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…
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,…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
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…
“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….
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…
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…
When your child seems “fine” to everyone else, explaining the silent battles they face feels impossible. For those of us raising kids with high-functioning autism, the struggles are often invisible. Anxiety doesn’t always show up with obvious signs, and that makes it harder to get others to understand just how overwhelming everyday life can be….
When James was diagnosed with autism back in 2011, I was floored. It wasn’t like the movies or the stories you read about where everything suddenly made sense, and we all held hands and found a new way forward. No, I felt lost. I didn’t even know what I was supposed to feel for a…
The idea that dyslexia has been around longer than books and reading is a powerful reminder of the ancient roots of this neurological difference. Dyslexia isn’t a modern issue that arose with the invention of reading; it’s a fundamental variation in how the brain processes language—a variation that’s been part of human history for as…
