Hello Wentyl,

This week we are thrilled to reveal the secret project we’ve been working on for months. It’s a two-part video-based panel series called Unpacked: A Neurodivergent Generation. 

We’ve brought together parents, adults with lived experience and experts to discuss pressing issues and dilemmas covering diagnosis, medication, identity and schooling.

In the first episode, we meet Lara Bird, mother of Leo, 12, who went viral last year for a speech to his schoolmates about how having autism and ADHD is a bit like “limited-edition Lego”. He’s not broken, he’s different, the Bird family (pictured) tells us. 

There’s also Emily Hanlon, who’s well known as the Playful Psychologist, who talks about life with her brother Richard, who has severe autism. In her eyes, we should be wary of attempts to label neurodivergence as a superpower, because in many cases it’s anything but. “Spend a day in my house and you’ll see why,” she says.

In the second episode, which is launching on Monday, we focus on different education options for children with anxiety, ADHD and autism, among other conditions. And we'll bring you a list of Australia's best schools for neurodivergent students, nominated by parents and experts, and including mainstream, distance and specialist providers. 

We also meet parents such as Shanntelle Marks and Edwina Exton, who’ve struggled to find the right school settings for their children. Their children, like many others, have bounced from school to school in a search for somewhere they feel safe. Their stories will be familiar to others raising children with neurodivergent minds. 

Our other fascinating stories this week include details on the NAPLAN outage, a sickening attack on a Sydney schoolgirl by a pack of bullies, and Bill Shorten's plan to raid business profits to the tune of $5bn a year to fund the university sector. That'll go down well in corporate boardrooms!

Have a great week and enjoy these wonderful stories. As always, let us know what you think at education@news.com.au

Cheers, Susie