First Neurodivergent Community Workshop

An inclusive space for connection, learning, and shared experience. The main presentation starts at 1:00 pm.

Join us for the first-ever Neurodivergent Community Workshop at the University of Melbourne! The event is located at the Teaching and Learning Laboratory Studio in the heart of the Parkville campus: https://go.unimelb.edu.au/8fg8. The entrance to the studio is on the south side at the corner of Wilson Ave and Engineering La and not the main entrance.

This is a space for neurodivergent people at the University to:

• Connect with peers in a supportive community
• Explore topics related to neurodivergence and lived experience
• Share perspectives and insights in a safe environment
• Build self-knowledge and practical strategies for study and life

This event is split into three parts:

1. Optional Breathwork session with Lachlan from Academic Skills (12:30 pm)

2. The main presentation (1:00 pm)

3. Time to socialise (2:00 pm)

Open to all University of Melbourne students and staff members. Registration is essential.

Our first speaker is Cassie Truong, a graduate research student from the Department of Education. Her session introduces interoception—our sense of internal bodily signals—and explores why it is especially important for neurodivergent people, including those with ASD and ADHD, but also other neurological differences such as Dyspraxia, Tourette’s.

Participants will have dedicated time to:

• Build a clear understanding of what interoception is and how it shapes emotional regulation, well-being, and daily functioning
• Reflect on their own experiences of bodily awareness through guided check-ins
• Work together to explore practical occupational therapy (OT) strategies that support interoception, including tools for self-advocacy (for those with lived experience) and supportive practice (for staff and allies)

The workshop is designed to be interactive, experiential, and applicable, offering concrete strategies that participants can use in learning, teaching, and day-to-day life."

These workshops:
❌ Are not seminars about neurodivergent people targeted to an outside audience
❌ Do not attempt to provide advice about teaching neurodivergent students
✅ Do aim to provide neurodivergent people with community, self-knowledge and opportunities to speak on relevant topics.

For advice about neuro-affirming practice, we recommend contacting The Neurodiversity Project, or accessing resources from CAPS and Academic Skills.