We all have expectations – of our children, our parenting, and our homeschool.
But how do you react when these expectations are VERY different to reality, due to neurodiversity, disability, or other perfectly normal experiences that aren’t featured in the rose-tinted-glasses view of parenting?
In this workshop I’ll be talking about my own experiences with 5 children with very different needs and wants, the shifts we had to make when faced with the possibility of severe disability, and how we continue to adapt at each new life stage.

Your child is willing to learn (well, kinda-sorta), you’re willing to teach (ditto), and because you’re an amazing parent, you’ve done everything you can to make this happen… Then why isn’t it?

Before a person can learn they must be able to self-regulate. Before they can self-regulate (which is a choice), their bodies must be ABLE to self-regulate (which isn’t a choice). If their sensory processing is ‘up the creek’, their body is going to focused solely on what’s wrong with no capacity to learn something new.

This is going to be a whirl-wind workshop, with lots of personal examples, about sensory modulation in the homeschool context and how sometimes sensory processing dysfunction can lie at the root of learning/schooling/relationship issues.

I’ll try to give as much practical information as I can so that you’ll: 1. understand sensory modulation, 2. recognise when it’s out of whack, 3. feel confident in taking the steps necessary to sort it out if it is.

Discover how EI helps you stay calm, build stronger family relationships, and handle challenges with empathy.

Get practical tips to bring more peace and balance to your home and move past of the emotional whirlwind of day to day life raising neurodivergent kids.

What You’ll Learn in

• “Emotional Intelligence: The Key To Calming the Chaos”
  
• Understanding Emotions: Recognize and manage your own emotions and those of your children.
• Stress Management: Use EI techniques to stay calm during stressful parenting moments.
• Improving Communication: Enhance your communication with your kids, fostering better understanding and cooperation.
• Building Resilience: Teach your children resilience by modeling positive responses to challenges.
• Empathy in Action: Cultivate empathy to strengthen family bonds and create a supportive home environment.

By the end of this session, you’ll have practical tools to bring calm and clarity to your family’s daily life.

When it comes to applications and reviews it’s all about ‘playing the game’, knowing what to write and how to plan and record without compromising on your home educating style or approach. The Educating Parent Beverley and April from Always Learning Books want to help you jump through those bureaucratic hoops – without the angst!

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when you start your homeschooling journey. Especially when you are trying to get your head around a new neurodivergent diagnosis. Lots of professionals and LOTS of new information, strategies and concepts.

Executive Function or Exective Brain Skills is probably one of those new concepts you are trying to get your head around. Join Micarlé and start unpacking the world of the Executive Brain and how it connects to your Neurodivergent child.

Nutrition underpins all aspects of health, and optimal neurological function is no exception. Dani will take us through the most recent research on brain health, gut health and optimising you and/or your children’s day-to-day and long term health. 

Our workshop focuses on fostering awareness, acceptance, and authentic representation for neurodivergent individuals. Drawing from our experiences with Autism Camp Australia, we demonstrate how creating safe and inclusive spaces helps participants build strong relationships and supportive communities. We discuss how these principles can be applied to various settings, showing the significant benefits of belonging to a community, including enhanced well-being, mental health, and social participation. The workshop also emphasises the critical need for neurodivergent voices to be included in all conversations and decisions, supporting a more inclusive and understanding society.

What is Structured Literacy? What is the Science of Reading? Why would you need to know to teach your children?

Not all kids need a structured literacy approach but it benefits all kids but especially those with learning struggles or disabilities. Using a structured literacy approach can unlock your childs learning potential.

In this workshop Krystel, from EngagingMinds, will step you through the science behind why such programs can give your child the understanding and framework to become confident learners. She will discuss the main aspects you should look for when looking for a programme to use and what you need to know as a parent to best support your child.

In this workshop, we will explore Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA), child development, brain development (especially the threat response), the nervous system, emotional intelligence, and Dr. Ross Greene’s Collaborative & Proactive Solutions (CPS). PDA, a profile within autism, involves anxiety-driven avoidance of everyday demands and affects child development. We will discuss how brain development, particularly the threat response, shapes reactions to stress and perceived dangers, and the foundational role of the nervous system in coordinating these responses. Additionally, we will emphasise the importance of emotional intelligence for social success and personal well-being. Dr. Greene’s CPS model will be presented as an effective approach to addressing challenging behaviours by identifying and collaboratively solving underlying issues, promoting better emotional and behavioural regulation.

This session is about the research, by a researcher in education at a major Australian university. It presents new Australian research on those young people who identify as ND and their move into homeschooling. This session looks at Queensland data to examine how young people are moving into homeschooling. It also outlines Australian and international research about why kids who identify as ND are asking to homeschool? Why are their parents looking at this as an option? What factors in and out of school are affecting these choices?