The Sensational Kids Show – Détails, épisodes et analyse

As we head into the holidays Aniesa wanted to explore stress and what is referred to as allostasis. She explores the concept of the allostatic load and the impact this has on the body in both the short term and long term. Aniesa also discusses the role things like sleep and trauma can play in how we manage and cope with stress. Importantly, Aniesa talks about how we can all learn to manage our stress levels and take ownership of minimising the impact as much as possible.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Allostasis is the process of trying to achieve stability through physiological or behavioural change. This is usually in response to stress.
• Your allostatic load is your chronic exposure to fluctuating and increased stress levels.
• Stress produces a spike in adrenaline and after this initial spike, the body and you relax. But this cycle of high and low adrenaline has an impact on your body.
• There is an elevated risk of chronic disease and mental health disorders from those who have long-term elevated stress levels.
• There is a very strong connection between your allostatic load and things such as your class, finances, living situation and perceived discrimination.
• Sleep, exercise and a balanced diet are simple but can help your body manage stress.
• If we can take ownership of managing our stress and learn what works for us as individuals to manage stress then we can lessen the impact it has on us.

BEST MOMENTS

"It’s self-regulating so we’re trying to keep this constant state while we are under stress”

“This constant continued strain is really going to compromise your immune function”

“That’s going to affect your overall lifespan, your cognitive function and your well-being”

“There’s a real strong association between your allostatic load and your social demographic characteristics”

“We need to be proactive in managing our stress, we need to stay informed”

CONTACT METHOD

www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/           
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/    
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon

ABOUT THE HOST

Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.

Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aniesa explores the reasons behind camouflaging, which has three categories: compensation, masking and assimilation. Aniesa talks about what these can look like, why so many neurodivergent people feel the need to camouflage and talks about how we can demystify and educate everyone on camouflaging.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Masking is essentially changing your personality and natural way of being to fit in, to be perceived as neurotypical.
• Camouflaging in the natural world is an evolutionary trait that has developed to help creatures protect themselves which is why it lends itself so well as a descriptor of neurodivergent masking.
• Neurodivergents are trying to camouflage themselves alongside neurotypicals, to go undetected, seen as ‘normal’ and appropriate.
• Camouflaging can be a way to avoid feeling the shame often attached to neurodiversity.
• There are consequences for camouflaging, from burnout to feeling anxious.
• Those who are neurodivergent learn that they get a negative reaction from being themselves. Many feel like if they don’t mask they will be excluded and isolated.
• Assimilation is masking on a higher level, you create untrue versions of yourself, usually multiple ones depending on who you are with.

BEST MOMENTS

"We’re really talking about changing our natural personalities so that we can fit”

“I like the idea of camouflaging as a word as it’s a really strong tactic”

“The consequences of camouflaging are huge, they are so detrimental”

“When you’re compensating you’re trying to keep up with others socially but when your masking you’re hiding key aspects of yourself, just so you can fit in”

“We all mask every single day”

CONTACT METHOD

www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/           
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/    
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon

ABOUT THE HOST

Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.

Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dive into the lesser-known strengths of neurodivergence as autism mentor Archie joins Aniesa once again and shares uplifting insights on the talents and abilities people overlook in neurodivergent individuals. Learn how intense focus, honesty, pattern recognition, creativity, and acceptance can all be traits of neurodivergence. Explore how rigid thinking can also lead to flexibility, how potential weaknesses can become strengths given the right environment, and more. Their thoughtful discussion will change your perspective on the diversity of neurodivergent minds.  

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Hyper-focus on niche interests can lead to exceptional expertise and competence in any matter of subjects and topics.
• Logical thinking skills related to needing structure and spotting patterns can manifest in strengths like list-making, repetition, and task focus.
• Creativity thrives in neurodivergence - lateral thinking, adaptability, idea generation, and visionary concepts point to success in arts and STEM.
• Traits like hyper-focus and monologuing seen as weaknesses can become strengths in accepting environments that allow you to capitalise on them.

BEST MOMENTS
"I have a number of terrariums and from that I've gone on to propagating my own plants. I didn't think I could ever do that because I tend to just kill plants."

"I prefer not forging my own way. I like just being passive and doing stuff people ask me to do. I don't think I could own a business because I like set structure."

"When I work on something I enjoy, my brain takes over until it's done. I enter a hypnotic state. Afterwards I'm like, oh okay, I'm back."

"Monologuing is often seen as an issue but speaking to a big crowd it's essential. Some traits are drawbacks only due to the environment."

CONTACT METHOD

www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/           
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/    
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon

ABOUT THE HOST

Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.

Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join Aniesa as she speaks to Archie Gouldsborough, a mentor who has ADHD and is awaiting and ASD diagnosis. They discuss what mentoring is, how Archie discovered it and the many benefits it can have. Archie also shares his own personal struggles and talks about why he thinks having a neurodivergent brain makes you empathetic and compassionate  in a unique and powerful way.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Archie is good at speaking as well as listening and this is why his mum knew he’d be great at mentoring.
• Asking open-ended questions and allowing the person to talk about and answer in the way they feel comfortable is essential to being a good mentor.
• Secondary school is a turbulent time for many neurodivergent people, and this is the age range Archie specialises in.
• It’s important for every individual to feel comfortable in a session and to do that you have to tailor it to their communication style.
• PDA stands for pathological demand avoidance, which some consider to be its own type within autism. It can be defined as an extreme need for autonomy and control over your environment.

BEST MOMENTS

"When I was a bit younger I was a therapist friend for some people”

“Mainstream school is incredibly triggering and difficult and a lot of the time it is as simple as having someone for their child to reach out to”

“I’m of the opinion that everything is a skill”

CONTACT METHOD

www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/           
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/    
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon

ABOUT THE HOST

Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.

Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aniesa is joined by mentor Archie in this episode to debunk many of the myths and misconceptions surrounding autism. They talk about the most common ones they have heard and discuss what might be the reasons behind them.

COMMON MYTHS AND MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT AUTISM

• Autistic people are introverted and anti-social: It’s actually difficulty with understanding social cues that might make autistic people seem this way and often autistic people need more processing time after social situations.
• Autism is a boy’s condition: This is not true at all, boys generally are just diagnosed more easily and more often than girls.
• Autism should be cured: Autism is part of who someone is, it’s not inherently a disability and isn’t something to cure.
• Autism is caused by bad parenting: Research proves that this is not true at all.
• You can grow out of autism: Not true even though there is a lot of focus on children and young people. There is a large number of adults who have never been diagnosed.
• Autism is bad: This is just the stigma around autism, it does not mean that you or your brain is ‘bad’
• All autistic people have superpowers: Autistic people can have extra abilities and capabilities, but this isn’t the case for most autistic people, what is more common is the concept of special interests, something you know a lot about or are really good at.
• Autism is caused by the MMR vaccine: All research firmly states that this is not the case, the original study was scientifically flawed, and the scientist was biased.
• Autistic people can’t show or feel empathy: Empathy may look differently for those who are autistic, but they are certainly capable of feeling and showing empathy.
• Autistic people don’t have emotions: Some autistic people might not express their emotions in the same way as neurotypical people, but this doesn’t mean they don’t experience them.

BEST MOMENTS

“It’s a representation of the diagnostic criteria, not a representation of actual autism”

“When it comes to the idea of curing autism it kind of perpetuates the medical model of disability”

“Autism is a way of being, a way of seeing the world”

“We need to now be looking at the 50/60/70 year old autistic people”

“It’s amazing how that one person can just have such a huge impact”

“That can be a boundary for getting diagnosed, not being able to express normative emotions”

CONTACT METHOD

www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/           
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/    
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon

ABOUT THE HOST

Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.

Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aniesa met Charlotte when she brought her daughter to see her. Charlotte joins the podcast to talk about being a parent of neurodivergent children, including when she realised they had additional needs, the differences between her two children and their difficulties as well as how she and her family manage each day with two neurodivergent children.

KEY TAKEAWAYS 

• Both Charlotte's son and daughter have additional needs but present very differently. Her son will talk about anything and everything yet her daughter doesn’t externalise anything.
• Her daughter in particular was very good at masking in primary school so the school didn’t recognise that she had any issues, but she would then release her difficulties at home and once she began secondary school she could no longer cope.
• When Charlotte’s daughter was diagnosed with autism at 12, her daughter looked visibly relieved to have an explanation for her challenges.
• The biggest difficulty Charlotte faces isn’t her children, but the level of ignorance and judgement many people display towards her children and their additional needs.
• Battling with systems, assessments, forms and more is one of the biggest stresses for parents of neurodivergent children.
• With neurodivergent children it’s important to recognise their unique differences and work with them to help them in different situations, for example, are they less exhausted by outside social activities -vs- those inside?
• As parents of neurodivergent children, we need to teach them about themselves, help them work out healthy coping strategies and also how to advocate for their true selves.
• If you suspect your children might have additional needs, write everything down, not only to help you with assessments but to remind yourself of the challenges you face.

BEST MOMENTS

“I didn’t even know what a SENCO was”

“You have to do a lot of advocating for her”

“They don't cause me stress, what causes me stress is the limitless ignorance out there and judgement”

“I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I wasn’t doing everything that I absolutely could”

“Trust that you know your child better than anybody else”

“I want them to be capable and understand themselves”

CONTACT METHOD

www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/           
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/    
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon

ABOUT THE HOST

Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.

Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aniesa wants to remind everyone that the summer holidays are a big transition point for so many of us and we need to recognise that. From some children starting reception to others moving up to secondary school or even to university, there is a lot of change and we need to support our children with this where we can.

KEY TAKEAWAYS 

• The summer holidays may seem like a more relaxed environment but actually, it is a huge transition period for many and with this comes anxiety.
• We have to be kind to ourselves and our children and look after our well-being. Validate your children's emotions and help reassure them.
• Try to connect with yourself and help your child do the same, a great way to do this is with deep breathing exercises or a walk in nature.

BEST MOMENTS

“There are a lot of changes going on”

“With change comes anxiety, we need to be kind to ourselves”

“It’s really important that they are able to express what they’re feeling, or find a way to express what they’re feeling”

“Have them know that you are there for them and you are offering reassurance, offering no judgement, no pressure just understanding”

CONTACT METHOD

www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/           
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/    
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon

ABOUT THE HOST

Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.

Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join Aniesa as she shares some of her top tips for ‘surviving the summer holidays with neurodivergent children including tips to keep them regulated and how to avoid added stress and difficulties.

KEY TAKEAWAYS 

• Be organised. Plan in four categories, expensive activities, small-cost activities, free activities and home activities
• Make snack pots and snack ideas for kids to be able to help themselves and not always shave to come to you.
• See if there are any clubs or holiday schemes children can go into to break up the long stretch of holiday for both them and you.
• A holiday diary is a good project and task for your kids to work on, this also gives them time to reflect on what has happened each day.
• If going away preparation is key, think of ways you can keep your children regulated in places like the airport.
• Practice your own self-regulation and be calm with yourself. Continue to do things that bring you joy, and keep the pressure off yourself, children don’t have to be entertained all of the time.

BEST MOMENTS

“Think of things like that are going to just make it easy for you”

“If you are going to go on holiday think about what you are going to get out of it”

“Remember your kids are going to need a lot of time after that holiday to decompress and so are you”

“Try and keep your boundaries in place, if you have rules keep them in place too”

CONTACT METHOD

www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/           
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/    
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon

ABOUT THE HOST

Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on paediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.

Aniesa has one teenage son with autism and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode Aniesa explores the concept of whether our feelings, emotions and reactions are just our own to control or whether other people and external factors influence them.

KEY TAKEAWAYS 

• Emotions are very complex, they are a mixture of internal and external factors, other people can have an impact on our own emotional state.
• Our emotions are closely tied to our relationships and interactions with others, something that is essential to human nature.
• There is the concept that we need to own our emotions and people can’t make us feel a certain way but it isn’t right to accept that we have no influence over other peoples feelings.
• We can pick up other peoples feelings through empathy too, it’s not always to do with how they respond to us.
• We have to learn that whilst we can’t control how we feel completely we can control to some degree how we interpret and respond to others.

BEST MOMENTS

“We absolutely can make other people feel emotions”

“We can experience emotions in response to other peoples actions or words”

“Two people can have completely different responses to the same situation”

“Our external influences will contribute to our mental state”

CONTACT METHOD

www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/           
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/    
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon

ABOUT THE HOST

Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.

Aniesa has one teenage son with autism, and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aniesa is joined by Elmien a therapist with a daughter who has ADHD. She talks to Aniesa about her and her daughter's journey to getting diagnosed including her own realisation that there might be something else happening when her daughter was missing milestones and acting out. Elmien also talks about the uniqueness of having a child with additional needs and how you can find the special moments in your journey with your child, regardless of the difficulties and struggles they may face.

KEY TAKEAWAYS 

• Elmien’s daughter needed therapy for delays in crawling and walking but at this point, Elmien didn’t consider she may have additional needs.
• Eventually, Elmien’s daughter got the diagnosis for ADHD and looking back, Elmien could then see the signs from many of the difficulties she and her daughter had experienced, especially in school and more formal settings.
• Dealing with a child that she now knew was different, was quite a challenge. Elmien had to learn to take care of herself as when she didn’t she wasn’t able to do her best for her daughter.
• The school system failed Elmien’s daughter in many ways, they weren’t supportive in any of the ways Elmien and her daughter needed.
• Elmien suffered a lot of judgement from friends and family about her daughters' diagnosis which made things very difficult in the beginning. She now does not care or pay attention to those who comment on her parenting and childs behaviour.
• If Elaine's daughter comes to talk to her, she always puts her first and listens because if she doesn’t then she knows her daughter will forget and she has to put her daughter's needs ahead of everything else including politeness. 
• Although those with additional needs have difficulties, they do learn and progress at their own pace, they are always making leaps in their understanding and mechanisms for dealing with life.
• All Elmien wants for her daughter's future is for her to be happy. If she is comfortable in her own skin and those she is with and the direction she is going in, she will be happy.
• It is hard to have a child you did not expect but embrace it where you can and try and inject fun when you can. Remember to take the pressure off yourself and always do what is good for your family and child.
• Having a child with additional needs will make you appreciate so many things that others don’t even notice, that is special in its own way.

BEST MOMENTS

“She was the most difficult little girl, the year when she was 4 was really hard on me and her”

“Friends and family were a problem for me because they were judgemental”

“Sorry about that, but she’s different”

“I want my child to be happy”

“Things are never going to be what you planned them to be but it’s going to be a great journey”

CONTACT METHOD

www.instagram.com/aniesabblore/           
www.instagram.com/sensationalkidstherapyuk/    
www.facebook.com/sensationalkidslondon

ABOUT THE HOST

Aniesa completed her degree in Occupational Therapy at the University of Stellenbosch, in South Africa. She has since been focusing on pediatrics and sensory processing and integration. She has worked across a range of pediatric fields and has extensive experience in autism, specific learning difficulties, as well as anxiety and emotional regulation.

Aniesa has one teenage son with autism and one with sensory difficulties. She herself was diagnosed at a late age as having ADHD and has found that understanding her neurodivergence has led to a greater connection with children and their parents.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.