Another Journey of rangatahi Success

We have been working with a young wahine who had not attended mainstream schooling for over three years. Like many neurodiverse tamariki, she had quietly fallen through the gaps, struggling to re-engage in school, declined twice for assessment through the public system, and facing barriers that made accessing support incredibly difficult.

When we started working with her, she slowly began to reconnect, joining group sessions, building friendships, and gently working through social anxieties that had once held her back. Over time, she started learning about who she is, where she comes from, and what it feels like to be grounded in identity, culture and belonging. Her confidence began to grow, and so did her spark.

With our wrap-around support for her and her whānau, we were able to advocate for assessment funding, secure a diagnosis for neurodiversity, and transition her into home-based learning through Te Kura — a setting that honored her pace and unique way of learning.

The change has been incredible. Below is feedback from her teacher:

"She has responded wonderfully to learning from home. She met with me online every week, spoke freely and comfortably, and consistently submitted high-quality work at an increasingly challenging level. She also attended online classes regularly.

She was awarded a tohu at the end of the year, although travel was too far to attend the ceremony, so it will be sent to her.

End-of-year assessments show her working at a much higher level than indicated at enrolment. I often see this for ākonga with ASD when they are removed from the noise and pressure of a classroom environment and can learn in their own space and time.

She should be incredibly proud — she’s had an awesome year!”

Her journey reminds us of what happens when a young person is given time, patience and a place where they feel safe to simply be themselves. With identity, connection and the right support, potential is not just reached, it flourishes.

Another success story.
Another tamaiti thriving.
This is why we do the mahi. 💛.