In a world built for a narrow range of minds, neurodivergent wellbeing is not simply a question of support — it is a question of power, perspective, and whose vision of a good life counts. From the viewpoint of those of us who are neurodivergent, true wellbeing must include our intersectional identities in ways that recognize and centre the compounding effects of societal systems that uphold barriers, biases, and engineered exclusions for those of us who are persistently marginalized.

Research and practice focused on neurodivergent and intersectional wellbeing should centre our voices, include us at the decision-making table, and uphold our vision of a successful future — as defined by us.

Delegates will learn how to tackle social justice issues that affect neurodivergent people directly, examine how a deficit-based perspective in research, policy, and design actively harms neurodivergent people by building exclusionary frameworks, and learn how to bridge the gap between research and practice by making intentional choices. Perhaps most importantly, delegates will leave with a deeper understanding of why the principle "nothing about us without us" is not simply a motto — it is a valid methodology for research and practice that prioritises neurodivergent voices as key to creating meaningful and sustainable change.

Dr. TC Waisman shares her perspective as a late-diagnosed Autistic, Black, Indigenous Oceania, South Asian non-binary person whose journey began in a small village in Fiji and took her across the world as an activist, author, researcher, and speaker focused on the strengths of neurodivergence and intersectionality — and the very real dangers of a deficit-only perspective.

By sharing pragmatic ways to create community-based participatory research and practice, Dr. Waisman invites delegates to reframe their own perspective of neurodivergent wellbeing to centre the voices of those who are directly affected by the research outcomes and policies that are developed in their name.