What Unpack Edu is, what it is not, and who it can help.
Unpack Edu is a platform of online tools that literally ‘unpacks’ some of the education access barriers some students face. These barriers include cognitive overload & available working memory, focus & attention, executive functioning, and the sense of overwhelm that comes when a student is stuck in these. The platform uses AI that is carefully informed by evidence-based research and best-practice recommendations from education and psychology to review and suggest adjustments that include scaffolded supports. Each tool gives the user the ability to accept or reject suggestions at multiple touchpoints — so professional judgement and each student’s own experience are respected.
Unpack Edu does not diagnose, or provide medical, therapy or educational advice. Instructions and advice from education, medical and therapy professionals always override anything Unpack Edu provides. It does not provide answers — it only provides adjustments that support students to do the work themselves. It does not change the content, the marks, or how hard the task is. It keeps the learning challenge the same; it does not lower the standard.
The tools have been designed and reviewed by and for neurodivergent students. They may also help students with language barriers, specific learning disabilities, and emotional & behavioural concerns. Students can pick and choose which tools give them meaningful support, and adjust within each tool to suit their own preferences.
The concept and tools were created by a parent supporting neurodivergent children with mainstream schoolwork — in person, through distance education, and in home-schooling. Parents and carers can feel better equipped to support students without having to become experts in building scaffolds and other supports.
Unpack Edu helps teachers provide individualised adjustments to education materials in a time-efficient way, without losing oversight of what — and how much — support to build in. The documents it creates are marked ‘adjusted’ and date/time-stamped, and could be used as IEP / ISP / NCCD evidence if appropriate, as well as for ongoing collaboration and communication with parents.
Unpack Edu does not require or save any personal information other than registration details. It also does not save any documents uploaded, or their corresponding adjusted documents.
Each document is headed “Adjusted” with a date/time stamp and Unpack Edu, and carries this footer: