Episodes, Sarah Griffiths
Behind the Mask: Autistic Burnout and Eva’s Story with Sarah Griffiths
SENDcast Episode
Behind the Mask: Autistic Burnout and Eva’s Story
with Sarah Griffiths
Autistic burnout is talked about on social media, but how many of us truly understand what it looks like – and what it takes to recover from it?
Sarah Griffiths, children’s author, meditation teacher, and parent advocate, joins Dale to discuss autistic burnout and the story of her daughter Eva.
Sarah shares, with honesty and warmth, how Eva – autistic and ADHD, and a skilled masker for years – collapsed into severe burnout at the start of Year 6. Her executive functioning all but disappeared. She couldn’t leave the sofa. The family slept downstairs for three months. And at every turn, the systems that should have helped them either didn’t respond, didn’t understand, or made things worse.
Dale and Sarah also explore:
– What autistic burnout actually is – a nervous system shutdown, not a behaviour or a mental health condition.
– Why removing demands is so much harder than it sounds.
– Why a diagnosis alone means very little without the understanding to go with it.
“Eva’s executive functioning all but disappeared. The family slept downstairs for three months — and at every turn, the systems meant to help either didn’t respond, didn’t understand, or made things worse.”
— Sarah Griffiths
This is also a story of hope. Nine months on, Eva is making positive steps forward in her recovery – and beginning to imagine a future on her own terms.
View all podcasts available or visit our SENDcast sessions shop!
Watch the episode
About the guest
Sarah Griffiths
Sarah Griffiths is a children’s author, meditation teacher, parent advocate and former primary teacher, raising awareness of autistic burnout and the growing crisis facing neurodivergent children and families. After supporting her own daughter through severe burnout and school trauma, she began sharing their journey publicly – leading to hundreds of parents connecting with similar experiences.
Through her books, including Eva’s Voice and Finding Stones for Grandma, Sarah uses storytelling, mindfulness and lived experience to help children and families feel seen, supported and understood. Her work focuses on emotional wellbeing, sensory overwhelm, recovery, and creating more compassionate conversations between families, schools and professionals.
Her book Eva’s Voice launched on 16 February 2026 and is available on Amazon.
New Book
Eva’s Voice
Eva feels the world deeply – sounds, lights, emotions, and thoughts swirling like storms beneath her skin. When burnout finally breaks through, her world becomes very small. But with patience, understanding, and gentle steps, healing begins to grow.
Eva’s Voice helps children find words for big emotions and helps parents understand what happens inside a neurodivergent child when the world feels too much – a hopeful, comforting reminder that healing is possible, and no one has to walk it alone.
Get Eva's Voice on AmazonEnjoyed this episode?
Help us make SENDcast even better
Share your thoughts or subscribe to get new episodes delivered every week.
Powered by
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.
Introducing SENDcast Sessions
SENDcast Sessions are a new way for schools to access high quality CPD from SEND experts brought to you by the SENDcast. It’s the same great guests featured on our weekly podcast, delivering focused 1-hour online training sessions on a wide range of SEND topics.
SENDcast Sessions provide schools with in depth content that can be accessed forever. Build a library of online CPD that your school can continue to use in the future – choose from over 150 training sessions!
Visit the online shop
