About Us
Our Story
Nova began with a question shared by mothers whose children had complex communication needs: Where could their children learn when the usual school options did not fit?
These families were looking for more than care or a place to spend the day. They wanted access to communication, books, literacy and meaningful learning. They were not ready to set aside the expectation that their children could learn to read, write and participate in education.
That idea became Nova Hubs.
Established on 1 February 2021, Nova was created to offer small, supported learning environments for non-speaking children who use AAC. From the beginning, Nova has been built around the belief that every child has something to say, communication is more than speech, and everyone can learn.
Learning Together at Nova
Nova Hubs are small-group learning environments embedded in communities which learners attend alongside a supporting adult who knows them well. This model recognises that each child has individual communication, care and access needs, and that consistent support is an essential part of meaningful participation in the day.
Each hub is led by an educator registered with the South African Council of Educators, supported by a trained assistant. Together, they provide the Nova HUG: Help, Understanding and Guidance to the learning dyads (a child and their supporting adult).
These supporting adults are known at Nova as Compees. They accompany learners to and from Nova, support access to communication and learning activities during the day, care for their physical needs and help carry strategies, language and routines between Nova and home.
The Nova high-support model brings learners, caregivers and classroom staff together around a shared goal: practical access to learning, communication and participation.
The Nova Programme
The Nova programme is designed by a speech therapist and audiologist for non-speaking learners who use AAC. It is built around the ways our learners access communication and learning, including the impact of cortical visual impairment (CVI); differences in gross and fine motor control, and sensory integration and processing.
Learning is paced according to each learner’s abilities, access method and level of readiness. Learning opportunities are structured to support participation without rushing learners or reducing expectations. The programme helps learners build language for their own experiences, relationships and daily lives, while developing an understanding of the wider world.
Each day includes four broad learning areas: language and literacy, numeracy, life themes and movement. AAC is integrated throughout. Learners are supported to make choices, express opinions, take turns, contribute to activities and participate as independently as possible in the events of the day.
No student is too anything to be able to read and write.
Dr David Yoder
Dionne Snyders
MPhyst (Neuro), BAHons (AAC)
A word from our Parent Principal and Owner
Dionne Snyders is an adult neuro physiotherapist and AAC advocate whose daughter, Hannah, has Rett syndrome. Her experience supporting Hannah’s communication and education led to further study in AAC and, alongside other mothers, sparked the idea for Nova: a place where non-speaking children can access learning and communication.
"How will we know what is possible if we never try?"
“Nova has given my daughter, Hannah something I always dreamed would be possible for her – a place where she is truly seen, understood, and celebrated for who she is. Watching her grow in love, make friends and be a part of a community, has been one of the greatest gifts I could have hoped for. As Principal, I have the privilege of witnessing that same transformation in so many other children and families. Nova is more than a place of learning; it is a community where every child is valued, every milestone is celebrated, and every family is supported. It is an honour to be part of this journey both as a mother and as principal.”