challenges, often ones that are invisible to those around us. Many autistic girls grow up feeling different but unable to name why. And sadly, many are not diagnosed until much later in life, sometimes only when they find themselves in the middle of a mental health crisis like anorexia. It’s important to remember that autism doesn’t always look like what we’ve been taught to expect. For some, autism is more about the way we process the world and our sensory experiences, rather than overt social differences or behaviors. It’s easy to overlook these subtle traits, especially in girls, who tend to mask their challenges more than boys. Because of this, many autistic girls, particularly those who have not been diagnosed, often face a mental health crisis before they receive the support and clarity they truly need. In this post, I want to talk about why anorexia often surfaces in autistic girls who are undiagnosed, and how restrictive eating is sometimes misunderstood. We’ll look at how anorexia differs from other types of restrictive eating, such as ARFID (Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder), sensory-related eating preferences, and food cycles that many autistic individuals experience. Most importantly, I want this post to offer a sense of understanding, recognising that we are all doing our best to navigate a world that wasn’t made with our needs in mind. Autistic girls often go undiagnosed for a long time because they tend to mask their true selves to fit in. They might try extra hard to appear neurotypical, picking up on social cues and mimicking behaviours they don’t quite understand, but it leaves them feeling exhausted, anxious, and isolated. It’s not that they don’t want to fit in, it’s just that sometimes the world asks for things that feel impossible. When it comes to food, this is where things get even trickier. Many autistic girls experience heightened sensory sensitivities, and the idea of eating can feel like navigating a minefield. The textures, smells, and even the temperature of food can be so overwhelming that eating becomes an exhausting, anxiety-inducing task. What starts as a simple preference to avoid certain foods can evolve into more restrictive eating behaviours that are misunderstood. Without an autism diagnosis, these eating habits may be seen simply as an “eating problem,” but for many autistic girls, these behaviours are a response to the sensory overload they experience every day. Sadly, this lack of understanding can sometimes lead to further isolation, feelings of shame, and a downward spiral that may culminate in an eating disorder like anorexia. For autistic individuals, food can be a sensory minefield. Some of us are hypersensitive to certain textures or tastes, making eating a distressing experience. For others, it might be the opposite; we might crave intense flavours or repetitive eating habits to compensate for sensory input. Food becomes a way to either avoid discomfort or seek out sensory stimulation. Many autistic people experience what’s called food cycles, where they may only eat the same few foods for long stretches of time. This isn’t a choice to “be picky” or difficult—it’s often a response to sensory preferences. The texture of one food might feel safe, predictable, and comforting, while others feel overwhelming and unmanageable. These cycles can be misinterpreted as unhealthy or restrictive, but for autistic individuals, they are often a way of making the world feel more manageable. Unfortunately, when these preferences are not understood, it can lead to misunderstandings. Parents and caregivers might see a limited diet and worry, “Why won’t they eat anything else?” But for an autistic person, the answer is often tied to sensory overload and the need for predictability. The need for the food to taste the same with each bite. And when we don’t have the language to explain why certain foods feel safe, it can leave us feeling isolated, misunderstood, or even ashamed. For autistic girls who aren’t diagnosed or who feel like their differences are not understood, the pressure to conform can be immense. Society often has a very narrow idea of what it means to be a “girl” or a “woman,” and these ideals include unrealistic expectations around appearance and body size. This pressure to conform can be overwhelming, especially when navigating a world that feels unpredictable or overstimulating. For some autistic girls, eating becomes a way to gain control in a world that feels chaotic. What starts as a way to avoid certain foods because they’re unpleasant or overwhelming may evolve into more restrictive eating behaviors, driven by the desire to control food intake. And as they begin to feel the weight of societal expectations, their restrictive eating may become more tightly linked to body image concerns. But here’s the thing: it’s not about being “difficult” or “rebellious.” It’s about seeking control over something that feels too overwhelming to manage. When we don’t have the tools or the understanding to process our sensory needs, anxiety, or social struggles, we might turn to something like eating to make sense of it all. The key to helping autistic girls who are struggling with restrictive eating or anorexia is understanding. Not just understanding eating habits, but understanding the full scope of the experience. Autism isn’t a disorder that needs to be “fixed.” It’s a way of being that needs to be understood, respected, and supported. Rather than focusing solely on the restrictive eating behaviors, it’s important to look at the whole person, the sensory preferences, the need for structure, the social challenges, and the emotional complexities. When we approach eating disorders with a neuroaffirming lens, we can help autistic individuals find balance and healing, rather than perpetuating shame or misunderstanding. If you or someone you know is struggling with anorexia or restrictive eating, it’s okay to ask for help.
Glue Ear or Autism?
When It’s More Than “Just Glue Ear”: Holding Space for the Whole Child There’s a familiar moment many parents and practitioners will recognise. A child isn’t responding consistently to their name. Their speech feels delayed or unclear. They seem to drift in and out of connection, sometimes deeply engaged, other times distant. Perhaps they move through the world in their own rhythm, seeking, avoiding. Then comes a possible explanation from a PHN or GP, glue ear. And with that, a quiet sense of relief.A reason.A plan.A hope that everything will resolve once hearing improves. Glue ear, fluid in the middle ear, is incredibly common in childhood. It can absolutely affect how a child hears, processes language, and participates in everyday interactions. It deserves care, attention, and support. But sometimes, gently, we need to widen the lens. Because while glue ear can explain some things, it doesn’t explain everything. When a child experiences fluctuating hearing, the world can feel unpredictable. Sounds come and go. Words lose clarity. It makes sense that communication may look different, speech might be delayed, attention may wander, frustration may build. And yet, there are other ways children communicate who they are. A child who seeks deep pressure, who gets pure joy from watching the washing machine spin, who lines up toys with precision, who craves running and crashing into you, who loves bouncing on the sofa, who gags on food textures, who finds comfort in repetition, who thrives off routine and struggles with change, who moves on their tiptoes, who experiences the world in vivid sensory detail – these are not simply “side effects” of reduced hearing. These are expressions of a nervous system, a way of being. Glue ear can shape how a child hears the world. But it does not shape who they are. It’s not uncommon for conversations to become either/or. “It’s just glue ear.”“Let’s wait and see once their hearing improves.” And sometimes, waiting is appropriate. Children grow and change in their own time. But we can also hold a both/and perspective: A child can have glue ear and be autistic.A child can experience hearing differences and have a unique sensory profile.A child’s communication differences can be influenced by hearing and by neurodivergence. Noticing this isn’t about rushing to labels. It’s about staying curious, open, and responsive. Because when we attribute everything to glue ear, we may unintentionally overlook the child’s broader needs and the ways we could already be supporting them. With our growing understanding of autism, we must also understand that dated PHN / GP checklists may miss the signs of autistic traits. It’s easy to link everything back to hearing when glue ear is present. But some traits often sit outside its scope. For example, tiptoe walking. Tiptoe walking, even if short, sporadic and not constant, is frequently connected to sensory processing, how a child experiences movement, balance, and body awareness. For some children, it offers stability, feedback, or simply feels good in their bodies. Glue ear, while it can affect balance in some cases, doesn’t typically account for ongoing patterns like this. In the same way: Deep sensory seeking or avoidanceRepetitive movementsA strong preference for routineDifferences in social communication beyond what hearing alone explains …these invite us to look a little deeper, a little wider. Not to pathologise. Not to rush.But to understand. When we see the whole child, we open more doors. We might: Use more visual communication alongside speechCreate sensory-friendly environmentsSupport regulation through movement and touchFollow the child’s interests as a bridge to connection These supports don’t depend on a diagnosis.They don’t need to wait. And importantly, they don’t harm a child whose differences are only related to glue ear. They simply make the world more accessible. If a child in your care has glue ear and you’re noticing other differences, you’re not imagining things. You’re observing. You’re attuning. You’re responding. And that matters. There’s space to explore hearing needs and neurodivergence.There’s space to support communication and sensory experiences.There’s space to honour uncertainty while still offering meaningful support. Because children are never “just” one thing. They are whole, complex, beautifully individual humans deserving of being seen in their entirety. And when we allow ourselves to stay open to that fullness, we meet them where they truly are. Medical Papers:https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10186415/https://bmjgroup.com/common-ent-issues-in-pre-schoolers-may-be-linked-to-autism/ Back To Blog
Why Traditional CBT Often Misses the Mark for Autistic People
Why Traditional CBT Often Misses the Mark for Autistic People (And What Actually Helps Instead) Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is often positioned as the answer to everything: anxiety, depression, intrusive thoughts, emotional regulation. For many people, it can be genuinely helpful. But for autistic adults, particularly those diagnosed later in life, traditional CBT can feel confusing, invalidating, or like it’s trying to solve a problem that doesn’t quite exist. This isn’t because autistic people aren’t trying hard enough or don’t want to change. It’s because CBT was built around neurotypical brains, nervous systems, and assumptions about how distress works, and autistic neurology operates differently. When therapy doesn’t account for that difference, it often misses the mark. Autistic overwhelm begins in the nervous system, not the thinking mind For many autistic adults, emotional distress does not begin with a thought. It begins in the body. Sensory overload, cognitive fatigue, auditory or visual processing strain, transitions, unpredictability, social ambiguity, prolonged masking, and burnout all place sustained pressure on the nervous system. When the body is already in fight, flight, freeze, or shutdown, trying to challenge or reframe a thought is unlikely to help. If the lights are too bright, the noise is too loud, or the nervous system is already overloaded, no amount of cognitive work will resolve the distress. In these moments, CBT is often working at the wrong level of the experience. Regulation comes before insight for autistic brains Traditional CBT relies on noticing a thought in real time, analysing it, and reframing it before emotions escalate. Autistic processing, however, is often slower in the moment and deeper over time. It tends to be more detailed, more sequential, and better suited to reflection rather than rapid analysis. This means that by the time an autistic adult can identify what is happening internally, a shutdown, meltdown, or panic response may already be underway. This is not a lack of skill or awareness. It is a difference in processing style. Effective therapy needs to slow down, prioritise regulation, and allow insight to come later. Autistic thinking is often accurate, not distorted CBT is built on the assumption that distress comes from distorted or irrational thinking. For many autistic adults, distress is a logical response to very real experiences. Sensory stress, chronic misunderstanding, rejection, executive functioning challenges, masking trauma, burnout, past invalidation, and practical barriers are not imagined threats. They are lived realities. When a therapist asks, “Is that thought really true?” the answer is often yes. Repeatedly questioning accurate perceptions can leave autistic clients feeling misunderstood, gaslit, or emotionally unsafe, leading them to disengage from therapy altogether. Therapy is not effective when it attempts to correct something that is not incorrect. Therapy that doesn’t include autistic lived experience can’t truly help Many standard CBT frameworks do not address the realities of autistic life. Masking and its long-term impact, autistic burnout, sensory trauma, social trauma, chronic invalidation, and growing up in environments that were not designed for autistic nervous systems are rarely acknowledged. Executive functioning differences are often treated as motivation problems rather than neurological ones. When these experiences are not named or understood, autistic adults are left feeling as though they are the problem, rather than recognising the mismatch between their neurology and the world around them. Therapy that overlooks lived experience struggles to build trust or create meaningful change. Therapy environments need to support safety, not enforce social norms Traditional CBT is typically delivered in a very specific way: two chairs, facing each other, sitting still, maintaining eye contact, and talking continuously. For many autistic people, this setup is not neutral. It can be actively dysregulating. Autistic brains and bodies need to feel safe before they can open up, reflect, or process. If a client is already using significant energy to manage posture, eye contact, social expectations, and sensory input, there is far less capacity left for therapeutic work. To truly meet the needs of autistic clients, therapy environments must be flexible and supportive rather than performative. This may include different seating options, space to move or change position, no expectation to face the therapist or maintain eye contact, access to fidget tools or weighted items, a notepad and pen for doodling or visual thinking, and full permission to regulate in whatever way feels safe. Facing the wall and talking is not a failure of engagement. For many autistic clients, it is what makes engagement possible. Safety and structure support change more than flexibility CBT often assumes that clients can experiment with new behaviours quickly, shift perspectives easily, and tolerate uncertainty. Autism, however, includes differences in cognitive flexibility. Autistic adults often need more predictability, more preparation, clearer explanations of why something matters, and step-by-step scaffolding before attempting change. Pushing for behavioural shifts before a client feels regulated and safe can increase shutdown rather than progress. Change happens most effectively when the nervous system feels supported, not rushed. What supports autistic adults more effectively The goal is not to discard CBT entirely but to adapt mental health support so it works with autistic neurology rather than against it. Supporting the nervous system first Before working with thoughts, the body needs support. Sensory recovery, stimming, deep pressure or weighted input, temperature-based grounding, gentle movement, predictable routines, co-regulation, reducing sensory load, and breathing patterns that suit autistic bodies all help calm the nervous system. When regulation improves, cognitive work becomes accessible. CBT that works with autistic brains CBT can be helpful when it is neuroaffirming and adapted. This means assuming thoughts are valid, focusing on distress tolerance rather than correction, slowing the pace, using visual structure, breaking skills into concrete steps, and integrating sensory and regulation supports. Autistic pattern recognition and logical reasoning can be strengths when therapy is structured in a way that respects them. Emotional processing models designed for autistic neurology Autistic adults benefit from frameworks specifically designed for their brains, including monotropism-based approaches, interoception training, alexithymia-friendly emotion identification, burnout recovery models, and communication styles that reduce pressure and ambiguity. These
Junior Cert 2025!
Junior Cert 2025! This year I had twelve female therapy clients in Junior Cert Year who wanted to sit their exams. In 2024, 10 of these teenagers had missed in excess of 120 days of school, most of them had attended for less than two weeks of their second school year. When they came into therapy, all of them were in neurodiverse burnout and were experiencing severe mental health challenges such as self-harm, suicidal ideation, eating disorders and had received late diagnosis’s of autism and/or ADHD as well as co-occurrences. Nine out of the twelve also have a PDA profile. All of them desperately wanted to be able to attend school. All of them wanted to sit their Junior Cert (I have many clients who don’t want to take their Junior Cert, and I fully support them in their informed decision also). Their focus was not on their studying beforehand, their focus is not on their results, their focus was being supported enough to be able to sit their exams, confident that they could achieve a pass, something many of them had been told by teachers/school staff that they would never achieve. Individualised support plans that accurately support each students needs can achieve what these clients have achieved today. Many of these twelve clients may never attend a full day of school or move away from a reduced timetable, they have proved it doesn’t matter. Eleven of these clients don’t do homework, again they have proved it doesn’t matter. Twelve of these clients didn’t start their studying for these exams until they had finished school four weeks ago, again they have proved it doesn’t matter. All twelve have different areas of support needs yet the schools had given them a generalised return to school program that wasn’t neuroaffirming or meeting their individual needs, setting them up for failure. All twelve voiced their needs, the areas they felt they needed support in and we worked to individualise their return to school plan and time and time again we altered it when needed until it was spot on and they were thriving. All twelve experienced some levels of burnout around Christmas time, before the February mocks and in their final weeks of school before the exams – however this time it was different, they understood themselves more, they put in place supports to get them through and limit the burnout, they understood taking a short break from school wasn’t failing – it was supporting themselves to enable them to go back a few days later. They knew their eating habits were reducing and changing because they were experiencing high stress, but they also knew their reliable comfort foods to get them through. They knew when to reduce social demands and when to increase their downtime. None of them reverted to self-harm, none of them experienced the crippling intrusive thoughts or suicidal experience they had in the previous school year. All twelve clients were determined to sit their junior cert exams….and today they all achieved it!!! There have been tears of relief and joy, powerful exhales, high fives, dances, celebratory air punches and the biggest proudest smiles in my therapy room this week and it has been incredible to be standing with these girls on their journey. Proud doesn’t even cut it, in awe is more accurate. Don’t ever write off a child’s ability to achieve or tell them that they won’t achieve what they want to. None of these children should ever have heard those words from their educators. They will prove you wrong when they get there anyway, in their own time and in their own way. Back To Blog