Sue Larkey Blog

Supporting Neurodiverse Children in the Early Years - Mini-training and Ebook Early Childhood Classroom Strategies (AS, ADHD, ODD & PDA)Join Sue for an upcoming Live Virtual Workshop where you will learn Sue's practical tips & strategies to make a difference.Over 400 Early Child Educators told me their top 2 questions they wanted answered, and I used those to create these Tips & Strategies What you will learn: ✅ Know what to look for in the early years. Watch whether the child shows interest, brings items to you, follows your gaze, engages in pretend play, and understands simple one-step instructions like "give the block to me" or "show me the dog." ✅ Find the perfect moment to teach. Watch the child the way you'd wait for the perfect camera shot. One second too early or too late and you miss it. Teach when they're calm, happy and regulated, not when they're anxious or dysregulated. ✅ Teach the same skill three ways. Direct teaching (one-on-one, hand-over-hand),...

My favourite resources – What they are and how to use them How Should I Set Up My Classroom for my Students?Discussed in this Episode: ✅ Using digital timers with a visual schedule to help students understand transitions - where they're going, what they're doing, and for how long buy here ✅ Placing time timers at assemblies to help students visually see how long they need to sit buy here ✅ Creating portable digital schedules with personalised visuals (like attaching a Lego block to show how long it is until Lego time) buy here ✅ Using the Red Beast thermometer to help children track their anger levels from calm to furious buy here ✅ Creating personalised "wands" with each child to help them identify and work through different feelings buy here  ✅ Implementing token systems as rewards for neurodivergent children instead of traditional certificates or stamps buy here ✅ Using key rings with visuals to help children with transitions or regulation buy here ✅ Having students develop...

What Is AuDHD and RSD? Understanding the Overlap Between Autism and ADHD AuDHD classroom support strategies  Discussed in this Podcast: ✅ Use Visual Peer Modelling Before Asking AuDHD Students to Act - A Year 1 teacher described having two children visually demonstrate a task (e.g., taking out their book and sitting at the table) before asking the AuDHD student to do it. The student observes first, reducing demand and anxiety. The teacher reported that all children in the class benefited.✅ Provide Both Routine AND Detail When Communicating Tasks - Students with autism may need to know 'we have maths today.' Students with AuDHD need both the subject AND what specifically they will be doing within that subject — e.g., 'We have maths today and we're doing multiplication with blocks.' Tailor your communication to include both elements.✅ Always Start With a Sensory Assessment Before Behaviour Strategies - Laura described being called into a primary school to provide behaviour...

A Teacher's Guide to AuDHD Girls: Shutdowns, Perfectionism, and the Veneer of Coping with Guest Jane McFadden AuDHD Girls Classroom Support    Jane McFadden is a former psychologist turned Neuroscientist, Author, and Neurodiversity Specialist. Jane has both lived experience and clinical expertise. After years of battling burnout, stress, and anxiety, she received a life-altering ADHD diagnosis in 2022, which answered many of her questions and ignited her passion to help other women and girls avoid being misdiagnosed and wrongly medicated. While ADHD medication was life-changing, it also unveiled Autistic traits, leading to her being diagnosed as Autistic in 2024. So I am thrilled to have Jane join us to share her knowledge & expertise on identifying camouflaged or internalising Autistic children.  Discussed in this Episode: ✅ Say Everything Three Times - Jane recommends 'saying things three times' as a whole-class strategy. Repetition reduces anxiety for internalising...

The Five-Step Meltdown De-escalation Framework Every Educator Needs: What to do Before, During and After De-esculation Strategies for Meltdowns  Subscribe to this podcast via your favourite app Join my newsletter for more awesome information about ASDDiscussed in this Podcast: ✅ Do a Body Scan Before Responding - Before engaging with a distressed student, run your hands down your body and ask: Is my posture calm? Is my voice calm? Am I calm? Sue reminds us that neurodiverse students pick up directly on adult anxiety, so checking yourself first is a non-negotiable first step.✅ Use the 'GPS Voice' - Adopt a calm, monotone voice — like a GPS navigation system — when a student is escalating. This deliberate, low-affect tone signals safety and avoids adding emotional 'noise' that can push a child further into overwhelm.✅ Ignore for Five Minutes, Then Check In - If a student moves under a table, stands at the back of the room, or distances from the group, resist intervening immediately....

PDA vs. ODD: A Guide to Supporting Pathological Demand Avoidance in Schools PDA and ODD DifferencesStrategies for Teaching PDA StudentsKey takeaways from this podcast for educators and parents/ carers of a child with PDA:✅   Share appropriate personal experiences to build trust ✅   Offer two clear choices instead of open-ended options ✅   Use natural consequences instead of demands (e.g., explaining toilet routines) ✅   Allow collaborative learning when students prefer working with peers ✅   Give students a fresh start each day, avoiding delayed consequences ✅   Discuss emotions openly to model emotional regulation ✅   Share problem-solving thoughts aloud ✅   Mix up strategies as they can wear out quickly ✅   Use special interests without hijacking them for learning ✅   Provide structure while maintaining autonomy (like the holiday analogy)Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) in the Classroom: Understanding and Teacher Strategies for EducatorsENROL NOW! ON SALE - SAVE...

Why Choice Making is so hard for Neurodiverse Children and What To Do (AS, ADHD, PDA, odd, AuDHD) Choice Making Neurodiversity Classroom Strategies  Discussed in this Episode: ✅   Limit choices to two options only. Instead of a full shelf of puzzles, offer two specific puzzles (e.g., 'the Dora puzzle or the number puzzle'). The same applies in secondary — instead of an open research topic, offer two pre-selected poems or topics. ✅   Model making the 'wrong' choice out loud. Say aloud 'I've read two pages of this book and I don't like it — I'm going to put it back.' This demonstrates that changing your mind is acceptable and teaches children the process of self-correction. ✅   Use a grazing plate approach for food exploration. Place new foods alongside a known safe food without any pressure to eat. Let children sniff, touch, and explore at their own pace, as done with Victoria who expanded from dry noodles to 20 different foods within one school year. ✅   Use parallel play to...

  Autism + Environment = Outcome: How to Recognise and Support Executive Functioning Struggles in Neurodivergent Students Executive Functioning Classroom Strategies  Strategies for Executive FunctioningKey takeaways from this podcast for educators and parents to understand Executive Functioning: ✅ The "Tomorrow Box" - Place a physical box on each student's desk where they can put unfinished work. This gives them an "opt out" without anxiety, knowing the task isn't lost - they can return to it tomorrow.✅ Spare Supplies Near the Door - Keep spare pens and paper near the classroom entrance so that when a child forgets something (an executive functioning difficulty, not defiance), they can quietly grab what they need without shame or disruption.✅ Use "Could" Instead of "Should" - Change classroom language from directive ("You should do this") to invitational ("You could try this"). This simple language shift reduces demand and anxiety, especially for PDA and anxious children.✅...

Executive Functioning Challenges Looks like Defiance: Why and How to Building Executive Functioning in Neurodiverse Students Executive Functioning AS Strategies  Discussed in this Episode:  ✅    Use a visual “wait” hand signal instead of saying “don’t call out” – Sue describes using a hand signal to indicate “wait” for children who struggle with impulse control. This acknowledges the child without shaming them and lets them know you’ve seen them.  ✅    Introduce a sensory-weighted keychain tool as a “talking stick” alternative – Sue uses a sensory tool on a keychain with a weight attached. It is placed on the child’s desk to remind them it’s not their turn to talk, helping with impulse control in a tangible way.  ✅    Implement the 5-minute warning for task initiation – Sue explains that many ADHD children do their best work in the last five minutes. Giving a “five minutes to go” warning is the trigger that initiates them to get started, rather than letting them sit on the...

How to Have the Hard Conversation:8 Steps for Educators Starting the Diagnosis Conversation Talking to Parents Diagnosis  Discussed in this Podcast: ✅ Choose the meeting location carefully. Avoid the principal's office. Meet parents in a relaxed setting like the classroom, during yard duty, or even casually at a community spot (Sue shares that some of her best conversations happened at supermarkets).✅ Use the 4:1 ratio - four positives to one negative. Before raising any concern, prepare at least two to three genuine positive things about the child. Emily witnessed a meeting where four staff members could not name a single strength of a child with ADHD - and the parents left defeated.✅ Start every meeting with a reflection exercise. Have everyone - parents, teachers, aides - sit quietly and write down three things going well and three biggest challenges, then share the positives first. 4. Use an "appointments" system for partner work. For children who are always picked last,...

10 Must Have Resources That Transform Support for Neurodiverse Students (AS, ADHD, ODD, PDA) Neurodiverse Student Support Tools Neurodiversity Education Tools Resources Join me this week as I talk you through my FAVOURITE resources to support neurodiverse students. So, grab a cuppa and download the catalogue and let's chat. ✅  Using 2B pencils instead of HB pencils for left-handed students ✅  Implementing one-book systems for better executive functioning ✅  Using plastic sleeves instead of glue for worksheets ✅  Placing time timers next to analog clocks for visual time management ✅  Using "now, next, later" visual schedules with timer systems ✅  Reading specific book chapters based on current student needs ✅  Setting up fine motor activity stations using the Motor Flip Book ✅  Using whole-class social skills activities for inclusive learning ✅  Implementing visual cards on timers to show upcoming activities ✅  Creating staff meeting discussions around resources like "I am Aspie...

What every Educator needs to Know about Behaviour for Neurodiverse Students (AS, ADHD, ODD, PDA) neurodiverse children classroom strategies  Discussed in this Podcast: ✅ Talking about my brand new course All about classroom behaviours and the strategies to try. ✅  Give the Spelling List Early: Instead of making a child wait until Monday’s pre-test, give them the spelling list on Friday. This allows anxious children to learn the words over the weekend and arrive feeling prepared rather than panicked. The goal is that the child learns the words — the timing doesn’t matter. ✅  Replace Crosses with “O” for Opportunity: Instead of marking errors with a cross (X), use an “O” for Opportunity — an opportunity to fix it up, look it up, or ask someone else. This reframes mistakes as a learning step rather than a failure. ✅  Photocopy Extra Worksheets: For children who become distressed when they make mistakes, have extra copies of worksheets ready. If a child makes an error and wants...