The School Can't Experience

In this week’s episode, Sydney mum, Jodie, shares her lived experience of School Can’t with host Leisa Reichelt.  Jodie’s teenage daughter experienced a sudden mental health and School Can’t crisis after a house move in February 2025, following earlier anxiety, social struggles and bullying.

As her daughter became severely dysregulated, ran away, and experienced suicidal ideation, Jodie describes intense pressure from school and clinicians to force attendance and make home “less comfortable,” which she felt escalated distress.

After months and emergency callouts, she pulled her daughter out of school and registered with international online program Crimson Global Academy (CGA) for routine and support while prioritising safety, nervous system reset, connection, travel, and a return to dance.

Over time her daughter rebuilt capacity, chose to return to in-person schooling, was offered a place at a new school, and is now happier.

Jodie urges parents and professionals to trust signals, listen deeply, and consider unconventional pathways.

Relevant resources;
- Crimson Global Academy: https://www.crimsonglobalacademy.school/au/
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Support the show
School Can’t Australia Facebook Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/schoolphobiaschoolrefusalaustralia
Make a donation to School Can’t Australia - https://www.schoolcantaustralia.com.au/get-involved
If you are a parent of carer in Australia and experiencing distress, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or contact the Parent Help Line. - https://kidshelpline.com.au/parents/issues/how-parentline-can-help-you
You can contact us to volunteer to share your School Can't story or some feedback via email on [email protected]
Disclaimer
The content of this podcast is based on personal lived experiences and is shared for informational and storytelling purposes only. It should not be treated as medical, psychological, or professional advice under any circumstances. If you have concerns about your health or well-being, please seek guidance from a doctor, therapist, or other qualified professional.

Dr Billy Garvey joins us on the School Can’t Experience Podcast to discuss why it shouldn’t be considered normal for children to struggle at school, and how the education system often fails to meet kids’ emotional and developmental needs. 
Together with host Leisa Reichelt, they explore early intervention and trusting parental instincts, the harms of dismissing distress as “just a phase,” and why trauma and bullying don’t build resilience. 
Billy emphasises agency and autonomy, relationship-based school re-entry, and the value of listening to a child’s lived experience—especially for neurodivergent kids. 
He explains co-regulation as starting with adult self-regulation, using calm proximity, validation, and repeated connection (often through play or shared interests like gaming). 
The conversation also covers parental stress, dads and disciplinary patterns, and Billy’s hope that better mental health training and support for educators can transform schools into true community sanctuaries.

More resources from Dr Billy Garvey:
Pop Culture Parenting podcast: https://www.popcultureparenting.com/
Growing Minds (a social enterprise dedicated to changing the future of our kids): https://www.guidinggrowingminds.com/
10 Things I Wish You Knew About Your Childs Mental Health (Book): https://www.penguin.com.au/books/ten-things-i-wish-you-knew-about-your-childs-mental-health-9781761345838
Send us Fan Mail
Support the show
School Can’t Australia Facebook Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/schoolphobiaschoolrefusalaustralia
Make a donation to School Can’t Australia - https://www.schoolcantaustralia.com.au/get-involved
If you are a parent of carer in Australia and experiencing distress, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or contact the Parent Help Line. - https://kidshelpline.com.au/parents/issues/how-parentline-can-help-you
You can contact us to volunteer to share your School Can't story or some feedback via email on [email protected]
Disclaimer
The content of this podcast is based on personal lived experiences and is shared for informational and storytelling purposes only. It should not be treated as medical, psychological, or professional advice under any circumstances. If you have concerns about your health or well-being, please seek guidance from a doctor, therapist, or other qualified professional.

Lucette, a mum of two neurodivergent girls, education advocate and author, speaks with our host, Leisa Reichelt about a School Can’t journey that began as “Daycare Can’t” and “Kinder Can’t.” Lucette describes years of difficult drop-offs, restraint collapse, and escalating distress—including absconding and family crisis—before her eldest child, ‘Big A’, was identified as autistic and ADHD with high sensory needs, and the family began using more PDA-aligned, low-demand communication. 
Despite extensive home-provided supports and an early advocacy consult to understand school rights and adjustments, a change of teacher in Grade 1 coincided with worsening experiences and a missed school meeting, prompting a rapid school move. 
A a small mainstream school with strong leadership, staff training, and full-time classroom aides, eventually made a huge difference. 
Lucette emphasizes trusting your gut, bringing advocates or support people to meetings, knowing your rights, and she shares her children’s book about emotions and regulation, “When I’m Excited, I fart Glitter”.

People & resources mentioned in this episode:
Autism Goals - https://www.autismgoals.com.au/
Lucette’s book: When I’m Excited, I Fart Glitter - https://www.instagram.com/lmc.writes/
Send us Fan Mail
Support the show
School Can’t Australia Facebook Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/schoolphobiaschoolrefusalaustralia
Make a donation to School Can’t Australia - https://www.schoolcantaustralia.com.au/get-involved
If you are a parent of carer in Australia and experiencing distress, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or contact the Parent Help Line. - https://kidshelpline.com.au/parents/issues/how-parentline-can-help-you
You can contact us to volunteer to share your School Can't story or some feedback via email on [email protected]
Disclaimer
The content of this podcast is based on personal lived experiences and is shared for informational and storytelling purposes only. It should not be treated as medical, psychological, or professional advice under any circumstances. If you have concerns about your health or well-being, please seek guidance from a doctor, therapist, or other qualified professional.

This week we welcome Laura, a nurse and mum of three in Victoria, to share her family’s experience supporting her 15-year-old daughter, Mimi, through ongoing School Can’t. 
Laura describes Mimi’s early anxiety, neurodivergence, and how returning to school after COVID intensified distress, leading to escalating attendance struggles in high school, especially without close friendships and with limited school wellbeing capacity. 
She explains the daily realities of getting out the door, the impact on work and family relationships, and the personal parenting work required to shift away from “just make them go” approaches. 
Practical school-based supports (trusted staff members meeting Mimi on arrival) and the Hands-on Learning program, where Mimi’s engagement and attendance are consistently high, demonstrate how changing the environment can transform the accessibility of education.

People & resources mentioned in this episode:
Hands On Learning - https://handsonlearning.org.au

Send us Fan Mail
Support the show
School Can’t Australia Facebook Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/schoolphobiaschoolrefusalaustralia
Make a donation to School Can’t Australia - https://www.schoolcantaustralia.com.au/get-involved
If you are a parent of carer in Australia and experiencing distress, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or contact the Parent Help Line. - https://kidshelpline.com.au/parents/issues/how-parentline-can-help-you
You can contact us to volunteer to share your School Can't story or some feedback via email on [email protected]
Disclaimer
The content of this podcast is based on personal lived experiences and is shared for informational and storytelling purposes only. It should not be treated as medical, psychological, or professional advice under any circumstances. If you have concerns about your health or well-being, please seek guidance from a doctor, therapist, or other qualified professional.

This week we welcomed Jessica, an OT and mother of two neurodivergent children, to share her lived experience of School Can’t. Jess’s eldest child experienced early anxiety and separation difficulties through escalating distress in primary school. 
Jess describes navigating borderline ADHD diagnosis, later recognising broader neurodivergence, trialling and stopping stimulants due to aggression on comedown, and finding both supportive and adverse school interactions. 
After a severe panic attack and medical leave, the family shifted to homeschooling and gradually rebuilt capacity through neurodivergent-friendly social groups, parent education (including Dr. Ross Greene’s Collaborative Proactive Solutions), and therapy. 
Jess explains how meaning-driven pathways via community school and VET led to renewed engagement, culminating in her child attending Year 12 four days a week, and she emphasizes holding hope and having Plan B/C/D options.
CONTENT WARNING:  This episode does take us to some dark places at times. Part of this interview includes discussing distressing experiences attending hospital, and also distressing interactions with some teachers. If you're a teacher, you might feel uncomfortable listening to parts of this story  as this episode deals with several adverse experiences at school, including an assault of a teacher. 
  We ask you to remember that just as Dr. Ross Greene says, kids do well if they can, we hold it to be true, that adults, including parents, teachers and medical professionals are generally doing the best that they can as well.  iIf you don't have capacity for this today, feel free to skip this one or maybe listen another time.

People & resources mentioned in this episode:
Hub Clinic - https://hub.clinic/
Home Education Network (HEN) - https://home-ed.vic.edu.au/
Dr Ross Greene, Collaborative Proactive Solutions (CPS) - https://livesinthebalance.org/
Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) https://www.health.vic.gov.au/mental-health-services/child-and-adolescent-mental-health-services
Tuning into Kids /Teens - https://tuningintokids.org.au/parents/finding-a-tuning-in-parenting-group/
Send us Fan Mail
Support the show
School Can’t Australia Facebook Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/schoolphobiaschoolrefusalaustralia
Make a donation to School Can’t Australia - https://www.schoolcantaustralia.com.au/get-involved
If you are a parent of carer in Australia and experiencing distress, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or contact the Parent Help Line. - https://kidshelpline.com.au/parents/issues/how-parentline-can-help-you
You can contact us to volunteer to share your School Can't story or some feedback via email on [email protected]
Disclaimer
The content of this podcast is based on personal lived experiences and is shared for informational and storytelling purposes only. It should not be treated as medical, psychological, or professional advice under any circumstances. If you have concerns about your health or well-being, please seek guidance from a doctor, therapist, or other qualified professional.