top 6 research projects
The foundation creates and supports research about neurodiversity, and boosts the prototyping of innovative solutions.
The simple plan:
step 1: build something that works
step 2: supply 10.000 users with the tools
step 3: scale up to free distribution to 10 million users.
Athens Consortium | Core statement
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Research Fellows Program
Each year a cohort of researchers who applied to become a Research Fellow is invited to join the research program, and start their works. Each fellow will be coached, and supported in dissemination and publication.
Athens Initiative
The Neurodiversity Foundation is the founding member of the research consortium “Assistive Tech Hub Enhancing a Neurodiverse Society”. Other members are 2Tango and Coordinature.
Research on universal sign language
One of the long term goals of the foundation is to support the curation and creation of a simple sign language useful for neurodivergents and individuals with communicative barriers.
Member of Academic reseach groups
Representatives of the foundation are part of academic research groups and projects, run by universities of the Netherlands.
Research efforts with students, interns & groups
In collaboration with universities, vocational education and higher professional education students and research teams. In 2024-2025 over 50 students are part of these groups.
Research support for Family Signs
The research into Signs also focusses on neurodiverse families, and ways to solve communication issues within the familie. To support this effort, the foundation contributes to the research efforts.
Innovative solutions and games
The foundation supports many efforts into prototyping solutions for neurodivergents. Some of these are ‘serious games’, both online as offline, and may be used in workshops. The newest game workshop is the “What Strong With You Game”.
Research contributors
LInes of code
Invested into research
Research Fellow Program
The Neurodiversity Foundation offers various avenues for researchers and students to engage in research about neurodiversity. Our own research efforts aim to promote understanding, acceptance, and empowerment of neurodivergent individuals. We accept collaboration with educational institutions, research consortia, individual researchers, interns and volunteers. Read more about the program, on the research fellows page.
Design Your Life
DYL is a three year pursuit to find the best way to deliver assistive technology to autistics, as well as testable method to make the autistic the key ingredient to this process. Supported by University of Twente & Eindhoven, its a research consortium of about 15 contributing community partners serving the autistic community in the Netherlands, of which the Neurodiversity Foundation is part. Key researchers are Jelle Van Dijk, Thijs Waardenburg and Niels van Huizen.
Student Research Groups
Over the years, we have gratefully accepted the support of multidisciplinary teams, as well as study-specific research teams, rendering the answers to question the foundation needs. Most often, these are projects credited by educational institutions, with the foundation as the research partner.
Political Research Group
For the NIP 2023, the Neuro Inclusive Politician Award, a multidisciplinary team of 10 students has been formed, researching the main politicial parties in het Netherlands for their ND policies and outlook. Their research greatly supports the ND Jury, who are tasked with deciding the winner of the award.
Sign Language Research
Since the start of our foundation, and even before, we had a dream of a new type of language that supports neurodivergents and others with a communicative barrier. It leads to the curation of a new universal sign language that can be implemented world wide. The research is done via the research consortium Athens Initiative, of which Coordinature, Neurodiversity Foundation and 2Tango are founding members.
Internships
The Neurodiversity Foundation is hosting opportunities for students to do research in an internship capacity.
Sports & Diversity research
The foundation often gets request to have input in diversity policies or guidelines. We are allways enthusiastic about helping, if it leads to a measurable output, product or result. One of these results was the sports memorandum for sports clubs, in how to make it more neuroinclusive. The research effort is lead by All-In foundation, with 15 contributors, of which the Neurodiversity Foundation is part.
Neurodiversity at work research
As founding member of “NIB-NL”, or “Neurodiversity in Business Netherlands”, we support distribution of the research supporting the ability for neurodivergents to Thrive in the workplace. The research is authorized by NIB-UK.
serious Games testing
Changing the world, can also be fun. The foundation dabbles with new prototypes for games, or ‘game-like interventions’, sometimes framed as ‘serious games’.
One of them is the “Whats Strong With You Game“, that is perfect to be played live in a workshop setting, with 20-100 participants.
Another ones is the Neurodiverse Traits Kwartet, which can be played in a smallgroup. It includes 9 neurotypes, including the neurotypical one. It’s artwork is still visible in the Talents Room and the Party Room in the Pride Universe.
Family Signs Messenger App:
Because everybody deserves to be understood
Sooo…….
If you have an interesting topic, proposal, research, offer, request or anything pertaining research about neurodiversity, and you like to discuss options: contact us!
We do zoomtalks, googlemeets, live meetings with coffee, VR meets and phone conversations. First and or explorative conversations are with the director. For some conversations, other teammembers may be included in the conversation.