In this episode, we explore the realities many teachers face when supporting children with emerging autistic traits in mainstream classrooms, particularly in the early years, where needs are still being understood.

The conversation centres around a reception teacher supporting a young child who struggles with communication, social interaction, routines, and engagement during classroom activities. Rather than focusing purely on behaviour, the episode looks deeper at development, asking what foundational skills may still need support before formal learning can truly begin.

A key part of the discussion explores cause and effect, the early developmental understanding that “if I do this, something happens.” Mike and Adam unpack why this matters so much for communication, play, attention, and learning, especially for children who may experience the world very differently through sensory processing and social communication challenges.

Its explores why play-based learning remains so important, particularly for children who are not yet ready for more formal teaching approaches. Instead of expecting children to immediately adapt to classroom structures, the conversation highlights the value of entering the child’s world first and building learning from there.

Alongside this, there’s an honest reflection on the pressures teachers face. Managing large class sizes, differentiation and increasingly complex needs can feel overwhelming, especially when resources and support staff are limited.

Importantly, this episode is not about “fixing” children. It’s about understanding development, adapting approaches and helping teachers find meaningful ways to support progress through curiosity, structure and connection.

In This Episode, We Discuss

• What schools can sometimes miss when supporting autistic children
• Why behaviour is often linked to development, not defiance
• The importance of cause and effect in early learning
• How sensory experiences can impact communication and engagement
• Why play-based learning remains essential in the early years
• The role of executive functioning in preparing children for formal learning

Why This Episode Matters

Many teachers are trying to meet increasingly diverse needs without always having the time, training, or resources they need. This episode offers a compassionate and practical discussion about understanding children developmentally rather than simply behaviourally.

It’s a reminder that meaningful progress often starts with understanding where a child truly is, rather than where we expect them to be.

Connect with Mike Lane

Website: ridgewaypsychology.co.uk
LinkedIn: Michael Lane

Connect with Me

Instagram: @‌dradammcartney
Website: dradammccartney.com
YouTube: @‌Dr.AdamMcCartney

The transition into Key Stage 3 is often described as a fresh start, but for many young people, it’s where things quietly begin to unravel.

In this episode of Between Two Psychs, we explore why the move from primary to secondary school can be such a vulnerable point, particularly for students who sit on the margins. We unpack the steady rise in exclusions between Years 7 and 9 and ask a deeper question: what does this transition feel like psychologically for children, and what are schools unintentionally missing?

We talk about the shift from one secure relationship to many, from nurture to independence, and from feeling known to feeling lost in a much bigger system. Along the way, we explore concepts like learned helplessness, acceptance, autonomy, and happiness and why behaviour is often a signal of unmet needs rather than defiance.

This is a conversation about connection, belonging and helping young people develop a sense of direction inside a system that can feel overwhelming.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why exclusions rise so sharply during Key Stage 3
• The psychological impact of moving from one key adult to many
• How independence, when introduced too quickly, can increase distress
• Learned helplessness and its link to disengagement and EBSA
• Why “promoting happiness” may be more useful than “reducing exclusions”
• The role of acceptance, shared identity, and belonging in student wellbeing
• Why some students thrive in transition while others struggle
• Starting transition work earlier, including the role of Year 5
• Evidence-based supports like Friends for Life and Coping Cat
• Using thoughts-feelings-behaviour models to support reflection and goal-setting
• Community-focused goals versus purely academic targets
• How small-group and coaching conversations can prevent exclusion
• Why teacher reflection, supervision and support matter just as much as student intervention

Why This Episode Matters

Key Stage 3 is often the most overlooked phase in education but it’s where identity, belonging, and disengagement begin to crystallise.

This episode invites educators, leaders and psychologists to look beyond behaviour and systems, and instead focus on acceptance, connection, and purpose. When young people can see where they fit, feel supported rather than dropped, and are helped to develop their own internal goals, school becomes something they can stay connected to not something they need to escape from.

Because behaviour is rarely about refusal.
More often, it’s about not feeling seen, safe, or accepted.

Connect with Mike Lane

Website: ridgewaypsychology.co.uk
LinkedIn: Michael Lane

Connect with Me

Instagram: @‌dradammcartney
Website: dradammccartney.com
YouTube: @‌Dr.AdamMcCartney

In this episode, I explore a question that keeps coming up in education: Is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder over diagnosed or are we missing something deeper?

To make sense of that, I take a step back into the history of mental health and how diagnosis became so focused on criteria and checklists. While systems like the DSM brought structure, they also shaped how we interpret behaviour, sometimes reducing complex experiences into a set of symptoms.

I also touch on the Rosenhan study, which challenged how reliable those diagnoses can be and how much of a role perception plays.

From there, the focus shifts to what this looks like in real life. When a child presents with inattention, impulsivity, or hyperactivity, it’s easy to label it. But it’s more useful to ask what’s sitting underneath. Research into adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) shows how much a child’s environment and experiences can shape how they behave and engage.

There’s a biological side too, particularly around dopamine and regulation, but even that connects back to the environment. The level of stimulation children are exposed to today plays a big role in how they focus and respond.

So where does that leave us?

For me, it comes back to relationships. Whether there’s a diagnosis or not, children need to feel safe, understood, and connected. Small, consistent actions in the classroom can make a bigger difference than we often realise.

In This Episode, I Explore

• How the ADHD diagnosis has evolved.
• Why behaviour might reflect experience, not just symptoms.
• The impact of trauma and environment on attention.
• How dopamine and stimulation affect learning.
• Why relationships are key, with or without a diagnosis.

Why This Episode Matters

This isn’t about dismissing ADHD. It’s about widening the lens.

When we look beyond the label, we’re more likely to respond with curiosity rather than judgment and that’s where meaningful support begins.

Connect with Me

Instagram: @‌dradammcartney
Website: dradammccartney.com
YouTube: @‌Dr.AdamMcCartney

In this episode, we explore a question many secondary teachers quietly wrestle with, is a relational approach actually realistic in such a complex, high-pressure environment?

The conversation centres on a powerful classroom moment, where what appears to be defiance begins to reveal something deeper about identity, belonging and what sits beneath behaviour. It challenges the idea of behaviour as the problem, instead reframing it as a signal.

We also unpack the realities of secondary school life. With large class sizes and over 100 students a week, meaningful connection can feel out of reach. This creates a tension between what we know works relationally and what the system allows.

A key theme is identity. As peer influence grows, behaviour can become a way for students to gain recognition, maintain status, or cope with challenges beyond the classroom. Alongside this, the episode rethinks resilience, not as toughness, but as something built through relationships and support.

Importantly, this is not about removing structure. It is about balance. Small, intentional actions like consistent routines, simple greetings and moments of curiosity can create meaningful impact, even in busy classrooms.

In This Episode, We Discuss

• What a relational approach looks like in secondary settings
• How behaviour can reflect identity, not just disruption
• The influence of peer recognition on student behaviour
• Why resilience is built through relationships
• How small interactions can have a lasting impact
• The role of consistency and routines in creating stability

Why This Episode Matters

Secondary teachers are constantly balancing behaviour, curriculum, and connection. This episode offers a grounded perspective on how relational practice can still exist within those pressures.

It’s a reminder that being relational doesn’t always mean doing more, sometimes it’s about doing things differently.

Connect with Mike Lane

Website: ridgewaypsychology.co.uk
LinkedIn: Michael Lane

Connect with Me

Instagram: @‌dradammcartney
Website: dradammccartney.com
YouTube: @‌Dr.AdamMcCartney

In this episode, we unpack the Department for Education’s latest push on inclusion and ask a big question… is this the turning point schools have been waiting for or another ambitious idea that may struggle in reality?

The conversation begins with the growing expectation on schools to embed inclusion into everything they do from leadership and culture to curriculum and classroom practice. While the vision is clear, there’s an immediate tension between ambition and practicality, especially when funding and time feel limited.

We explore what “inclusion” really means in practice. It’s not just about placing children in mainstream settings it’s about adapting the environment so every child can genuinely access learning. That raises deeper questions about whether the current curriculum allows for that flexibility, or whether it unintentionally limits it.

A key theme throughout the episode is expertise. But rather than placing that responsibility on one individual, the discussion reframes it as a shared effort. Teachers, leaders, specialists, and external professionals all bring something essential and it’s only through collaboration that meaningful inclusion can happen.

There’s also an honest look at the pressures teachers face. High expectations, rigid curriculum demands, and accountability systems can sometimes restrict creativity rather than support it. Without space and trust, even the most skilled educators can feel constrained.

At its core, this episode is about balance finding a way to hold onto ambition while creating systems that genuinely support the people delivering it.

In This Episode, We Discuss

• What the new inclusion expectations mean for schools in practice
• The reality behind funding and whether it matches the ambition
• Why inclusion requires a shift in curriculum thinking, not just placement
• The idea of shared expertise across teachers, leaders, and specialists
• How collaboration can unlock more effective support for children
• The importance of linking psychological development with classroom practice

Why This Episode Matters

Inclusion is no longer a side conversation it’s becoming central to how schools operate. But real change won’t come from policy alone. It depends on how well professionals work together, how much flexibility schools are given and whether teachers are truly supported to meet the diverse needs in their classrooms.

This episode offers a grounded, honest perspective on what it will take to turn inclusion from an expectation into a reality.

Connect with Mike Lane

Website: ridgewaypsychology.co.uk
LinkedIn: Michael Lane

Connect with Me

Instagram: @‌dradammcartney
Website: dradammccartney.com
YouTube: @‌Dr.AdamMcCartney

In this episode, we explore whether the “expert at hand” model can truly improve the S.E.N.D system, or whether it risks becoming another strong idea that struggles in practice.

The conversation starts with a simple but important question… who actually is the expert? Rather than placing that label on one professional, the discussion reframes expertise as something shared. Teachers, SENCOs, specialists, families, and even the child all bring valuable insight and it’s only when those perspectives come together that meaningful support can happen.

We also dig into the reality behind the policy. While the move towards inclusion and early intervention sounds promising, there are real concerns about how it will work in practice. Questions around funding, structure and collaboration remain unclear, and without those foundations, even the best intentions can fall apart.

A key theme running throughout is relationships. When professionals know each other and understand how they work, support becomes more effective and families feel reassured. Without that, the system can feel fragmented, leaving parents and schools to navigate challenges alone.

The episode also shifts perspective to the child’s voice, asking: what do you need to know and what are you going to do to help me? This question cuts through the complexity and brings the focus back to what really matters.

Ultimately, the conversation highlights that real change won’t come from policy alone. It depends on people, on collaboration and on keeping the child at the centre of every decision.

In This Episode, We Discuss

• What the “expert at hand” model really means in practice
• Why shared expertise matters more than individual roles
• The gap between policy ambition and real-world delivery
• The importance of relationships in effective support
• Why the child’s voice should guide decision-making

Why This Episode Matters

The S.E.N.D system is under pressure, and change is needed. This episode reminds us that inclusion isn’t just about new frameworks it’s about how people work together, how trust is built and how consistently we focus on the needs of the child.

Connect with Mike Lane

Website: ridgewaypsychology.co.uk
LinkedIn: Michael Lane

Connect with Me

Instagram: @‌dradammcartney
Website: dradammccartney.com
YouTube: @‌Dr.AdamMcCartney

In this episode of Between Two Psychs, we’re joined by paediatric neurologist and author Dr. Andrew Curran to explore what the science of the brain can teach us about learning, relationships and emotional connection in education.

Dr. Andrew shares insights from decades of studying the neurobiology of learning, explaining how the brain forms connections between nerve cells and why those connections depend heavily on emotional engagement.

One of the central ideas in this conversation is that learning is not driven purely by intellectual processes. Instead, it is deeply influenced by the emotional brain.

When students feel safe, understood and connected to the person teaching them, the brain becomes biologically primed to learn.

We also explore the role of dopamine in forming new neural connections and how emotional relationships in the classroom can activate the systems that allow learning to happen.

Dr. Andrew explains why the connection between teacher and student is not simply helpful it is central to how the brain processes and stores knowledge.

The conversation also touches on the impact of trauma, stress, and attachment on both students and educators. These experiences can shape the patterns stored in the brain and influence behaviour, learning and emotional responses in the classroom.

A powerful metaphor discussed in the episode is the idea of “facing the tiger,” representing the internal emotional patterns we all carry from earlier experiences.

Understanding and reflecting on these patterns can help educators become more aware of what they bring into the classroom and how it affects the learning environment.

When classrooms are built on trust, safety and understanding, they create the conditions where both students and staff can thrive.

In This Episode, We Discuss

• How learning happens at the level of neural connections in the brain
• Why emotional relationships are central to effective learning
• Why relational approaches in education support both learning and wellbeing

Why This Episode Matters

Education is often discussed in terms of curriculum, assessment and performance.

Understanding how the brain forms connections helps us see why trust, safety and emotional engagement are not optional extras in education they are the foundation that learning is built upon.

When schools create environments where both students and staff feel understood and supported, the conditions for meaningful learning become possible.

Connect with Dr. Andrew Curran (Guest)

LinkedIn: Andrew Curran

Connect with Mike Lane

Website: ridgewaypsychology.co.uk

LinkedIn: Michael Lane

Connect with Mike Lane

Instagram: @‌dradammcartney
Website: dradammccartney.com
YouTube: @‌Dr.AdamMcCartney