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,…
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,…
Neurodiversity has become something of a buzzword lately, but it’s often misunderstood. Too many people hear the term and immediately think of learning disorders or developmental delays, assuming it means something is “wrong” with those who are neurodiverse. While these aspects can be part of the picture, neurodiversity is so much more than that—and often,…
It’s a crazy world out there. And it is just getting crazier. As adults, most of us are in survival mode as we sprint to keep up with the hamster wheel of life. South Africans are stressed out. A study was conducted across 34 countries to determine the Mental Health Quotient (MHQ) of various nations,…
About two years ago, I left the classroom to embark on a new adventure as a writer and education consultant. While I love the new challenges that my new role brings, I will always be grateful for the treasured time I spent engaging with a roomful of kids who were all mine, all year long….
