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:

✅ Eliminate captain’s pick in PE – Post team assignments on a whiteboard before class to reduce social anxiety for all students, not just those with diagnoses.

✅ Create a subtle help-seeking system – Establish discrete ways for perfectionist students to ask for help without drawing attention to themselves.

✅ Look for shutdown behaviors – Watch for students sitting quietly with head down, unable to write or move forward for 15-20 minutes, appearing frozen rather than defiant.

✅ Build trust with parents first – Establish positive communication by sharing what’s going well before addressing concerns, making parents feel at ease.

✅ Say instructions three times – Repeat all classroom instructions three times to help all students, especially those with processing differences, without singling anyone out.

✅ Make classroom-wide accommodations – Instead of individual adjustments, implement breaks and regulation strategies that benefit all students.

✅ Stock neurodiversity books in the library – Make books about autism, ADHD, and other conditions readily available for students to self-identify and learn.

✅ Use non-threatening withdrawal techniques – Send teenagers on errands rather than calling them out of class for support conversations.

✅ Watch for helpful/leadership behavior as masking – Notice girls who constantly help others, work in sick bay, or take leadership roles as potential masking behaviors.

✅ Document comprehension gaps – Note when students appear to read well but have poor comprehension, as this can indicate they’re covering up difficulties.

– The student who appears to be reading well but has significant comprehension difficulties

– The helpful student who volunteers for every task to avoid playground social interactions

– The “mini prime minister” who appears confident but can’t handle change

– The quiet student who shuts down rather than acts out

– The student who appears socially competent at school but has major meltdowns at home

1. Taking on helper roles (assisting in sick bay, helping disabled students)
2. Appearing as natural leaders but showing inflexibility
3. Having strong reading skills but poor comprehension
4. Displaying perfectionist behaviors
5. Checking in frequently with teachers
6. Showing hypervigilant behaviors
7. Appearing socially competent at school but melting down at home
8. Sitting quietly when overwhelmed rather than acting out
9. Taking on “mini prime minister” roles but struggling to compromise
10. Helping with classroom organisation to avoid social interactions

ICAN Network 

Yellow ladybugs 

Autistic Not Weird 

Enjoyed Masking and Autism Explained? Check out my other Podcasts Referred to:

Episode 81: How Embracing Autistic Strengths Changed His Life: An Interview with Chris Bonnello

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Sue Larkey Workshops

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Sue Larkey On-Demand Workshops

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