Foster Care and Neurodivergent Kids. Helping Them Thrive.

In this episode I speak with Claudia Herman, a foster parent, a carer and a psychotherapist specialising in trauma recovery, supporting neurodivergent young people and adults. Claudia discusses the profound impact early childhood trauma has on development, the unique challenges faced by neurodivergent children, and how therapy can be a powerful tool in helping these children heal and thrive. With a background in education and SEN Claudia talks about the power of advocacy to support her son within the foster care and education system.
• The Nature of Early Childhood Trauma:
Claudia explains how children in the foster care system often experience complex trauma, stemming from long-term exposure to unsafe or unstable environments. This trauma can severely affect their sense of safety, identity, and emotional well-being, making it difficult for them to trust or feel secure, even in new settings.
Key insight: These children lack a foundational sense of safety, and therapy helps them rebuild this crucial part of their development.
• Challenges in Trauma Recovery for Foster Children:
Many children internalise the belief that they are responsible for the trauma they experienced, particularly those in foster care. Claudia discusses how therapy provides a safe space for children to explore and release this misplaced guilt, helping them rebuild self-esteem and trust in others.
Key insight: Therapy is essential for fostering children’s emotional recovery by helping them process feelings of guilt and shame, and regain a sense of control.
• Neurodivergent Children and Additional Layers of Complexity:
Neurodivergent children, such as those with autism or ADHD, face unique challenges in addition to trauma. Claudia highlights how these children often expend significant energy masking their differences to fit societal norms (especially within the school environment), further depleting their emotional and cognitive resources. School trauma is real!
Key insight: Neurodivergent children benefit from having safe spaces in which they can be their true selves, without masking.
• The Role of Advocacy:
Drawing from her personal experience as a foster parent, Claudia explains the vital role advocacy plays in ensuring children’s needs are met within complex systems like education and social care. After encountering resistance when advocating for her foster son’s needs, she trained in advocacy to learn the proper language and tools to effectively communicate with authorities. Advocacy empowers parents and carers to push for the right support and services for vulnerable children.
Key insight: Learning the right language and approach can make a significant difference when advocating for neurodivergent and foster children within bureaucratic systems.
• "For children in foster care, complex trauma doesn’t just end when they’re removed from the unsafe environment. They often carry the burden of guilt, believing they are responsible for what happened."
• "Neurodivergent children expend so much energy masking just to fit in. They often don’t have the bandwidth left to process their trauma, making therapy an essential space to safely explore and express their true selves."
For more information about Claudia’s advocacy work and her social enterprise Blodyn Yr Haul, visit
www.blodynyrha...
For more information on Claudia's therapy work visit: www.claudiaher...
Here is Claudia's blog on how to prepare for meetings about your kid:
www.claudiaher...
For more information about Katerina's work with children, young people and parents, visit:
mindcraftkids.com
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