Overview Program Submissions Registration Location & Hotels Sponsorships Conference Committees
Illustration of Seattle Skyline with 2026 Conference Information

Join Leaders in Neurodiversity Employment Research

The Neurodiversity at Work Research Conference brings together leading scholars, neurodivergent leaders, and leading neurodiversity employers and providers concerned with advancing neurodiversity employment research. Their work may relate to the preparation, recruitment, persistence, advancement, and management of neurodivergent individuals in the workplace.

Our goal remains to build a community of people concerned with advancing research related to the preparation and employment of autistic individuals and to convey these concerns to others in the community. The conference aims to:

  1. Provide a collaborative space for scholars to share their work and receive constructive feedback in order to advance neurodiversity employment research.
  2. Further develop a research agenda to advance evidence-based practices to equitably include neurodivergent people in the workplace.

Conference Format

The Neurodiversity at Work Research Conference will be held in person at the University of Washington campus in Seattle, Washington USA, from June 22-24, 2026. Pre-conference workshops and events will be held on Jun 22, 2026, and the main conference will begin on June 23 and 24, 2026.

Conference Theme

This year’s conference centers on the theme “Building Adaptability and Resilience in the Age of Disruption.” We convene at a moment marked by profound uncertainty—characterized by rapid technological change, shifting labor markets, social polarization, and growing skepticism toward equity- and inclusion-focused initiatives. In this climate, adaptability and resilience are no longer optional; they are essential capacities for individuals, organizations, and communities seeking to thrive amid disruption.

These dynamics are particularly salient for the neurodivergent community and for employers committed to neuroinclusive practices. At a time when autism and neurodiversity employment programs face increasing political and cultural pushback—often questioning their value, legitimacy, or sustainability—there is an urgent need for rigorous research, thoughtful dialogue, and evidence-based solutions. This conference positions adaptability and resilience not as individual traits alone, but as systemic capabilities that must be cultivated through inclusive design, organizational change, and supportive policy environments.

The conference will showcase cutting-edge research that examines how individuals, organizations, and ecosystems navigate disruption by embracing innovation, fostering inclusive practices, and leveraging entrepreneurial and strategic thinking. Through keynote addresses, interactive panels, and collaborative sessions, participants will explore how resilience and adaptability can be strengthened while continuing to expand meaningful opportunities for neurodivergent talent—even in contested or constrained environments.

Rather than retreating in the face of resistance, this year’s conference invites scholars and practitioners to critically examine what it means to sustain, defend, and evolve neurodiversity employment efforts in the current moment, grounding advocacy in evidence and translating research into durable impact.

Beyond the conference theme, we encourage researchers to engage with the following interrelated themes:

  1. Representation and inclusion: How diverse voices—including neurodivergent individuals—can shape resilient solutions and inform program design, evaluation, and leadership in times of disruption.
  2. Intersectionality and Differential impact: How overlapping identities (e.g., gender, race, socioeconomic status, disability) influence experiences of disruption, access to opportunity, and pathways to resilience.
  3. From Action to Insight: How empirical research and lived experience can be translated into scalable, evidence-based practices that withstand political, economic, and organizational volatility.

Conference Co-Chairs