At MindPlus, we describe a gifted child as one who has high abilities in relation to their peers of the same age in one or more areas (including intellectual, creative, social, cultural and physical), along with particular personal qualities like intensity, sensitivity and big emotions. ​Gifted children are all very different, and may not have been - or felt - able to express their gifts fully, particularly if their brains are different in other ways (for instance if they have ASD, ADHD, dyslexia etc). They may also have to work hard to fit into an environment that doesn’t support their cultural, socio-economic or other differences. Some children - often girls - will be more concerned with fitting in socially and will not want to show themselves as different. Trust your instincts - the Gifted Development Center in the US has found that 85% of parents are right about their child’s giftedness. You can find more information on the MindPlus page here. There are also a number of resources on our Learning Hub, with links to some of these below. Identifying Gifted Kids - For Parents Myths & Facts About Gifted Learners

MindPlus is a programme for gifted learners in Years 2–10. Research shows that many gifted and otherwise neurodivergent students struggle in standard classrooms without specialist support. They may feel different, misunderstood, disengaged, or face challenges like anxiety—often working hard to mask their differences. These students benefit from regular opportunities to connect with like-minded peers in a supportive, inclusive space. MindPlus helps them focus on their strengths, explore their interests deeply, and build skills in areas where they may need support, including executive functioning, social-emotional, and self-advocacy skills.

How old does a child have to be to start MindPlus? We like students to be around Y2 or 6 years of age. This is so that your child starts school and settles into the new routines and rhythms of school life before starting with us at MindPlus. Can I join MindPlus Online from overseas? Absolutely! Our MindPlus Online meetings are at a fixed time each week, so as long as the time differences work out well, that is absolutely fine with us. Can my home-schooled child come to MindPlus? Yes - we have many home-schooled students who attend MindPlus Online and OurSchool. When you apply, you will not need to provide information from your child’s school.

MindPlus is a specialist programme for gifted and neurodivergent learners in Years 2–10. Small groups of students (15–18) meet weekly with a specialist teacher for a curriculum tailored to their needs and interests. Many students attend MindPlus throughout their primary and intermediate years, building strong connections with teachers and classmates. MindPlus is offered in several formats to suit different students, whānau, and schools. Learn more about these options here. Developed over 25 years, the MindPlus programme continues to evolve based on the latest insights into neurodiversity and how brains work. Is MindPlus a school? The Neurodiversity in Education Project is a non-profit organisation that operates the MindPlus family of programmes across New Zealand. We are not ourselves a school, private or otherwise, but our programmes are often delivered by schools and in classrooms (units) within schools. ​ How do I find out more information about MindPlus programmes? We have lots of information about each programme here. You can find out more about each of our programmes here: - MindPlus YourSchool - MindPlus OurSchool - MindPlus Online ​ What actually happens at MindPlus? Our MindPlus programmes all use a specialist curriculum designed to support the needs of gifted and neurodivergent learners. It supports learners to: Grow their thinking and conceptual skills Dive deeply into passion areas, and Learn and practice the executive functioning, social and emotional and self-advocacy skills they need to thrive. As no two groups of learners are the same, no two days are the same! For a peek into some of our MindPlus classes, check out our blog on “A Day at MindPlus”. ​ Is MindPlus done during school time? We have a number of different MindPlus programmes to fit the needs of different students, whānau and schools: OurSchool takes place one day a week during school time. YourSchool takes place for a half day a week during school time. Online can take place during school time or students can meet before school and do their work at home. The specific days and time at which the programme is available varies by programme and unit. In relation to OurSchool, our Place Offer will include the details of the class times we have available for your child. What do we need to provide? Does MindPlus have a uniform? Do I need to provide any stationery? We don’t have a uniform but your child should wear comfy and practical clothes. You can buy a MindPlus t-shirt or hoodie for your child if you’d like but these aren’t compulsory! Check out our shop where you can buy MindPlus gear as well as Clubs, Welcome To My Brain and Young Neurodiversity Champions merchandise! We provide all stationery and a device to use if needed. If your child prefers their own pens and pencils or device, they are welcome to bring these. My child needs academic extension in a specific area, like maths or science. Does MindPlus do that? Our specialist curriculum supports broad skills development for our gifted and neurodivergent kids. The MindPlus programme does not provide focused extension in specific academic areas. If you have a curious child who is passionate about a particular area though, check out Clubs! It’s a FREE online learning platform where passionate Y2-10 kids connect with like minds. Across ten interest areas like mathematics, design and coding, students access a range of learning resources, connect online, and get inspired by passionate professionals. Learn more for parents Learn more for teachers

Can I choose what day my child does MindPlus? Lots of factors go into MindPlus class make-up, including the ages of the students and their interests. This means that it may not be possible to accommodate requests for a particular day of the week. ​ Where are your MindPlus OurSchool units? We have MindPlus OurSchool units in Auckland and Christchurch. Our 4 current units, kindly hosted by local schools, are: Auckland East - Riverina School, Pakuranga Auckland West - Bruce McLaren Intermediate, Henderson Auckland Central - Grey Lynn School, Grey Lynn Christchurch - Isleworth School, Bishopdale What if we don’t live near a MindPlus OurSchool unit? You can join MindPlus Online or talk to your school about offering MindPlus at your child’s school (MindPlus YourSchool). You can find more information about these programmes here. You can find out more about each of our programmes here: - MindPlus YourSchool - MindPlus Online

How much are the fees for MindPlus? In 2025, MindPlus Online costs $360 per term and MindPlus OurSchool costs $760 per term. There is also a $30 application fee, a one-time fee payable when parents accept a Place Offer at MindPlus. We also ask for an annual donation of $50, which is voluntary and tax deductible, payable at the start of each year, or when your child starts at MindPlus. MindPlus programmes take place over 38 weeks in the year. If your school is offering MindPlus YourSchool, they will let you know whether they are asking for a fees contribution or not. ​ Why are there fees for MindPlus? The Neurodiversity in Education Project is a not-for-profit organisation which relies on parent fees to run our MindPlus OurSchool and Online programmes. These programmes receive no Ministry of Education funding. Currently, we receive some government funding enabling us to offer MindPlus YourSchool to a small number of schools, with a contribution of $1500 per annum from each school. When do fees need to be paid? You can pay termly at the start of each term, or set up payments each month, fortnight or week across the term. Just let us know which option you prefer. You do need to pay the fees for the previous term before the start of a new term. Please refer to your Parent Guide for more information. What are your Financial Terms and Conditions? Please refer to your Parent Guide for more information. ​ Can I pay my fees online? Yes. Fees can be paid online using Hero. There is a standard credit card fee for this. If you have any issues, please contact us. ​ Who do I contact if I have a question about fees? You can contact us at hello@neurodiversity.org.nz or on 0800 759 243. ​ Can I get a refund if my child is away sick? Or away for another reason? Although we fully understand that sickness or unmissable school events like camp can happen, we are unable to refund fees for absences. As a not-for-profit organisation, we rely on fees to meet the weekly costs of running each MindPlus class. In the rare event that we cannot hold a MindPlus class, we will arrange either a credit or refund for you. What if I can’t afford MindPlus fees? We know that these fees are significant for many families and we suggest that families try to work with their schools to support them to attend or to offer MindPlus at their child’s own school. If that support is unavailable and the family is otherwise unable to afford for their child to attend MindPlus OurSchool and Online, we do have a Scholarship Fund which is available to assist a small number of students each year who meet its criteria. Scholarship applications open in Term 4 and are awarded each year in December. You are able to apply for a Scholarship ONLY once you have a Place Offer from us. In 2024, you must have your MindPlus Application fully completed by 1 December to be able to apply for a 2025 Scholarship. Find out more in the Parent Guides for OurSchool and Online.

Do you have scholarships? How do I apply for a scholarship? How do I know if my child meets the criteria? Thanks to the generosity of our donors, we are able to operate a small scholarship programme for students who have a Place Offer. We have a strategic focus on increasing the number of students who are significantly under-represented in our MindPlus programmes - girls, Māori and Pasifika students, and students from low decile schools. ​ Scholarship applications are open during Term 4 each year and are awarded in December for the year ahead. Find out more in the Parent Guides for OurSchool and Online.

How do I make a donation for a scholarship for another child? We welcome your support and invite you to get in touch to talk more about the support you would like to provide. Donations are tax deductible and donors will be given a tax receipt.

Hero is a communications and student management platform that we use to keep in touch with you and to share information about your child’s progress at MindPlus OurSchool and Online with you. Through Hero you can: Check out what is happening in your child’s MindPlus class each week Let us know if your child is going to be away Get updates about your child’s learning and progress See your fees invoice and statements and make online payments You can access Hero online from any device at https://app.linc-ed.com. You can also download the free Hero app to your phone, laptop/desktop, tablet or iPad, from whichever app store you use. ​ How do I get started with Hero? We will send you a link to enrol in Hero once you have accepted a place at MindPlus. You need to enrol before your child starts with us. Follow the instructions in the link we send you and then you will get another email back from us with instructions about how to log into Hero. ​ I already use Hero in my child’s school, how do I connect the two accounts? You don’t need to do anything complicated to connect your two Hero accounts! Just let us know that you’d like to do this when you fill in your Hero enrolment form - there will be a box for you to tick to let us know. It may take a couple of days to get this set up with Hero, and we will email you once it’s all done. How do I get help with Hero? Check out our Parent Guides for help and basic set up instructions. Find out more in the Parent Guides for OurSchool and Online. How often should I check Hero? Weekly at least! You can also set Hero to notify you whenever there is an update in relation to your child or their class.

My child is going to be away from MindPlus - what do I do? You can let us know about absences in Hero. Just click on the absence tab and follow the instructions. Do be aware that we cannot provide a refund if your child is unable to attend MindPlus. We are a not-for-profit organisation, but we do need to be financially viable. In the rare event that we cannot hold a MindPlus class, we will arrange either a credit or refund for you. ​ My child wants to leave MindPlus OurSchool or Online. What do I do? Please talk first to your child’s MindPlus teacher. They can then help you with the process from there. This process is also detailed in our Parent Guides - see here for OurSchool and for Online. Do be aware that, if you decide to leave during a term, you will not receive a refund for remaining classes.

How do I get hold of my child’s teacher? Someone else at the Neurodiversity in Education Project? Contact information is available for our staff on our website here. ​ My child is struggling at MindPlus, what should I do? We want all students to thrive at MindPlus, so please let us know early if any issues arise. We work collaboratively with students and parents to address a wide range of concerns. Some students find the transition into MindPlus challenging due to the new environment, routines, peers, and learning approaches, which can feel quite different from school. However, most students settle in and start connecting with like-minded peers by the end of the first term, not necessarily on the first day. If you have concerns, please reach out to your child’s MindPlus teacher. ​ I want to give the Neurodiversity in Education Project some feedback about MindPlus, who do I talk to? We value your feedback as it helps us address any issues early and continuously improve our programme. You can use our Fast Feedback form anytime to share your thoughts or raise concerns. New families are prompted to complete the form at the end of their first term, which helps us address any initial transition challenges, but all feedback is welcome at any time.