Episodes

In this episode I chat with Dr Shae Wissell, Shae is a speech pathologist, researcher, dyslexic, dysgraphic, ADHD-er, and founder of Rethink Dyslexia, We talk about what happens after students living with learning difficulties leave school and we become adults!

In this episode, I talk with Brisbane-based psychologist Leanne Tran about how to look after your own mental health as the parent of a child living with learning difficulty. We work through the whole journey as a timeline, from that first feeling that something might not be right, all the way through to letting go when your child is ready to advocate for themselves.

In this episode, I’m joined again by clinical psychologist Valli Jones to talk about the mental health issues she most commonly sees in children and young people living with learning difficulties. We framed the conversation as a “top five”, not to rank problems, but to help parents and educators feel less alone and better able to recognise patterns.

In this episode, I talk with teacher and intervention specialist Sue Griffith about word problems in maths and why they are so difficult for students living with learning difficulties. We look at the role of language, working memory anxiety and ambiguity, and share practical ways to teach problem-solving more clearly.

In this episode, I talk with Valli Jones, a clinical psychologist from Queensland, about what it means to create a safe learning environment for students who live with autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and other learning difficulties. We focus on the idea that students learn best when they feel safe — not just physically safe, but emotionally and psychologically safe too.

In this episode, Michael Shanahan is joined by experienced specialist dyslexia tutor Sally Andrew to discuss The Literacy Support Kit (LSK)—a comprehensive set of resources designed to support children for whom standard literacy intervention programs are too difficult.

In this episode, we have Liana McCurry back to talk about her Churchill Fellowship findings on what the top PISA performing countries are doing with maths instruction and how we can use that information to improve outcomes for kids living with learning difficulties.

In this episode, we chat about daily review with David Morkunas, current head of teacher efficacy at Brandon Park Primary School, previously a teacher at Bentleigh West Primary School.

In this episode, we chat with experienced teacher and intervention specialist Sue Griffith and YR 12 student Lilly Shanahan about Individual Learning Plans (ILPs). What are they for? Why do kids need them? How do we make them effective?