Our History
NeuroDiversity Association Hong Kong (NDAHK) was established to enhance awareness and celebration of neurodiversity. Starting off as a passionate project from a group of shapers, NDAHK evolved to formalize our activities and collaborations. Today, our association stands as a vital advocate for neurodiversity in our community.
NeuroDiversity Association Hong Kong was 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 Chairwoman 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, the action circle team engaged in extensive meetings and dialogues with various stakeholders, including neurodiverse individuals, families, organizations, companies, 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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Our Action Circle Members include the following:
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Mr. Douglas Cheng - Project Manager at Fullness Social Enterprises Society
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Miss Lydia Kuo - Principal at Society of Boys’ Centres Chak Yan Centre School
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Mr. Samuel Hui - Vice Principal at Stewards Pooi Kei College
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Mr. Shek Wai Keung - Principal at Hong Chi Shiu Pong Morninghope School
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Mr. Simon Lau - Principal at United Christian College
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Mr. Timmy Lo - Vice Principal at Da La Salle Secondary School
Our Team
At the heart of NDAHK is a dedicated team of respected professionals and passionate advocates. Our work is guided by experienced Boards of Directors, Advisors and Consultants who share their diverse expertise to shape our vision and activities. Our devoted Supporters are also our solid foundation in contributing to our initiatives and activities.
Our Board of Executive Directors
Emily Kwan
Founder and Chairwoman of
Neurodiversity Association Hong Kong
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Emily Kwan is the Founder and Chairwoman of the NeuroDiversity Association Hong Kong (NDAHK). With over 20 years of extensive experience in the clinical and educational fields from both Canada and Hong Kong, Emily has been devoting herself to empowering neurodiverse children, families, and schools; as well as educating those who are less familiar with this population about the strengths of neurodiversity. As the Clinical Director of Kids Connect, she has been living through the transformative power of strength - based model and the potentials of neurodiversed individuals, leading her strong belief in the importance of our valuing of neurodiversity as a society.
Under her visionary leadership, NDAHK has emerged as a catalyst in the neurodiversity movement. Through strategic partnerships, public education, and community outreach, NDAHK aims to redefine and reshape the societal perceptions of neurodiversity so a more equitable society that values neurological differences can be built.
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Cindy Choi
Director of
Neurodiversity Association Hong Kong
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Cindy has dedicated herself to youth advocacy and education, inspired by a lifelong passion for making a difference and the example set by her brother, Philemon Choi Yuen Wan, the founder of Breakthrough Organisation and the Youth Global Network. After transitioning from a career in investment banking, Cindy has become deeply committed to enhancing student well-being, promoting quality education, and developing leadership training for educational and NGO leaders. She also actively supports projects within Christian organizations, drawing on her strong faith and values. As an advisor to various NGOs, Cindy has played a pivotal role in initiatives like the Catalyst Education Lab's "Cultivating Leadership in Education" program. This experience led her to co-found the Neurodiversity Association Hong Kong with Emily, where she champions a strength-based approach that affirms the positive values of the neurodiverse community to the general public.
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Our Board of Strategic Advisors
Vic Lee
Founder of Catalyst Education Lab
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Vic Lee is the Founder of Catalyst Education Lab (CEL), a non-profit organization that seeks to transform the education sector by facilitating professional development and change management. With the primary goal to “Connect, Inspire, and Ignite”, CEL constantly connects with the schools to foster collaboration, inspire educators on what is possible, and ignite innovation by bringing ideas into action. Vic is also the Founder and Managing Director of Virtus Inspire, a venture capital firm that assists companies from different countries to expand abroad. Before VI, Vic was one of the Founders and former Senior Executive Vice President of Tencent, the largest internet company in China. When he joined in 1999, he was responsible for planning, constructing, and managing the operation platforms. He was recognized as the “China Top CIO” of 2008 by “CEO & CIO” magazine.
John Kim
Professor of Harvard Business School
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Professor John J-H Kim has been a Senior Lecturer on the faculty of the Harvard Business School since 2011. He is the Co-Chair of the Public Education Leadership Project (PELP), a joint initiative between the Harvard Graduate School of Education and the Harvard Business School that works to strengthen leadership competencies. At HBS, John also co-teaches the Social Innovation Lab, a project-based course providing student teams an opportunity to build a social enterprise with the discipline of business tools and entrepreneurial techniques. John is also the Chief Executive Officer of DMGroup, which brings the best management and leadership practices to its national network of public school district leaders and administrators. He was also a management consultant at McKinsey & Company, Inc., a global strategic management consulting firm. John draws on his extensive background in education, business, management, and academia; and serves on numerous boards and non-profit organizations.
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Our Chief Honorary Consultant
Dr. Lawrence Fung
Director of Stanford Neurodiversity Project
Director of Neurodiversity Clinic
Attending physician, Autism & Developmental Disabilities Clinic
Dr. Lawrence Fung is the Director of the Stanford Neurodiversity Project, Director of the Neurodiversity Clinic, and principal investigator at the Fung Lab. He is also an associate professor at the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University. His work, which focuses on autism and neurodiversity, traverses from multi-modal neuroimaging studies to a new conceptualization of neurodiversity and its application to clinical, educational, and employment settings.
Using a community-based participatory research approach, his team devises and implements novel interventions to improve the lives of neurodiverse individuals by maximizing their potential and productivity, as well as educating the general public about what neurodiversity is. His work has been supported by various agencies, including the National Institutes of Health, Autism Speaks, California Department of Developmental Services, California Department of Rehabilitation, and philanthropy. He received his Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Cornell University and his M.D. from George Washington University. He completed his general psychiatry residency, child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship, and postdoctoral research fellowship at Stanford.
Our Honorary Consultant
Dr. Stanley Ho
Dr. HO Sai-Mun, Stanley, has been the Professional Consultant in the Department of Educational Administration and Policy at the Chinese University of Hong Kong since 2000. He is the Chairman of the Cultivating Leadership in Education (CLE) Advisory Group at Catalyst Education Lab (CEL). Prior to his work in academia, he has served as a teacher, activities master, prefect of studies, vice principal, and principal in a local secondary school. He was the Founding Councilor of the Hong Kong Principals’ Institute, Chairman of the Hong Kong Schools Self-Evaluation Network, Vice-Chairman of the Hong Kong Association of Heads of Secondary Schools, and Chairman of the Secondary School Principals Association of Wong Tai Sin District. Throughout his career, he has actively participated in the professional training of principals and teachers on self-regulated learning, student voice, school self-evaluation and leadership development across Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau.
Professor Carol Chan
Professor Carol Chan is an Honorary Professor at the Faculty of Education, University of Hong Kong. She was a Co-Convenor of the Science of Learning Strategic Research Theme at the University, innovating learning across different sectors and populations. Her research examines how people learn collaboratively, including catering to diversity and how learning communities spark innovation. She is widely published, elected as a Fellow of the International Society for the Learning Sciences, and is internationally well-connected to innovation networks for bridging research and practice. She is currently the Convenor of the Educational Inquiry Course, working with pre-service and in-service teachers from K-12 on issues of curriculum, learning, diversity, equity, innovation, and social context in nurturing professional teachers and leaders. Carol also serves as an advisor for the Cultivating Leadership in Education program at the Catalyst Education Lab (CEL), fostering community building among school and NGO leaders to drive meaningful educational impact.
Professor Gary Lam
Professor Gary Lam is an Assistant Professor of the Department of Educational Psychology of The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Dr. Lam’s research focuses on better understanding neurodivergent individuals, including autism and other developmental conditions, from their first-person perspectives. He also aspires to engage various community stakeholders to promote neurodivergent individuals’ well-being across the lifespan. ProDr. Lam is a Registered Educational Psychologist (Hong Kong), Licensed Psychologist (United States), Nationally Certified School Psychologist (United States), and Board Certified Behavior Analyst. Dr. Lam received his Bachelor of Social Science in Psychology at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. He obtained the Master of Arts, Educational Specialist, and Doctor of Philosophy in School Psychology from the University of South Florida. He completed his predoctoral clinical internship in the Center for Mental Health at The University of Pennsylvania and his postdoctoral fellowship in Emory Autism Center at Emory University School of Medicine.
Our Organization Supporters
Our School Supporters
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We are consolidating the list of schools who have indicated their interests and support to the neurodiversity movement.
Stay tuned for the update! ​