And the Children Shall Lead Us:
A Guide to Interest-Based Learning
11am, Saturday 21st March, 2026
An information session for educators and parents
with
Dr Matt Zakreski
Gifted and twice-exceptional kids love to learn, but they don't always love school. If your child wants to learn everything they can about astrophysics, or neurosurgery, or the Peloponnesian War, why would we get in the way of that intrinsic motivation and enthusiasm? The education system tends to be resistant to the ideal of Interest-Based Learning (IBL), or layering educational goals through a child’s interests. This session will explore why IBL works, how to adapt it for your neurodivergent child, and how to advocate for it as an educational approach regardless of what school system you’re a part of.
ABOUT DR Zakreski: Matthew “Dr. Matt” Zakreski, PsyD is a high energy, creative clinical psychologist and professional speaker who utilizes an eclectic approach to meet the specific needs of his neurodivergent clients. He is proud to serve the Gifted community as a consultant, a professor, an author, and a researcher. He has spoken over a thousand times all over the world about supporting neurodivergent kids. Dr. Zakreski is a member of Supporting the Emotional Needs of the Gifted (SENG), the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC), the New Jersey Association for Gifted Children (NJAGC), and Pennsylvania Association for Gifted Education (PAGE). Dr. Zakreski graduated from Widener University’s Institute for Graduate Clinical Psychology (IGCP) in 2016. He is the co-founder of The Neurodiversity Collective, LLC, co-host of the podcast “Nerding out on Neurodiversity,” and the author of the Neurodiversity Playbook: How Neurodivergent People Can Crack the Code of Living in a Neurotypical World.
TIME: 11:00 am
DATE: 21st March 2026 (HOBART TIME - DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME)
COST: Current TAG financial members free; TAG non-members $25 per person
CONTACT DETAILS:
Biographical details and qualifications are supplied by the presenter and may not have been verified by TAG.
The advice offered in this session is general in nature and may not be specific to your individual situation. Whilst all care is taken to provide accurate advice, please seek a second opinion or consult an expert about your specific circumstances.
Contact Form
Resend recently purchased tickets to our events to your email.
Enter email to start search
You can review the event organiser's terms and conditions here.