This week marked the end of a truly special chapter in Awesome Archie’s journey — one filled with personal growth, love, and transformation. As he leaves his current specialist school, we find ourselves filled with so many emotions: gratitude, sadness, pride, and hope.
From the moment Archie joined the Link (a specialist hub set in the grounds of broadstone middle school and run by the Winchelsea group) we knew he was in the right place.
This wasn’t just a school. It was a sanctuary. A place where qualifications were important, yes — but never the sole focus. This was a space built on understanding, patience, and purpose. A place that recognised potential not just in grades, but in smiles, in small steps, in confidence gained and challenges overcome.
Over the years, Archie has been nurtured in ways that go far beyond academics. He has learned life skills that will serve him for years to come — how to communicate, how to cope, how to believe in himself.
One of the things Archie loved most was his specialist class — a small, nurturing group where he felt seen, safe, and respected. They just understood him. They were patient with his needs, they listened to his opinions, and they never asked him to be anything other than himself. That kind of acceptance is rare, and it made all the difference..
He’s been surrounded by staff who truly saw him, celebrated him, and helped him to flourish. To all of those staff members, we say thanks. You have been INCREDIBLE from start to finish!
There were days of laughter and days of challenge, but every single moment added something to the wonderful young person he is becoming. To say we’re grateful feels like an understatement. We are forever grateful — for the kindness, the consistency, the creativity, and the unwavering support that your school community has offered our family.
And now, as Archie prepares to step into a new chapter, we carry all those memories and milestones with us. We are so sad to say goodbye to a place that has meant so much for so long — it’s emotional, to say the least. But we are also so proud of how far Archie has come, and so hopeful for what’s to come next.
To everyone who has played a part in this journey: thank you. From the bottom of our hearts.
Here’s to new beginnings — and to never forgetting the path that got us here.
This week, the halls of William Gilpin school were bursting with colour, creativity, and community spirit as we were lucky enough to host a week-long Arts Week – all in support of the BEACH Appeal. This awesome event brought students, staff, and families together to celebrate artistic expression while raising much-needed funds for a vital cause.
From the very first day, excitement ( and paint) flowed through the classrooms. With Awesome Archie leading the charge, each day was packed with themed art activities tailored for every age group and ability. The kids enthusiastically explored everything from painting, sculpture, and charcoal sketching. They were AWESOME!
The sessions were filled with laughter, paint-splattered desks, dripping clay and moments of pure inspiration. Art is so much more than just drawing, it’s how we express who we are and how we can make a difference!
Fundraising with Heart 💛
The Arts Week wasn’t just about fun and creativity – it was a heartfelt mission to support the BEACH Appeal, a fundraising campaign aimed at enhancing children’s healthcare experiences. Through art sales, the school community rallied together to raise awareness and support.
The Grand Finale: A Dazzling Art Exhibition 🖼️
This truly AWESOME week culminated in a breathtaking Art Exhibition, where the school hall was transformed into a gallery . Every child had a piece of art on display, and the sheer diversity of ideas and talent was staggering. The parents then had the opportunity to collect the art in exchange for a small donation 🙂
From finger-painted plasters to intricate charcoal sketches, the artworks reflected not just skill, but emotion and meaning. We managed to raise around £250!! THANKYOU!!!
Arts Week was more than just a school event – it was a reminder of the power of creativity to bring people together and to shine a light on important causes. HUGE thanks to William Gilpin school and the incredible efforts of students, staff, and families, the school not only nurtured young artists but also made a meaningful impact on the BEACH Appeal.
Here’s to art with heart – and to Archie, our awesome hero, for making it all happen.
This last week has been nothing short of incredible, filled with massive milestones, long awaited achievements, and heartwarming moments that have left us feeling both grateful and hopeful for the future. The last 6 months have not been plain sailing by any stretch but we are finishing the final push of the summer term on a real high and let me tell you, we are ready for a break!
A Transformative Visit to the Autism & ADHD Show
Last weekend we had the privilege of attending the Autism & ADHD Show in London, and what an experience it was! Archie and I are not able to host an exhibition yet, as much as I would LOVE to, its way too much for Archie. Instead, we talk to exhibitors, listen to industry expert speakers and create content that will hopefully support our awesome families. The event was a treasure trove of information, support, and inspiration for families like ours. We explored innovative tools, therapies, and resources that promise to make a difference in the lives of neurodivergent individuals. This is definitely my happy place 🙂
The highlight for us was connecting with experts and fellow parents who truly understand the challenges and triumphs of raising a child with unique needs. Their insights were invaluable, and we left the event with renewed energy and ideas to support Archie and Herbie on their journey. Massive thanks to Dr Naomi Fisher who has armed us with an immense amount of support knowledge in the wonderful world of demand avoidance. We will be blogging a lot about this over the summer hols so do follow along.
One of the most challenging aspects of our family and educational journey has been fighting for Archie’s education and ensuring his needs are met. This is genuinely a full time job and so often you feel like you are going unheard. We know that most parents with neurodivergent children will have already, or will in the future, experience this. NOTHING is given on a platter and you have to advocate and push to know that your child is receiving the correct level of support for them. Happily after almost 7 months of persistence and determination, we are thrilled to share that we won our appeal!
This victory means that Archie has been accepted into a new school that is tailored to his needs, where he’ll receive the specialized support and nurturing environment he truly deserves. Knowing that he’ll have the tools and guidance to thrive has lifted an enormous weight off our shoulders. We can, for a little while at least…rest!
None of this would have been possible without the incredible support system we’ve had throughout this process. To every friend, family member, professional, and organization that stood by us: thank you from the bottom of our hearts. WE DID IT!!!!
Your encouragement gave us the strength to keep pushing forward, even when the path seemed uncertain. From attending endless legal meetings and writing letters to simply lending an ear when we needed it most, your kindess has made a lasting impact on our family.
As we celebrate these milestones, we’re also looking to the future with optimism. The Autism & ADHD Show gave us new tools and strategies, and Archie’s new school marks the start of a brighter chapter.
We hope our journey inspires others to never give up, to seek out the right resources, and to lean on their community for support. Together, we can create a world where every child has the opportunity to shine.
Thank you for being part of our story. Here’s to the next chapter in Archie’s journey!
Lastly, Our Awesome Handbook
“The Awesome Handbook” is our latest book created as resource to help support neurodivergent families—especially those navigating PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance), autism, and ADHD.
It is a deliberately “back to basics” overview for school staff and parents who are at the start of their learning journey or need a refresher. We have taken a lot of time to ensure that the fundamentals, basics and commonalities found in the DSM-5 criteria is adressed
( so many have no idea what that is….why would you unless you need to?)
In essence, the Awesome Handbook is not a conventional handbook you’d buy, but rather:
A lived-experience manual based on real family life and real emotions,
An informal guide full of on-the-ground tips,
And a community resource, offering reassurance that you’re not alone on your journey.
If you’re interested in getting involved, learning more, or supporting our work, the site and social accounts (Instagram @awesome_archie_official, etc.) are great places to start and if you would like to purchase this book click here ⬇
This “PDA” post has been in the working stages for the last three years. The reason for this is because every time I try to write it , I learn a new fact or face a new challenge and of course we ALWAYS want to share the most accurate and most helpful information with you.
It’s taken me 3 years to accept that is no right or final answer. Supporting a child with a PDA profile is a never ending learning curve, one that has wonderful highs but also extremely painful lows. This post aims to share with you what is working for US in this moment in time! We can’t promise that everything will work in your family dynamic or school, but it’s worth a read and maybe try a few of these tips we’ve learned on our journey so far. .
Herbie, our third son is neurodivergent. He was unable to see until he was 9 weeks old because he had delayed visual maturation and it was very obvious from the get got that he is an AuDHDer . His beautiful autistic brain didn’t really start to negatively impact him until he was around 11. Up until this point, his social challenges and quirky nature had always been seen as funny or just different. Secondary school has sadly changed all that.
Herbie’s school is brilliant and he has so much support from the SEN team, but being “different” in mainstream senior is tough! Throw PDA into the mix and as you can imagine, he faces daily challenges. We are IMMENSELY proud of him.
PDA, or Pathological Demand Avoidance ( we are not keen on the title) is a profile that some autistic individuals present with. In it’s simplest description, Herbie has an intense need to control situations and resists even seemingly reasonable requests. This avoidance is driven by his extreme anxiety and an absolute NEED to maintain a sense of autonomy.
It is EXTREMELY complex and individualized!
For Herbie we have learned to…
Shift our mindset. Supporting a child with PDA is NOT being taught in any parenting class or delivered in any standard parenting or teacher training package. You are on your own and so if you are waiting for outside help to swoop in and rescue you, they wont. We learned about Herbie’s needs, did our research and shifted our way of thinking to meet them.
Recognise a lack of hierarchy. It isn’t meant to be disrespect or a disregard for authority , it’s his brain type. Herbie see everyone as equals and is extremely sensitive to justice / injustice.
Collaboration is key. If we are trying to teach while following a curriculum or support as parents, allow your child to have autonomy where ever possible, ie shift lessons/ chores around using a TA or a family member to allow for more flexibility.
Remember that silent demands are still demands. Herbie struggles with the demands that he places upon himself! This means that he can meltdown seemingly out of nowhere, but things will have been bubbling under the surface and we were unaware.
Visual resources in school and at home will need tweaking so options are available with suitable preset / pre-approved options.
Talk about the non negotiables. Safety and the Law are ours at home and in school.
Trust is key and this means that you have to lay the groundwork. Don’t say something unless you can honor it! Herbie is anxious enough, he needs to know that he’s not going to be let down by the people he trusts.
For Herbs, praise and incentives commonly don’t help in fact they can make things worse. We tell him we love him and that we are proud of him everyday but that is where the praise ends. He doesn’t like the attention that praise brings and it can often make him sad, overwhelmed or angry.
In the school day there is often a huge amount of hidden anxiety due to masking. Children with a PDA profile are often incredible maskers. This mask will often come off at home and is the main cause of his school absence. Herbs is exhausted a lot of the time.
We use humor and a bit of silliness. It seems to help reduce his anxiety. We also try to keep communication open to reduce crossed wires and we respect him when he says “I cant do this ” We NEVER say “yes you can.” If he is telling us that he cant, we respect it and reshape it to make it more manageable for him.
This PDA post will undoubtedly be the first of many on our learning journey. Each day is new and different and some days are… well, rubbish! As his Mum I am learning to support him the best way I can but it is not easy. We hope that this will help your family and schools too 🙂
Honestly, if you’d have told us 5 years ago that by 2025 we would have thousands of followers, have written 5 childrens books, have gained multiple qualifications and get to work with the people like the BBC we’d have thought you were hallucinating!!!
Archie and I set out to support the neurodivergent community during the dreaded homechool period of lockdown and voila….an exciting and ever changing journey began for us and we are FOREVER GREATFUL!
THANKYOU!!!!!
Over the last half decade I have worked relentlessly and it is now starting to catch up with me. Of course “Awesome Archie” is mine and Archie’s ” baby” but in reality it’s me that’s pulling the 9-5 , 5 days a week ( for free) so that Archie can just be a kid and more widely understood 😍
The online world, particually when you share alot on open platforms can be a harsh and at times, an upsetting place. Particually when you are sharing the very intimate parts of your life just to support others. Hence our BRAND new venture – Awesome Archie SEN Support on Patreon.
Patreon is a subscription-based platform that lets professional content creators, massive businesses, and everyone in between receive direct payment for their content, products, and services. The platform was built to bridge the gap between creators and their fans, fittingly called patrons. It’s got much more popular over the years, but the mission statement still rings true — Patreon doesn’t run on ad revenue or clicks. Rather, patrons subscribe to get closer to the creators they love, while creators leverage Patreon’s paid membership and commerce tools to deliver great content and subscription packages.
But we do want to make something VERY clear. Our Non Profit work is not going anywhere. As a non profit things will remain unchanged, this is just a way of potentially carving out a financially viable business (for our when our gorgeous Archie reaches 21) who could otherwise most likely be unemployable . Latest statistics show that only 15 % of autistic adults are in full time work and only 9% are in part time and this is mostly NOT THEIR FAULT. Archie was born into a world that largely doesn’t “get him” BUT WE DO!!!!
We would LOVE you to come and join us on our new venture. There is a free tier that everyone can join but, to get the exclusives, the behind the scenes footage( working with the BBC again soon) and to hear ALL major announcements simply join as a subscription member.
For just £5 per month ( same price as a coffee!) you will receive “monthly members” free downloadable content and resources ( perfect for parents and teachers!!!) , EXCLUSIVE content, Archie’s own videos and NO ADS!! We have access to some of the most incredible industry professionals and so if you are a parent, carer, teacher , support worker or simply want to unlearn more about the awesome neurodivergent brain then Awesome Archie SEN support it the site for you!
Well, firstly I want to say a massive sorry for the length of time that has passed since our last blog. For those of you that follow us on our socials, you will know that it has been a rather busy time and actually fining the time and energy to put a blog together has been impossible. UNTIL NOW…WOO HOO!!
Between getting ready for Archie’s school tribunal, supporting Herbie with his PDA, being a mum to our other beautiful kids who have been sitting SATS and taking A Levels whilst trying to remain sane has been a challenge to say the very least. But, we did it. A restful, sunny half term where we literally spent the entire time in our PJ’s or lolloping in the garden is just what we all needed.
Yesterday I had a truly exhilarating start to the school term because I had the privilege of spending the day at the BBC studios in Southampton. Over the years, Archie and I have been lucky enough to be on the telly (BBC news) a couple of times and have featured on BBC radio Solent lots, but this was an altogether different task. I have been asked to be a round one judge for this years Make a difference awards and seeing it was only a couple of years ago that this award helped our advocacy journey so much, it was my honor!
The BBC Make a Difference Awards are an annual initiative that celebrates individuals and groups across the UK who have made significant positive impacts in their communities. Launched in March 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, the awards aim to recognise those who go above and beyond to help others, often without seeking recognition. In 2025, the awards expanded to include all parts of the UK, with nominations open in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
Myself, Helena ( Yubuntu), Stuart (repair cafe) and Helen( BBC ) ( first round judges) had to whittle down the hundreds of nominations into just a shortlist of a final four per category and let me tell you, it was tough. Obviously we cant disclose any of the finalists but we can talk about the categories themselves.
Award Categories
The Volunteer Award: For individuals who make a notable difference by giving their time voluntarily to help others. This was the category Archie and I were selected for in 2023
The Young Hero Award: Recognizes someone under 16 who has made a positive impact in their community or achieved something exceptional.
The Great Neighbour Award: For individuals who help make their neighbourhood a better place to live or work, either regularly or through a single act of kindness.
The Active Award: For individuals or groups who have used physical activity or sport to improve the lives of those in their community.
The Animal Award: Recognizes either a remarkable animal that improves people’s lives or individuals/groups who improve the welfare of animals.
The Green Award: For individuals or groups who improve or conserve their local environment.
The Fundraiser Award: For individuals or groups who have gone the extra mile to raise funds for a good cause.
The Community Group Award: For groups who have helped to change the lives of others within their community.
The nominations for the 2025 awards opened on 24 February and closed on 31 March. To nominate someone, individuals had to be UK residents aged 18 or over and not affiliated with the BBC or its partners. Nominees needed to have made a difference in their community, with activities going beyond their paid work unless exceptional circumstances applied.
Winners will be announced at ceremonies hosted by BBC local and national radio stations across the UK in September. These events aim to shine a light on unsung heroes and celebrate their contributions to their communities. Thankfully as a judge I get to attend the awards without any of the pressure 🙂
As always, Archie and I are so grateful for the opportunities that BBC radio Solent and BBC south today have afforded us and so its truly awesome to be able to give a little something back.
Follow our socials to get daily updates and autism support 🙂 Link to them in the tabs at the top of our website 🙂
Self-care is the act of consciously taking care of your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being to promote health and wellness. It’s about prioritising your needs and engaging in activities that help you feel better and live a more balanced and fulfilling life.
For me as a busy parent carer, this is simply unachievable in its ideal sense. I am not in any way able to prioritise MY needs. Since becoming a mum my entire life has had to revolve around my children because we are a neurodivergent family.
When other people talk about the key aspects of their self care like maintaining a healthy diet, getting enough sleep, exercising etc, I can’t help but feel a little jealous. Not because I would in any way change my life, I wouldn’t, but I do sometimes wonder what life would have looked like for us if we weren’t, well… US!
But then I remember, EVERYTHING we are and EVERYTHING we have is because of our amazing neurogivergent brains.
My husbands professional drive comes from his monotropism. My work here at AA stems from a passion driven by my own ADHD and an innate need to support our own autistic children and the many kids that face similar challenges. Our childrens empathy and extensive knowledge of their rights and the legislation that supports them, comes from their acute sensitivity to injustice…again, a neurodivergent thing!
That’s when I give myself a metaphorical slap and pick myself up. Comparing ourselves to others is fruitless.
However, I am only human. I get tired, I get sad, I get anxious , I get overwhelmed and I have medical support to help me, something for which I will always speak openly about.
So self care for me is not like the majority of peoples. There are no spa days or Hen weekends. There are no romantic meals out alone or lavish parties. But, we have found our own way to look after our mental health and give ourselves some self love and rest!
Disney!!!! Something about Disney has always made me so happy. We go all together and each have our own individual favourite parts. In fairness , holidays of all kinds help us as a family so if you are able…do!!! My mum used to say ” it’s better to have a full memory bank than a financial one” 🙂
Movie nights, where we sit in our lounge with a movie and eat junk food….not nutritionally sound but great for the mental health.
Letting the housework sit for a day. You can always clean up tomorrow once you’ve rested ( although often I cant rest until I’ve tidied, depends on my mood that day!).
PJ weekends, SAY NO TO INVITES AND CHILL OCCASIONALLY….beautiful!!
Have bath with netflix on your phone.
And finally, give yourself some slack. This is NOT easy. The “One day at a time” ethos has got me through some really rough patches.
The SENDcast is a weekly podcast focusing on Special Educational Needs, it is an amazing way to keep up to date with all the different areas within SEN, best practices and to improve your knowledge .
It’s a go-to hub for all things SEND, offering free weekly podcasts and online CPD training. It’s aim is to help teachers, parents, and professionals to support children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.
Created by the B Squared Team and hosted by the rather brilliant Dale Pickles, this online resource shares years of experience working with schools and has been an endless support for the work we do here at Awesome Archie.
We first met Dale at the TES SEND show back in 2023 when we spoke to him on the SENDcast exhibit stand. I introduced myself as a TES “first timer” and shared a little about the work we do . I took a photo of the stand and promised to google them when Ian and I got back to our hotel. That night that’s exactly what we did ! From that moment The SENDcast has been a weekly part of my ongoing need for CPD and has helped us grow as a team in both knowledge and confidence.
After keeping in touch and then meeting up again in London last year , I couldn’t believe my luck when Dale said that he would love to have Archie and I record our very own podcast with him. WE JUMPED AT THE CHANCE!!!!!!!
I don’t mind admitting that we were both a bit nervous at the thought of being on the very same Podcast that the “Industry greats” educated people like us!! But Archie and I had no reason to be worried. We were made so welcome by Dale and his team. We had a personal tour of the amazing B Squared office and the SENDcast studio in Camberley and Archie had all the time in the world to acclimatize to his surroundings.
Archie spoke to Dale about the daily challenges he faced as a neurodivergent child in a mainstream school that simply had no idea what to do with him. He talked about how specialist provision has “allowed” him to just be “Archie”, therefore has helped his confidence and his academic skills to grow. We are incredibly proud of him for speaking so openly and honestly. I’ll link his AWESOME podcast below, please do check it out 🙂
Mine was essentially a good old natter about what being a mum, a 1:1 and an often misunderstood neurodivergent adult is like in the world of education. We touched on the immense lack of TA support ( not their fault) , the lack of funding and the many chunks of terminology that are still widely unknown ( in our personal experience).
I’ll pop the link below and we would love you to listen 🙂
So to Dale and the team THANKYOU SO MUCH. This was a real career highlight for both Archie and I and we are truly grateful for the opportunity.
For our readers, whether TA’s, Teachers, SLT , Parents/ carers….please do listen to the SENDcast podcasts and sessions. There is a wealth of varied subjects and often answers to the many questions that you may not feel comfortable asking a colleague.
“Perfection is unachievable, but empathy is all you need to make a kids life better!” Awesome Archie
Before you read on I need to apologise, this blog post is full of pictures of me.🤣
Not because I love myself (in fact most of the time it’s quite the opposite) but because I am currently studying psychology and I am proudly on a really exciting self discovery journey.
I am going to say it….I’ve always felt like “the weird one” amongst my family and friends.
It’s a term that I own with pride actually. Our first book, Awesome Archie and Mickey the fedora wearing super-puss, states at the end ” being weird is the new cool” and both Archie and I still stand by that statement. But although I’ve always been OK being and looking ” different” I am pleased to now have the ability to get a greater understanding as to why I am like I am.
Self-discovery is an essential journey because it lays the foundation for personal growth, a feeling of fulfillment, and a more meaningful life. It can help you to identify what truly matters to you and can allow you to clarify your values and beliefs, which can then help to guide your decisions and actions moving forward.
Learning about my neurotype has encouraged me to live authentically and has allowed me to align my actions with MY true self rather than the societal expectations. Yes, this does mean that I have had to be brave and advocate for myself and my sons and yes, I have not always remained close to those that I was once close to. But I have realised that this is more a reflection on them and not us….that’s what self discovery has done.
IT HAS BEEN ( and I’m sure will continue to be ) LIFE CHANGING!
According to our research, when you get to know yourself, you can set goals that are in harmony with your passions and aspirations, which in turn increases the chances of achieving life satisfaction and maybe even professional success. Here’s hoping 😉
It can help you to communicate YOUR needs and set boundaries more effectively, while also having empathy and hopefully gaining deeper connections with others.
One of the first questions for myself was, ” why do I always change my hair colour and why do I like weird clothes?…..no joke….I googled it 🤣 It turns out that once again , it’s all to do with my awesome neurodivergent brain and my need for dopamine which I obtain through my appearance.
“Dopamine dressing” is a term that describes the practice of intentionally choosing clothing or outfits that boost your mood and evoke feelings of happiness and positivity. This concept is rooted in the idea that what we wear can influence our emotions, as dopamine is a neurotransmitter and hormone associated with pleasure and reward.
When I read it I knew… this is me. Infact, this is Archie too! Feeling good about what you’re wearing can improve your self-esteem and bright or cheerful outfits can lift your emotions. Not only that but it’s suggested that experimenting with colors, styles, and accessories can even spark your own creativity.
This makes so much sense to Archie and I. When you feel great in your outfit, you’re more likely to engage positively with others and dressing in a way that reflects YOUR personality helps you to feel confident and authentically YOU!!! This will hopefully then boost your mood naturally.
So we are here to encourage you to check this out for yourself. Identify colors that make you happy and experiment with mixing patterns and textures. Accessorize with items that bring you joy, like funky earrings or a fun handbag and try not to be afraid to step outside your comfort zone “fashion is a playground for self-expression.”
Dopamine dressing is essentially about using fashion as a tool to enhance your mental well-being and embrace joy in your everyday life. FUN!!!!!!!!
For us… it is the way forward 🙂
We have created a plus size – cruise addition outfit insp vid on TikTok. Check it out here if you want some ideas to get you started.
Now , if you follow us on our socials you may be thinking…restful?? But for us, rest is different.
We are a happily, busy family. There is no “lets spend the day reading”, for us there has to be lots of activity but that still feels a whole lot less stressful than school runs, heading out to work etc.
The kids and I have spent a lot of time just being in our PJ’s. Lots of art, lots of movies and even a bit of Pickleball .
My only AA work commitment this holiday was an absolute corker. I was fortunate to be invited to J.P Morgan to talk about our autistic life. The challenges, the awesome parts and the bits we’ve learned along the way.
Having been a parent carer for 17 years, an experienced 1:1 TA and having a bank of brilliant professionals that I trust to call upon when I get stuck…. we felt ready to talk about OUR autistic experience.
I was lucky enough to present in a board room and had our presentation shared via zoom to those working from home. It felt very grown up 🙂
I would like to thank Debbie Bexon and Annabelle Underwood for setting this awesome opportunity up for us and we can’t wait to come and visit you again 🙂
See, that’s it…. I told you it was a quiet one. We hope that you all had a wonderful Easter, whatever you chose to do. See you next week and thanks for reading 🙂
