Of Primary Importance Podcast by ReallySchool: Ep. 28 - Understanding Symptomatic Hypermobility

May is Symptomatic Hypermobility Month and in this episode, Kat talks with Jane Green MBE all about ‘Understanding Symptomatic Hypermobility’ and Jane’s charity SEDSConnective.

Jane: “I am a disabled, neurodivergent, autistic parent carer for her eldest neurodivergent adult child, who left school at 16 with two qualifications and was told I was ‘dim.’ Yet, I have an MA Ed., Advanced Diploma in Education, Secondary PGCE, BSc Hons Psychology., and a QTS.”

Jane Green MBE is the founder and chair of SEDS Connective, as well as a non-executive director and a co-author (with Donaghy and Moore) on the peer reviewed paper, ‘Co-occurring physical health challenges in neurodivergent children and young people.’ She regularly presents at a variety of events including at Government conferences and she presented at the Global Learning Conference in Ireland in August 2023. Formerly, she led the Autism Education Trust (in the South East) and the National Autistic Society, and has been an assistant headteacher, LA advisory teacher and lead for ‘Autism Education in All Phases of Education.’ 

SEDSConnective is the first global neurodivergent (autism, ADHD, dyspraxia, Tourette’s’ +) and symptomatic hypermobility (Ehlers-Danlos syndromes EDS, Hypermobility Spectrum Disorders HSD) user led, voluntary charity. Their patron Dr J. Eccles and the team at BSMS provide the charity with evidence-based research.

Here are some of the questions I asked Jane:

1.       Could you introduce yourself to our listeners?

2.       Can you give our listeners a description of what hypermobility is?

3.       How can hypermobility be linked with neurodivergence?

4.       What are some of the common symptoms of hypermobility disorders and what should teachers be looking for as possible signs their students may have a hypermobility disorder?

5.       What kind of impact can hypermobility disorders have on learning, mental health and physical health?

6.       You’ve mentioned before that hypermobility disorders can be often be overlooked and misdiagnosed- can you talk more about that and why you think it’s happening?

7.       Can you tell us a bit more about SEDSConnective and how it started and why?

8.       You mentioned it’s ‘Symptomatic Hypermobility Month,’ what kind of things is SEDSConnective doing to raise awareness and how can schools get involved?

You can connect with Jane on…

Twitter: www.twitter.com/@JGjanegreen     www.twitter.com/SEDSConnective 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janegreenmaed/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sedsconnective/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SEDSconnective 

Her website: www.SEDSconnective.org 

You can also read her research paper: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13575279.2022.2149471 and check out her YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHzgTdMyUTXvx8ElSV4ZcYg 

Check out #OPIP and #OfPrimaryImportance for more content and see all our previous episodes here. If you are interested on coming on the show or have a topic suggestion, send me a DM on Twitter or email contact@reallyschool