What happens when a child appears to be doing well at school - achieving academically, following expectations and seemingly coping - but underneath, they are struggling?And what happens *after* an autism or ADHD diagnosis, when families are left wondering: “What do we do now?”In this episode of RECAP The Podcast, I’m joined by Rhiann Marchant, qualified teacher, highly specialised SENCO and Founder and CEO of Sensational Minds, to explore neurodevelopmental assessment, autism, ADHD, masking, SEND support and why diagnosis should be about far more than meeting a set of clinical criteria.💡 In this episode, we discuss:

✨ What a neurodevelopmental assessment actually involves ✨ The importance of developmental history and gathering information from different sources ✨ What happens when childhood records or family history aren't available ✨ What happens when someone goes through assessment but doesn't receive a diagnosis ✨ The misconception that paying privately guarantees a diagnosis ✨ Why autism doesn't always look stereotypical ✨ Masking, internalising and why children can present very differently at school and at home ✨ Why some neurodivergent children can be missed in busy classrooms ✨ Behaviour as communication and why dysregulation can sometimes be mistaken for defiance ✨ Why SEND support shouldn't simply be a “bolt-on” to education ✨ The importance of post-diagnostic support for children, adults and their families ❤️ Why this mattersA child can be achieving academically and still be struggling.They can sit quietly in a classroom, complete their work, get good grades and appear to be “doing fine” while using enormous amounts of energy to manage sensory differences, social expectations, emotional regulation, communication or masking.Whether you're a parent navigating an autism or ADHD assessment, an educator supporting neurodivergent learners, an adult considering assessment yourself, or a professional working within SEND, this episode is packed with insight, reassurance and practical discussion.🎧 Listen now — available on:Spotify Apple Podcasts YouTube All major podcast platforms👉 Subscribe to RECAP The Podcast so you never miss an episode.🔗 Connect & followFollow RECAP for evidence-informed, accessible content for families and professionals:Instagram: @recap.ltd Website: https://www.recapinfo.co.uk/ Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/recapinfo/newsletter**Find out more about Rhiann Marchant and Sensational Minds:**Website: https://www.sensationalminds.co.uk/ Email: hello@sensationalminds.co.uk / bookings@sensationalminds.co.uk💬 Join the conversation👉 Have you ever been told that a child is “doing fine” because they're achieving academically? 👉 What support do you think should be available after an autism or ADHD diagnosis? Share your experiences in the comments - we'd love to hear from you.🔍 Keywords:autism assessment UK, ADHD assessment UK, neurodevelopmental assessment, autism diagnosis, ADHD diagnosis, late autism diagnosis, late ADHD diagnosis, autism in girls, ADHD in girls, autistic masking, ADHD masking, masking at school, high achieving autistic child, high achieving ADHD child, signs of autism in children, signs of ADHD in children, SEND support, SENCO, neurodivergent children, neurodiversity in schools, neuroinclusive education, post diagnostic autism support, post diagnostic ADHD support, private autism assessment UK, private ADHD assessment UK, autism assessment process, RECAP The Podcast🔖 Hashtags:#autism #adhd #neurodiversity #autismassessment #adhdassessment #autismdiagnosis #adhddiagnosis #send #sendeducation #autisticmasking #adhdmasking #neurodivergent #neuroinclusive #sensoryprocessing #senco #inclusiveeducation #parentingpodcast #educationpodcast #recapthepodcastSeries 7 EP1