Our purpose
Our purpose: At Kids Like Us, our purpose is to enable young people to have a voice. We work hard with young people, parents, members of staff and the legal system (when required) to ensure that 2e young people are able to make themselves heard and, just as importantly, that they are listened to.
Our vision: Our vision is that all 2e students will be identified and supported in a learning environment for their individual requirements. Much of who we are and what we become as an organisation is shaped by the young people that we work with, constantly finding new and different ways to help them to get what they need.
Talking to 2e young people is an interesting and insightful experience, and when asked what they want to see KLU achieve on their behalf, their answers are truly deep and meaningful – they want us to:
- “teach teachers how to teach us”,
- “help parents know how to support us”,
- “tell the world that we exist”,
while also enjoying the opportunity to:
- “have fun with others like us”
Source: Kids Like Us Steering Group January 2013
Our story
KLU was established in 2013 after three children with a strong social conscience identified that there was a need to provide support to other twice-exceptional (2e) students in Australia, in order to reduce the isolation and distress that they saw in other 2e children.
These young people worked together with Anne Jackson and Catherine Kirby to create a social enterprise which would provide a community for 2e students across Australia and develop a centre of excellence for parents, teachers and other professionals who work to support this minority group.
Along the way Kids Like Us opened Tombolo Academy in 2021 after a four year development process. Tombolo is a school set up with the intention of supporting twice-exceptional students as part of the mission to show Australia that 2e students can successfully access their full potential. The Academy is in its infancy and currently focuses on provision of service for students with ASD, however, if it follows the original intent and purpose set out by Kids Like Us it may achieve its goal over the next few years of being a 2e school in Australia.
Kids Like Us is not stopping there as the team, supported by the original founders who are now on the Board, continue to research and develop programs focussed on improving academic and life outcomes for 2e young people.