Please also visit our Neurodiversity at Work page to learn more about the Stanford Neurodiverse Candidate Reigistry.

Employers, please visit our Neurodiversity at Work page to learn more about our program and the Stanford Neurodiversity Job Bank.

About the Stanford Neurodiversity Project

What is Neurodiversity?

Neurodiversity is a concept that regards individuals with differences in brain function and behavioral traits as part of normal variation in the human population.

The movement of Neurodiversity is about uncovering the strengths of neurodiverse individuals and utilizing their talents to increase innovation and productivity of the society as a whole.

Our Key Objectives

  • Establish a culture that treasures the strengths of neurodiverse individual
  • Empower neurodiverse individuals to build their identity and enhance their long-term skills of daily living throughout the lifespan
  • Attract talented neurodiverse individuals to study and work at Stanford
  • Train talented individuals to work with the neurodiverse population
  • Disseminate the Stanford Neurodiversity Model locally, nationally, and internationally
  • Maximize the potential of neurodiversity

Program News and Events

Current and Upcoming Events

Feb February 20 Thu 2025

Learning & the Brain Conference: "Teaching Stronger Brains: Promoting Student Strengths, Character, Compassion, Gratitude, Hope, Honesty, and Autonomy in a Deficit-Focused Age"

San Francisco, California

“A Strength-Based Model of Neurodiversity: The Strengths and Talents That Neurodiverse Bring to Education and the Workplace"

Lawrence Fung, MD, PhD, Stanford University

Feb February 23 Sun 2025

Stanford DBP Mini-Fellowship ECHO

Palo Alto, California

"Neurodivergence in Medicine."

Lawrence Fung, MD, PhD, Stanford University

Feb February 24 Mon 2025

Special Interest Group for Neurodiversity

"A Community Apparoach to Managing ADHD: The Unlocking ADHD Journey (Singapore)"

Moonlake Lee, Unlocking ADHD

Feb February 25 Tue 2025

Behavioral Health Grand Rounds, Penn Medicine Princeton House Behavioral Health and University of Pennsylvania

Princeton, New Jersey

“Neurodiversity: The New Diversity"

Lawrence Fung, MD, PhD, Stanford University

Feb February 28 Fri 2025

Bay Area Autism Consortium

Palo Alto, California

 

Mar March 17 Mon 2025

Special Interest Group for Neurodiversity

"Understanding Pathological Demand Avoidance/Pervasive Drive for Autonomy (PDA)"

Diane Gould, LCSW, Founder of PDA North America; Zach Morris, Autistic Thought Leader in Education; Brook Madera, Mother of 3 Neurodivergent Boys

PJ "Starling" Letourneau, Neurodiverse Advocate

Apr April 02 Wed 2025

MD Anderson Cancer Center

University of Texas, Houston, Texas

"Neurodivergence in Medicine and the Workplace."

Lawrence Fung, MD, PhD, Stanford University

Apr April 10 Thu 2025

DisabilityNext Summit

Portland, Oregon

“Neuroinclusion in the Workplace"

Lawrence Fung, MD, PhD, Stanford University

Apr April 24 Thu 2025

Neurodiversity Research Special Interest Group

University of Oxford, United Kingdom

"The Strengths-Based Model of Neurodiversity: Applications in the Educational, Employment, and Clinical Settings."

Lawrence Fung, MD, PhD, Stanford University

Apr April 21 Mon 2025

Michigan State University

East Lansing, MI

"Diverse Minds, Dynamic Sciences -- Neurodiversity in STEM"

Lawrence Fung, MD, PhD, Stanford University

Neurodiversity Publications

May May 2024

Strengths-Based Models and Neurodiversity

Fung, L.K.  

In Eric Patton and Alecia M.Santuzzi, eds. Neurodiversity and Work: Employment, Identity, and Support Networks for Neurominorities. Springer Nature., Switzerland. 2024:39-59.

Jan January 2024

A dual design thinking - universal design approach to catalyze neurodiversity advocacy through collaboration among high-schoolers

Schuck, R.K. and Fung, L.K.  

Front Psychiatry. 2024 Jan 10:14:1250895. 

doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1250895.

Aug August 2022

Neurodiversity: An Invisible Strength?

Fung, L.K., Ulrich, T.L., Fujimoto, K.T., Taheri, M.  

JOM 74, 3200–3202 (2022).

https://doi.org/10.1007/s11837-022-05454-2 

May May 2022

A Scoping Review of Peer Mentoring Programs for Autistic College Students.

Isabelle F. Morris, Christy Matta, Lawrence K. Fung

Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s40489-022-00325-7 

Jan January 2022

Nov November 05 Fri 2021

Program News

January 2023

California Department of Developmental Services awarded Dr. Lawrence Fung and his team on a new project to develop and assess a curriculum designed to train job coaches to support regional center consumers with intellectual / developmental disabilities.

March 25 2021

Stanford Neurodiversity Project and DPR Construction signed an agreement to start a pilot Neurodiversity at Work Program at DPR Construction.

Dec 9 2020

Stanford Neurodiversity Project and Google signed an agreement to start a pilot Neurodiversity at Work Program at Google Cloud.

Quick Links Featuring the Stanford Neurodiversity Project in the Media:

NBC Today, November 27, 2024

McKinsey Talks Talent, September 16, 2024

Stanford Medicine SCOPE 10k, May 3, 2023

Scienceline, March 4, 2023

Stanford Alumni Weekend: Classes without Quizzes, October 20, 2022

Past Events (including recordings of presentations in past Special Interest Group meetings)

Dec December 06 Fri 2024

National Taiwan Normal University Special Education Center’s 50th Anniversary Celebration

Taipei, Taiwan

“Maximizing the Potential of Neurodiverse Individuals in the Workplace by Using the Strengths-Based Model of Neurodiversity"

Lawrence Fung, MD, PhD, Stanford University

Dec December 16 Mon 2024

Special Interest Group for Neurodiversity

"Autism, Anxiety, Strengths - How to bridge the conversation?"

Jiedi Lee, PhD, University of Oxford