Inclusive by Design: How Brainforest Academy Supports Neurodiverse Learners
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In this episode of The Liberated Podcast, host Keri McDonald interviews Frish Waller, founder of Brain Forest Academy, a micro school in Southwest Ranches, Florida, dedicated to supporting neurodiverse learners through an inclusive Montessori model. Waller shares her journey from being a Montessori educator in London, New York, and Seattle to becoming a military veteran and computer engineer, ultimately returning to education after the birth of her neurodiverse child. Frustrated by the lack of inclusive options in traditional schools, she founded Brain Forest Academy in 2025 to create a space where children of all learning styles are seen, heard, and celebrated. The school emphasizes relationship-building, individualized learning, and holistic development through real-world experiences like cooking, robotics, and outdoor play, while eliminating traditional homework in favor of family-based contributions. Waller highlights the transformative role of Florida’s school choice programs in making her micro school financially accessible and empowering families to find the right fit for their children. She reflects on the challenges of launching a school—from finding space to navigating entrepreneurship—while crediting a supportive network of fellow micro school founders for her success. Her advice to aspiring education entrepreneurs? Just do it—turn your dream into a goal and take action, even without a blueprint. The episode underscores the growing importance of micro schools as flexible, community-driven alternatives to traditional education, particularly for neurodiverse learners. Waller’s vision of an ecosystem where neurotypical and neurodiverse children thrive together as one interconnected family reflects a deeper shift toward equity and belonging in education. Key takeaways include the power of child-centered learning, the necessity of inclusive environments, the value of school choice policies, and the importance of community support for education entrepreneurs. Waller’s story exemplifies how personal experience can fuel systemic change, proving that even small-scale initiatives can have profound impacts on individual lives and educational landscapes.
Create learning environments where neurodiverse learners are seen, heard, and celebrated as integral members of the community.
Prioritize relationship and emotional safety over academic pressure—learning happens naturally when children feel loved and respected.
Use flexible, individualized instruction and real-world experiences (like cooking, robotics, and outdoor play) to support holistic development.
Leverage school choice programs to increase access and empower families to find the right educational fit for their children.
Entrepreneurship in education requires courage, community, and action—there’s no perfect blueprint, but you learn by doing.
…and 3 more takeaways available in PodZeus
Introducing Brain Forest Academy and Frish Waller’s Vision
“We are an inclusive school so it doesn't, we have like, you know, few neurotypical and few neurodiverse and we are like one family, one community.”
Frish Waller’s Educational Journey and Personal Motivation
Waller shares her background as a Montessori educator in London, New York, and Seattle, her military service, and her return to teaching after becoming a mother to a neurodiverse child.
The Birth of Brain Forest Academy: From Frustration to Purpose
“There's a purpose for everything. There's a purpose and years and years she always tells me like, there's a purpose.”
Building a Community-Driven Micro School
Waller discusses the support she received from the Launch Your Kind Network, the challenges of finding a physical space, and how word-of-mouth and community outreach helped grow enrollment.
Inclusive Practices and Holistic Learning at Brain Forest
“You cannot force academics. You cannot force anything if they don't feel comfortable. They don't feel happy in their environment. So we try to make sure that that's what we provide first, relationship, connection.”
“The best advice that I have given is just do it. If you feel like, you know, anything like any background noise of like, you can't do it because of this and that, you got to find another reason why you should.”
“You cannot force academics. You cannot force anything if they don't feel comfortable. They don't feel happy in their environment. So we try to make sure that that's what we provide first, relationship, connection.”
“There's a purpose for everything. There's a purpose and years and years she always tells me like, there's a purpose.”
Host
Guest
Frish Waller
person
Brain Forest Academy
organization
Keri McDonald
person
Florida
place
Southwest Ranches
place
Launch Your Kind Network
organization
London
place
Public School
organization
Army
organization
New York
place
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