Articles by John Sharry

My 17 year old feels panic at school

Parent Question:My 17-year-old son is in fifth year in school and says that he feels panicked at times – to the point that he cannot go into the school building (despite getting ready and walking there). Sometimes, he feels panicked when in the school and feels he has to leave. We want to support him … Continue reading My 17 year old feels panic at school

My nephew’s parents will not acknowledge that he has additional needs

Parenting Question:My brother and his wife have a five-year-old son with significant sensory communication and emotional needs. I work as a teacher, and I’m inferring that he might have ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder) or autism. When he comes for a visit, or to family events, he can’t communicate and often has meltdowns. However, his parents are not willing to … Continue reading My nephew’s parents will not acknowledge that he has additional needs

My 13 year old can’t get back to sleep at night

Parent Question:My 13-year-old son is having difficulty sleeping. He has been having a lot of trouble getting up for school and it has become such a stressful rush in the mornings. When we were chatting last week, he revealed that he often wakes up at night and then can’t get back to sleep. He says … Continue reading My 13 year old can’t get back to sleep at night

My teenage son has social anxiety

Parent Question:I would like guidance on my 14-year-old son’s massive social anxiety. He is at the point where he won’t engage with anyone in his peer group or with siblings outside the front door. When his 15-year-old brother’s friends drop into the house, he will remove himself from the livingroom so he does not have … Continue reading My teenage son has social anxiety

My 6 year old hates homework. How do I manage this?

Parent Question:Our daughter is six, but we suspect – as does her current teacher – that she may have some ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) traits. She has no formal diagnosis. We are writing to see how best to help her with her homework. We moved as a family last summer, so she changed school and seems much … Continue reading My 6 year old hates homework. How do I manage this?

Misaphonia: My daughter hates the sound of her sister breathing and teacher’s voice

Parent Question:I think my daughter who recently turned 11 has developed misophonia (strong and negative reactions to sounds most people do not notice). For a couple of years, she has been very sensitive to certain sounds. Firstly, her younger sister’s breathing – who can be a bit nasal – used to bother her a lot … Continue reading Misaphonia: My daughter hates the sound of her sister breathing and teacher’s voice

My 23 year old daughter is angry at us for not getting autism diagnosis sooner

Parent Question:My daughter is 23 and doing her master’s in college. We had difficult teenage years with her, which involved extreme anxiety about school, self-harm (thankfully short-lived) and intense meltdowns. We attended CAMHS (HSE’s Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) a few times, but she did not like this. She was much happier in college, where … Continue reading My 23 year old daughter is angry at us for not getting autism diagnosis sooner

My daughter is anxious going in to college

Parent Question:We have a 17-year-old daughter who is diagnosed with autism and has an Education, Health and Care plan (EHCP). She found mainstream secondary school too much, so eventually we were able to get her one-to-one support and she managed to get five GCSEs after not having attended school for three years. She is very bright and … Continue reading My daughter is anxious going in to college

My twice exceptional child has trouble paying attention in class.

Parent Question:My 12-year-old son has dyslexia and ADHD (attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder). He complains of being bored in school and hates doing any homework. The teacher says he is often “switched off” in the classroom, particularly during maths, Irish and English. She says he is very bright because he can make great contributions when discussing subjects he loves, such as … Continue reading My twice exceptional child has trouble paying attention in class.

Our teenager doesn’t go to school- is the phone part of the problem?

Parent QuestionOur 16-year-old daughter has stopped going to school regularly. She says it’s because she can’t get up in the morning and doesn’t care about going to school. She says it is because of her anxiety and mental health issues. We took her to see our GP and also a private counsellor. We also talked to her school about … Continue reading Our teenager doesn’t go to school- is the phone part of the problem?

My fifteen-year-old wants to leave school

Parent Question:My 15-year-old son hates going to school. He was diagnosed with ADHD (attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder) and dyslexia last March. He is now in Junior Cert year and is not doing any homework or study. The teachers say he has largely switched off in classes and, of course, he is not doing well in school tests. The formal subjects, … Continue reading My fifteen-year-old wants to leave school

How to help my child who only wants to talk about his special interest?

Parent Question My six-year-old child has suspected ASD (autism spectrum disorder) and ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). Sometimes, he wants to talk about the same thing over and over again, but the thing he wishes to speak about is often quite obscure – eg the junction numbers on the motorway. This is alienating him from … Continue reading How to help my child who only wants to talk about his special interest?