The trouble with doing well
Why ADHD in bright girls and capable women can go unnoticed, and why midlife sometimes exposes difficulties that achievement has concealed.
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My child is gifted. Why are they struggling at school?
You know your child is bright. Perhaps everybody knows it. They understand things quickly. They make connections you weren’t expecting. They can talk to you in extraordinary depth about something that interests them, remember details you had long forgotten or see a solution that somehow escaped everyone else in the room. And then there is…
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You still laugh. But it catches differently.
Brick Heck hasn’t changed. The way we see him has. Watching The Middle now, what once felt like comic relief often feels quietly familiar. A closer look at what this character reveals about neurodivergent children, and the families navigating that reality every day. Read more → https://the-neuroparenting-newsroom.ghost.io/what-brick-heck-reveals-about-neurodivergent-learners/
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The wave that was always there: Why late diagnosis — and early support — both matter
One would never expect an Olympic swimmer to win the 100-metre hurdles, or a brilliant engineer to perform heart surgery. They’re not considered failures for those shortcomings — they’re specialists operating outside their element. The same mindset should apply to education. Every few months, someone warns of the “tidal wave of neurodiverse diagnoses” — as…
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Change the Lens, Change the Story: What happens when we stop fixing children and start understanding them
by Kate La Trobe MSc, BCBA and Nicola Killops, Educator and Gifted & Twice-Exceptional Specialist We were those kids: bright, talkative, imaginative, distracted. The ones teachers described as “full of potential if they’d just apply themselves.” We did apply ourselves — just not to what made sense to other people’s brains. Like so many adults,…
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The Hidden Trauma of Parenting a 2e Child
Two months from now, my son will walk out of school for the last time. I should feel light, relieved, ready to exhale. Instead, I’m burnt out. Not in the ordinary sense, but in the way that comes from years of treading water — never drowning, but never allowed to rest either. This is the…
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When the System Can’t See the Spark: Finding a School That Fits Your 2E Child
There’s a particular kind of heartbreak that many parents of twice-exceptional (2E) children know too well. Not the heartbreak of diagnosis. Not even the behaviour reports, suspensions, or the relentless “parent meetings.”It’s the moment you realise that the school system—mainstream, remedial, holistic, even the ones that market “neurodiverse support”—still doesn’t know what to do with…
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How to Help When Exam Time Breaks Their Brain
This isn’t a tips-and-tricks post. It’s a soft landing If exam time is a battlefield in your house — doors slamming, heads dropping, shame creeping in — you’re not alone.And you’re not failing. Some kids genuinely can’t do the “just study” thing.Not because they don’t care.But because their brains weren’t built for this kind of…
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How to Tell If Your Child is Gifted — and What to Do About It
By Nicola Killops It doesn’t always start with a perfect report card.In fact, it rarely does. It starts with the child who feels everything.The one who couldn’t tolerate tags in their clothes as a toddler. Who noticed when you changed shampoo. Who melted down in noisy places, lit up around adults, and asked questions like,…
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Impulsivity and ADHD: Why Thinking Twice Feels Impossible (Until It’s Too Late)
Ever had a conversation with a teenager who blurts out whatever’s in their head—before their brain even has a chance to weigh in? Or watched them make a split-second decision that leaves you questioning whether they have any self-preservation instincts at all? If you’re parenting a teen with ADHD, you know this isn’t occasional—it’s every…
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Maths or Maths Lit? Making the Right Choice for Your Child
Choosing subjects at the end of Grade 9 can feel like standing at a crossroads with no clear signposts. Parents want to make the right decision, schools have their expectations, and students often feel caught in the middle. And when it comes to maths, the pressure can be overwhelming. But does every student really need…
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Emotional Dysregulation and ADHD: It’s Not Just a Phase, It’s a Lifelong Challenge
If you’ve ever found yourself wondering why your child with ADHD seems to experience emotions on a whole different level, you’re not alone. Emotional dysregulation is one of the most challenging—and misunderstood—aspects of ADHD. It’s not just about getting upset easily or being “too sensitive.” It’s a full-on neurological rollercoaster that doesn’t come with an…
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Managing Stress as a Parent of a Neurodiverse Child
“Keep calm and carry on.” It sounds so simple, doesn’t it? But for parents of neurodiverse children—especially those with high-functioning autism, ADHD, or other exceptionalities—stress often feels like an uninvited guest who refuses to leave. It’s not just the challenges we face; it’s how they stack up, day after day, testing our patience and resilience….
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Boldly Different: Parenting a Neurodiverse Child in a World That Doesn’t Get It
Raising a neurodiverse child often feels like an uphill battle against misunderstanding and judgement. As the mother of an incredible, twice-exceptional son, I know this journey all too well. James, now 20, is still in school and continues to surprise me with his growth and resilience. With high-functioning autism and profound creativity, he challenges societal…
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Six Ways to Support Sensory-Seeking Behaviour in Children
Raising a child with sensory-seeking needs often feels like managing a high-energy storm. There are moments of joy, exhaustion, and confusion, often wrapped into one. When my son was seven, he went through what we called his Houdini phase—vanishing in the blink of an eye. Once, during a grocery run, I found him in the…
