About/Contact

The Story - how did the ADHD hub come about?

This hub/website came about through my Community Based Research paper towards my Post Graduate Diploma of Specialist Education (Learning and Behaviour) in 2023.

I consulted and gathered the stories from educators, and whānau in the Whakatū/Nelson region. Many of them felt there was not enough information about ADHD or where to go to for support locally. They found it difficult to navigate the many and various services and sources of information, and needed a streamlined source of quality information. I also consulted local medical professionals about what options parents had, and the best ways to work together with GPs in order to explore ADHD for their child.

The goal of this website is to be a go-to, one-stop-shop for advice around ADHD in the Whakatū/Nelson region. It's for anyone, but is particularly aimed at whānau and educators. We want people to feel informed and confident in their decisions for their child.

About us

Ko wai ahau? Who am I?

Tēnā koutou katoa,
Ko Peretiama rātou ko Kōtirana, ko Aerana ngā whakapaparanga mai.
Nō Waihopai ki te tonga ahau, engari kō Whakatū te whenua tipu.
Kei te Tauihu o te Waka-a Māui te kāinga, arā kei Whakatū ahau e noho ana.
Ko Fran Beullens tōku ingoa,
Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa.

Kia ora, hello, bonjour, hallo.

I'm Fran Beullens, my ancestors are from Belgium, Scotland and Ireland. I was born in Invercargill, and I have lived in Nelson, Wellington, Christchurch, Melbourne and Picton. The whole Top of the South Island is my tūrangawaewae, I now make my home in sunny Nelson/Whakatū, New Zealand/Aotearoa.

I am a Specialist Teacher / RTLB working in Cluster 30 (Nelson/Whakatū/Te Tai o Aorere). My areas of interest are inclusive classroom practice, neurodiversity, trauma-informed practice, relationship-based learning and restorative practice in education.

This information hub is a project born out of my lived experience as a parent, my professional journey as a specialist teacher, and my passion for supporting whānau, tamariki and kaiako. I was diagnosed with ADHD in 2022.

Fran Beullens - Experience and Qualifications

Fran started work as a Nelson Bays Resource Teacher of Learning and Behaviour (RTLB) in 2021. Prior to this she taught at Broadgreen Intermediate in Nelson for three years. She taught at Queen Charlotte College, Picton for ten years prior to this and for her final four years there, held the position of Head of Learning Support and Gifted and Talented Coordinator.
Over her years of teaching, working in Learning Support, and in her first few months as an RTLB, Fran realised how little information there was for teachers and whānau about how ADHD presented, especially in girls. Her interest in ADHD/Aroreretini grew stronger when she herself was diagnosed as an adult at the age of 45. Fran is a passionate advocate for neurodivergent ākonga (students) and their whānau.

Fran became a member of the Health Consumer Advisory Group for Nelson Bays Primary Health in 2023.

email: fbeullens@nbrtlb.com

Linkedin - https://nz.linkedin.com/in/franbeullens

Fran Beullens, RTLB

Fran's qualifications
BA (Psychology/French) - Victoria University of Wellington, (1997)
PGDipTeaching (Primary) - Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology, School of Teacher Education, (2000)
PGDipEd (Educational Psychology), Massey University, (2017)
PGDip SpecialistTeaching (Learning and Behaviour - Distinction) - Massey University, (2023)

Master of Educational and Developmental Psychology - Massey University - (Graduating 2025 - Applied Research: Adolescent girls' experiences of in-school supports for mental wellbeing.)
Postgraduate Certificate in Health Sciences - (CBT | Youth Forensic Psychiatry) - University of Auckland - (Graduating 2025)

Simon Schmidt

Simon is the number one supporter of the work Fran does as a neurodiversity advocate. They work together on projects, and have lots of ideas for how to help and support teachers and parents of neurodivergent ākonga.

Experience and qualifications
Webmaster- Christchurch City Council, City of Melbourne Council, Marlborough District Council.
E-Learning designer - NMIT/Te Pūkenga Whakatū.
Gardener - Ryman Health Care Ernest Rutherford Nelson.

BSc - Computer Science - Canterbury University, (2001)
BTchLrn (Secondary) - Victoria University of Wellington, (2017)

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