Taking every step together, our vision is to empower the autistic and wider autism communities. Autism NZ assists autistic people and those who make up their support network to learn about autism and find the supports and services they would like to access.
Lives in the Balance advocates for our most vulnerable kids, and helps caregivers see them through more accurate, productive lenses and intervene in evidence-based ways that are collaborative, proactive, non-punitive, non-exclusionary, and effective.
Stronger Schools delivers health and well-being guidance for educators and other school staff working with primary-school-aged children.
ADDitude is the world’s most trusted resource for families and adults living with ADHD and related conditions, and for the professionals who work with them.
Sparklers was developed in response to requests from the education sector for tools to help them support and promote the wellbeing of young Cantabrians.
Formed in 1979, ADHD NZ is the largest and longest-standing non-profit organisation committed to supporting those living with ADHD in New Zealand.
Dyslexia Foundation of New Zealand (DFNZ) was formed in November 2006 to provide a voice for, and services to, the estimated one in ten New Zealanders with dyslexia as well as to those supporting them.
The Education Hub was launched in 2017 with a mission to bridge the gap between research and practice in education in order to improve educational opportunities and outcomes for children and young people.
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder -
Care Action Network's purpose is to unite caregivers, support whānau and individuals, strengthen communities and educate about FASD across Aotearoa.
Welcome to Tāhūrangi - our new home for curriculum content, teaching materials and news. This site will eventually replace TKI so that educators have one place to go to find the content that supports their mahi.
Manahau is your ultimate school wellbeing toolkit. Each week Manahau provides new engaging activities and resources that are steeped in the latest wellbeing science while also designed to support hauora across your learning space for not only ākonga but the entire classroom as well as whānau.
This pae tukutuku is designed by RTLB for RTLB, to connect and engage RTLB across Aotearoa, promoting innovative and effective practice.
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CAST-UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR LEARNING (UDL)
A framework created to ensure that all learning experiences in school, the workplace, and life are thoughtfully designed to elevate strengths and eliminate barriers.
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MATATIKI - CHILD DEVELOPMENT SERVICES
Online learning packages that are free and have been developed for families, whānau and caregivers.
SENSORY SPECIALIST OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY
Occupational Therapy - Sensory Integration - Feeding Therapy
Empowering Kids / Empowering Families
Poutini Waiora is a Māori Health and Social Service provider that delivers holistic care to whānau across Te Tai o Poutini. Established 21 years ago, the service is primarily mobile with kaimahi visiting whānau in their homes or other appropriate settings across the West Coast.
NOT LIMITED OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY
West Coast-based Occupational therapists, dedicated to flexibility and accessibility.
NEURODIVERSITY IN EDUCATION PROJECT
The Neurodiversity in Education Project is helping drive change towards a neuroinclusive education system in New Zealand.
TKI INCLUSIVE EDUCATION GUIDES
These guides have everything you need to recognise, plan for and meet the needs of the diverse learners in your community.
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Shelley Moore is a teacher, researcher, speaker, and storyteller with a background in inclusive and special education, curriculum, and teacher professional development. She works with school districts and community organizations to support practical, evidence-based approaches to increase access for all learners.
Mana Ake provides support to children on the West Coast, in years 1-8 at school, promoting wellbeing and positive mental health.The Mana Ake team works alongside schools, teachers, tamariki and their whānau to address low to moderate needs, offering some therapeutic programmes within classrooms and small groups, to address challenges in the school environment.
Books
Essential guides to understanding autism- and Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder, written (and illustrated) from a personal perspective.
Karen Young is a psychologist who has worked extensively with children teens and families. Her popular books support children to understand anxiety, their feelings and learn about their magnificent brains.
Niho Taniwha equips educators with culturally responsive practices to better serve and empower Māori students and their whānau.
The Brain-Based Classroom translates findings from educational neuroscience into a new paradigm of practices suitable for any teacher.
This adaptable guide invites kaiako to rethink approaches to engaging tamariki, re-envisage the teacher/learner dynamic, revise old habits, and reconfigure learning environments to acknowledge and embrace cultural differences.
Oprah Winfrey and renowned brain development and trauma expert, Dr Bruce Perry, discuss the impact of trauma and adverse experiences and how healing must begin with a shift to asking 'What happened to you?' rather than 'What's wrong with you?'.
THE AUTISM DISCUSSION PAGE: On Stress, Anxiety, Shutdowns, and Meltdowns
Learn strategies for matching environmental demands to the persons processing needs, how to support vulnerabilities, and how to prevent and manage meltdowns while protecting the identify and self-esteem of the individual with autism.
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THE AUTISM DISCUSSION PAGE: On Anxiety, Behaviour, School, and Parenting Strategies
Book 2 covers anxiety and stress, challenging behaviors, stretching comfort zones, discipline, and school issues. It also provides more general teaching and mentoring strategies for coaching children on the autism spectrum in basic daily living strategies to improve their day-to-day lives.
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THE AUTISM DISCUSSION PAGE: On the Core Challenges of Autism
The Autism Discussion Page blue book focuses on the core challenges associated with autism (cognitive, sensory, social, and emotional) and provides concise, accessible information and simple tools for supporting children with these vulnerabilities.
TEACHING FOR POSITIVE BEHAVIOUR
What teachers do in the classroom makes a huge difference to student wellbeing. Teaching for Positive Behaviour has been written for teachers in all New Zealand schools and kura to help them support the behaviour, engagement, participation and learning of children and young people.
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For children with sensory difficulties—those who struggle to process everyday sensations and exhibit unusual behaviors such as avoiding or seeking out touch, movement, sounds, and sights—this groundbreaking book is an invaluable resource.
He Māpuna te Tamaiti is a resource designed for kaiako in early learning settings. It promotes proactive, intentional approaches to supporting the development of children's social and emotional competence.
Based on more than twenty-five years of clinical work with juvenile offenders as well as training parents, teachers, counselors and law enforcement, and supported by research in neuroscience, Changeable presents a radical new way of thinking about challenging and unwanted behavior.
Whether you are a teacher, counselor, coach, or administrator, the CPS approach to school discipline will provide you with a new mindset, an assessment process, and an effective intervention plan for each of your challenging students.
This book is the first to systematically describe the key components necessary to ensure successful implementation of Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS) across mental health settings and non-mental health settings that require behavioral management.
This book provides a detailed framework for effective, individualised intervention with highly oppositional children and their families.
WHEN THE ADULTS CHANGE EVERYTHING CHANGES
Paul Dix upends the debate on behaviour management in schools and offers effective tips and strategies that serve to end the search for change in children and turn the focus back on the adults.
This book is the first to systematically describe the key components necessary to ensure successful implementation of Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS) across mental health settings and non-mental health settings that require behavioral management.
Dare to Lead is a leadership book that emphasises the importance of vulnerability and empathy in the workplace. It presents research-backed strategies for cultivating trust, resilience, and collaboration.
Teaching to the North-East responds to the marginalisation of particular groups of students with a way of teaching intended to increase equity in the education system.
MENTAL HEALTH EDUCATION AND HAUORA
This resource supports teaching children and young people about mental health, well-being, resilience, and interpersonal skills.
The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog
In this classic work of developmental psychology, renowned psychiatrist and the coauthor of the #1 New York Times bestseller What Happened to You? reveals how trauma affects children—and outlines the path to recovery.
In Beyond Behaviours, paediatric psychologist Dr. Mona Delahooke describes behaviours as the tip of the iceberg, important signals that we should address by seeking to understand a child’s individual differences in the context of relational safety.
Getting More out of Restorative Practice in Schools
This book provides insight into a variety of issues RP can help schools with, and addresses them in practical ways to help schools implement restorative practice to its full potential.
Videos
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INSIGHTS FOR EDUCATORS: Part 1 with Bruce Perry
Stress is a normal and natural part of life. But why do some people manage stress well and build resiliency, while others seem to struggle? In this series of conversations, Dr. Bruce Perry explores the impact of stress and trauma on the brain, and the resulting effect on learning.
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INSIGHTS FOR EDUCATORS: Part 2 with Bruce Perry
Principal of the Neurosequential Network, Bruce D. Perry, MD, PhD shares insights for educators that help support mental wellness and classroom success.
A website with videos dedicated to empowering schools and classrooms to support ALL Learners! This website and video series offers resources, research, professional development activities and inspiration in 5 minute chunks!
Teenage documentary maker Elliot Jones disrupts stereotypes of dyslexia by presenting the strengths and capabilities of dyslexic thinking. He hopes it will invite a more open and thriving narrative about how dyslexia can take you places you may never have imagined.
Novelist Chimamanda Adichie tells the story of how she found her authentic cultural voice - and warns that if we hear only a single story about another person or country, we risk a critical misunderstanding.
Shelley Moore talks about the supports that exist for children. She argues that we need to move away form supports that are designed for specific students and instead create environments of inclusive support that can help all students to take risks and be successful.
In this talk, Dr. Kent Pekel shares five essential actions that adults can take to build developmental relationships with young people in families, schools, programs, and other settings.
SCHOOL SUSPENSIONS ARE AN ADULT BEHAVIOUR
There is an epidemic of school suspensions and the downstream consequences are severe. When dealing with the difficult behaviours of children, what if we turned our focus inward?
High school dropout turned Harvard faculty, L. Todd Rose, talks about how a simple new way of thinking helps nurture individual potential. Rose is a faculty member at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where he teaches Educational Neuroscience.
THE BARBERSHOP WHERE MEN GO TO HEAL
Matt Brown is an internationally acclaimed barber and hair artist, author, husband, and father of three He is a survivor of family and childhood sexual abuse and shares his story as a way to foster vulnerability, healing, and connection.
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WHY EVERY KID NEEDS A CHAMPION
Rita Pierson, a teacher for 40 years, puts out a rousing call to educators to believe in their students and actually connect with them on a real, human, personal level.
A moving demonstration of the impact privilege can have on the race we each run.
Every Opportunity shows the difference between a school in crisis- based survival mode, versus one that puts students into the learning brain through the foundation of relationships.
At the age of six, Sala Tiatia experienced domestic violence for the first time. It was the verbal abuse however, that bought the most darkness to Sala’s internal world—until one particular English class, with one particular English teacher, turned Sala’s dark world around.
This video was developed to give a basic introduction and overview of how trauma and chronic stress affects our nervous system and how those effects impact our health and well-being. Much of the content is based on the groundbreaking work of Stephen Porges and his Polyvagal Theory.
DAN SIEGEL'S HAND MODEL OF THE BRAIN
This is a version of Dr. Dan Siegel's Hand Model of the Brain "Don't Flip Your Lid". This video shows how our brain and emotions are linked and what we can do to remain calm so we don't "flip our lids" and how to self-regulate if we DO flip our lids.
HOW TEACHERS CAN HELP ME LEARN
Katrina, a student from Onslow College talks about what teachers can do to support her learning.
Brigham shares his perspective of the top 10 things that make a difference for him as a learner. This video focuses on Māori achieving educational success as Māori, drawing on student voice.
Podcasts
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THE NINE SENSORY SYSTEMS - Part 1 with Elen Nathan from the Playful Place
An intro to the nine sensory systems and why it's important to be familiar with them.
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THE EIGHT SENSORY SYSTEMS - Part 2 with Elen Nathan
Elen unpacks the 8 sensory systems and the hyper (extremely sensitive) and hypo (low sensitivity) of these.
EPISODE 217: DECLARATIVE LANGUAGE- A NEW STRATEGY FOR NEURODIVERGENT COMMUNICATION
Often, neurodivergent people have a completely different communication experience than neurotypicals. They respond differently to regulation, attention, and motivation, and often parents struggle when trying to improve connections with their kids. Linda Murphy is the author of The Declarative Language Handbook, and we present an encore of our conversation from 2023, with ideas on how to reframe communication and break down barriers.
EPISODE 4: I'VE GOT QUESTIONS: THE IMPORTANCE OF RELATIONSHIPS
The episode also examines the challenges that can arise within relationships, such as communication barriers, conflicts, and misunderstandings, offering insights into how to navigate these issues effectively. Listeners can expect to gain a deeper understanding of the value of nurturing healthy relationships and practical tips for strengthening their interpersonal connections.
EPISODE 11: I'VE GOT QUESTIONS: WHAT IS TRAUMA?
The word trauma is used a lot. What do we actually mean by that word, and how can we recognise it in ourselves and others?
ALLIANCE AGAINST SECLUSION AND RESTRAINT
The Alliance Against Seclusion and Restraint (AASR) works to end harmful school discipline practices like restraint and seclusion, which disproportionately impact vulnerable students. They advocate for trauma-informed, relationship-based approaches and provide resources, training, and advocacy tools to promote safer, more inclusive schools.
UNCONDITIONAL with Jase Williams
This podcast shares powerful insights from global leaders in trauma-informed, equity-centered, compassionate, and relational neuroscience, hosted by Jase Williams (Ngāti Tamaterā)—a dynamic TEDx speaker, educator, and thought leader with over 25 years of experience, widely recognized as Aotearoa’s leading voice in compassionate education.
UNLOCKING US: With Brené Brown
"Unlocking Us" is a podcast by Brené Brown that explores human emotions, relationships, and personal growth. Through interviews and solo discussions, she delves into topics like courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy with notable guests. The podcast aims to help listeners live and lead with authenticity and wholeheartedness. It has received critical acclaim and is available on major streaming platforms.
"Dare to Lead" is a podcast hosted by Brené Brown, featuring conversations with change-makers, culture-shifters, and innovators who are leading with courage and authenticity.
The podcast delves into topics such as vulnerability, courage, and leadership, offering insights from experts and practitioners.
Episodes include discussions on creating inclusive cultures, leading with purpose in the digital age, and understanding the heart of daring leadership.
Join Kate of ADHDKidsCanThrive, LLC as she explores and learns more about ADHD from thought leaders, experts and advocates. Kate hopes to engage parents, educators and the general community to help ADHD people reach their highest potential. Kate is a parent, author of How We Roll -A Parent’s Journey of Raising an ADHD child, founder of ADHDKIdsCanThrive.com and former media executive.