How Dealing with Mental Images and ‘re-wiring’ the Brain Can Create Breakthroughs for Dyslexia with Lou Barnes
Release Date: 04/10/2025
Sensory Processing – Exactly How Does It Impact On Daily Life? with Ali Neal
The SENDcast
It can be difficult to understand exactly how much we use our senses for all daily tasks. Today, Dale discusses the fascinating world of sensory processing with our special guest, Ali Neal, an experienced occupational therapist. She discusses how sensory processing impacts daily life, particularly for children and individuals in educational settings. Ali takes us through a fun and relatable exercise involving sweets, illustrating how sensory processing plays a role in even the simplest tasks. Make sure you grab a sweet before tuning in (a great excuse to enjoy a treat)! Ali breaks down the...
info_outline
Breaking the Cycle: How Informed Parents Can Change the SEND System with Samantha Ryan
The SENDcast
Navigating the SEND system can be overwhelming, and many parents find themselves without essential information until it’s too late. Unfortunately, there’s no handbook to guide us. Often, parents only begin to understand SEN processes, the graduated approach, and even SEN law when their child is already struggling. This week, we welcome Samantha Ryan, a neurodivergent mother, SEND advocate, and author. In this insightful episode, Samantha shares her journey as a parent navigating the complex SEND system, advocating for her autistic son who has been out of school since March 2024. With her...
info_outline
Introducing ITV’s Play Time - the groundbreaking new TV show championing SEND children with Céin McGillicuddy and Andy Kinnear
The SENDcast
Have you heard of the TV show The Assembly? I’m thrilled to announce that the series director, Céin McGillicuddy and his creative partner Andy Kinnear, have joined Dale on the podcast to discuss their brand-new pilot show on ITV – Play Time! Play Time features six neurodivergent comedians visiting a primary school and are challenged, in the course of one school day, to create and perform an original stage play that’s based entirely on the ideas of a group of 6 to 8 year old school children, many of them from the school’s SEND department. Céin and Andy share their behind-the-scenes...
info_outline
Exploring Neuro-Dramatic-Play with Dr Sue Jennings
The SENDcast
In this week’s episode, Dr Sue Jennings, a leading expert in neuro-dramatic play and drama therapy, joins Dale to explore Neuro-Dramatic-Play (NDP). Sue explains that NDP is an attachment-based approach designed to help children, particularly those with negative early experiences, build connections through play. She emphasises the critical role of early attachment, noting that it begins even before birth and is essential for healthy emotional development. Sue shares her incredible stories having worked across over 30 countries, including her time living with a tribal community in Malaysia....
info_outline
Specialist Online Provision for Neurodivergent Learners with Cathy Wassell
The SENDcast
The mainstream school environment can be overwhelming for many neurodivergent students, with sensory overload and social challenges often creating significant barriers to learning. Today, we explore an alternative educational pathway that removes these obstacles – a ‘Specialist Online Provision for Neurodivergent Learners’. In this episode, Dale speaks to Cathy Wassall, founder and CEO of the Autistic Girls Network and the Haven Online School. Cathy, a neurodivergent advocate and mother to neurodivergent young adults, shares her journey and insights into how online education can create a...
info_outline
The Experiences of Girls in School with Diagnosed/Undiagnosed ADHD with Louise Belshaw
The SENDcast
With ADHD awareness month upon us, we wanted to discuss the important topic of ‘the experiences of girls in school with diagnosed/undiagnosed ADHD’. In this episode, Louise Belshaw, who has ADHD and is a mother to two adult children with the condition, shares her extensive experience as a secondary teacher and her specialisation in ADHD in females. She highlights that: “I've seen too many girls not get the diagnosis, or not go forward with the diagnosis, because they're not being supported by school and the teachers don't know what ADHD in girls looks...
info_outline
The Reality of OCD: Creating safe spaces for SEND students with Shaun Flores
The SENDcast
This OCD Awareness Week, I invite you to listen to our latest episode of the SENDcast, featuring Shaun Flores, a mental health advocate and consultant. In this honest and enlightening discussion ‘The Reality of OCD: Creating Safe Spaces for SEND Students’, Shaun sheds light on the often-misunderstood condition of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Trigger Warning: This podcast discusses difficult subjects, including sexual assault. “We understand autism, we understand ADHD, we understand anxiety, we understand depression, we understand dyslexia and dyspraxia and dyscalculia, but we...
info_outline
Navigating SEN Parenting: Tools for Thriving with Sharona Smith
The SENDcast
When a doctor or professional asks for details about when, why and where your child’s meltdown occurred, unless you have the most incredible memory, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to remember the finer details. Triggers, timings, environments are all helpful in understanding a child’s behaviour, but how can you keep track of them? “If I had to go speak to my GP or anyone and they said to me, you know what's been going on in the last six months, I'd say, I have no idea.” Sharona Smith Dale had a heartfelt conversation with Sharona Smith, the founder and CEO of Thrive Creations. As a...
info_outline
From Anxiety to Attendance: Rethinking SEMH Support with Helen Bray
The SENDcast
Attendance is a national priority, yet many interventions focus on behaviour management rather than addressing underlying SEMH needs. Helen Bray, the Director of SEND for the East Midlands Education Trust, joins Dale today to discuss the impact of SEMH challenges, post-pandemic trauma, and the rise of emotionally based school avoidance on attendance rates. With over 20 years of experience across early years, primary, and secondary education, Helen is incredibly passionate about supporting all pupils to succeed. “It's so isolating and so hard for these children and parents where they just...
info_outline
Developing Distributive Leadership in Secondary Schools to Improve Inclusion with Eleanor Sams
The SENDcast
As SEND registers continue to grow and expectations rise across the profession, many SENDCOs are leaving due to overwhelming workloads and lack of support. It’s crucial that we rethink how to empower teachers to meet their students' needs. In today’s episode, Dale was joined by Eleanor Sams, an Assistant Headteacher and SENDCO at the Marvel College in Hull. Eleanor tells us about ‘developing distributive leadership in secondary schools to improve inclusion’ sharing her school’s successful implementation. Their discussion includes: Key challenges for new SENDCOs: The pressure to be...
info_outlineIn our latest episode, we dive into the challenges faced by children struggling with reading and writing. It's crucial for us as educators to recognise the signs that indicate a child's brain may not be processing text in a way that allows for easy reading and spelling.
Dale is joined in our new studio by Lou Barnes, a trainer and founder of Unlock Learning. Lou discusses the role of mental images and how ‘re-wiring’ the brain can lead to breakthroughs for individuals with dyslexia. She introduces Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP), which focuses on understanding and changing subconscious patterns that affect behaviour and learning.
Lou shares her experience working with dyslexic children and emphasises that many struggles stem from fear and frustration when traditional teaching methods fail. Her fascinating theory on how NLP can help create clearer mental images offers a new perspective on improving reading and comprehension.
I really enjoyed the analogies they used in this conversation to describe how our brains work – definitely worth a listen!
View all podcasts available or visit our SENDcast sessions shop!
About Lou Barnes
I was a primary school teacher for 20 years. I loved teaching and but was aware of bright, creative children struggling with literacy every year.
Eventually I found it too painful and frustrating to see them struggle. The way we were ‘helping them’ was not working. Despite school intervention, extra phonics groups etc, they were not improving. I hated seeing many of them lose confidence or get labelled as naughty or lazy.
I decided that there had to be a better way. Then I came across Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP). I was instantly fascinated. I felt it could hold real answers so I left full-time teaching to study NLP in depth.
I learned was that our subconscious brains are incredibly powerful, and that by working with it, I could rapidly make reading (and spelling) easier to understand for people who previously just couldn’t make sense of letters and words. I found out WHY my students struggled and HOW to change that. I believe it’s the missing piece for helping dyslexic students.
Over the next years, I developed a process and started working with children and adults one-to-one. The results of blending NLP with my teaching knowledge and experience were extraordinary. In the end, I took the plunge to be totally self-employed and set up Unlock Learning.
For the past 15 years I’ve been working, as Unlock Learning, with dyslexic children, and some adults using my 2-part process. First the NLP ‘magic’ to get the brain ready to see, store and be comfortable with letters and words. Then I pop on my teacher hat and teach reading and spelling because what was once so hard is now easy for that child.
It’s my passion and purpose. I love doing what I do and the way I do it. I'
Now I’m on a mission to share what I know so more children can be spared the agony of struggling to read and write, and the mental health issues that can accompany it.
I live in a beautiful part of Sussex, with my husband in a very quiet spot where I really enjoy my garden, especially growing as much as possible in my veg patch and sitting with friends around a fire in the evenings.
I love walking with Tilly, my dog; sunrise at the beach is a favourite way to start the day.
Although I’m mostly content to be at home, I also love adventures, travel and the chance to try new things which in the past has included living in Thailand, riding motorbikes and being in a band.
Contact Lou
https://www.unlock-learning.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/unlocklearning
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lou-barnesunlocklearning/
Useful Links
SEN Magazine Article detailing my ‘imaginary creature’ process
- B Squared Website – www.bsquared.co.uk
- Meeting with Dale to find out about B Squared - https://calendly.com/b-squared-team/overview-of-b-squared-sendcast
- Email Dale – dale@bsquared.co.uk
- Subscribe to the SENDcast - https://www.thesendcast.com/subscribe
The SENDcast is powered by B Squared
We have been involved with Special Educational Needs for over 25 years, helping show the small steps of progress pupils with SEND make. B Squared has worked with thousands of schools, we understand the challenges professionals working in SEND face. We wanted a way to support these hardworking professionals - which is why we launched The SENDcast! Click the button below to find out more about how B Squared can help improve assessment for pupils with SEND in your school.