Join us for the first ever Celebrating Neurodiversity Research Symposium at the University of Melbourne. Learn about the innovative, neurodiversity-affirming research happening at our institution. Open to all University of Melbourne students and staff members.
Symposium Information
Date: Thursday 14th November
Time: 9.30am to 2.45pm
Location: Level 5, Kwong Lee Dow Building
234 Queensberry Street, Carlton 3053
We are excited to invite all University of Melbourne students and staff to the first Celebrating Neurodiversity Research Symposium to be held at the Faculty of Education on Thursday 14th November and online. This is an exciting opportunity to learn about the innovative neurodiversity-affirming research happening at our institution, as well as a platform to hear from neurodivergent researchers sharing their work in a range of areas.
As a celebration of neurodiversity, this event will bring together our community to connect with each other and is designed to allow people to access the day in ways that work best for them. We have a limited number of in-person tickets as well as an option to join the day through Zoom.
Alongside the presentations, we will have a number of optional activities and quiet spaces at the venue that attendees can access when/if they would like.
This symposium will be split into two streams:
1. Neurodiversity affirming research stream sharing research from across all faculties and schools that seeks to shift understandings of neurodivergences from deficits to differences.
2. Neurodivergent researchers sharing their work in any field, making visible the wonderful contribution University of Melbourne neurodivergent academics make to their fields of inquiry.
Registration
Unfortunately, tickets have sold out. However, anyone is welcome to join one of our on-campus viewing hub events – no bookings necessary, drop by any time!
Venue Accessibility
The Venue Map and layout document shows the layout of the event spaces at level 5 of the Kwong Lee Dow building. This includes a main presentation area, a secondary presentation area, sensory-friendly rooms and catering area. The registration area will be located close to the lift and stairwell area, where a Symposium volunteer will be able to help with way finding.- Level 5 also has two gendered multi-stall bathrooms, and an all-gender accessible bathroom. Hand towels will be provided for those who prefer to avoid the automatic hand-dryers.
- A water station for humans will be available for refills throughout the event, and a separate station for service animals will also be provided.
- Level 2 has a parenting room that is open for all caregivers to use throughout the event.
- Both the main presentation area and the secondary presentation have hearing loop accessibility. The presentations will be streamed via Zoom, and auto-captioning will be enabled for those who wish to use it.
Click the link below to download the venue map and accessibility document.
Venue Map – Accessible Document (.docx)
A warm thank you to Emily Woods — Bachelor of Science Student (Climate and Weather) and Accessibility Champion Volunteer for putting this together!
Venue Photographs
Image: Theatre space with seats reclined and open curtains on Level 5 of the KLD Building.
Image: Open-plan area on Level 5 of the KLD building. The space has a variety of seating options, piano, kitchen, and bathroom facilities nearby. The large dark sliding door (behind the couches) is the entrance to the theatre.
Tour of the Venue
Watch the video below to tour the venue for the Celebrating Neurodiversity Research Symposium on Thursday 14 November. In this video, we show you the main spaces that we will be using.
Parkville and Rural Campus Viewing Hubs
If you missed out on an in-person ticket or want an alternative way to engage with the Symposium, join one of the on-campus viewing hubs. No bookings necessary, drop by any time!
All UoM staff and students are welcome to attend and connect with like-minded attendees in a welcoming, inclusive space. The event will be streamed via Zoom at the locations below.
For further information about each viewing hub, please contact the person at the site you intend to join.
Parkville
Location: Singapore Theatre (Room B120) @ Level B1, Glyn Davis Building (Melbourne School of Design), Parkville
Contact: Poppy Paraw — poppy.paraw@unimelb.edu.au
Note: unfortunately catering can’t be provided at this viewing hub, however, there are many options nearby to purchase food and beverages.
Ballarat
Location: Tutorial Room 1 @ 806 Mair Street, Ballarat
Contact: Robyn McNeil — robyn.mcneil@unimelb.edu.au
A light lunch, snacks, tea & coffee will be provided.
Wangaratta
Location: Tutorial room G03 @ 38 Green Street, Wangaratta
Contact: Kristen Glenister — kristen.glenister@unimelb.edu.au
A light lunch, snacks, tea & coffee will be provided.
Shepparton
Location: Conference room 1@ 49 Graham Street, Shepparton
Contact: Claire Quilliam — claire.quilliam@unimelb.edu.au
A light lunch, snacks, tea & coffee will be provided.
Symposium Flyer
Feel free to share our Symposium 2024 Flyer!
Our file options are optimised for digital and web sharing.
Click on the links below to view the flyer:
Symposium Flyer — Accessible Doc
If you would prefer a print-ready version, please get in touch with us.
Schedule
Find out more on our speakers, presentation topics, as well as their school or faculty at the university.
Any changes of the schedule will be noted on this page. The Schedule document will be uploaded soon.
Time | Main Theatre – Room A | Breakout Session – Room B |
|---|---|---|
8:30am | Registration + arrival, tea and coffee. Location: open-plan area on Level 5, Kwong Lee Dow | |
Session 1 | ||
Room A – Chair: Dr Matt Harrison | Room B – Chair: Dr Sarah Timperley | |
9.30am | Acknowledgment of Country + Welcome Address by Professor Elaine Wong, Pro Vice-Chancellor (People and Equity) | |
9.45am | Keynote Address: Breaking barriers and celebrating differences: Insights from our 2024 Neurodivergent Student Needs-Analysis Dr. Jessica Riordan (She/Her), Co-Lead of the University of Melbourne Neurodiversity Project and Research Fellow at the Faculty of Education | |
10.15am | What helps Neurodivergent students thrive and succeed during placements?
| Neurodiversity in the trans community: Findings and reflections from the TRANSform project
|
10.35am | Combined coverage of water, sanitation, and hygiene services: an equity analysis of 32 countries
| Unmasking Autistic, Becoming Researcher
|
10.55am | Morning tea + asynchronous presentations + activity tables | |
Session 2 | ||
Room A – Chair: Nikita Potemkin | Room B – Chair: A/Prof Lisa Mckay-Brown | |
11.25am | Neurodiversity-Affirming Practice – Exploring the Knowledge and Perspectives of Australian Speech Pathologists
| Emerging insights from the Early Childhood Teacher and Educator Neurodiversity Project
|
11.45am | Obsessive Questions About Darkness & Light: The Autistic Art of Researching Back
| ‘Let it go’ – A review on how Information Systems in Higher Education Institutions can hold back neurodivergent students
|
12.05pm | Embracing my neurodiverse brain when building a career in academia
| “Some Are More Equal Than Others”- Social Assistance and its Distributional Impact during the COVID-19 Pandemic in India
|
12.25pm | Lunch + asynchronous presentations + activity tables | |
Session 3 | ||
Room A – Chair: Keshia Arbour | Room B – Chair: Dr. Sean Marshall | |
1.10pm | Autistic Leaders' Lived Experience and Leadership Development
| Exploring experiences of disclosure and reasonable adjustments in neurodivergent MDHS Faculty staff – qualitative interview study
|
1.30pm | Unreliable memoirs: self-referentiality and Autistic textures in Little Women, American Animals, and The Personal History of David Copperfield
| Exploring the Intersection of Gender and Neurodiversity in School Avoidance and Exclusion: A Scoping Review
|
1.50pm | Keynote Address: Insights from our 2024 staff needs analysis Dr. Sarah Timperley (She/Her), Co-Lead of the University of Melbourne Neurodiversity Project and Research Fellow at the Faculty of Education | |
2.20pm | Closing Address by Professor Duncan Maskell, Vice-Chancellor | |
2.35pm | Thank You’s + Next Steps by Dr. Matthew Harrison (He/Him), Co-lead of the University of Melbourne Neurodiversity Project and Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Education | |
2.45pm | Fun activities to close out the symposium (for those who wish to stay) | |
Contact us
If you would like any particular support, please reach out to nd-project@unimelb.edu.au.
We will work with you to help you get what you need to have an enjoyable day.