Mom Shares Her Pride As Neurodiverse Son Sits Matric After Journey Spanning Nine Schools

Photo Credit: Supplied

James’ progress sparks a light for every family who has had to fight for a seat at the table.

South Africa (17 September 2025) – For 21-year-old James and his mom, educator and neurodiversity advocate Nicola Killops, the road to matric has been long and frankly exhausting. Nine schools, countless meetings, more than a few tears, and a hope that doesn’t quit.

James is autistic, dyslexic, profoundly bright, and, like so many neurodivergent kids, he just never fit the narrow lane of ‘one way to learn’.

“As James grew, it became clear that his mind worked in extraordinary and complex ways. He faced speech difficulties and sensory overload and was eventually diagnosed with dyslexia, ADHD, and high-functioning autism,” shares Nicola.

Since James’ first diagnosis, Nicola has been learning, advocating and fighting to find inclusive opportunities for James (and in turn, other neurodiverse young minds) to shine.

“As a mother, I was thrust into a role of constant advocacy, learning to navigate an educational system that didn’t always understand or accommodate his needs,” she says.

James’s school years have been anything but straightforward. Over nine different schools, he was labelled ‘unteachable,’ misunderstood, and shuffled along. Traditional classrooms, with their focus on memorising facts and cramming for tests, didn’t match the way his mind works.

“For years, I scratched my head, wondering what I was doing wrong as a parent, and why I couldn’t find a system that offered him a proper education, something he could actually immerse himself in, rather than just ticking boxes. The academic stream bored him. He learned best through hands-on, project-based work, and he was already self-taught in many areas – coding, technology, and problem-solving — simply because that’s how his brain works. Imagine if he’d been able to get a qualification out of all of that?”

It took years of searching, trial and error, and a lot of determination from Nicola to find educational avenues that would support James’ strengths and allow him to finally matriculate this year. Despite it being a long and costly journey of fighting to find the right fit, James is doing something many once told Nicola would never happen. He’s sitting for matric.

Nicola will be the first to say there’s no magic fix or single system or school. It’s about finding a fit and refusing to let a brilliant kid be defined by what he finds hard.

If you’ve followed Good Things Guy for a while, you’ll know we love these quietly giant milestones. We told the story of a non-speaking autistic young man whose ID application became a beacon of dignity when others were kind enough to show up in understanding and patience. We also celebrated Stephanie Pringle, the South African student who made history by passing Cambridge exams using a letterboard.

James’s matric moment lives in that same space where the world expands to meet the person, not the other way around.

Why share this now? Because neurodiversity is normal. Brains come in many brilliant configurations. Some kids need readers and scribes; some communicate by spelling; some think in 3D and thrive on projects. None of that should lock anyone out of finishing school with pride.

When we widen the path, when teachers, parents and systems make room, the wins bring confidence back. Options open. Futures feel reachable again.

Nicola now shares hard-earned insights and encouragement with other parents and educators.

Currently, she’s working to spread the news about a system of qualifications that will be introduced in SA next year, and already exists in 50 other countries worldwide. It’s an internationally recognised qualification called BTEC that will allow students to work on projects and build portfolios that demonstrate their actual capabilities. They will then be able to move on to university, but they will also leave school with practical, work-ready skills.

If you’re walking a similar road and want thoughtful, non-judgemental company, you can find more resources and further info from Nicola at NeuroParenting Hub.

Today, the headline is simple. James is sitting Matric. After everything, he gets to cross the same finish line in a way that honours how he learns. That is so worth cheering for, loudly. To the families still in the thick of it…keep going. Stories like this are proof that doors do open.

“[What’s right for James] won’t be right for every child. And that’s precisely the point. Education should never have been a one-door system,” shares Nicola. “Because our kids were never designed to fit into just one box….”