In this episode, host Leisa Reichelt is joined by Pavlina McMaster and Heidi Ryan to explore the concept of Deschooling. This is the first step in the transition to Home Education but the core concepts of Deschooling are valuable and reassuring to any School Can’t parent.

Pavlina and Heidi share their personal journeys and insights into how they successfully navigated Deschooling, addressed trauma linked to conventional schooling, and prioritized mental health.

They discuss the importance of community support and provide practical advice for parents and carers embarking on this path. Key themes include redefining education, the importance of parent/child connection, and understanding the gradual nature of this transformative process.

Recommended Resources

• School Can’t Experience, Episode #5 - Home Education: Busting Myths and Misunderstandings with Pavlina McMaster - https://www.buzzsprout.com/2447546/episodes/16721920
• Home Education Network (Australia) - https://home-ed.vic.edu.au/
• Victoria Home Schoolers and Unschoolers Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/victorianhomeschoolersandunschoolers
• Home Education NSW - https://www.facebook.com/groups/homeeducationnsw
• Home Education QLD Inc. - https://www.facebook.com/groups/homeeducationqldinc
• Home Education Tasmania - https://www.facebook.com/groups/876634649129826
• Home Education WA (HEWA) - https://www.facebook.com/hewapage
• South Australian Home Educators - https://www.facebook.com/groups/southaustralianhomeeducators
• Home Educators Northern Terrritory Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/1226268530873997
• Home Education Canberra Facebook Group (ACT) - https://www.facebook.com/groups/165766030185476

Also search for Home Education Facebook groups in your city or local area.

Send us a text

Support the show

• School Can’t Australia Facebook Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/schoolphobiaschoolrefusalaustralia
• Make a donation to School Can’t Australia - https://www.schoolcantaustralia.com.au/get-involved

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, or other qualified professional.

In this second part of Marissa Taylor’s Lived Experience episode we learn about how discovering low demand parenting and particularly the importance of collaboration through Dr Ross Greene’s CPS (Collaborative and Proactive Solutions) method was transformative for Marissa at a time when she was unsure how best to support her School Can’t children. Marissa shares some interesting ways she’s used CPS in her family and shares how she maintains confidence in taking a non conventional approach to parenting.

Recommended Resources

• Dr Ross Green - Lives in the Balance website for CPS - https://livesinthebalance.org/
• https://illumelearning.com.au/ CPS workshops with Dr Ross Green, and more - https://illumelearning.com.au/
• Dr Dan Siegel - https://drdansiegel.com/
• Dr Stephen Porges, Polyvagal Institute - https://www.polyvagalinstitute.org/
• Dr Mona Delahooke - https://monadelahooke.com/
• Dr Vanessa Lapointe - https://drvanessalapointe.com/
• The Educating Parents Homeschooling and Unschooling group (Facebook) - https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheEducatingParents/

Send us a text

Support the show

• School Can’t Australia Facebook Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/schoolphobiaschoolrefusalaustralia
• Make a donation to School Can’t Australia - https://www.schoolcantaustralia.com.au/get-involved

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, or other qualified professional.

In this Lived Experience episode Marissa Taylor shares her family’s experience of School Can’t as her various children each subsequently but very uniquely have their own School Can’t Experiences. Marissa shares the very different experiences she’s had dealing with schools in this journey and her learning curve into Home Education.

This is Part 1 of our discussion with Marissa. In Part 2 she will share how Dr Ross Greene’s Collaborative and Proactive Solutions (CPS) model has been transformative for her family.

Recommended Resources

• Dr Ross Green - Lives in the Balance website for CPS - https://livesinthebalance.org/

Send us a text

Support the show

• School Can’t Australia Facebook Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/schoolphobiaschoolrefusalaustralia
• Make a donation to School Can’t Australia - https://www.schoolcantaustralia.com.au/get-involved

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, or other qualified professional.

In this Lived Experience episode we meet Jennie Plummer who shares her experience of supporting youngest daughter, Bethany, through her School Can’t Experience. Including her ADHD and Autism diagnosis, burnout, and equine supported recovery. Along the way Jennie learned to listen, trust her gut and tune out the loud opinions of others around her.

Send us a text

Support the show

• School Can’t Australia Facebook Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/schoolphobiaschoolrefusalaustralia
• Make a donation to School Can’t Australia - https://www.schoolcantaustralia.com.au/get-involved

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, or other qualified professional.

Dr. Naomi Fisher joins host Leisa Reichelt and School Can’t Australia director Tiffany Westphal to explore how school can contribute to burnout in young people. They discuss recognizing burnout, distinguishing it from anxiety or depression, and what parents can do to help.

Dr. Fisher, a clinical psychologist specializing in child development, trauma, and self-directed education, supports parents of neurodivergent children struggling in traditional schooling. She advocates for alternative education approaches that prioritize autonomy and well-being. Her books, including Changing Our Minds and A Different Way to Learn, empower parents to rethink education, while her latest, The Teenager's Guide to Burnout, offers essential guidance on stress and recovery.

Recommended Resources:

• Naomi’s website (books, courses, webinars) - https://naomifisher.co.uk/
• Think Again: Naomi’s substack/newsletter - https://naomicfisher.substack.com

Send us a text

Support the show

• School Can’t Australia Facebook Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/schoolphobiaschoolrefusalaustralia
• Make a donation to School Can’t Australia - https://www.schoolcantaustralia.com.au/get-involved

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, or other qualified professional.

In this episode, host Leisa Reichelt interviews Emma Gilmour, mum to two neurodivergent teens. Emma shares her experience supporting her younger daughter through her journey through discovering her neurodivergence, her School Can’t experience and autistic burnout, and how connecting with passion while reducing demands has helped her daughter to find her way back.

Content warning: includes discussion of self harm and suicidal thoughts, though not discussed in detail. Take care when listening and please reach out for support if you need it.

Emma’s recommended resources:

• Kristy Forbes - In Tune with PDA - https://www.kristyforbes.com.au/pda
• Eliza Fricker’s books - https://missingthemark.co.uk
• Dr Naomi Fisher (books, webinars, courses) - https://naomifisher.co.uk/
• Viv Dawes - Autistic Burnout resources - https://www.autisticadvocate.co.uk/autistic-burnout

Send us a text

Support the show

• School Can’t Australia Facebook Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/schoolphobiaschoolrefusalaustralia
• Make a donation to School Can’t Australia - https://www.schoolcantaustralia.com.au/get-involved

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, or other qualified professional.

In this first 'Lived Experience' episode, Jane Nicholson, mother of three neurodivergent boys, shares her family's challenges with mainstream schooling and their decision to home educate two of their sons due to ‘School Can’t’ induced stress and trauma.

Jane discusses the deschooling process, creating a flexible educational Unschooling environment, the challenges of finding your Home Education ‘tribe’ and the mental health benefits of Home Education.

If you have a School Can't Experience that you'd like to share on a future Lived Experience episode, you can email us at schoolcantpodcast@gmail.com

Useful resources:

• Dr Ross Greene’s Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS) framework - https://livesinthebalance.org/
• Dr Naomi Fisher’s book, ‘Changing Our Minds’ - https://naomifisher.co.uk/books/changing-our-minds/
• Accidental Homeschool - Jane’s blog about their experience with home education - https://www.accidentalhomeschool.com/

Send us a text

Support the show

• School Can’t Australia Facebook Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/schoolphobiaschoolrefusalaustralia
• Make a donation to School Can’t Australia - https://www.schoolcantaustralia.com.au/get-involved

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, or other qualified professional.

In this episode of the School Can't Experience Podcast, host Leisa Reichelt is joined by Pavlina McMaster, Coordinator at the Home Education Network to shed light on some common myths about Home Education, including:

• Myth #1:Home Education is a last resort
• Myth #2: I have to work so don’t have time to Home Educate
• Myth #3: I’m not smart/educated enough to teach my kids
• Myth #4: Home Education restricts our kids future opportunities
• Myth #5: Home Education kids miss out on social opportunities.

Useful resources:

• Home Education Network (Australia) - https://home-ed.vic.edu.au/
• Victoria Home Schoolers and Unschoolers Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/victorianhomeschoolersandunschoolers
• Home Education NSW - https://www.facebook.com/groups/homeeducationnsw
• Home Education QLD Inc. - https://www.facebook.com/groups/homeeducationqldinc
• Home Education Tasmania - https://www.facebook.com/groups/876634649129826
• Home Education WA (HEWA) - https://www.facebook.com/hewapage
• South Australian Home Educators - https://www.facebook.com/groups/southaustralianhomeeducators
• Home Educators Northern Terrritory Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/1226268530873997
• Home Education Canberra Facebook Group (ACT) - https://www.facebook.com/groups/165766030185476

Also search for Home Education Facebook groups in your city or local area. There are many!

Send us a text

Support the show

• School Can’t Australia Facebook Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/schoolphobiaschoolrefusalaustralia
• Make a donation to School Can’t Australia - https://www.schoolcantaustralia.com.au/get-involved

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, or other qualified professional.