Insights, expertise, lived experience
Our Think Tank unites neurodivergent athletes, researchers, and advocates to drive innovation and inclusivity in sports. Together, we challenge norms and pioneer practices that celebrate neurological diversity.
What we do
A space for challenging old models and co-creating better ones.
Lived experience expertise
Every voice in our Think Tank is a voice of experience — we centre those who’ve been left out and honour all perspectives.
Ethical research collaborations
We back lived experience with ethically grounded evidence — shaping work that’s informed, equitable, and realistic.
Co-Design & implementation
We design solutions with, not for, neurodivergent people, embedding sustainability and lived experience into every step.
Policy & practice change
We support governing bodies and organisations to rethink systems from the inside out — driving genuine, systemic change.
Our priority research areas
We strive to enhance sport governance, education and safeguarding policies through identifying evidence-informed neurodivergent considerations. There are several key areas we welcome research in. We will prioritise supporting projects that fit within our research priorities as well as those that can make a clear impact on sports organisations.
Education and athlete support staff development
Athlete transitions and long-term wellbeing
Athlete health, injury prevention and rehabilitation
Screening and early identification of neurodivergent athletes
Trauma-informed and neuroinclusive safeguarding
Our approach to research
Bridging lived experience with academic insight
Our Think Tank is enriched by a growing network of researchers, PhD and Master’s students, and academic institutions who share our vision for a more inclusive sporting landscape. We work alongside these contributors to inform and support ethically responsible research that places neurodivergent voices at the centre.
We’re proud to offer input into a wide range of projects — from participant recruitment and research design advice to connecting scholars with community partners across the sporting world.
A commitment to ethical research
Research on neurodivergence has too often been shaped by a medicalised, deficit-based lens — one that dehumanises, marginalises, and overlooks the lived experiences of neurodivergent people.
Ethical integrity is at the heart of our research collaborations. We prioritise neurodivergent perspectives, amplify lived experience, and ensure that research reflects a holistic, affirming, and inclusive view of difference. Together, we’re building a more respectful and relevant evidence base for neuroinclusion in sport.
Current collaborative projects
NdS x Cardiff Metropolitan University
Research Title: Experiences of Neurodivergent Athletes Navigating Pregnancy and Return to Sport
Eligibility Criteria: Female (18 or over); athlete (recreational to elite); given birth in the last five years; neurodivergent (self- or medically diagnosed)
NdS x University of Reading x University of East Anglia
Research Title: Experiences of Autistic Athletes in Elite Sport
Eligibility Criteria: Recruitment closed, analysis in progress
NdS x King’s College London
Research Title: Neurodiversity in sport: from PE to elite sport
Eligibility Criteria: TBC
Collaborate with Us
If you’re interested in sharing your experience or contributing to our evidence base, we’d love to hear from you.
University student?
While we don’t offer direct research placements, we are happy to support research in other ways—such as assisting with participant recruitment and facilitating valuable networking opportunities within the sport and neurodiversity communities. Support will depend on whether the project aligns with our research priorities and on our capacity at the time.
If you would like to request our support, please complete this form.