Neurodiversity, Education, and the Everyday Power of Difference

In Our Journeys with Dean and Nishka, Hwee Peng Tan shares her remarkable path from Singapore to Perth, where she has become a leader in special needs education and a champion for neurodiverse children. Her story is a reminder that difference is not something to be managed—it is something to be celebrated, nurtured, and woven into the fabric of everyday life.

Education, at its best, is neuro‑affirmative. It sees each child not through the lens of limitation, but through the lens of possibility. Hwee Peng’s work, recognized through the Western Australian Education Awards, shows us how inclusive classrooms can transform lives—not only for neurodivergent children but for their peers, teachers, and communities.

Her book, How to Be a Neuro‑affirmative Parent, extends this vision into the home. It offers parents practical wisdom wrapped in optimism: tools to affirm difference, language that normalizes diversity, and strategies that help children grow into confident, resilient individuals.

Belonging is the soil where confidence blooms. When children feel seen and valued for who they are, they learn that their voices matter. They discover that their unique ways of thinking are not obstacles but sparks—sparks that ignite creativity, innovation, and brighter futures.

Hwee Peng’s journey reminds us that diversity is not an exception to the rule; it is the rule. It is everyday, essential, and transformative. By embracing difference with warmth and playful optimism, we build communities where every child belongs, every parent feels supported, and every educator is empowered to nurture growth.

This is the vision we hold: a world where neurodiversity is not hidden or stigmatized, but celebrated as the natural rhythm of human life. A world where difference is the spark that lights the way forward.