The Autism Mums Podcast

We've been hearing from so many mums in our community lately who are struggling with school and the different options, so we wanted to bring this incredibly important conversation with Laura Vermeulen back to the top of your feed.
If your child is struggling to attend school, you might be wondering what the options are. In this week's episode of The Autism Mums Podcast we welcome back Lauren Vermeulen from Victory-us to talk about EOTAS (Education Otherwise Than At or In School).
Biography
Lauren is the founder of Victory-us, an independent SEND Teacher - supporting, empowering and providing EOTAS to send children. Lauren has taught in a variety of schools and SEND provisions, leading emotional regulation, behaviour support trainings and PSHE. She has expertise in supporting children with bespoke and tailored learning and mental health support, to ensure children flourish on education otherwise than at school. She now supports children their families who can’t access school and need tailored support.
Key Takeaways
EOTAS stands for Education Otherwise Than At or In School. It is specifically for children who hold an EHCP - this is what sets it apart from elective home education. When a child has an EHCP and cannot be educated in a school setting, the responsibility for funding and meeting that child's needs sits with the local authority, not the parent.
EOTAS is not the same as home education. If your child has an EHCP and you are educating them at home, the local authority still has a legal duty of care - and that includes funding. The LA must ensure all of Section F is being met.
Getting EOTAS agreed can be a lengthy process. Local authorities are required to work through a list of provisions under Section 61 before EOTAS can be agreed - from mainstream, to resource bases, to specialist and independent schools, to online provision. This is why having a well-written EHCP that accurately reflects your child's needs is so important from the start.
EOTAS is not just a tutor. A proper EOTAS package should address all of Section F - educational, health, and care needs. Emotional regulation, OT, SALT, therapy, and community access can all be part of the package, not just academic learning.
Positive evidence matters. When building a case for EOTAS, it's not just about what isn't working - it's about evidencing what does. Is your child engaging with an online platform? A tutor? An activity based on their special interest? All of this counts.
Section 19 is a different but related route. If your child cannot attend school for health reasons (including emotional school-based avoidance), and has had 15 or more consecutive days out of school, Section 19 may apply - even without an EHCP. It's intended to be temporary, but it can be a valuable window to collect evidence of what works.
The goal of EOTAS is holistic, not just academic. Lauren challenges the idea that education means the national curriculum. Life skills, emotional regulation, self-advocacy, sensory needs, and community access are all valid - and essential - parts of a child's education.
EOTAS can and should be reviewed regularly. Families should expect six-weekly check-ins with the LA, as well as annual review. If the LA identifies a school placement, parents are not obligated to accept it - as long as they can evidence why it would be less suitable than the current provision.
You don't have to figure out the package alone. Lauren works with families to design bespoke EOTAS packages built around the child's interests, needs, and outcomes - starting with what the child loves and working backwards from there.

Mentioned in This Episode
MindJam — Emotional and SEN support for young people through gaming, game design and digital skills
Kiwi STEM Boxes — subscription-based learning activity boxes referenced in the context of EOTAS packages
Lisa Lloyd - ASD with a G&T
Connect with Lauren
Book a free 30 minute call with Lauren via the Calendly link on the bottom right-hand side of her website.
Website: www.victory-us.co.uk
Instagram: @victoryus.lv
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Half-term brings its own kind of pressure, even before Halloween enters the picture. In this episode, Victoria and Natalie talk about what happens when routine disappears for a week, Halloween itself, what the holidays are 'supposed' to look like, and building a version that actually works for your family.
Key Takeaways
Half-term can bring anxiety even when a child is genuinely excited to be off school
Halloween costumes and face paints can feel uncomfortable
A visual timetable can help make an unstructured week far easier to manage
Keeping a simple record of appointments, meetings and behaviour patterns can be helpful to use as evidence for diagnosis, EHCPs and panel reviews
Quiet downtime after an activity can help some children recover and regulate

Connect with The Autism Mums
Website – https://theautismmums.com/
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In this episode, we’re joined by John Ossipinsky, known online as “The Lymph Man,” to talk about a part of the body most of us never think about, the lymphatic system. John has spent years studying how this network of vessels clears waste and inflammation, and he shares his take on how it might connect to the way our children feel, think and cope day to day. He covers posture, diet, deep breathing, and a simple shoulder exercise you can try at home.
Biography
John Ossipinsky, known as LymphMan, is a Lymphatic Health Coach and host of The Lymph-Brain Revolution Podcast. He’s spent over 30 years as a Certified Lymphedema Therapist, with advanced training in CranioSacral Therapy and Visceral Manipulation, helping thousands of clients improve their quality of life. In this episode he talks about how supporting the lymphatic system, movement and inflammation can help teens and adults on the autism spectrum feel more balanced.
Key Takeaways
The lymphatic system has no pump of its own, unlike the heart and blood. It relies on movement, posture and breathing to keep it flowing.
Poor posture and long periods on screens with the head down restrict lymph flow in the neck, something John says affects adults and children alike.
When the lymphatic system can’t clear cellular waste, it builds up as inflammation, which can show up anywhere in the body: skin, joints, brain.
Diet has a direct effect on lymph flow. A typical Western diet (meat, bread, white flour, sugar) is acid-forming, and acidity restricts the lymphatic system.
Small daily habits, deep breathing, movement, and what John calls the “Lymph Man Shoulder Shuffle”, can noticeably improve lymph flow in just a few minutes.

Mentioned in This Episode
John’s free gift: Lymphatic System Health Guide & 7-Day Plan — https://www.johnossipinsky.com/lymphmans-lymphatic-system-health-guide
Connect with John Ossipinsky
Website: www.HealthyLymphSystem.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lymphman/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LymphMan
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lymphman_john_ossipinsky
X: https://x.com/LymphMan
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LymphMan
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-ossipinsky-60520914/

Connect with The Autism Mums
Website – https://theautismmums.com/
Substack - https://theautismmums.substack.com/
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In this episode of The Autism Mums Podcast, we're talking about the mistakes schools and professionals make that might seem small to them but can be enormous for autistic children and SEND families.
We share our own experiences of placements that worked and placements that broke down, including in specialist schools and alternative provisions where you'd expect staff to know better. We talk about what happens when promises aren't kept, when communication breaks down and when timelines drift, and why for some children, once trust is gone, there's no easy way back.
We also talk about why parents raise concerns early, why that isn't being overprotective, and what schools can do that same week when a parent says their child is close to not coming in.
Key Takeaways
Knowing the child before they arrive matters. Reading the EHCP and asking parents about likes, dislikes and triggers can make or break a placement
The first session counts. For many autistic children, one bad experience can lead straight to refusal
Keeping promises is essential to a child's sense of safety, and broken promises are rarely forgotten
You can ignore the behaviour, but you should never ignore the child. A child left alone in a shutdown can feel abandoned
Whatever caused a meltdown or shutdown needs addressing quickly, not days later
Ignoring requests for meetings or a child's anxieties is one of the fastest routes to placement breakdown
Clear timelines help anxious children. "Later" needs to mean a specific day and time
Schools don't get endless chances. With some autistic children it can be one strike, not three
Once a child says they're done, there's often no way back, so needs must be met much earlier
Children who mask or comply at school may be holding it together until they get home, so parents often see the full picture when staff don't
Parents aren't trying to be difficult. They're trying to stop the placement they fought for from breaking down
Placement breakdown is rarely sudden. It usually follows weeks, months or years of anxiety, broken trust and missed opportunities

What Schools Can Do When a Placement Is at Risk
Acknowledge the concern quickly
Believe the parent
Speak to the child in a way they can manage
Give a clear plan and follow up when promised
Avoid making promises they can't keep
Repair broken trust directly
Review things in days or weeks, not months
Understand that attendance problems are often a sign of distress, not defiance

Mentioned in This Episode
Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs)
The National Autistic Society's EarlyBird programme

Connect with The Autism Mums
Website: https://theautismmums.com/
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Greer Jones, host of The Unfinished Idea podcast is back on the show. Since we last spoke she's launched the Beautifully Wired Summit, a free three-day online event for mums raising girls with ADHD and autism, and her first book, So, Now What? is out in November. We talk about:
The moment Greer realised she had ADHD herself
Why she wrote her book and decided to run a summit
And the benefits of breathwork

If you're at the start of this journey and feeling completely on your own, this one's for you.
About Greer Jones
Greer Jones is a speaker, writer and podcast host who is passionate about building understanding and connection in the neurodiverse world. As a mum raising an autistic and ADHD child, and part of a neurodivergent couple herself, she brings honesty, empathy and lived experience to her work. She is the creator of The Unfinished Idea podcast and online community, where she offers encouragement, practical tools and a reminder that no one has to walk this journey alone. Her story has been featured in podcasts, conferences and publications, inspiring families to embrace their unique path with hope and courage.
Key Takeaways
Girls and women with ADHD and autism are still being missed, and many mums only recognise their own neurodivergence after their child is diagnosed.
A diagnosis can bring relief as well as questions. For Greer, it was proof she wasn't "crazy", just wired differently.
Getting one answer about your child often leaves you with a hundred more questions. A broad overview can help before you go deep on any one topic.
"They're having a hard time, they're not trying to give me a hard time" helps parents respond rather than react during meltdowns.
Deep pressure, like a firm squeeze, can help some children regulate during a meltdown.
Breathwork is free, always available and backed by science on calming the nervous system.
Support packages often focus on the child and forget the parent. Mums need to be in the equation too.
Isolation is one of the hardest parts of raising a neurodivergent child, and community is what brings the light back in.
Celebrating wins, big or small, matters for children and parents alike.

Mentioned in this episode
The Beautifully Wired Summit (5 to 7 October), a free three-day online summit for mums raising girls with ADHD and autism
So, Now What? by Greer Jones, out 11 November
It All Makes Sense Now by Meredith Carder
@ReWildBreathwork, the breathwork account Greer mentions learning from
Greer's first episode with us: Essential Advocacy Tips for Parents of Neurodivergent Children (Episode 31)

Connect with Greer Jones
Website: theunfinishedidea.com
Instagram: @theunfinishedidea
Podcast: Neurodivergent Conversations, available on all podcast platforms

Connect with The Autism Mums
Website: theautismmums.com
Instagram: @autismmumspodcast
Facebook: @autismmumspodcast
TikTok: @autismmumspodcast