Special education is not for those less capable. Special education is for those who need extra resources or assistance outside of the resources/assistance provided on an everyday basis through mainstream education. Hence the term ‘Special Education’ or ‘Special Educational Needs’. All areas will continue to be researched and updated from time to time. If you have something you can recommend please email us.
General Links
Neurodevelopment Therapy:
Advanced Brain Technologies – A range of auditory products that have been developed through science to help children and adults alike in various areas relating to neurological challenges, eg. auditory processing, attention challenges, sensory changes, stress, etc.
Specific Educational Therapy:
Equipping Minds – A Cognitive Development Curriculum which aims to increase verbal abilities, nonverbal abilities, IQ composite, and academic abilities in learners with specific learning challenges.
Teaching Resilience:
Student Curriculum on Resilience Education – A research-based resilience education program that helps students cope with the personal, social, and academic challenges of university/college life.
Teaching Social Skills:
Socialthinking – A social skills curriculum that helps individuals as young as four and across the lifespan develop their social thinking and social skills to meet their personal social goals.
Assistive Technology Programs for writing:
Using text-to-speech or visual thinking methodologies to assist your child in their writing or mind mapping. The use of technology across subject areas can ensure your child has the opportunities to develop strengths in learning regardless of identified difficulties with pencil control.
Helpful Parent Resources:
NZ Centre for Gifted Education
Speld NZ – A not for profit organisation that provides information, assessment and tuition to families, whanau, schools, businesses and individuals living with Dyslexia and other Specific Learning Disabilities.
General Subscriptions (which support Special Education learning):
k5 Learning – A web based learning program for Reading, Spelling and Math. K5 were also finalists in the 2011 prestigious award for the best instructional solution for special education students. The area of special education included ADHD, Asperger’s/Autism and Dyslexia
S:iiiL – A family owned and operated education provider based in Dunedin, providing customised online classes in creative writing and coding. Especially suited to home educated, neurodiverse and gifted learners.
Time4Learning – A comprehensive, educational learning system that builds and reinforces reading, writing and math skills. It is used by children with special educational needs as well as by gifted and mainstream students.
Books
The Autism Discussion Page on the Core Challenges of Autism – A toolbox for helping children with autism feel safe, accepted, and competent.
The Autism Discussion Page on Anxiety, Behaviour, School, and Parenting Strategies – A toolbox for helping children with autism feel safe, accepted, and competent.
Overcoming Dyslexia – Tools that parents and teachers need to help the dyslexic child, age by age, grade by grade, step by step.
Stick Up For Yourself – A great book to help children cope with bullying.
How to Make and Keep Friends – Tips for children to overcome 50 common social challenges.
Private Support & Diagnostic Services
Please note, NCHENZ does not endorse any particular private agency. We recommend you do your own due diligence before engaging any consultant.
Application Forms
- ORS information and application form
- NASC information and office contact details
- Health Passport information and application form
- Idea services has been replaced by Explore
More useful links
- Inclusive Education Guide
- Groups that can support you (Ministry of Education website)
- Assistive Technology (Ministry of Education website)
- Ministry of Education special education freephone 0800 622 222
- Ministry of Education special education email address
Special Education Specific
ADD/ADHD:
AttenGo – On line neuro cognitive training for children with ADHD/ADD.
Apraxia (see Speech Disorders)
Our Special Education Advisor has not found anything to recommend in this area. If you have something you have found useful please email us.
Autism (Asperger’s, PDA and PDD):
Altogether Autism – Evidence based information on Autism. Families can also send in questions and they will research and provide personalised information for free.
Kristy Forbes – Intune Pathways – Courses and support groups for autistics/parents of autistics around supporting children with autism and neurodiversity life and education. She also has experience with home educating.
Monarch Teaching Technologies – Web based program with a strong visual learning foundation for children who respond better to visual learning.
Reach Every Voice – Courses and consultations for educating non-speaking and minimally speaking autistic students using age appropriate resources.
Sesame Street and Autism – This initiative was created to address Autism within our communities and to help foster understanding and acceptance for children with Autism. It has great videos, tools and tips for everyone including siblings and friends of young Auties.
Yellow Ladybugs – Information on education and mental health for autistic girls and women. There are some resources that are school based but they can still be relevant in a home education setting.
Auditory Processing Dysfunction:
Our Special Education Advisor has not found anything to recommend in this area. If you have something you have found useful please email us.
Dysgraphia:
Our Special Education Advisor has not found anything to recommend in this area. If you have something you have found useful please email us.
Dyslexia:
Dyslexia Evidence Based (DEB) – Information hub for parents, formulated by NZ home educator; includes information on Dyscalculia and Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) which often comorbid with Dyslexia)
The Learning Steps – A web based literacy program which includes areas of literacy learning that many children with dyslexia find challenging. Learning Steps takes these challenges into account and caters to these specific needs.
Gifted/Twice Exceptional:
Gifted Homeschoolers Forum – A non-profit organization that works to educate and advocate for gifted and 2e families, regardless of educational choice.
GiftedandTalented.com – A web based program that automatically adapts to meet each student’s unique needs based on a variety of data inputs with the goal of ensuring foundational knowledge while accelerating learning.
NZ Centre for Gifted Education
New Zealand Sign Language:
Sign Ninja – A great way to learn, practice and explore NZSL, the Language of the Deaf community of New Zealand.
Sensory Processing Dysfunction:
Our Special Education Advisor has not found anything to recommend in this area. If you have something you have found useful please email us.
Speech Disorders:
Our Special Education Advisor has not found anything to recommend in this area. If you have something you have found useful please email us.
Vision Impaired:
Blind Low Vision Education Network of NZ (BLENNZ) – To enable learners who are blind, deafblind or have low vision to reach their full potential, BLENNZ provides quality education and specialist teaching services in partnership with whanau, educators and the wider community.
Parents of Vision Impaired NZ (PVI) – A non profit organisation made up of parents committed to providing support to other parents of children who are blind or vision impaired, and who often have additional health complications and disabilities.
Transitioning into Employment:
The Āhei internship program for young people with disabilities (of any kind) works to remove barriers to the workforce so tāngata whaikaha (people with disabilities) can participate in work experience.
We support organisations in implementing diverse and inclusive practices and develop our interns to bring their enriched perspectives into the workplace.
The program consists of 6-months of unpaid work experience in Whangarei with a work-ready skills course alongside it. The on-the-job skills that are learned are then officially logged in an online system called ‘i am capable’ which can be used as proof for future employers. At the close of the internship, the skills and experience developed by interns are used to assist them into paid employment. Please email for more information.