Are you interested in creating learning environments where neurodivergent health professions students can thrive?

Join us to share ideas, challenge misconceptions and understand student experiences.

The Disability Inclusive Health Professions Education Alliance ANZ (DIHPEA) is offering the next research workshop in a series aimed at building the evidence base in Australia and New Zealand for developing good practices for inclusion and support in medical education. This research workshop focuses on approaches to enabling neurodivergent learners in health professions education.

Date: Thursday 22 October 2026

Time: 11am – 1pm AEST / 1pm - 3pm NZST

Location: Zoom (link to be provided upon registration)

What can I expect at the workshop?

This interactive research workshop will explore how health professions programs can work towards creating inclusive educational experiences for neurodivergent learners. Drawing on case studies and research evidence, the workshop will explore the barriers students may encounter, the hidden curriculum that shapes learners’ experiences, and the ways educators can adapt their practices.

Participants will have the opportunity to:

share experiences, problems of practice and examples of what has worked in their context
review their own practices to identify ways to create more inclusive learning environments
explore opportunities for shifting from reactive adjustments to proactive inclusion by design
contribute to resource development to support health professions programs across Australia and Aotearoa.

The research workshop will be collaborative, focussed and practical, and you can choose to join and participate anonymously.

Research

The data collected through the workshop will be used to create updated guidelines and resources to support disability inclusion in medical education.

For further details on what participation will entail, please see the Research Information Form.

This project has received ethical approval from Deakin University (2026-HE000285) with recognition from Western Sydney University and ratification by the University of Auckland Human Participants Ethics Committee (UAHPEC).

Who is DIHPEA?

The Disability Inclusive Health Professions Education Alliance ANZ (DIHPEA) is a group of health professions educators who have made a commitment to supporting disability inclusion through research, professional practice and program support. We include scholars, clinicians, and educators from Deakin University, Western Sydney University, Waipapa Taumata Rau – The University of Auckland, University of Melbourne, University of Notre Dame Australia, and University of Western Australia.

Contact the host of Neurodivergent students in Health Professions Education