Programme

Each block of the conference is framed around a different level at which we can explore neurodiversity – Cells, Circuits, Cognition and Community. In themed seminars, workshops and panel discussions we will combine expertise from research and practice – with neurodivergent presenters represented in every part of the programme.

How to navigate this programme

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Keynote

Leaders thinkers sharing their expertise with the whole conference audience in a plenary session

Big Talk

Big Minds talking about Big Ideas in an hour-long presentation allowing some deeper exploration

Neurodiversity Thinkers

Pioneers at the cutting edge of neurodiversity scholarship, exploring the idea and its implications

Panel

A chance for some dialogue and discussion between experts with diverse perspectives.

Workshop

In-person, bookable, interactive sessions designed as a chance to learn something new

Invited Talks

Each block features a collection of three invited speakers addressing a topic from multiple angles

Storytelling*

Stories about real life, submitted by neurodivergent people

Research Reports*

New findings and innovations in research, drawn from a broad disciplinary spectrum

*NB these will be submitted and selected, rather than invited

Cell

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Presenters in this section will consider how our genes and our brain cells give rise to neurodiversity, and what that means in daily life

Circuit

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Presenters in this section will consider how connections between regions of our brains vary and how that shapes our development

Cognition

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Presenters in this section will consider diversity in our thinking processes and consequences for learning and health

Community

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Presenters in this section will consider differences in our experiences in the world, responding to and carving out our identities

Please note programme details may be subject to change

9:00

Venue Name

KEYNOTE: Sven Bolte

In this plenary session, Sven will talk about diversity in quality of life, drawing on his work on the World Health Organisation “International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health” . 

10:30

Venue Name

Neurodiversity Thinkers – part I

This will be the first of four sessions spread across the conference, in which you will hear from invited speakers at the cutting edge of thinking and theorising about neurodiversity as a concept, and applying that knowledge to research and practice.

Speaker details and talk titles will be added in due course.

10:30

Venue Name

Invited Talks: Routines & Daily Life

In this session you will hear from speakers with a mixture of lived, research and practice experience on the topic of routines and daily life for neurodivergent people.

Speaker details and talk titles will be added in due course.

10:30

Venue Name

Research Reports

This session will be the first of four blocks, spread across the conference, featuring submitted reports of new findings. You can submit an abstract on our Call for Abstracts page.

Speaker details and talk titles will be published here after acceptances are finalised, in August / September 2022.

10:30

Venue Name

Big Talk: Neurodivergence & Living a Good Life

In this session a single speaker will talk about what it means to live a good life as a neurodivergent person.

Further details will be added in due course.

10:30

Venue Name

Science Workshop: Polygenic Risk Scores

At this interactive workshop, up to 100 delegates will have a chance to learn about polygenic risk scores – what are they? how are they being understood in the context of neurodiversity?  and how is that knowledge being applied?

Please note that due to the interactive format, workshops will be available in-person only, and not broadcast to digital delegates.

Further details will be added in due course.

11:30

Venue Name

Invited talks: Diagnosis and Assessment

In this session you will hear from speakers with a mixture of lived, research and practice experience on the topic of diagnosis and assessment for neuro-minorities.

Speaker details and talk titles will be added in due course.

11:30

Venue Name

Storytelling

This session will be the first of four blocks, spread across the conference, featuring submitted stories about neurodivergent people’s lives.

You will be able to submit a story in late 2022.

Presenter details and story titles will be published here after acceptances are finalised, in early 2023.

11:30

Venue Name

Panel Discussion: It Takes all Kinds of Cells

This session will be the first of four panel discussions, spread across the conference, featuring a diverse group of people discussing neurodiversity at a different level (in this case, Cells) and bringing a range of lived and professional expertise to the debate.

Panellist details will be added in due course.

11:30

Venue Name

Community Workshop: Rare Syndromes & Family Support

At this interactive workshop, up to 100 delegates will have a chance to hear about, and contribute to, new ideas for supporting people with rare genetic syndromes and their families.

Please note that due to the interactive format, workshops will be available in-person only, and not broadcast to digital delegates.

Further details will be added in due course.

13:00

Venue Name

KEYNOTE: Pierre Magistretti

In this plenary session you will hear from this world-leader on what we know about “the ever-changing brain”.

14:30

Venue Name

Neurodiversity Thinkers, part II

This will be the second of four sessions spread across the conference, in which you will hear from invited speakers at the cutting edge of thinking and theorising about neurodiversity as a concept, and applying that knowledge to research and practice.

14:30

Venue Name

Research Reports

This session will be the second of four blocks, spread across the conference, featuring submitted reports of new findings. You can submit an abstract on our Call for Abstracts page.

Speaker details and talk titles will be published here after acceptances are finalised, in August / September 2022.

14:30

Venue Name

Big Talk: We have failed the girls

Total chaos; ADHD, hormones, and gender stereotypes.

At this talk you will hear from international expert Lotta Borg Skoglund on the topic of neurodiversity and gender, and especially the experience of autism and ADHD in women and girls.

14:30

Venue Name

Invited Talks: Circuits Across the Lifespan

In this session you will hear from speakers with a mixture of lived, research and practice experience on the topic of the developing brain, and how diversity in that development is experienced across the lifespan.

Speaker details and talk titles will be added in due course.

14:30

Venue Name

Science Workshop: Big Data Wrangling

At this interactive workshop, up to 100 delegates will have a chance to learn about techniques that are used to work with very large data sets, including machine learning, structural equation modelling and cluster analysis.

Please note that due to the interactive format, workshops will be available in-person only, and not broadcast to digital delegates.

Further details will be added in due course.

15:30

Venue Name

Invited Talks: Building Happy Brains

In this session you will hear from speakers with a mixture of lived, research and practice experience on the topic of what it means to have a “happy brain” and what people can do, for themselves and for others, to cultivate thriving.

15:30

Venue Name

Storytelling

This session will be the second of four blocks, spread across the conference, featuring submitted stories about neurodivergent people’s lives.

You will be able to submit a story in late 2022.

Presenter details and story titles will be published here after acceptances are finalised, in early 2023.

15:30

Venue Name

Panel Discussion: It Takes all Kinds of Circuits

This session will be the second of four panel discussions, spread across the conference, featuring a diverse group of people discussing neurodiversity at a different level (in this case, Circuits) and bringing a range of lived and professional expertise to the debate.

Panellist details will be added in due course.

15:30

Venue Name

Community Workshop: Epilepsy, Now and Next

At this interactive workshop, up to 100 delegates will have a chance to learn about the cutting edge of epilepsy management and contribute to a vision for the future of research and practice in the area.

Please note that due to the interactive format, workshops will be available in-person only, and not broadcast to digital delegates.

Further details will be added in due course.

17:00

Venue Name

KEYNOTE: Pelle Sandstrak

Mr Tourette – For The Sake Of Unusualness. My life with Tourette syndrome.

Back by popular demand.

Hugely popular in Scandinavia, Pelle Sandstrak’s talks are often likened to a rock concert – not only because he alone can fill a stadium, but because his narrative swings from high to low and from the outright hilarious to the excruciatingly painful.

This is not a talk to miss!

18:00

Venue Name

Drinks Reception

All in-person conference delegates are invited to join the speakers and hosts for a drink at the end of the day.

**NB: all timings and session titles are currently indicative only, please check back for updates to the programme content**

Please note programme details may be subject to change

9:00

Venue Name

KEYNOTE: Sue Gathercole

In this plenary session, Sue will talk about cognitive diversity and how it shapes learning, as well as the potential of transdiagnostic methods to reveal new insights into neurodiversity.

Further details will be added in due course.

10:30

Venue Name

Neurodiversity Thinkers, part III

This will be the third of four sessions spread across the conference, in which you will hear from invited speakers at the cutting edge of thinking and theorising about neurodiversity as a concept, and applying that knowledge to research and practice.

Speaker details and talk titles will be added in due course.

10:30

Venue Name

Invited Talks: Physical Health

In this session you will hear from speakers with a mixture of lived, research and practice experience on the topic of neurodiversity and health.

Speaker details and talk titles will be added in due course.

10:30

Venue Name

Research Reports

This session will be the third of four blocks, spread across the conference, featuring submitted reports of new findings. You can submit an abstract on our Call for Abstracts page.

Speaker details and talk titles will be published here after acceptances are finalised, in August / September 2022.

10:30

Venue Name

Big Talk: Neurodiversity & Education

In this major talk, international expert Loretta Giorcelli will talk about education systems and school learning, and how that can become more supportive of neurodivergent learners.

Further details will be added in due course.

10:30

Venue Name

Science Workshop: How to Make a New Measure

At this interactive workshop, up to 100 delegates will have a chance to learn about how a new psychological measure, such as a questionnaire, is created.  What decisions do the creators have to make? and how are measures tested and finalised before becoming used widely?

Please note that due to the interactive format, workshops will be available in-person only, and not broadcast to digital delegates.

Further details will be added in due course.

11:30

Venue Name

Invited Talks: Creative Pursuits

In this session you will hear from speakers with a mixture of lived, research and practice experience on the topic of creativity and neurodiversity, and how creative pursuits can be a source of joy and opportunity for many neurodivergent people.

Speaker details and talk titles will be added in due course.

11:30

Venue Name

Storytelling

This session will be the third of four blocks, spread across the conference, featuring submitted stories about neurodivergent people’s lives.

You will be able to submit a story in late 2022.

Presenter details and story titles will be published here after acceptances are finalised, in early 2023.

11:30

Venue Name

Panel Discussion: It Takes all Kinds of Cognition

This session will be the third of four panel discussions, spread across the conference, featuring a diverse group of people discussing neurodiversity at a different level (in this case, Cognition) and bringing a range of lived and professional expertise to the debate.

Panellist details will be added in due course.

11:30

Venue Name

Community Workshop: Embracing Complexity

At this interactive workshop, led by the team at Embracing Complexity, up to 100 delegates will have a chance to learn about complexity in neurodevelopment, with a particular focus on co-occurring diagnoses, such as autism and dyspraxia, or dyslexia and ADHD.

Please note that due to the interactive format, workshops will be available in-person only, and not broadcast to digital delegates.

Further details will be added in due course.

13:00

Venue Name

KEYNOTE: Kathy Leadbitter

In this plenary session Kathy will talk about what it means to develop and deliver neurodiversity-informed interventions.

Further details will be added in due course.

14:30

Venue Name

Neurodiversity Thinkers, part IV

This will be the fourth of four sessions spread across the conference, in which you will hear from invited speakers at the cutting edge of thinking and theorising about neurodiversity as a concept, and applying that knowledge to research and practice.

Speaker details and talk titles will be added in due course.

14:30

Venue Name

Invited Talks: Lifelong Learning

In this session you will hear from speakers with a mixture of lived, research and practice experience on the topic of learning across the lifespan.

Speaker details and talk titles will be added in due course.

14:30

Venue Name

Research Reports

This session will be the fourth of four blocks, spread across the conference, featuring submitted reports of new findings. You can submit an abstract on our Call for Abstracts page.

Speaker details and talk titles will be published here after acceptances are finalised, in August / September 2022.

14:30

Venue Name

Big Talk: Sexology

In this major talk, sexologist Lotta Löfgren-Mårtenson will talk about sex and sexuality for neurodivergent people with a learning disability.

Further details will be added in due course.

14:30

Venue Name

Science Workshop: Research With and In Schools

At this interactive workshop, up to 100 delegates will have a chance to learn about doing education research with and in schools, with a focus on co-creating ideas for better working together.

Please note that due to the interactive format, workshops will be available in-person only, and not broadcast to digital delegates.

Further details will be added in due course.

15:30

Venue Name

Invited Talks: Family Relationships and Beyond

In this session you will hear from speakers with a mixture of lived, research and practice experience on the topic of relationships, within families and beyond – to the school, and in the community.

Speaker details and talk titles will be added in due course.

15:30

Venue Name

Storytelling

This session will be the fourth of four blocks, spread across the conference, featuring submitted stories about neurodivergent people’s lives.

You will be able to submit a story in late 2022.

Presenter details and story titles will be published here after acceptances are finalised, in early 2023.

15:30

Venue Name

Panel Discussion: It Takes all Kinds of Communities

This session will be the fourth of four panel discussions, spread across the conference, featuring a diverse group of people discussing neurodiversity at a different level (in this case, Communities) and bringing a range of lived and professional expertise to the debate.

Panellist details will be added in due course.

15:30

Venue Name

Community Workshop: Neurodivergent Outcomes

At this interactive workshop, led by the Salvesen Mindroom Centre, up to 100 delegates will have a chance to explore what it means to flourish as a neurodivergent young person, and to hear about mechanisms for setting goals and achieving them.

Please note that due to the interactive format, workshops will be available in-person only, and not broadcast to digital delegates.

Further details will be added in due course.

17:00

Venue Name

KEYNOTE: speaker tbc

Our final plenary speaker slot is still not confirmed.  We have taken excellent recommendations from contributors online and are working to identify the ideal person to fill this space.

18:00

Venue Name

FAREWELL

**NB: all timings and session titles are currently indicative only, please check back for updates to the programme content**

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