This activity will establish a community-academic partnership between Dr. Elina Birmingham, Director of the Autism in Education Lab at Simon Fraser University, and the Neurodiversity Change Foundation, a neurodivergent-led organization focused on leadership development, systems change, and inclusion. The partnership will explore research and knowledge mobilization priorities related to neuroinclusive health human resources in BC.
HHR challenges are often framed around shortages, burnout, recruitment, and retention, but less attention has been paid to how neurodivergent people enter, remain, advance, and lead within health and health-adjacent systems. Neurodivergent workers, trainees, clinicians, researchers, advocates, and lived-experience leaders are an under-recognized source of workforce capacity and health system knowledge, yet many face barriers related to accommodation, communication accessibility, psychosocial safety, workplace design, retention, and leadership pathways. Addressing these barriers is both an equity and health human resources issue, as exclusionary workplace structures may contribute to the preventable loss of skilled workers and leaders.
The activity builds on Dr. Birmingham’s research on Autistic students in work-integrated learning and NCFs work on neurodivergent leadership development. From August – November 2026, the project will include virtual planning meetings between SFU and NCF; a rapid synthesis of existing research and community-based work; one half-day Vancouver working meeting; and a virtual health system partner roundtable with representatives from health authorities, professional associations, and health-adjacent organizations. Activities will include accessibility considerations such as virtual participation options and flexible communication formats. The roundtable will help ensure the emerging agenda is grounded in real-world health workforce challenges and implementation contexts.
Anticipated outcomes include a strengthened community-academic partnership; identification of priority research questions; validation of knowledge mobilization pathways; and a concept note to support future collaborative research and implementation funding focused on neuroinclusive health workforce participation, retention, and leadership in BC.
Additional team members and participating organizations:
Neurodiversity Change Foundation (Research User Co-Lead organization)