We are fortunate to be welcoming a series of world-class presenters who will expand your mind with new insights, practical suggestions, and transformative discoveries.
ITAKOM presenters will reflect the neurodiversity of the world. They will address the topic of neurodiversity from personal, practitioner and academic experience.
KEYNOTE
Professor Sven Bölte
Director of the Centre of Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Karolinska Institute, Sweden
Keynote: The Neurodivergent Individual in their Unique World
Day 1, 08:50 – 09:30
Mr Pelle Sandstrak
Public speaker and writer
Keynote: For The Sake Of Unusualness, my Life with Tourette Syndrome
Day 1, 17:05-17:45
Professor Sue Gathercole
Chair of the REF Panel for Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, UK
Keynote: The Transdiagnostic Future of Neurodiversity Research
Day 2, 16:20 – 17:00
Paul McNeill
Scottish Football Association, Head of Community Development & Ambassador for Dyslexia Scotland
Keynote: A Life of Two Halves: How Football Saved My Life
Day 1, 16:20 – 17:00
Dr Kathy Leadbitter
Research Fellow at the Division of Neuroscience & Experimental Psychology, University of Manchester, UK
Keynote: Moving Towards Neurodiversity-Affirmative Supports for Autistic Children and Their Families
Day 2, 12:00 – 12:40
Pierre Magistretti
Emeritus Professor, EPFL and University of Lausanne, Switzerland
Keynote: The Ever-Changing Brain
Day 2, 08:50 – 09:30
Holly Smale
Award-winning author & late-diagnosed autistic woman
Keynote: The Masks We Wear
Day 1, 12:00 – 12:40
Alan Thornburrow & Professor Sue Fletcher-Watson
Chief Executive, Salvesen Mindroom Centre
Director, Salvesen Mindroom Research Centre
Call To Action: The Future Of Neurodiversity-Affirmative Services And Society
Day 2: 17:05 – 17:30
BIG TALKS
Rory Bremner
Comedian, TV Personality, Presenter
Big Talk: ADHD & Me
Day 1, 09:40 – 10:30
Bo Hejlskov Elvén, MA, Lic. EuroPsy psychologist
Psychologist and Author, PhD student, HELS, Birmingham City University
Big Talk: Processes in Denial of Care
Day 1, 09:40 – 10:30
Lotta Borg Skoglund
Associate professor of Psychiatry at the Department of Medical Sciences at Uppsala University with a special interest in girls/women with ADHD and autism
Big Talk: We Have Failed the Girls. Total Chaos: ADHD, Hormones, and Gender Stereotypes
Day 2, 09:40 – 10:30
Yulin Cheng
PhD student, University of Hong Kong
Big Talk: Neurodiversity in Asia: East meets west or east versus west?
Day 1, 14:00 – 14:50
Lotta Löfgren
Professor in Health and Society, Field of Sexology and Sexuality Studies, Dept of Social Work, Malmo University
Big Talk: Sexuality and people with intellectual disability: Unmet needs
Day 2, 14:00 – 14:50
Dr Loretta Giorcelli OAM
Prof of Child Development & Special Education and Author of “Quality Schools, Inclusive Practices”, Specialist Consultant to Schools & School Systems” Sydney
Big Talk: Neurodiversity in Education
Day 2, 14:00 – 14:50
Hari Srinivasan
PhD Neuroscience student, Vanderbilt University, USA
Big Talk: Communication & Stigma
Day 2, 09:40 – 10:30
Dr Nancy Doyle
CRO, Genius Within CIC
Big Talk: Neurodiversity and Employment: Where we’ve been and where we’re going
Day 1, 14:00 – 14:50
TOPIC SESSIONS
Dr Dinah Aitken
Head of Outreach, Salvesen Mindroom
Home-school partnerships: insights into parents and teachers in partnership
Day 1: 09:40 – 10:30
Dr Kathleen Bechtold, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Topic Session: Neurodivergent Journeys
Transition into Adulthood
Day 2, 11:00 – 11:50
Dr Lindsay Mizen
Senior Clinical Research Fellow, Patrick Wild Centre; Consultant Psychiatrist, NHS Lothian
Topic Session: Routines for Happiness
Sleep in Single Gene Syndromes and Intellectual Disability
Day 1, 09:40 – 10:30
Adam Murphy
Father and Full Time Carer
Topic Session: Routines for Happiness
A Day in the Life of an Autistic Parent and Carer
Day 1, 09:40 – 10:30
Ciara Lawrence
Big Plan Engagement Lead at Mencap
Topic Session: Quality in Services
You’ll Never Achieve Anything
Day 1, 14:00 – 14:50
Holly Wagner
Actress, writer and Epilepsy Advocate
Topic Session: Neurodivergent Journeys
My Life with Epilepsy
Day 2, 11:00 – 11:50
Dr Rachel V. Gow
Registered Nutritionist, Child Neuropsychologist, Nutritional Neuroscientist, Affiliated, King’s College London
Topic Session: Healthy Brains
Smart Foods for ADHD and Brain Health
Day 1, 15:00 – 15:50
Dr Jamie Marshall
Surf Therapist, PhD Researcher, Edinburgh Napier University
Topic Session: Inclusive Learning
‘Off to the Beach’ Surf therapy – a New Approach to Mental Health
Day 2, 09:40 – 10:30
Cos Michael
Autistic Autism & Ageing Consultant
Topic Session: Whose brain is it anyway?
Day 1, 15:00 – 15:50
Charlotte Garnett
Jewellery designer with a speciality in ‘Anti anxiety jewellery’
Topic Session: Creative Careers
Handling It
Day 1, 11:00 – 11:50
Sonny Hallett
Counsellor, Co Founder of AMASE
Topic Session: Professional Relationships
Counselling for Different Ways of Being
Day 2, 14:00 – 14:50
Dr Felicity Sedgewick & Sarah Douglas
Research Partnership, University of Bristol
Topic Session: Happy families
Autistic Relationships Across the Lifespan
Day 2, 15:00 – 15:50
Dr Katie Cebula
Sr Lecturer in Developmental Psychology, University of Edinburgh
Topic Session: Happy Families
Understanding Neurodiverse Sibling Relationships: Where Next?
Day 2: 16:00 16:50
Lotta Borg Skoglund
Associate professor of Psychiatry at the Department of Medical Sciences at Uppsala University with a special interest in girls/women with ADHD and autism
Topic Session: Creative Careers
ADHD in the Workplace
Day 1, 11:00 – 11:50
Dr Alyssa M Alcorn
Research and Impact Lead for the LEANS Project
Topic Session: Inclusive Learning
Learning and Teaching About Neurodiversity at School – Sustainably Over Time
Day 2, 09:40 – 10:30
Dr Andrew McKechanie
Senior clinical research fellow and honorary consultant psychiatrist,
Patrick Wild Centre, University of Edinburgh
Quality Services: It takes all kinds of services.
WORKSHOPS
Professor Duncan Astle & Natalia Zdorovtsova
MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge
Professor of Neuroinformatics, University of Cambridge
Workshop: Towards inclusive schools: enabling all students to flourish
Freya Elise
Research Assistant, CRAE UCL & Autistic with ADHD
Workshop: Pushing forward in Participatory Research
Day 2, 14:00 – 14.50
Austeja Ciulkinyte, Katrine Gaasdal-Bech, Aisling Kenny, Danilo Negro, Julia van de Korput
University of Edinburgh, Wellcome Trust Translational Neuroscience PhD students, Cohort 7
Workshop: To treat or not to treat?
Salvesen Mindroom Centre
Direct Help and Support Team
Workshop: Achieving positive outcomes for neurodivergent children and young people
Day 2, 15.00 – 15.50
Agata Ostaszewska
Autistica, Embracing Complexity Lead
Workshop: How do we Embrace Complexity in Neurodiversity Research?
Day 2, 11:00 -11:50
neuropo(i)nt –
Salvesen Mindroom Centre’s young people’s stakeholder group.
Workshop: Neurodiversify your mind: neuroPointers for an inclusive existence
Day 1, 15.00 – 15.50
Heather Love & Natalie Frankish
PhD Student,Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh
Policy & Engagement Manager Scotland, Genetic Alliance UK
Workshop: How can we Build Supportive Communities for People with Rare Syndromes?
Day 1, 11:00 – 11:50
Supported & Delivered
by Burness Paull
Workshop: Legal Framework for Neuro-Inclusion at Work
Day 1, 14:00 – 14:50
NEURODIVERSITY THINKERS
Professor Sue Fletcher-Watson
University of Edinburgh, Professor of Developmental Psychology
Neurodiversity Thinkers: Fundamentals of Neurodiversity
Day 1, 14:00 – 14:50
Kassiane Asasumasu
Content & Coordination Director, Foundations for Divergent Minds
Identity Spirals: Neurodivergent Intersectionalities
Day 1, 14:00 – 14:50
Nick Walker
Professor of Psychology, California Institute of Integral Studies, USA
Expanding the Creative Potentials of Human Neurodiversity
Day 1, 14:00 – 14:50
Dr Robert Chapman
Senior Lecturer in Education and Autism at Sheffield Hallam University (They/Them)
Neurodiversity & the Concept of Pathology
Day 1, 09:40 – 10:30
Holly Sutherland
Autistic Autism Researcher, University of Edinburgh
Neurodiversity Thinkers: Applied Neurodiversity
Whose ‘Support’ Is It, Anyway? A Critical Look at Supportive Environments
Day 2, 09:40 – 10:30
Whitney Iles
Founder CEO of Project 507, Autistic Woman
Neurodiversity Thinkers: (Un)Supportive Systems
Neurodiversity in the Criminal Justice System
Day 2, 14:00 – 14:50
René Brooks
Founder of Black Girl, Lost Keys
Neurodiversity Thinkers: (Un)Supportive Systems
The U in Community
Day 2, 14:00 – 14:50
Dr Max Davie
Consultant Community Paediatrician, Evelina London
Neurodiversity Thinkers: Applied Neurodiversity
Supportive Care to Support Neurodivergent Children – Barriers and Successes
Day 2, 09:40 – 10.30
PANEL DISCUSSIONS
No Mind Left Behind…at the Clinic
An expert panel discussion on neurodiversity in health and social care
Chair: Dr Andy Stanfield
Director of Clinical Research, University of Edinburgh’s Patrick Wild Centre
Day 1, 11:00 – 11:50
No Mind Left Behind…in the Community
Exploring the neurodiversity paradigm in our wider society
Chair: Dr Joe Long
Research and Policy Lead, Scottish Autism
Day 2, 15:00 – 15:50
No Mind Left Behind…in the Workplace
What the neurodiversity paradigm means for employers and employees.
Chair: Aileen Shrimpton & Rachel Mathesen
Salvesen Mindroom Centre
Day 1, 15:00 – 15:50
No Mind Left Behind…in Education
How is the neurodiversity paradigm is shaping education?
Chair: Dr Rachael Davis
Queen Margaret University
Day 2, 11:00 – 11:50