"He's fine with me!" says the therapist, teacher, and grandma. But your SEN child melts down the moment they're home with you. This doesn't mean you're failing. Children with autism and ADHD often save their biggest struggles for their safest people. Learn why your child behaves differently at home, the role of masking and decompression, and how to support both your child and yourself through this challenging pattern.

When working with children who have special educational needs (SEN), it is common to see them as the "identified patient" or the sole client in behavioral interventions. This perspective often leads to focusing all efforts on changing the child's behavior, assuming that the child is the only source of the problem. However, children with SEN, such as autism or ADHD, are often not the only factor influencing challenging behaviors. Instead, the environment, family dynamics, and