Choosing the right school for your child is one of the biggest decisions parents make.

But many families choose schools for familiar reasons:

• that’s where friends from kinder are going

• the school has the best reputation

• it’s the closest school

The reality is that different schools are better for different children.

The best school isn’t necessarily the most popular one or the one with the longest waiting list. The best school is the one where your child can participate, feel safe and grow.

In this episode of Different Is Normal, Dave and Emily walk through how parents can make informed school decisions when raising neurodivergent children.

They discuss:

• the different types of schools in Australia

• how school zones and out-of-zone enrolment work

• what IQ testing actually means (and when it matters)

• what “reasonable adjustments” look like in classrooms

• Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 funding explained

• what Student Support Groups (SSGs), IEPs and ILPs are

• how schools support regulation and participation

• what questions parents should ask during school tours

• red flags to watch for when visiting schools

• why school fit matters more than reputation

This episode is designed to help parents understand the system, advocate for their children, and find the environment where their child can thrive.

Because choosing a school isn’t about ranking schools.

It’s about finding the place where your child can breathe.

Subscribe for more conversations about neurodiversity, education and parenting:

https://www.youtube.com/@differentisnormal

Watch this episode:

https://youtu.be/bMpOEk_cp8U

00:00 Why choosing the right school matters

01:28 Touring multiple schools before deciding

02:20 The moment that helped us choose a primary school

04:49 Choosing schools based on philosophy

06:39 Types of schools in Australia explained

08:21 Why school fit matters more than reputation

11:18 Looking beyond NAPLAN and academic rankings

16:27 What IQ testing actually means for schools

17:31 Schools’ legal obligation to support students

18:08 Examples of reasonable adjustments

19:44 Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 funding explained

25:18 Red flags to watch for during school tours

30:34 Why changing schools is okay

31:20 Student Support Groups (SSGs) explained

33:28 IEPs, ILPs and setting meaningful goals

38:22 Planning school transitions early

45:18 Reducing cognitive load for students

51:53 Fair vs equitable support in schools

56:52 Why documenting everything matters

58:22 Questions parents should ask schools

1:04:07 Out-of-zone enrolment and appeals

1:07:07 Final advice for parents

#Neurodiversity #Autism #ADHD #InclusiveEducation #DifferentIsNormal