Every Mind Psychology

04/05/2026

🌟 Meet Liz Dawes — Clinical Psychologist & Director at Every Mind 🌟

If you’ve visited Every Mind, you’ve probably met Liz — our Clinical Psychologist and Clinic Director. Liz founded Every Mind with one clear mission: to create a safe, neuroaffirming space where autistic and ADHD children can be understood, celebrated, and supported without pressure or judgement.

With over a decade of experience in child psychology, Liz specialises in autism and ADHD assessment, PDA profiles, trauma‑informed practice, and supporting families who’ve felt unheard elsewhere. She is passionate about strengths‑based approaches, sensory‑considerate environments, and helping children feel safe to be their authentic selves.

Liz leads our multidisciplinary team with warmth, compassion, and a deep commitment to neurodiversity‑affirming care.

We’re so proud to have her guiding the heart of our clinic 💛

01/05/2026

⚡ ADHD Truths & Myths: What Parents Need to Know

ADHD is one of the most misunderstood neurotypes — and many of the messages parents hear are outdated, inaccurate, or rooted in stigma.

At Every Mind, we want families to have information that is accurate, compassionate, and grounded in neuroaffirming practice.

Here are some of the most common myths we hear, and the truths that matter.

❌ Myth 1: “ADHD is caused by bad parenting.”
✅ Truth: ADHD is a neurodevelopmental difference.
It’s not caused by parenting style, screen time, diet, or lack of discipline.
Children with ADHD aren’t choosing to struggle — their brains simply work differently.

❌ Myth 2: “ADHD is just being hyper.”
✅ Truth: ADHD shows up in many ways.
Some children are energetic and fast‑moving.
Others are dreamy, thoughtful, or quietly overwhelmed.
ADHD can look like racing thoughts, emotional intensity, sensory needs, or difficulty switching tasks — not just movement.

❌ Myth 3: “They can focus when they want to.”
✅ Truth: ADHD is about regulating attention, not lacking it.
Children with ADHD can hyperfocus on things they love and struggle with tasks that feel boring, unclear, or overwhelming.
This isn’t a choice — it’s how their brain prioritises information.

❌ Myth 4: “They’ll grow out of it.”
✅ Truth: ADHD is lifelong.
Children don’t grow out of ADHD — they grow into themselves.
With understanding, support, and environments that fit their needs, they thrive.

❌ Myth 5: “ADHD means low ability.”
✅ Truth: ADHD brains are often creative, intuitive, curious, and innovative.
Many children with ADHD have incredible strengths — they just need the right conditions to shine.

💛 At Every Mind
We provide neuroaffirming ADHD assessments that focus on strengths, sensory needs, lived experience, and the whole child — not stereotypes.
If you’re exploring whether your child might be ADHD, or you’d like to understand their needs better, our team is here to support you.

✨ Every Mind: Understanding every child, exactly as they are.

29/04/2026

🌟 Preparing for a Diagnostic Assessment: What Parents Need to Know

Coming for an autism or ADHD diagnostic assessment can feel like a big step — and it’s completely normal for parents to feel unsure about what to expect. At Every Mind, our goal is to make the process calm, clear, and supportive for you and your child.

Here are some gentle ways to prepare:

💛 1. You don’t need to “prep” your child to perform
There’s no right or wrong way for a child to be during an assessment.
They don’t need to practise answers, rehearse eye contact, or “try their best.”
We want to see their authentic self, in a space where they feel safe.

📝 2. Bring examples of what you’ve noticed
It can help to jot down:

strengths and interests

sensory preferences

things that feel hard at home or school

any questions you want to ask
You don’t need perfect notes — just your observations.

🧸 3. Bring comfort items
A favourite toy, fidget, snack, or hoodie can help your child feel grounded.
We welcome movement, stimming, and sensory needs throughout the session.

🏫 4. School input is really valuable
If possible, share any teacher observations, reports, or concerns.
Children often mask in different environments, so school insight helps us build a full picture.

🧠 5. Expect a calm, child‑led session
Our clinicians adapt the pace, communication style, and activities to suit your child.
There’s no pressure to sit still, talk on demand, or engage in a certain way.

💬 6. Ask anything — truly
We’re here to support you, not judge your parenting or your child.
No question is too small, and no concern is “silly.”

🌈 At Every Mind
We believe assessments should feel respectful, neuroaffirming, and empowering.
Our team works with you to understand your child’s strengths, needs, and neurotype — and to give you clarity moving forward.

If you’re preparing for an upcoming assessment and want to talk through what to expect, we’re always here.

✨ Every Mind: Understanding every child, exactly as they are.

27/04/2026

🌈 Masking: What Parents Need to Know

Many autistic and ADHD children become experts at “masking” — hiding their true feelings, copying others, or working incredibly hard to appear “fine.” This is not just limited to females, though we know it is more common in girls.

Masking isn’t manipulation or misbehaviour. It’s a survival strategy.

Here’s what parents often tell us they wish they’d known sooner:

⭐ 1. Masking is exhausting
Children who mask may seem calm or compliant at school, then come home and melt down, shut down, or withdraw.
This isn’t “saving it for home” — it’s the cost of holding everything in.

⭐ 2. Masking can be automatic
Many children don’t even realise they’re doing it.
They’ve learned that copying, staying quiet, or pushing through discomfort helps them avoid overwhelm, conflict, or being misunderstood.

⭐ 3. Masking can delay identification
A child who masks may appear to be coping, even when they’re struggling internally.
This can make it harder for adults to spot their needs — and why so many autistic and ADHD children are identified later.

⭐ 4. Masking is a sign of stress, not success
If a child is masking, it means they don’t feel fully safe or supported in that environment yet.
Reducing masking isn’t about “trying harder” — it’s about creating spaces where they don’t feel they have to hide.

⭐ 5. You can help by making home a safe place to unmask
Warmth, acceptance, predictable routines, sensory comfort, and permission to be themselves all help children recover from the effort of masking.

💛 At Every Mind
We support families to understand masking, recognise the signs, and create environments where children feel safe to be their authentic selves.
If you’d like to learn more about how masking shows up in autistic and ADHD children — and how to support them — our team is here to help.

✨ Every Mind: Neuroaffirming assessments, support, and understanding for every child.

24/04/2026

🌟 Service Spotlight: Our Autism Diagnostic Assessment Pathway 🌟

At Every Mind, our autism diagnostic assessments for children and young people are designed to be thorough, compassionate, and fully neuro-affirming. We don’t “test” — we understand.

Our pathway brings together clinical expertise, lived‑experience awareness, and a deep respect for each child’s individuality.

Here’s what families can expect from our assessment process:

✨ 1. A warm, sensory‑considerate welcome
From the moment you arrive, our environment is designed to reduce overwhelm and help children feel safe and comfortable.

✨ 2. A detailed developmental history
We take time to listen. Parents and carers share their insights, experiences, and observations — all of which are essential to building a full picture.

✨ 3. Child‑led assessment sessions
Our clinicians adapt pace, communication style, and activities to suit each young person. No pressure to mask or perform.

✨ 4. School observation & teacher interview
Understanding how a child navigates their everyday environment is key. We gather real‑world insight into strengths, sensory needs, and support strategies that help them thrive.

✨ 5. Multidisciplinary formulation
Our team — including Clinical Psychologists, Assistant Psychologists, SLTs and OTs — work together to ensure assessments are holistic and grounded in neuro-affirming practice.

✨ 6. Clear, strengths‑based feedback
We meet with families to discuss findings in a supportive, accessible way. We focus on understanding the child’s neurotype, celebrating strengths, and identifying meaningful supports.

✨ 7. Comprehensive written report
Families receive a detailed, high‑quality diagnostic report that is clear, respectful, and suitable for sharing with schools and other professionals.

✨ 8. Post‑diagnostic support
We don’t stop at the diagnosis. We offer guidance, signposting, and therapeutic support to help families move forward with confidence.

💛 At Every Mind, our goal is simple: to provide assessments that honour each young person’s identity, reduce anxiety, and empower families with clarity and understanding.

If you’d like to learn more about our autism and ADHD assessment pathways, we’re always here to help. www.every-mind.co.uk

22/04/2026

🌿 A Warm, Welcoming Waiting Room Designed With Neurodivergent Families in Mind 🌿

At Every Mind, the experience begins long before the assessment itself. We know that arriving at a clinic can feel overwhelming for children, young people, and families — so we’ve created a waiting room that feels calm, safe, and genuinely welcoming.

✨ What makes our waiting space different?

- Sensory‑considerate design
Soft lighting, gentle colours, and a quiet atmosphere help reduce sensory load and support regulation from the moment you walk in.

- Comfortable, flexible seating
Whether a child prefers to curl up, sit close to a parent, or have their own space, our layout adapts to their needs.

- Thoughtfully chosen activities
We offer low‑demand, calming options — not overstimulating toys — so children can settle in their own way.

- A warm, friendly welcome
Our staff greets every family with kindness, patience, and understanding. No rush, no pressure, no judgement.

- A space that honours individuality
Every child arrives with their own sensory profile, communication style, and comfort needs. Our waiting room is designed to respect and support all of them.

💛 We believe that a neuro-affirming assessment starts the moment a family steps through the door — and our waiting room is a big part of that.

If you’d like to learn more about our autism and ADHD assessment pathway, we’re always here to chat. www.every-mind.co.uk

20/04/2026

🌈 What Is a Neuro-affirming Diagnostic Assessment for Autism & ADHD? 🌈

At Every Mind, our assessments for children and young people are designed to be respectful, collaborative, and grounded in a deep understanding of neurodiversity.

A neuro-affirming assessment doesn’t look for “deficits” or try to measure a child against a narrow idea of what’s “typical”. Instead, it aims to understand each young person’s unique strengths, communication style, sensory profile, and support needs.

✨ Here’s what makes our neuro-affirming assessment different:

- Strengths‑based, not deficit‑focused
We recognise each child’s abilities, passions, and problem‑solving approaches. These strengths are central to our understanding — not an afterthought.

- Child‑led and comfortable
We adapt the pace, environment, and communication style to suit the young person. No pressure to perform, mask, or “get it right”.

- Sensory‑considerate
From lighting to seating to breaks, we create a space where children can be themselves without sensory overwhelm.

- Holistic and contextual
We look at how a child experiences the world across settings — home, school, other spaces — and how environments can better support them.

- Collaborative with families and professionals
Parents, carers, teachers, and other professionals hold valuable insight. Their perspectives help us build a full, balanced picture.

- Respectful of masking and lived experience
Many autistic and ADHD young people work incredibly hard to cope in structured settings. We take this into account and never overlook the effort behind it.

- Focused on understanding, not “fixing”
Our goal is to help families understand their child’s neurotype and needs, and to identify supports that genuinely enhance wellbeing.

💛 A neuro-affirming assessment honours who a young person is, not who the world expects them to be.

If you’d like to learn more about our autism and ADHD assessment pathway at Every Mind, we’re always here to help. www.every-mind.co.uk

17/04/2026

🌟 Why School Observations & Teacher Interviews Matter in a Neuro-affirming Autism and ADHD Assessments 🌟

When we complete diagnostic assessments at Every Mind, we don’t just look at one moment in time, one perspective, or see a child in one environment. Children and young people show their strengths, needs, and communication styles differently across settings — and school is a huge part of their world.

That’s why school observations and teacher interviews are a core part of our neuro-affirming assessment pathway.

✨ Here’s how they help:

Real‑world insight: Seeing a child in their everyday learning environment helps us understand how they navigate routines, transitions, sensory input, and social interactions in a space that’s familiar to them.

Strengths in action: Teachers often notice skills, passions, and problem‑solving approaches that may not appear in a clinic setting. These strengths are essential to a holistic, respectful assessment.

Understanding support needs: Observations help us identify what’s working well — and where small adjustments could make a big difference to comfort, focus, and wellbeing.

Collaborative perspective: Teacher interviews give us a rich picture of a child’s experiences over time, not just on the day of assessment. This helps ensure our conclusions are grounded, balanced, and truly reflective of the child.

Reducing masking: Many autistic and ADHD young people work incredibly hard to cope or “hold it together” in structured settings. Observing across contexts helps us recognise the effort behind this and ensure it’s not overlooked.

At Every Mind, our goal is always to build a complete, compassionate, strengths‑based understanding of each young person — and school input is a vital part of that.

More information at www.every-mind.co.uk

27/03/2026

Another great event by a fantastic team! Sign up all!

05/03/2026

Come and join me for an evening of discussions and questions around neurodivergence diagnostic assessments!

Join us online to get the lowdown on autism and ADHD assessments—what parents really need to know!

23/02/2026

I’m yet to read but I’m keeping my fingers crossed for positive changes to this broken system….

I will report back once I’ve read 🤞🤞

The Government has just published its plans for major changes to the system of SEND support in schools in England.
The policy White Paper, titled Every Child Achieving and Thriving, sets out the proposed changes to support for SEND children and teenagers in schools and how the new-look system will be funded.
If approved by Parliament, the changes will not be fully implemented until the autumn term in 2028.
The education news website Schools Week has published a summary of the Department for Education's plans https://schoolsweek.co.uk/schools-white-paper-the-key-send-reform-policies/
- Click these links to read two Government announcements issued this morning - https://www.gov.uk/government/news/specialist-send-support-in-every-school-and-community and https://www.gov.uk/government/news/radical-expansion-in-rights-for-children-with-send
- Click this link to download the White Paper, which is available in a range of formats, including an easy-read version https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/every-child-achieving-and-thriving

10/01/2026

Family Wellbeing Course We have developed a 6-week programme designed for parents and carers of children who are autistic, or awaiting an autism diagnostic assessment. Using evidence-based approaches to thriving...Read More >