A Case Study: Teo’s Story - A Journey of Understanding
When we first met Teo, he was nine years old. Thoughtful, clever, funny — full of potential and eager to connect. He loved computer games, enjoyed being around people, and had a surprising depth to his insights for someone his age. But life was complicated.
At school, he was struggling to maintain friendships. His teachers were seeing more emotional outbursts, and he was being excluded more often from his peer group. At home, there were meltdowns, shouting, and moments of deep frustration, often followed by remorse. His parents felt lost — they knew their son was bright and sensitive, but they couldn’t quite make sense of what was going on.
Understanding the Bigger Picture
In our first conversations with Teo’s parents, we gently gathered the pieces of his story. We learned that his challenges had started early — difficulties with phonics and early learning, needing more emotional support than peers, and by Year 2, increasing frustration that began to show through his behaviour. Unfortunately, that behaviour was often misunderstood. He was separated from the class to manage disruptions, which left him feeling even more isolated.
What became clear was this: Teo’s external behaviours — the outbursts, the reactivity, the withdrawal — were drawing most of the attention. But they were also masking underlying academic and learning difficulties. It was harder for others to see the cognitive load he was under, the slower processing, the memory challenges, the subtle but significant barriers in reading and writing. Because his emotional behaviour was more visible, his learning needs were overlooked — and the full picture of support he needed wasn’t being recognised.
This is exactly why we see assessment as more than ticking boxes — it’s a journey of discovery. It’s about listening deeply, creating safety, and building trust. Through our gentle, child-led process, Teo opened up. He felt seen, heard, and understood — and in that safety, we could begin to notice what might be going on beneath the surface.
We discovered that while Teo had strong verbal reasoning skills, he also had processing and memory challenges that were quietly impacting his learning — especially in reading, writing, and spelling. These challenges, combined with sensory sensitivities and a high emotional load, were shaping how he interacted with the world.
Looking Through a New Lens
This is where our transdiagnostic and systems-thinking approach matters. Rather than viewing Teo’s behaviour in isolation, we explored how different areas — cognition, sensory processing, emotional regulation, and relationship dynamics — were interconnected. And not just within Teo, but throughout his environment.
We spoke with his parents about how the brain is always making predictions — scanning, preparing, trying to stay safe. And how exhausting it can be for a child when those predictions are often about perceived threats like rejection. It takes cognitive energy to interpret the world differently, and sometimes it’s easier to stay ‘stuck’. It takes support to try new ways of responding.
Holding an Iterative Mindset
Following the assessment process, we created an Emotion Coaching programme. Setbacks happened. Of course they did. Emotions are complex. Things weren’t always smooth at home or school. But we didn’t see those moments as failures — we saw them as iterations. Feedback from the system. Opportunities to pause, reflect, and try again.
This kind of change isn’t linear. It’s emergent. It unfolds when the people around the child begin to attune — not just to the child’s needs, but to their own. That’s what systems thinking really means: paying attention to the internal states of the adults, too. When teachers became more aware of their own stress responses, they could show up with more compassion. When parents could understand what was underneath Teo’s behaviour, they could meet him with more empathy.
Slowly, Teo began to feel safer. His nervous system calmed. His relationships improved. He started to believe in himself again.
Not because he was “fixed” — but because he was understood.
What Helped Teo?
Connection and trust — He developed more emotional ‘safety’ with the team around him.
Strengths-based mindset — We saw his strengths before the challenge.
Transdiagnostic thinking — We looked at the whole child, not a diagnosis.
Systems lens — We worked with his parents, teachers, and support team together.
Synchronicity — When the adults around him were attuned and aligned, he felt it.
Iterative mindset — Setbacks weren’t failures — just steps in a longer process.
Feeling Confused or Puzzled?
If you’re feeling unsure about your child’s learning or behaviour, you’re not alone. These things often don’t have simple answers — but there is always a next step. And you don’t have to take it alone.
If something’s not quite adding up, don’t wait.
📞 Book a free 15-minute consultation with Lisa Low of Beyond Bridges Education, to talk it through.
👉 https://calendly.com/lisa-low-bbe
There’s a team ready to listen, to support, and to walk the journey with you — one step at a time.
