5. SCHOOL SERIES: Your Child Isn’t ‘Acting Out’ — They’re Burning Out

ADHD Mums

If your kid has been labelled ‘disruptive’, ‘too much’, or has a 'behaviour problem’ at school - this episode is for you.

In this raw, honest, and fiercely educational conversation, Jane is joined by Tania Waring - lawyer-turned-PhD researcher, mum of three neurodivergent boys, and longtime education advocate. They go into what’s really happening when ADHD and autistic kids are ‘acting out’ - and why so many schools are punishing trauma responses, not managing them.

This episode isn’t polite. It’s personal, practical, and painfully real. From school exclusions and behaviour plans to Human Rights Commission complaints and fighting for basic inclusion - this one’s for every parent who’s been dismissed, gaslit, and told their child doesn’t belong.

Trigger warning: briefly mentions suicide ideation of a child.

💡 What We Cover:

• The myth of ‘naughty kids’ vs the reality of burnout and nervous system collapse
• Why suspension and detention are discriminatory—not developmental
• How behaviour plans often become performance-management tools
• What schools are legally required to do under federal, state, and disability law.
• How to document, escalate, and advocate when you’re being stonewalled
• Tips for writing advocacy emails that get attention (without sounding ‘difficult’)
• What parents can realistically do when change feels impossible

🔗 Resources & Links:

• Disability & Education Laws Referenced (Qld Human Rights Act, DSE 2005, UN CRPD)
• 📥 Free Advocacy Email Scripts: https://adhdmums.com.au/resources/
• 👩‍⚖️ Human Rights Commission: humanrights.gov.au
• 🎧 Related episodes:
• S3E3 – Burnout Starts in the Classroom (with Millie Carr)
• S2 Ep72 – Social Safety, Consent & Vulnerable Kids
• S2 Ep64 – PMDD, PMS & Emotional Burnout

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Topics Covered In This Episode:

ADHD school exclusion Australia neurodivergent child suspension ADHD behaviour plans and trauma disability standards for education 2005 QLD Human Rights Act school rights ADHD and school-based discrimination inclusive education ADHD autism school burnout ADHD child advocacy tools for ADHD parents ADHD child behaviour misunderstood ADHD suspension legal rights UN CRPD education rights Human Rights Commission school complaints ADHD parent advocacy Australia trauma-informed education ADHD Tania Waring ADHD advocacy ADHD Mums podcast Australia neuroaffirming schools strategies ADHD child misunderstood in classroom

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