school Archives - More Than Quirky

School Report Time

December 18, 2024

A negative experience regarding school reports is common amongst the neurodivergent community. Many neurodivergent adults recall their parents being told their child should “try harder” and “apply themselves”. And, possibly the most triggering of them all, that they aren’t reaching their potential. While many neurodivergent kids are still receiving this unhelpful feedback, things are better now than they used to be. They should be better still. If your child’s report is critical and not neuroaffirming,[…]

Academic Limitations: Finding Your Own Goals

August 12, 2024

I recently experienced something really special. A parent of an autistic child in mid-primary school, who expresses concern around behaviours and academic results, showing genuine delight that their teacher had said they had nothing to report except improvement. There was no reference by this parent as to whether this meant the child was now exceeding academic expectations for their age, meeting them, working towards them, or still finding some aspects very challenging. It just didn’t[…]

Not Refusing: School Can’t

June 6, 2024

School Can’t is still generally known as School Refusal in political, medical, and educational circles, unfortunately. However the understanding is that children who experience this are not refusing to go to school, or refusing to try. They simply can’t. Your child can’t do it easily. They can’t even try without immense effort. And often they can’t go at all. What is School Can’t? School refusal is a type of school attendance problem characterised by a[…]

Not Just Dancing Letters: Dyslexia

May 7, 2024

Like many (most?!) neurodivergencies, dyslexia comes with all kinds of incorrect stereotypes and assumptions. It wasn’t that long ago that the belief was that dyslexic people simply experienced letters jumping around the page, or the occasional letter presented in mirror image. What is now known about dyslexia is far more detailed, provides far greater understanding of the disability, and gives better direction for support and potential improvement. Is Dyslexia a Disability? In Australia, under the[…]

Starting School: Exposing Household Differences

February 20, 2024

Starting “big school” is a momentous occasion. For many kids it’s a significant step that comes with a number of hurdles. For neurodivergent kids, these hurdles can be larger or more numerous. And, it is becoming increasingly apparent to me, for kids from neurodivergent households (whether they’re ND or NT), it can be quite a leap. Some children will struggle emotionally at school. Others will be “fine” at school and emotional at home. Others will[…]

Accommodations vs Special Treatment

May 19, 2023

The majority of established formal school systems were designed for neurotypical children. It’s a broad statement, but one that I would expect most neurodivergent people who have been through the mainstream school system would attest to. While I don’t think any teacher would choose to discriminate, by adhering to pre-existing systems without actively considering the different needs of neurodivergent students, children still experience needless trauma. There are obvious examples – such as sitting in hard[…]