# 85. Is the Problem the Child — Or the Learning Plan?

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/adhd-mums-6363089/85-is-the-problem-the-child-or-the-learning-plan
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/adhd-mums-6363089/85-is-the-problem-the-child-or-the-learning-plan.md
Podcast: [ADHD Mums](https://stenobird.com/podcast/adhd-mums-6363089)
Published: 2026-02-25T19:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://adhdmums.com.au/captivate/is-the-problem-the-child-or-the-learning-plan
Audio file: https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/407ea93c-b03f-4d8d-9130-3e89c93ab823.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/adhd-mums-6363089/episodes/85-is-the-problem-the-child-or-the-learning-plan
Duration seconds: 2631

## Resource

You’re sitting in a meeting thinking you’re here to talk about support. There’s a plan. There are ‘adjustments’. And yet your child is still escalating… and suddenly the school is hinting at removal, reduced hours, or ‘this isn’t the right setting’. This episode is the practical middle bit no one gives you: When a plan exists, but it’s either the wrong plan — or it’s not actually being applied. WHY THIS MATTERS When a school says ‘the plan isn’t working’, it often gets translated as ‘your child is the problem’. But plans fail for predictable reasons: they’re too big and unworkable in a class of 28 no one is actually implementing them consistently teachers don’t understand the ‘why’ behind the strategies the plan ignores language processing, sensory load, or demand avoidance there’s no review cycle, no accountability, no data, just documentation the teacher doesn't have the capacity to implement the plan in the classroom due to numbers and workload. And when the plan becomes a ‘set and forget’ document, you get stuck in a dangerous loop: ‘We tried everything’ → escalation continues → the child gets labelled → exclusion gets normalised. WHAT WE COVER Why an IEP is a start, not a manual How ‘too many strategies at once’ makes a plan fail fast What to ask when the school says ‘we’ve tried everything’ How to check if staff actually understand what’s on the plan Why ‘accommodation’ can trigger teacher resistance — and how ‘considerations’ changes the tone The missing piece in most behaviour plans: language processing and communication load How literal thinking, vague instructions, and high language demand can create ‘refusal’ and shutdown How to build accountability into the plan (review dates, outcomes, roles, communication method) Red flags that the school has decided your…

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