Key Takeaways:

• Predictability Matters: Building a predictable environment can significantly reduce stress for neurodivergent teens as they start a new school year.
• Collaborative Support Systems: Engage teens in their support planning, which increases their comfort and trust in their school environment.
• Focus on Emotional Regulation: Prioritise emotional well-being over academic performance to help teens cope with sensory overload and daily pressures.
• Understanding Over Fixing: Embrace a mindset of curiosity and understanding rather than trying to fix perceived problems in teens' behaviors.
• Home as a Safe Space: Ensure home remains a haven for recovery and support after the school day, helping teens decompress effectively.

Notable Quotes:

• "Predictability might look a little bit like getting back into sleep routines like we learned last week."
• "The key is collaboration, not control."
• "When school starts, it's easy to focus on their marks, but for our neurodivergent teens, emotional regulation really comes first."
• "You don't need to turn your teen into someone else to help them succeed at school."
• "When teens feel understood rather than managed, their stress drops and their capacity rises."

Click here to contact Collett or ask her a question or Click here to contact the Raising Teens team.

Collett is a psychologist, qualified teacher, speaker, and internationally published author, with 25 years' experience working in private and public schools, as well as in private practice.

Visit Raising Teens for more resources, click here for Collett's books, or join the discussion on Facebook.

Listen to more from our Hope Podcasts collection at hopepodcasts.com.au. And send the team a message via Hope 103.2’s app, Facebook or Instagram.