Behind the Label

Getting a diagnosis such as ADHD, autism, or Oppositional Defiant Disorder can provide clarity, but it can also leave a child defined by a label. As Lauren Edmunds explains, when we focus only on managing a diagnosis, we risk treating the label instead of the child.

In this episode, Lauren explores what is really happening when a child displays aggressive, defiant, or demand-avoidant behaviour. Rather than viewing these responses as “bad behaviour” that needs to be stamped out, she explains them as instinctive coping mechanisms, a child’s nervous system responding to an environment that feels unsafe or overwhelming.

Lauren also discusses why supporting the entire family, strengthening co-regulation, and creating genuine psychological safety are often far more effective than focusing on diagnoses alone.