PEGiS. Parent Engagement Group in Stoke

20/10/2026

Dopamine is often called the brain’s motivation chemical — but it is really part of a much bigger system involved in reward, learning, attention and the drive to keep going.

For children, dopamine can help make effort feel worthwhile.

That little sense of “I did it!” after finishing something, learning a new skill, reaching a small goal or receiving genuine encouragement can help the brain want to repeat the experience.

This is why motivation is not always about a child simply “trying harder”.

When we understand what helps the brain engage, persist and experience success, we can support children far more effectively than relying on pressure alone.

Small goals. Movement. Curiosity. Creativity. Encouragement. Achievable success.

All can help create the conditions in which motivation grows.



Credit to the contented child

20/10/2026

This month saw the publication of the 𝘐𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘙𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘚𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘔𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴, 𝘈𝘋𝘏𝘋 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘈𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘮, led by Institute of Psychoanalysis member Professor Peter Fonagy.

At a time of growing concern about the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people, this significant review brings together a wealth of evidence, expertise and perspectives to explore how support can better meet their needs.

We warmly congratulate Peter on this important achievement, which reflects both the depth of his expertise and his compassion for the individuals and families behind the statistics.

Particularly welcome is the review’s emphasis on prioritising need over diagnosis - recognising the importance of understanding each young person’s individual circumstances and ensuring that support is guided by their needs.

This thoughtful, person-centred approach resonates deeply with psychoanalytic values of understanding, compassion and respect for individual experience.

🔗Read the full review: https://tinyurl.com/yw4x7hfn

20/10/2026

For some people with ADHD, eating is impacted upon by about our executive functioning (like our ability to regulate attention, or not), interoception (our ability to notice internal body signals like hunger).

Here’s what I mean:

You hyperfocus.
You miss your early hunger cues.
By the time you realize you’re hungry, you’re really hungry.

Now your brain has to stop what it’s doing, decide what to eat, make it, and clean it up, all while your body is asking for energy immediately.

For some people, that can look like forgetting to eat, surviving on snacks, dinner paralysis, hyperfixation foods, or binge eating after unintentionally undereating all day.

This isn’t everyone’s experience with ADHD. But if it’s yours, you’re not alone, and you’re certainly not “bad with food.”

As a neuropsychologist (and someone with ADHD), I think we need to be talking about this a lot more.

I’m planning to make this a series because there’s so much more to unpack—interoception, dopamine, binge eating, hyperfixation foods, meal planning, and why feeding yourself can feel so much harder than people realize.

What part of ADHD and food do you wish more people understood? Let me know in the comments. It may shape the next post.

Love you, SurThriving with you (not me eating pickles out of the jar out of the refrigerator because my body needs SALT asap), XO, Dr. Jen



XO,
Dr. Jen

20/10/2026

19/10/2026

For some autistic girls, Mum becomes far more than Mum.

She becomes their safe person.

The person who understands without needing everything explained.
The person they can completely unmask with.
The person they seek when the world feels confusing, overwhelming or simply too much.

That bond can be incredibly strong — sometimes so strong that friendships and relationships outside it can feel much harder to navigate.

The answer isn’t to break that connection or push independence before she’s ready. It’s to use that secure relationship as the safe base from which her world can gradually grow.

Because she doesn’t need to feel safe with Mum less.

She needs opportunities to feel safe with more people too.

Some boys will demonstrate the more commonly thought of as 'female presentation' which this trait is associated with.

👉 Check my page for more posts exploring autism in girls, masking and supporting autistic children.

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Credit to TheContentedChild