Empowering Neurodiverse Learners: Shecondria Duncan’s NeuroStars Phonics

WMGT in Macon Georgia features a story on Shecondria Duncan, founder of Neurostars Phonics.
When traditional classrooms move too fast, some children with dyslexia and autism fall through the cracks. In Macon, Georgia, former teacher and mother Shecondria Duncan refused to let that be the case for children like her son. She recently launched NeuroStars Phonics Factory, a nonprofit focused on delivering multisensory, individualized literacy instruction to students with neurodiverse learning profiles. 41NBC

Duncan’s journey began with her own child’s struggle. Dissatisfied with the pace and methods in public school settings, she adapted techniques she’d already used in her classroom to fit her son’s needs—and those methods flourished. Her vision: scale this tailored, empathetic approach to serve other children who’ve been underserved.

At the heart of NeuroStars is the belief that every learner processes information differently. Duncan’s approach embraces multisensory instruction, meaning children learn through sight, sound, and touch—tapping, pounding, tracing, and speaking—all orchestrated to reinforce phonemic awareness, decoding, and spelling. 41NBC She stresses that instruction isn’t bound to early grades: “We work with kids who missed building foundational skills in K–2, even adults who never got that support.” 41NBC

One of the program’s strengths is its student-paced model. Unlike many traditional classrooms that move on schedules and unit timelines, NeuroStars sets the tempo. Some learners spend days or weeks on a single phonics concept until mastery is achieved. Others move more swiftly—always guided by individual readiness rather than calendar constraints. Duncan describes, “Public school sometimes moves too fast for neurodivergent kids…so we build timeframes around each child’s needs.” 41NBC

Duncan emphasizes that the program isn’t just a tutoring service—it’s a safe and accepting space. She wants parents to know that their children aren’t behind because of unwillingness or lack of potential. “There is nothing to be embarrassed about,” she insists, noting that her twelve-year journey reflects patience, understanding, and lived experience. 41NBC

In many ways, NeuroStars embodies a shift in how we view dyslexia and related learning differences—not as deficits, but as distinct learning profiles requiring different paths. When instruction is grounded in empathy and cognitive science—rather than speed and comparison—learners have room to grow, reclaim confidence, and tap into their innate strengths.

If you’d like to connect with the program or learn how Duncan is bringing this model to more communities, their website (neurostarsphonicsfactory.org) is a good starting point.