Stanford NNEA + SNP-REACH

Click Here to Watch the Webinar Recording - Stanford NNEA + SNP-REACH

The Network for K-12 Neurodiversity Education and Advocacy (NNEA) seeks to foster a community for K-12 students, parents, and educators interested in neurodiversity to share and discover unique advocacy efforts, stories, and experiences. NNEA was founded in 2021 and comprises students who are passionate about neurodiversity, its impacts, and the importance of a strength-based approach.

The Stanford Neurodiversity Project - Research, Education, and Advocacy Camp for High Schoolers (SNP-REACH) is a two-week summer camp for high school students around the world to learn more about the strengths-based model of neurodiversity, universal design, and more. Through the design thinking process, campers collaborate on neurodiversity advocacy projects that often continue beyond the program.  Eleven teams will present in this year's Stanford Neurodiversity Summit.

Lawrence Fung, MD, PhD | Director, Stanford Neurodiversity Project | Director, Neurodiversity Clinic | Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University

Dr. Lawrence Fung is an associate professor at the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University. He is the director of the Stanford Neurodiversity Project, director of the Neurodiversity Clinic, and principal investigator at the Fung Lab. 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. His lab advances the understanding of neural bases of human socio-communicative and cognitive functions by using novel neuroimaging and bioanalytical technologies. 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. 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.

Alina Samiullah, Co-chair, Network for K-12 Neurodiversity Education and Advocacy (NNEA) 

Alina Samiullah is a senior at Portola High School whose interest in neurodiversity sparked after she was an SNP-REACH camper in 2022, where she felt inspired to join the movement forging an inclusive world for all. For her fourth year on NNEA, Alina serves as Co-Chair, and strives to embed inclusive practices in every space she finds herself. In her free time, she’s an avid reader, adventurous baker, and occasional badminton player.

Maxwell Palance, Co-chair, Network for K-12 Neurodiversity Education and Advocacy (NNEA) 

Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder as a toddler, Maxwell spent much of his childhood working with dedicated teachers and therapists to learn to navigate challenges and embrace the strengths of Neurodiversity. Today, Maxwell is a NASA N3 Intern and Scholar, an accomplished mobile app developer, a USA Computing Olympiad Platinum Level Computer Programmer, and Co-Chair of the Stanford Neurodiversity Project's Network for K-12 Neurodiversity Education and Advocacy. He actively explores innovative ways to harness technology for meaningful impact, guided by a belief that human-centered design can unlock the strengths of Neurodiversity.