S2E6: Advocating For Support - Neurodivergent Needs in UK Schools + guest Greer Jones

Julie Legg chats with Greer Jones, a UK-based podcast host, neurodiversity advocate, and founder of the Unfinished Idea community - a space dedicated to supporting parents raising neurodivergent children.

As a mum to a son with autism and ADHD, and part of a neurodivergent couple herself, Greer brings deeply lived insight to the realities of navigating education, diagnosis, and daily life as a neurodivergent family. In this heartfelt and powerful conversation, she shares how her son’s diagnosis led to her own late ADHD diagnosis, the challenges of advocacy in the UK system, and the collective power of community-driven change.

Key Points from the Episode:

• Greer’s dual journey navigating her son's ADHD and autism diagnosis, which ultimately led to her own realisation and diagnosis of ADHD in adulthood.
• The emotional impact of late diagnosis, including reframing the past and the freedom that comes with understanding.
• Challenges of the UK system – navigating the Right to Choose for assessment, and the massive inconsistencies in support services across schools and regions.
• How the Unfinished Idea podcast and community began, providing connection and visibility for parents navigating similar paths.
• Grassroots activism at its best – Greer’s role in organising a national rally in front of UK Parliament to protest the broken EHCP (Education, Health and Care Plan) system.
• The power of collective voice, as hundreds of parents and allies joined the movement to call for change in the UK’s education support system.
• Strategies that support her own neurodivergent brain, including written instructions over verbal ones, and grounding techniques using sensory awareness.
• A powerful message to parents of newly diagnosed children: “You’re not alone. Your child isn’t lazy. And you’re not a bad parent.”

Links:

• INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/theunfinishedidea/ 
• WEBSITE: https://www.theunfinishedidea.com 
• RIGHT TO CHOOSE: https://adhduk.co.uk/right-to-choose/

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ℹ️ DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect those of the host or ADHDifference. Read More