NeuroMe Option 1 and Option 2
Choose the level of support your family needs
Every neurodivergent learner is different.
Some learners feel relieved as soon as the pressure of mainstream school is removed. They can follow NeuroMe’s predictable structure with the support of their parent and only need occasional guidance from the NeuroMe team.
Other learners need a familiar person who checks in with them every week.

This is why NeuroMe offers two support options.
Both options provide the same CAPS aligned academic journey. Both include NeuroMe lessons, human marking, feedback, Practice Rounds, Knowledge Challenges, reports and access to the relevant NeuroMe support structures.
The difference is the level of personal motivational support included.
Option 1: Chilled Package
Option 1 provides the complete NeuroMe academic offering.
It is suitable for families who feel comfortable managing the learner’s daily routine, motivation and emotional adjustment at home, while still having access to NeuroMe’s academic and general support teams when guidance is needed.

Option 2: Hype Package
Option 2 provides everything included in Option 1.
It also gives the learner a dedicated NeuroChamp who meets with them online every week. The NeuroChamp supports motivation, emotional insight, executive functioning, confidence and adjustment to the NeuroMe journey.

Both options provide the complete academic programme
Choosing Option 1 does not mean that the learner receives a reduced curriculum.
Choosing Option 2 does not provide a different CAPS standard.
Both options include the NeuroMe academic journey applicable to the learner’s grade and pathway.
This includes:
- CAPS aligned learning content.
- Self guided and interactive lessons.
- Predictable two week sections.
- Lesson level access support.
- Human marking.
- Detailed feedback.
- Focused study material.
- Two Practice Rounds.
- Knowledge Challenges.
- Reports according to the applicable pathway.
- NeuroMix social opportunities.
- NeuroSupport sessions.
- Communication through ionHub.
- Academic Lead guidance.
- Support Lead guidance.
- General pathway support.
The learner’s grade, subjects, academic standards and assessment requirements do not change because the family selects Option 1 or Option 2.
Option 1: Chilled Package
Complete academic support with parent managed daily implementation
Option 1 is designed for families who want NeuroMe’s full learning, assessment and reporting service but do not need a scheduled personal NeuroChamp meeting every week.
The parent remains the primary educator and manages:
- The learner’s daily routine.
- Lesson planning within the NeuroMe sections.
- Motivation.
- Regulation.
- Monitoring lesson completion.
- Reviewing feedback.
- Preparing for Knowledge Challenges.
- Checking ionHub and email.
- Arranging tutoring where needed.
- Supporting executive functioning.
- Communicating with NeuroMe when help is needed.
The family is not left without support.
They still have access to the relevant NeuroMe Academic Lead and Support Lead.
The difference is that support is requested when needed rather than being built around a dedicated weekly NeuroChamp relationship.
Who may benefit from Option 1?
Option 1 may suit a learner who:
- Is reasonably self motivated.
- Can follow a routine with parent support.
- Is comfortable working independently for parts of the day.
- Adjusts to new systems without needing weekly personal encouragement.
- Can communicate difficulties to their parent.
- Responds well to feedback.
- Does not currently need a weekly accountability meeting.
- Already receives suitable emotional or executive functioning support elsewhere.
- Prefers fewer scheduled meetings.
- Experiences online meetings as an additional demand.
Option 1 may also suit a parent who:
- Feels confident managing the home learning routine.
- Has enough capacity to monitor motivation and progress.
- Understands the learner’s executive functioning needs.
- Is comfortable contacting NeuroMe when guidance is required.
- Does not need another person to check in with the learner every week.
Option 1 does not mean no support
Parents sometimes worry that choosing Option 1 means they will need to solve every problem alone.
That is not the intention.
Option 1 families still receive access to:
- The learner’s marked work.
- Academic feedback.
- NeuroSupport.
- The relevant Academic Lead.
- The relevant Support Lead.
- ionHub communication.
- General process guidance.
- Accommodation guidance.
- Assessment preparation information.
- Pathway information.
The family may contact the correct NeuroMe team when a specific need arises.
However, NeuroMe will not take over the daily monitoring and motivation that remain part of the parent’s primary educator role.
Option 2: Hype Package
Everything in Option 1, with a dedicated weekly NeuroChamp check in
Option 2 includes the complete academic service provided through Option 1.
The additional feature is a weekly online meeting with the learner’s dedicated NeuroChamp.
The NeuroChamp becomes a familiar support person within the learner’s NeuroMe journey.
They are not there to place more pressure on the learner.
They are there to understand how the learner is experiencing the journey and to help them develop the personal skills needed to engage with it more successfully.
What is a NeuroChamp?
A NeuroChamp is a NeuroMe support person who understands common neurodivergent experiences and the way these experiences may affect learning.
The NeuroChamp focuses on areas such as:
- Motivation.
- Confidence.
- Emotional insight.
- Executive functioning.
- Planning.
- Task initiation.
- Organisation.
- Self awareness.
- Transition into home education.
- Managing anxiety around learning.
- Recognising strengths.
- Identifying barriers.
- Developing appropriate routines.
- Building accountability without shame.
- Celebrating progress.
- Encouraging self advocacy.
The NeuroChamp helps the learner explore what may make learning more manageable.
They do not decide whether the learner is academically correct.
They support the learner who is trying to engage with the academic journey.
Why would my learner need a NeuroChamp?
A learner may know exactly what work needs to be completed and still struggle to begin.
They may have the ability but not the motivation.
They may understand the NeuroMe structure but feel overwhelmed by the number of steps.
They may want to succeed but experience:
- Time blindness.
- Task paralysis.
- Demand avoidance.
- Anxiety.
- Perfectionism.
- Rejection sensitivity.
- Difficulty transitioning between activities.
- Difficulty recognising progress.
- Low confidence after previous school experiences.
- Difficulty explaining what support they need.
- Emotional exhaustion.
- Fear of assessments.
- Difficulty recovering after a difficult lesson.
These difficulties are not always solved by another academic explanation.
The learner may need someone to help them understand the barrier surrounding the work.
That is where the NeuroChamp can add value.
What does a NeuroChamp meeting look like?
The learner meets with their NeuroChamp through a scheduled online session, ordinarily once each week according to the current Option 2 structure.
A session is usually a short and focused check in rather than another long online class.
The exact conversation will depend on the learner’s age, communication style, current experiences and support needs.
A typical meeting may include:
- A gentle emotional check in.
- Discussing how the week has felt.
- Identifying something that went well.
- Recognising a completed task or personal achievement.
- Discussing a barrier the learner experienced.
- Exploring why beginning or completing something felt difficult.
- Looking at the learner’s routine.
- Discussing an upcoming transition or Knowledge Challenge.
- Choosing one manageable focus for the next week.
- Encouraging the learner to communicate their needs.
- Helping the learner notice patterns.
- Celebrating progress that may otherwise be overlooked.
The meeting should not feel like an interrogation.
The learner does not need to arrive with a perfect week or a list of completed tasks.
The purpose is support, not punishment.
The first NeuroChamp meeting
After enrolment in Option 2, a first meeting is arranged with the learner’s NeuroChamp.
The first meeting is primarily about connection and understanding.
The NeuroChamp may explore:
- The learner’s interests.
- Preferred communication style.
- Previous educational experiences.
- Current feelings about learning.
- Areas that feel easy.
- Areas that feel difficult.
- What motivates the learner.
- What causes overwhelm.
- How the learner responds to reminders.
- What type of encouragement feels helpful.
- What type of language feels pressurising.
- What the learner hopes NeuroMe will feel like.
The learner does not need to disclose every personal detail during the first meeting.
Trust may develop gradually.
A typical weekly NeuroChamp check in

A weekly meeting may follow a gentle structure such as:
1. How are you arriving today?
The NeuroChamp may begin by asking how the learner is feeling or what kind of week they have had.
A learner may answer verbally, type, use a rating, give a short response or use another agreed communication method.
2. What went well?
The NeuroChamp helps the learner identify progress.
This may include:
- Opening a difficult lesson.
- Completing a section.
- Asking for help.
- Using a sensory break appropriately.
- Attending NeuroMix.
- Completing a Practice Round.
- Recovering after frustration.
- Communicating a need.
- Following a routine for one day.
- Trying again after a mistake.
Neurodivergent learners may overlook these achievements because they compare themselves with an unrealistic standard.
The NeuroChamp helps make progress visible.
3. What felt difficult?
The learner may discuss:
- A task they avoided.
- A confusing instruction.
- A difficult transition.
- Anxiety about an upcoming assessment.
- A routine that did not work.
- Trouble getting started.
- A conflict at home.
- Feeling overwhelmed.
- Losing motivation.
- A fear of disappointing others.
The NeuroChamp listens for the barrier underneath the behaviour.
4. What may help?
The NeuroChamp and learner may discuss a practical strategy.
This could include:
- Dividing a task into smaller steps.
- Choosing a more suitable time of day.
- Creating a simple visual plan.
- Beginning with a preferred subject.
- Using a timer carefully.
- Adding a sensory break.
- Preparing the workspace.
- Asking the parent for a specific type of support.
- Practising the Invigilator App.
- Reviewing only one part of the feedback at a time.
5. What is our focus for the next week?
The learner may choose one small and achievable focus.
The goal should not be to change everything at once.
A useful focus may be:
- Open every returned lesson and read the feedback.
- Complete one Practice Round.
- Begin Mathematics before midday twice this week.
- Ask for a break before reaching shutdown.
- Use the weekly planner.
- Check ionHub with the parent.
- Practise logging into the Invigilator App.
- Attend part of NeuroMix.
- Explain one learning need to the parent.
- Celebrate one completed task.
NeuroChamp support is not academic tutoring
This distinction is extremely important.
A NeuroChamp does not replace a subject teacher or tutor.
The NeuroChamp does not usually:
- Teach Mathematics concepts.
- Explain a Science lesson.
- Correct an English answer.
- Complete homework with the learner.
- Provide subject specific revision.
- Mark work.
- Decide whether a response should receive marks.
- Explain formal Knowledge Challenge questions.
- Prepare model answers.
- Replace an Academic Lead.
If the learner does not understand the academic content, the correct response may be:
- Review the lesson.
- Read the marker’s feedback.
- Contact the Academic Lead for process guidance.
- Arrange subject tutoring.
- Revisit an earlier foundation.
- Consider whether the learner is at the correct grade level.
The NeuroChamp may help the learner recognise that academic help is needed and encourage them to ask for it.
They do not become the academic intervention.
Motivation is not the same as academic teaching
A learner may understand the work but not be able to start.
That is a motivational or executive functioning barrier.
A learner may begin the work but not understand fractions.
That is an academic barrier.
A learner may understand fractions but become anxious whenever they see a timed assessment.
That is an emotional and assessment access barrier.
The NeuroChamp helps identify which type of barrier may be present.
This insight helps the family direct the problem to the correct person.
NeuroChamp support is not therapy
A NeuroChamp meeting may include discussion about emotions, anxiety, confidence and learning experiences.
However, NeuroChamp support is not:
- Psychological therapy.
- Trauma therapy.
- Clinical counselling.
- Occupational therapy.
- Speech therapy.
- Behaviour therapy.
- Crisis intervention.
- Diagnosis.
- Medical treatment.
- Emergency mental health support.
A learner experiencing significant emotional distress, trauma, self harm risk, severe anxiety, depression or another clinical concern requires support from an appropriately qualified professional.
The NeuroChamp may notice that further help appears necessary and encourage the family to seek it.
They do not replace that professional care.
NeuroChamp support is not daily supervision
The NeuroChamp does not watch the learner complete lessons every day.
They do not:
- Sit online while every task is completed.
- Call repeatedly until the learner begins.
- Check every Google Classroom activity each morning.
- Replace the parent’s monitoring.
- Manage the learner’s full weekly timetable.
- Guarantee lesson completion.
- Force attendance.
- Apply punishment.
- Become responsible for missed deadlines.
- Carry the learner through the programme.
The NeuroChamp provides a weekly point of reflection, encouragement and guidance.
Daily implementation remains the responsibility of the learner and parent.
Motivation without shame
Neurodivergent learners are often told:
You are lazy.
You are not trying.
You have so much potential, but you waste it.
You just need discipline.
You could do it if you wanted to.
These statements may ignore executive functioning barriers, anxiety, demand avoidance, sensory overload and previous educational trauma.
A NeuroChamp should not use shame as motivation.
Instead, the NeuroChamp may help the learner ask:
- What makes this task difficult to begin?
- Is the first step clear?
- Does the task feel too large?
- Is the learner afraid of getting it wrong?
- Is the environment overwhelming?
- Does the learner need a break?
- Is the learner confused about the instruction?
- Is the learner avoiding the emotional feeling connected to the task?
- Does the learner need more academic help?
- Would a different routine make the task more accessible?
Understanding the barrier does not remove responsibility.
It helps the learner take responsibility more effectively.
Supporting executive functioning
Executive functioning includes the mental processes used to begin, plan, organise, remember, monitor and complete tasks.
A learner may be intelligent and still struggle with these processes.
A NeuroChamp may help the learner develop strategies for:
- Task initiation.
- Planning.
- Prioritising.
- Time awareness.
- Remembering the next step.
- Transitioning between subjects.
- Checking completed work.
- Breaking down large tasks.
- Recovering after interruption.
- Preparing for Knowledge Challenges.
- Following a weekly routine.
- Monitoring energy and regulation.
The strategy should match the learner.
A detailed timetable may help one learner and overwhelm another.
A visual list may help one learner, while another may need only one task displayed at a time.
Supporting emotional insight
Neurodivergent learners may struggle to identify or explain what they are feeling.
They may know that something is wrong but not know whether they are:
- Anxious.
- Overwhelmed.
- Bored.
- Confused.
- Sensory overloaded.
- Tired.
- Afraid of failure.
- Frustrated.
- Experiencing demand avoidance.
- Needing academic help.
A NeuroChamp may help the learner develop language for these experiences.
Greater emotional insight can help the learner communicate needs before the situation reaches complete shutdown.
Supporting self advocacy
As learners grow, they need to understand how to communicate what helps them.
A NeuroChamp may encourage the learner to practise statements such as:
- I understand better when the instruction is written down.
- I need a short break before I continue.
- I am confused about what this task is asking.
- I can type this more effectively than I can write it.
- I need help planning the first step.
- I am becoming overwhelmed by the number of tasks.
- I need the parent to read this instruction.
- I need academic help with this concept.
- I need quiet before the Knowledge Challenge.
- This reminder feels pressurising. Can we try another approach?
These skills may support the learner beyond school.
Neurodiversity is lifelong.
Understanding and communicating one’s needs can remain valuable in further study, training, employment and adult life.
Supporting transition into NeuroMe
Changing from mainstream school or another programme can be emotionally complicated.
A learner may feel relieved, but also uncertain.
They may wonder:
- What if this fails too?
- What if I cannot motivate myself at home?
- What if I fall behind?
- What if I do not understand the platform?
- What if my parent becomes my teacher and we argue?
- What if I still feel anxious?
- What if people think home education means I failed?
The NeuroChamp can help the learner settle into the new rhythm.
They may help the learner understand that a new environment still requires time, experimentation and adjustment.
Option 2 may be especially useful during the first stage of the NeuroMe journey.
Supporting assessment readiness
A NeuroChamp does not teach the assessment content.
They may help the learner prepare emotionally and practically by discussing:
- Whether the study plan feels manageable.
- Whether the Practice Rounds have been attempted.
- How the learner feels about the Invigilator App.
- Which part of the process causes anxiety.
- Whether the learner knows what support is available.
- Whether the assessment environment has been prepared.
- What regulation strategy may help beforehand.
- How the learner will recover afterwards.
The Academic Lead and lesson material support the academic preparation.
The NeuroChamp supports the learner who is going through the preparation.
How NeuroChamp support complements CAPS
NeuroChamp sessions are not CAPS lessons and do not contribute directly to subject marks.
They do not replace Life Skills or Life Orientation.
However, they may support personal capacities that help a learner engage with CAPS learning, including:
- Organisation.
- Goal setting.
- Responsibility.
- Communication.
- Emotional awareness.
- Problem solving.
- Self management.
- Resilience.
- Time management.
- Help seeking.
- Reflection.
- Increasing independence.
The academic standards remain unchanged.
The learner receives additional support in developing the personal skills needed to work towards those standards.
NeuroChamp support in the Standard NSC pathway
Standard NSC learners must follow the applicable academic timeline and formal requirements.
The NeuroChamp cannot:
- Move formal deadlines.
- Remove required tasks.
- Change SACAI rules.
- Approve accommodations.
- Excuse missed assessments.
- Change subject requirements.
- Reduce the CAPS standard.
The NeuroChamp may help the learner develop strategies to manage the requirements more effectively.
For example, the learner may discuss:
- Planning across the two week section.
- Beginning assessment preparation earlier.
- Using Practice Rounds consistently.
- Managing anxiety around fixed dates.
- Building routines for Grade 10 to Grade 12.
- Recognising when tutoring is needed.
- Developing greater independence.
The qualification remains regulated.
The support around the learner becomes more intentional.
NeuroChamp support in Open Scope pathway
Open Scope offers greater pacing flexibility.
The NeuroChamp may help the learner:
- Reengage after burnout.
- Build a gentle routine.
- Recognise small steps of progress.
- Avoid becoming completely directionless.
- Identify when they are ready for more.
- Balance flexibility with meaningful engagement.
- Develop confidence before a future qualification transition.
- communicate when the workload needs to be reconsidered.
Open Scope does not require the learner to complete one grade per year.
However, a learner may still need support to remain connected to the learning journey.
The NeuroChamp can encourage progress without turning flexibility into pressure.
What happens when the learner has had a difficult week?
The learner does not need to cancel the NeuroChamp meeting because little work was completed.
A difficult week may be exactly when the check in is most valuable.
The conversation may focus on:
- What happened.
- Whether the learner was confused or overwhelmed.
- Whether the routine was realistic.
- Whether the learner needs academic support.
- Whether demands became too high.
- Whether family circumstances affected learning.
- What one manageable next step could be.
The learner should not be shamed for arriving without success to report.
The purpose is to find a path forward.
What happens when the learner has had a good week?
The meeting is still valuable.
The NeuroChamp can help the learner identify:
- What worked.
- Which strategy helped.
- How the learner felt.
- Whether the success can be repeated.
- What strength the learner used.
- Whether a new goal feels appropriate.
Neurodivergent learners may experience success without understanding what made it possible.
Reflecting on a good week helps make successful patterns more visible.
Will the NeuroChamp force my learner to talk?
The meeting should respect the learner’s communication needs.
A learner may communicate through:
- Speech.
- Short answers.
- Chat.
- A rating system.
- Visual supports.
- Prepared notes.
- Parent supported communication where appropriate.
- Another agreed accessible method.
The exact communication arrangements should be discussed with NeuroMe.
The learner may need time to build trust.
Silence, short responses or slow participation do not automatically mean that the relationship has no value.
What if my learner does not connect with the NeuroChamp?
Human relationships differ.
A learner may need several sessions before feeling comfortable.
Parents should first consider:
- Whether the learner understands the purpose of the meeting.
- Whether the time is suitable.
- Whether the learner feels pressured to perform.
- Whether the communication style is accessible.
- Whether the learner needs more time.
- Whether the learner prefers another type of support.
If the relationship remains unsuitable, the parent should communicate with NeuroMe through the correct support process.
A NeuroChamp relationship should support the learner rather than become another repeated source of distress.
What if my learner does not want weekly meetings?
Option 2 may not suit every learner.
For some learners, another scheduled interaction creates additional demand.
They may already receive suitable support through:
- A psychologist.
- An occupational therapist.
- A coach.
- A tutor.
- A trusted family member.
- Their parent.
- Another support programme.
Option 1 may then be more appropriate.
The goal is not to select the package with the most services.
The goal is to choose the level of support that the learner can meaningfully use.
The parent’s role in Option 2
Choosing Option 2 does not transfer the parent’s primary educator role to the NeuroChamp.
The parent remains responsible for:
- Daily routine.
- Monitoring work.
- Reviewing feedback.
- Academic communication.
- Preparing the learning environment.
- Supporting regulation.
- Checking deadlines.
- Arranging tutoring.
- Arranging therapy.
- Monitoring ionHub and email.
- Ensuring the learner attends scheduled meetings.
- Sharing important contextual information through the correct process.
- Following up on strategies at home.
The NeuroChamp provides an additional layer of support.
They do not become responsible for the learner’s complete educational journey.
The learner’s role in Option 2
According to their age and capacity, the learner should gradually be encouraged to:
- Attend the weekly meeting.
- Communicate honestly.
- Identify difficulties.
- Reflect on what worked.
- Try agreed strategies.
- Ask for help.
- Recognise progress.
- Participate in choosing goals.
- Build greater self awareness.
- Take increasing responsibility.
The learner does not need to perform perfectly for the NeuroChamp.
However, the support becomes more meaningful when the learner participates honestly.
The Academic Support Lead and NeuroChamp are different
Academic Support Lead
The Academic Support Lead assists with academic processes and subject related pathway guidance.
This may include:
- Lesson concerns.
- Assessment processes.
- Subject questions.
- Academic progression.
- Marking concerns.
- Reports.
- Catch up planning.
- Grade related guidance.
NeuroChamp
The NeuroChamp provides the Option 2 weekly motivational and executive functioning check in.
The NeuroChamp does not replace the Academic Lead or Support Lead.
Directing a concern to the correct person helps the family receive useful assistance more quickly.
The NeuroChamp cannot approve accommodations
A NeuroChamp may notice that a learner appears to experience a barrier.
They may encourage the family to investigate support or communicate with the relevant NeuroMe team.
However, the NeuroChamp cannot:
- Diagnose the learner.
- Recommend formal accommodations as an educational psychologist.
- Approve assessment accommodations.
- Submit a SACAI approval independently.
- change assessment rules.
Formal accommodation processes remain separate.
Is the meeting confidential?
A NeuroChamp meeting is a support service, not confidential psychotherapy.
The learner should be treated respectfully and their personal information should not be shared unnecessarily.
However, the NeuroChamp may need to communicate relevant information through NeuroMe’s appropriate processes where:
- The learner’s safety may be at risk.
- The learner discloses harm.
- The parent needs to support an agreed strategy.
- A significant academic or emotional concern requires referral.
- NeuroMe must follow a safeguarding responsibility.
The learner should not be promised secrecy that could place them at risk.
What if the learner needs urgent emotional help?
NeuroChamp meetings are scheduled support sessions.
They are not an emergency service.
Families should not wait for the next NeuroChamp meeting where there is:
- Immediate safety risk.
- Risk of self harm.
- Suicidal thinking.
- Abuse.
- Severe emotional crisis.
- A medical emergency.
- A psychiatric emergency.
The parent must seek immediate assistance from the appropriate emergency or qualified professional service.
Missed NeuroChamp meetings
The NeuroChamp reserves time specifically for the learner.
Families should follow the current NeuroMe notice and cancellation process.
A session missed without the required notice may still be billed and may not be carried forward or refunded.
Parents should:
- Keep the meeting in the family calendar.
- Help the learner prepare.
- Notify the NeuroChamp as early as possible when attendance is not possible.
- Follow the current billing and cancellation terms.
The exact policy in force at the time of enrolment applies.
May we change between Option 1 and Option 2?
A family’s needs may change.
A learner may need additional support during:
- The transition into NeuroMe.
- A difficult academic term.
- Grade 10 transition.
- Assessment periods.
- Burnout recovery.
- A period of low motivation.
Later, the family may feel ready to manage without the weekly check in.
Package changes are subject to NeuroMe’s current written notice, billing and implementation terms.
Parents should contact the Accounts Department before making a change.
How do I choose between the two options?
Choose Option 1 when:
- The family wants the complete NeuroMe academic service.
- The parent feels confident managing motivation and routine.
- The learner does not need a weekly personal check in.
- The learner prefers fewer scheduled meetings.
- Support can be requested when needed.
- Suitable emotional or executive functioning support already exists.
Choose Option 2 when:
- The learner needs regular encouragement.
- Starting or completing work is difficult.
- The learner struggles with executive functioning.
- The learner is anxious about change.
- The learner is adjusting to home education.
- Confidence has been damaged by previous schooling.
- The learner benefits from accountability outside the parent relationship.
- The learner needs help identifying barriers.
- The learner needs support developing self advocacy.
- The family wants a consistent weekly support relationship.
