Our History

NeuroDiversity Association Hong Kong is formally established in March of 2024.  

 

The Neurodiversity Association Hong Kong (NDAHK) has its roots in the visionary efforts of Emily Kwan, a dedicated advocate for empowerment. Emily, the Founder and Director of NDAHK, had previously attended and completed the prestigious "Cultivating Leadership in Education" program at Harvard Business School sponsored by the Catalyst Education Lab (CEL).  This transformative experience propelled Emily’s dedication to rethinking and reshaping how diverse developmental profiles are being portrayed in our current society and supported in our systems. 

 

As an extension of this learning journey, Emily shared for her vision and was supported by a group of other shapers who also attended the CLE program in forming an action circle.  Cindy Choi, one of the advisors of the CEL and a dedicated contributor to the field of education, has also joined the initiative.  This collective initiative originally aimed to "rethink, reshape, and rename" the existing concept of Special Educational Needs (SEN), recognizing the need for a fundamental system change and a framework that could better showcase individuals' strengths and inherent value across the developmental spectrum.  

 

Through months of meticulous groundwork, Emily led the group of educations to engage in extensive meetings and dialogues with various stakeholders, including neurodiverse individuals, families, organizations, companies, practitioners, university professors, and other professionals.  By directly engaging with this diverse range of stakeholders, our understanding of the need for a collaborative and cross-sector approach to advocate neurodiversity is further affirmed.   

 

Recognizing the transformative power of united voices, NDAHK actively forge partnerships and alliances with a wide range of stakeholders.  By bringing together the wider perspectives, specialized expertise, unique insights, and valuable resources of neurodiverse individuals, educators, organization leaders, and academia, we aim to develop a multifaceted approach to promote neurodiversity to the general public in Hong Kong.  This collaborative spirit lies at the heart of NDAHK’s mission, as the organization firmly believes that fostering synergies across different sectors is crucial for creating lasting and systematic change of this neurodiversity movement.  

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