Dyscastia
Dyscastia
Michael Shanahan
Five Common Mental Health Challenges For Kids Living With Learning Difficulties
1 hour 23 minutes Posted Jan 15, 2026 at 1:29 am.
Intro and welcome
Introducing Valli and Episode overview
Anxiety and school can’t
Emotional and behavioural dysregulation
Social difficulties and isolation
Family stress and major life changes
Clarifying assessments and second opinions
Closing reflections
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1:23:32
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Show notes
In this episode, I’m joined again by clinical psychologist Valli Jones to talk about the mental health issues she most commonly sees in children and young people living with learning difficulties. We framed the conversation as a “top five”, not to rank problems, but to help parents and educators feel less alone and better able to recognise patterns in what they’re seeing.
We talk about anxiety and school can’t, emotional and behavioural dysregulation, social difficulties and isolation, family stress and major life changes, and why some families seek a second opinion after earlier assessments. Throughout the episode, Valli shares practical insights drawn from her day-to-day clinical work.
For more detailed show notes, visit the Dyscastia website.